Lena sat down, her eyes wide.
Vor sat in the chair beside her, angled to face her. “Now, what words should I use instead of cock and fuck?”
Her face went red. “Uh.” She swallowed. Cleared her throat. “Maybe, manhood or, uh, penis.”
“Penis?” Vor squished up his face. “You prefer that to cock? It sounds like a disease. Oh, no, I've got the penis!”
Lena burst out laughing. It lasted five seconds, all of which Vor spent gawking at her beauty. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth and stared at him in horror.
“You have a lovely laugh,” Vor whispered. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”
Lena lowered her hand. “I . . . I shouldn't laugh with you.”
“Our relationship will be full of things we shouldn't do, but I think that is what will change the world, Lena.” He held out his metal hand. “I want you to be as comfortable as possible here. Will you try to trust me?”
She stared at his hand. “This is insane. Just let me go. I can tell them you treated me well, and maybe we can negotiate—”
“Negotiate what, Lena?” Vor dropped his hand. “Do you think they'll suddenly agree to let Nethren live on the surface because I let you go? No, that's not how you will heal this world.”
“How then?” Lena swung out her arms in frustration. “What do you expect me to do?”
“I don't know. But I have faith that you will do it.” Vor stood up. “I need to check in with my soldiers, and I think you need some time alone.”
“You're leaving?”
“Yes.” He went to the door and paused. “I'll be back soon. Please, finish your meal.”
Vor left the room and closed the door behind him. That's when he realized that there were no locks on the outside of the door. “Damn,” he muttered. He couldn't leave her in a room with an unlocked door.
While he stood there, trying to figure out what to do, a male soldier came striding by. He inclined his head at Vor. “Commander.”
Vor glanced at the silver gear embroidered on the man's shirt. “Ah, Private! I need you to guard this door.”
The man stopped. “Uh, I'm supposed to report to the wall, Commander.”
“It will only be for a few minutes until I can find a replacement. You can tell the wall watch sergeant you were held up by helping me.”
“Yes, sir!” The soldier moved to stand before the door. “Uh, am I keeping people out or in, Commander?”
“Both. No one is to get into that room but me, and if a woman tries to leave it, you will stop herwith respect. She is not to be harmed. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir!”
Vor strode away, confident now that Lena was safe.
Chapter Six
Liria
Liria leaned back in her chair and ran a hand over her face. Her husband of less than a day sat beside her, looking imposing despite his lack of wings. Thaxvarien had lost his Aethari wings when he was taken captive by the same Nethren who had taken Liria's sister. But the Source of Magic and the Source of Technology had both blessed Thax and given him back flight, if not wings.
Daylight was fading. The converged lamps were already on, hanging from the tent's crossbeam above them. Thax and Liria should have been in bed, celebrating their destiny bond, their marriage, and the triumphant completion of the Star's Kiss ritual. They were now bonded so deeply that no Aethari would ever think to dispute their relationship. They were destra and destru—the first racially mixed couple with a destiny bond. Thax even bore a shimmering blue star over his heart to identify him as a star-bound destru. The mark was in his skin, placed there by the Source of Magic, and the color was unique, representing Liria.
She glanced at the Speaker of Icara, Thaxvarien's father. Only a few hours ago, he had led the ritual of the Star's Kiss that bound Thax and Liria beyond this life and into the next. Then, during the celebration that followed, her twin sister, Lena, hadbeen taken by that blond bastard of a Nethren—a man Liria had visions of. She knew he'd taken Lena by mistake. Liria had been his target, and that made her stomach twist. Gentle Lena was in the hands of that monster because of Liria.
They would get her back. As an ex-chief who had been stationed at Fortress 6, Liria knew of a hidden passage into the fortress. Or rather, out of. It was an escape route, made for emergencies, but only chiefs and above knew of its existence. Because of that secrecy, or maybe because of the suddenness of the Nethren attack, no one but Laroc and Rinna had made it out of the fortress, and even they hadn't used the tunnel.
The problem was, the fucking Nethren bastards had found the controls for the fortress ward. The damn thing had never been used, not once during Liria's service. It, like the escape tunnel, was meant for emergencies. She'd forgotten it even existed and hadn't even noticed it until after she'd met General Caden and made her request to be included in the siege. In her defense, the thing was transparent, only noticeable by the shimmer of displacement it created in the air.
