Kix felt her hesitation immediately and opened himself up to her, letting her feel that there wasn’t any jealousy or obligation, only heated desire, impatience, and sharp-edged anticipation.
Heart beginning to beat faster, she transferred her gaze to Sin, searching his face, but he only smiled. How he could make such a small tilt of his lips look so fucking wicked, she had no idea. It was an invitation, an erotic promise, and a warning that she definitely wouldn’t make it through this encounter unscathed all rolled into one.
Biting her lip, wetness already beginning to slick her thighs, she crawled onto the bed with them.
Chapter 43
Another week flew by. The army didn’t truly need them there, not anymore. They’d progressed enough that she could have left their continued training to her people or asked for volunteers from the complex to come to Aehri.
But she didn’t want to leave.
This time with her mates was precious. They were still learning each other, still learning how to be a family of five, but more than that, she was drunk on what felt like honeymoon bliss.
What had started as a dangerous visit to a foreign nation had become a vacation she wasn't ready to end.
Two days later, they got news that made her grateful they’d prolonged their visit for an entirely different reason. Of the six other Gaiaeshi Queendoms, Ishtal had sent word to all but one, inviting them to Aehri to discuss joining the war and forging an alliance between both her Queendom and Aria.
When Aria asked about that last place, the one Ishtal hadn’t bothered with, loaded glances were exchanged between Ishtal and her advisors. Even Rellik shifted uncomfortably.
Apparently, an invitation hadn’t been sent because no one actually knew where it was. They even referred to it as The Lost Queendom. The Queen,Ochiel, had evidently been reclusive before the planet was overtaken by aliens, rarely communicating or trading with the other Queendoms. After the invasion, she and all her people just disappeared.
There was some doubt they actually existed anymore. Those who did believe they were out there somewhere, speculated they’d found an intact forest and lived there. But no one knew for sure, and no one had been able to find them.
Aria questioned them as to whether it'd be worth it to send scouts to find them and invite them into the fold. With the runners, they’d be able to cover a much larger swath of ground than people mounted on the horse-like ikkar.
That was met with more than a little bit of cynicism, but Ishtal agreed to send a squad as soon as they’d received their first shipment of runners.
As to the other five Queendoms, four responded with word they’d be arriving that day.
Their arrivals were met with much ado, but the moment the festivities ended, they met in private. That talk lasted long into the night, but by the end of it, Aria and Ishtal both had alliances in place with all of them.
The visiting Queens also shared news on the fifth Queendom,Valdi, that hadn't responded to Ishtal’s invitation. Apparently, a small slaver city had been built alarmingly close to it. That worried Aria, for a variety of reasons.
“Has anyone visited there? Recently? Or received any communications?”
The answer was a unanimousno.
Catching Sin’s eyes, she asked, “How long would it take you to get there?”
He glanced at the map, gauging distances. “Dragon? An hour. Two if the winds are against me.”
It was late as hell already, had to be closing in on two or so in the morning, but…
“Want to do a flyover?” At his nod, she addressed Ishtal. “If we see anything suspicious, that’d be a good opportunity for a squad to test out their skills. They’d be close enough that we can aid, if needed, especially now that they've all got comms.”
“I agree, though I hope they won't be necessary.”
They finished the meeting with the visiting Queens who'd be staying the night, both because it was late and to get an update on what they found when she and Sin returned.
* * *
Both she andSin went invisible as soon as they lifted off the ground at Aehri, unwilling to take the chance they’d be spotted by anyone. They were also heavily armed, with Aria carrying Sin’s weapons in a bag, just in case. She hoped they wouldn’t find anything amiss, but hopes didn’t stop arrows or blaster shots, so they were prepared for whatever they might encounter.
The flight to Valdi took just under an hour with clear skies and light winds. Dropping lower, Sin circled the castle. It was built into the mountain face, much like Aehri, but it was much smaller with only half a dozen outlying villages, half of which looked abandoned.
The rumor that a city had cropped up nearby was true. They were flying directly over the castle and Aria could see the lights coming from the slaver city clearly, entirely too close for comfort. That, combined with the abandoned villages near the castle, had her worried.
But when Sin flew a slow circle around the castle, she didn’t see anything suspicious. It was dark, and there weren’t any people wandering about, but that made sense considering the hour. Hell, even the abandoned villages could be explained by the smaller size of the Queendom, something affecting those villages’ crops, or a drop in the population for any number of reasons.