Page 45 of Aria's Desire

It wasn’t that the people were against fighting for their world, they were just against being forced to do so. That was something she understood perfectly. Once she’d reassured them that would never happen, they settled, and most of their wariness was gone.

Aria learned that everyone, female and male, regardless of their position or vocation, went through military training. Whether they decided to remain in service was up to them, but they were required to serve at least two years if they lived at the castle and trained full time, or four years if they remained in their village and commuted, beginning at what they calledkhalunwhich she took to be when someone was considered an adult. Apparently, that decree was one of the first things Ishtal did when she came into power.

Aria believed, wholeheartedly, that force of any kind was wrong, but insisting her people knew how to protect themselves was something with which she agreed. Hell, she’d done the same at the complex. This world was too dangerous to allow people to remain defenseless.

Learning of that decree answered a question she’d had for a while: why Rellik knew how to fight so well when, according to him, he’d been a courtesan, or daisheik, as they referred to them.

He hadn’t been part of the Queen’s guard, and neither was he expected to come to her protection or defence should she be in danger. Yet, he was incredibly skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and she’d yet to find a weapon he couldn’t wield. Even weaponry he was unfamiliar with, like blasters, he picked up on quickly, taking to anything he was handed, like a natural.

The next most common worry was that they would be staging a full-scale, open war against the slavers, as they referred to all the aliens who occupied their planet, whether they were there willingly or not.

Thanks to Rellik inventing the anti-Veil chip, they didn’t have to fear being enslaved, but in spite of their seclusion, they were well aware of the advanced technology the slavers boasted. They knew damn well their soldiers, armed with handheld weaponry, didn’t stand a chance.

After the fifth village or farm, Aria had her speech pretty well memorized. She began with introductions, immediately assuaged their fears of a draft, explained that the majority of the population were slaves in need of help, not enemies, then detailed the guerrilla tactics they employed. She also assured them she had no intention of asking them to fight with swords and spears. With all the places they’d taken over, they had a surplus of weapons and fabricators capable of making more.

As much as she could see they appreciated her straightforwardness, Aria wasn’t sure she would’ve won them over, not truly, without Rellik and Sin.

Shocking the hell out of her, Sin turned out to be some kind of kid magnet. They flocked to him, oohing and ahhing over his midnight skin, white claws, scales, and eyes. And, when they learned he was the ‘flying beast’ they’d seen or heard about, the gloves were off. They rushed him like a hoard of tiny little devils, climbing all over him like he was a jungle gym, something he didn’t just tolerate, but seemed to genuinely enjoy.

The change in him was striking. The usually stoic, brooding male instantly softened, dropping to a knee when the children wanted to inspect him. He answered their endless questions patiently, smiled easily.

He was like an entirely different person.

The hands she’d seen deal death swiftly and brutally were gentle as he helped the children climb onto his back. When a little girl got knocked to the ground on accident and started crying, he immediately picked her up and cradled her to his chest. He soothed her hurt feelings and brushed away her tears. Once she calmed, he moved her to his hip, bouncing her absentmindedly as he held out a hand so the other children could ogle his claws. The move startled Aria with how easy it was, like this was something he’d done countless times.

Aria didn’t think he caught the adoring look on the little girl’s face, butshedid.

She’d heard the phrase ‘I think my ovaries just exploded’ but hadn’t ever really understood the sentiment. She understood now.

She’d looked at Tirox and Kix and thought about children, about what good fathers they’d make, but those had been abstract thoughts, suppressed before they could fully form, because she knew those were dreams that didn’t fit in her current reality.

But standing there, watching Sin hold a little girl that looked like Rellik, was the first time she’d thought about actually having babies of her own. What would they look like, these imagined children that would be half her and half one of her mates?

What would a baby of her’s and Kix’s look like? Her’s and Tirox’s?

...her and Rellik? Sin?

She expected to feel guilty at the thought, but all she felt was an intense sense of longing. She wanted that, badly. She wanted a little girl with Kix’s beautiful eyes and sharp mind. A little boy with her Demon’s playfulness and striking, red skin. A boy with her Devil’s mischievous smile and wicked sense of humor. And a little girl with her Sin’s stunning purplish gold scales and unbreakable spirit.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed that line of thinking away, her chest aching. Instead, she smoothed her expression, and watched the people around them, reminding herself they were there for a purpose, and it didn’t include daydreams that may never become reality.

The adults tried to call their children off their attack at first, until they realized Sin didn’t need, or want, saving.

She knew her Sin was utterly trustworthy, but if she were in those peoples’ places, finding out the man her kids were climbing all over could turn into a giant, occasionally people-eating dragon, she’d freak out. Not these people. To a one, they seemed to almost shrug, like if he wasn’t going to call for help, they were going to leave well enough alone.

Despite their apparent nonchalance, Aria sensed the change the sight brought. It lessened the tension in the adults just as much, or perhaps more, than her answering their questions and addressing their concerns.

Rellik’s presence helped get rid of the last of their guardedness. He was one of theirs. More than that, he was well known and well liked, so most greeted him like a long-lost relative, which he assured her they weren’t, confusing her a bit with his adamance. Stranger still, if he was overheard, the people greeting him rushed to agree.

Catching Sin’s gaze after the third or fourth time it happened, she made a questioning face. He shrugged, looking just as confused as she felt. When she managed to ask Rellik about it without being overheard, he blinked as though he hadn’t realized he’d been doing it then got a cagey expression and changed the subject.

After the first few places, it was as though word spread and they were greeted with less hostility and more curiosity. By the time the suns were low on the horizon, Aria was feeling accomplished and much more confident in the alliance.

They were just leaving the latest village, when she noticed the odd tension in Rellik, where he rode on her left.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly, reaching out to touch his knee.

“The village where I was born is next,” he announced, flicking an almost nervous look at her.