Page 73 of Aria's Ascension

“My name.”

The question as to why Kix knew his name flitted through her mind, but she didn’t voice it.

Thrasin drew in a deep breath, expanding his muscled chest, and closed his eyes. Aria watched, tense, as a frown knit the skin of his brow then clenched her jaw when pain visibly tightened his features.

Her eyes widened when his skin seemed to ripple like water a second before he grunted sharply and bowed over, hunching in on himself. His spine bulged, pressing against the skin of his back and his shoulder blades cracked and moved in a way that had the fine hairs on the nape of her neck standing on end.

As if he couldn’t hold them back any longer, raw, guttural noises seemed to claw their way out of his throat.

“Thrasin!”

Aria reached for him, shocked. She hadn’t known it would hurt. His pain tore at her. She fell with him when he collapsed to his knees and opened her mouth to tell him to stop, that they’d find another way. This looked like it was killing him. The crack of his bones breaking and reforming under his skin and the wet, tearing sound of muscles ripping apart had horror spearing through her.

But, before she could, a rumble shook the ground beneath them.

Eyes wide, she braced a hand on the floor to keep from falling over. She thought it was coming from Thrasin at first… until dust rained down from the ceiling.

That was the only warning they got before all hell broke loose.

A deafening crash, the scream of tearing metal, and a thunderous roar had her slapping her hands over her ears. She choked on a cry as she felt her eardrums rupture and blood slick her hands.

The entire cave shuddered just as something hit her hard enough to send her flying backwards. The impact when she hit the ground froze her diaphragm, making it impossible to draw in a breath for an excruciatingly long, painful, handful of seconds.

Forcing her eyes open, she caught a heart-stopping glimpse of the ceiling collapsing. Massive slabs of rock plummeted toward them, some as big as cars.

“Kix!” she yelled, half in warning, half in denial.

A brief flash of something huge and metallic crashing through the cave ceiling was the last thing she saw before something struck the side of her head and everything went black.

Chapter 40

Aria blinked open her eyes to find Skaa’s dirty, scowling face looming above her.

“Wake up! Now is no time for rest!” the woman barked, but she sounded as though she was underwater. Her voice was muffled and barely discernible over the ringing in Aria’s ears.

Groaning, she tried to glare at her friend but gave up when it intensified the pounding in her head.

“Missed you, too,” she rasped, then added under her breath, “rude ass alien.”

Aria rolled to hands and knees then paused, coming very close to throwing up all over Skaa’s feet. Swallowing convulsively, she sat back on her heels and hissed sharply when the movement made it feel like someone had stuffed her skull with knives.

She reached up and gingerly touched the side of her head to find her hair caked with blood and dust. There was a nice-sized gash splitting her scalp, but she could feel the itchy tingle telling her it was already healing.

“What the fuck happened? Where’s—” She cut off with a gasp.

Tirox!

“How long was I out?” she demanded.

“Not long. Or long. How am I to know? I have only just arrived.”

Coughing, she squinted through the dark, murky haze of dust and began calling out. Kix answered first.

“Aessa. You are unharmed?” following his voice, she spotted him and Rellik about ten feet away, just getting to their feet.

“Sarasha?” Rellik demanded when she didn’t answer immediately.

Deciding the head wound was better kept to herself, she called back, “I’m okay. Are you?”

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