Page 72 of Aria's Desire

Each of these men held all of her heart. It should be impossible.

But it wasn’t.

Her chest ached with the intensity, but it was a good ache, like her heart was stretching, expanding, so she could hold it all.

Chapter 36

Sin was named the victor of the tournament amid much backslapping and congratulations from her men and the other contestants while Aria stood to the side, smiling proudly.

At a mental nudge from Kix, her smile faded a little, but not entirely. It became sharper because that nudge meant he, Tirox, and Rellik had successfully apprehended the five females.

Catching Ishtal’s gaze, Aria nodded once.

Raising her arms, Ishtal quieted the crowd, her expression becoming solemn and forbidding.

“It pains me to end such a glorious tournament with anything but pride in my people and congratulations for the victor, but I have gruesome news that cannot be delayed.” She motioned Aria’s men forward. They stepped onto the field hauling five enraged, hissing females with them. Quieting the crowd again, Ishtal boomed, “These damsas have committed heinous crimes against our own. They have enslaved males, males we are entrusted to protect. Used them for sex and as outlets for their dark desires… without mating or arrangement.”

Gasps of shock and outrage erupted from the crowd. Ishtal nodded.

“The evidence is irrefutable.”

With a wave, she motioned the males Aria’s men had found onto the field. This was the other part of the plan Aria hadn’t liked. It was an effective tactic, parading them in front of everyone, and none of them had refused or balked, but she still didn’t like it. They’d already been healed, which meant they didn’t have any visible injuries, though they were still thin and clearly malnourished. Ishtal solved that with makeup. They’d had their injuries painted back on them.

As soon as they came into view, the gasps of the crowd turned to hisses and shouts of anger.

“You see what they endured. You see now what cruelty these damsas have wrought. I bring it to you, my people. How should we punish such heinous crimes?”

Aria wasn’t at all surprised when they voted death. Mobs were a lot of things, vicious and bloodthirsty top among them. Ishtal, having not expected such viciousness, looked at Aria a little wide-eyed. Aria just shrugged.

She agreed with the crowd. Some people just couldn't be trusted to live. Sure, she could imprison them, but then resources were going into their mouths instead of those who both deserved and needed them more.

After Kix and Tirox had laid out exactly what shape they’d found those males in, Aria didn’t feel an ounce of remorse. No, those women needed to die.

Butafterthey’d interrogated them and found out if they’d sold anyone to the slavers, like Salesh.

Thenthey could die.

* * *

The women were harderto crack than Aria anticipated, but no one lasted forever. Eventually, they broke and gave up everything. To her intense relief, they hadn’t followed through on selling any of their people into slavery, but they were in contact with them.

They discovered that, instead of trying to sell their people, they were apparently trying to buy slaves. They wanted more diversity in their underground sex ring. That was also where the food and supplies that were supposed to be for the villages went. They’d given the slavers payment already.

They got names, descriptions, and the meeting places from the women. Luckily for them, the meeting was to take place the next night. Ishtal wanted to send out a squadron, led by Xaiar, since her General was still unconscious, but Aria argued against that. Until they’d been trained to use blasters, she wasn’t willing to send them out armed with swords. Instead, she commed the team hidden nearby and passed the information to them.

Since she’d brought it up, Aria took the opportunity to speak with Ishtal about her General. The Queen wasn’t terribly happy about it, but neither did she look particularly surprised. Apparently, General Islea was the daughter of an influential female and got her position through nepotism.

Ishtal accepted her suggestion that Xaiar be named General surprisingly well, considering his claim that males weren’t usually allowed to hold such high positions turned out to be true. When Aria asked about that, the Queen shrugged delicately and said simply, “It is time for change.”

The execution was public, held in the same arena in which they’d fought. Aria and her men stood silent, stone-faced, as the women were beheaded and fed to a pack of ikkar. That part had her grimacing internally. Not because of the gore. That was fine. But was she the only one concerned the beasts would develop a taste for people?

Gazing around, yes, yes she apparently was.

Here’s hoping they know their animals better than I do.

Still, she’d be watching her back around the beasts even more than she already had been. She was relieved to see the mount she’d ridden, at least, wasn’t among those feasting.

Ishtal addressed the crowd at the end. “I believe we all need time to recover from such a shock. If you are amenable, Queen Aria, I propose we begin alliance talks on the morrow.”

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