Evellor froze. Mal's words echoed in his mind. It was just sex talk. Mal was teasing him. Still, Evellor shivered as he realized he wanted to hear those words as a true declaration. From Mal. But he could never have this man. They were enemies, and Mal was a prisoner. All they'd have was this.
With a wounded sound, Evellor slammed into Mal. Over and over, he plumbed the Nethren's depths, finding more pleasure with a man his people labeled a monster than he'd ever found with another Aethari.
“Oh, fuck, Aethari. That's it, go deep.” Mal's head rolled. “Make me yours.”
Evellor bent over Mal and kissed his neck. “Youaremine. From now until you take your last breath.”
Mal turned to kiss him. “Then fuck me like you own me.”
With a cry of wonder and pleasure, Evellor did just that.
Chapter Eighteen
Liria
A commotion outside the general's tent drew Liria's attention. She was standing around a table with the general and a collection of their most trusted people, looking over the map of the fortress, when they heard the shout. They headed outside, their gazes going up to the fortress wall where a blond Nethren man stood holding a voice amplifier. It was the man from Liria's visions, and she was certain he was the same man who took Lena.
Liria had first thought to keep the visions from Thax, but that was foolish. She'd already told him she believed Lena's abduction was personal. When she hadn't explained further, Thax had let it go, but only because they were flying to the fortress. After they had spoken with the general, she told him and her father about the visions she'd had of the blond Nethren. Thax had taken it surprisingly well. He'd only broken one table.
Now, that Nethren stared down at her as if he knew her. Maybe he saw her resemblance to Lena, but Liria didn't think so. His stare was too sharp. Full of knowledge. He held the converged device in one hand, down along his thigh, until they came closer. Then he lifted the conical device and spoke into the smaller end.
“Who is your commanding officer?” His voice was pleasant for that of a monster, even with its volume amplified through a machine.
“That's him.” Liria looked from Thax to her father. “That's the man who took Lena.”
Her father rushed forward. “You vile bastard! Give me back my daughter!”
The blond Nethren frowned down at Liria's father. Then he spoke into the voice amplifier. “You are Lena's father?”
“Yes, and I'm not leaving without her. She's a good girl! She’s never hurt anyone in her entire life. Why would you take her? You son of—”
“Dad.” Liria put her hand on his shoulder. “This won't help. Let me.”
Her father nodded and stepped back.
“Do we have a voice amplifier?” She asked the general.
General Caden held out a hand, and someone slapped a voice amplifier into it. But he didn't hand it to Liria. “You may speak to him after I do.”
“General, we need to know why he took Lena before we move on to the bigger issues. Please.” She held out her hand.
The general grimaced, but handed the device over.
Liria turned to face the blond Nethren whose face haunted her. Clicking on the device, she held it up to her mouth just as Thax laid his hand on her lower back. “I am Liria Rennux, twin sister to the woman you abducted. I've seen your face before, Nethren. Who are you?”
The Nethren man stared at her a moment before he lifted the device. His voice came smoothly out of the larger end. “I am Commander Vor of the Ranuvul Army. I assume you've seen my face in a vision.”
Liria scowled, shock racing through her, but nodded. After her vision of Icara, she believed in her new talent. So, it didn’t surprise her to find that Vor was the man who had taken her sister. What surprised her was that he knew how she had received her information.
Commander Vor lowered the device and bowed to her before he lifted the amplifier and continued. “Source led me to you, Liria Rennux. It gave me visions of you as well. But it only led me to you so that you could lead me to her. Lena is destined to be mine. Through her, our people will find peace, and my people will return to the surface.”
The Paradefense soldiers shouted obscenities and motioned rudely at the commander. When the cacophony died down, one man's voice rose to confront the commander.
“Lena Drask is a kind, innocent, gentle woman!” Rallorival shouted. “You've proved how monstrous your people are by taking her captive.”
Everyone turned to gape at the large Aethari warrior, with his gray wings spread aggressively. Liria, especially, stared in shock as he went on, his expression furious.
“Neither Source would be cruel enough to pair her with you, you fiend!” Rallorival pointed at the Nethren and then slashed his hand away. “I am her future. The Source of Magic led me to the ground and to her. Lena is mine!”
