But the peace didn't last long. My mind kept circling back to what was happening outside our little bubble. To what kind of fresh hell Declan could unleash, especially since he looked exactly like me.
"I've been wondering," I said, breaking the comfortable silence. "That cuddwisg thing. I'm kind of surprised it worked on Declan since he's human. Does it work on anyone?"
"Anything organic," Rickon confirmed, running his hand over his arm. The air shimmered, reminding me that the handsome human male sitting beside me was just an illusion. "The holographic projection interfaces with the viewer's optical processing, regardless of species. I once used it on a Puffensipe for my daughter—to hide the creature's more... disturbing features."
I blinked. "Your daughter?"
The words were out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt like I'd overstepped. But curiosity burned through my embarrassment. He had a daughter. Which meant....
"How old is she?" I asked, trying to sound casual. Then, because apparently, I had no self-control, "And your wife? Is she on your ship?"
I held my breath, waiting for his answer, and hating how much it mattered. I shouldn't care. We were running for our lives, hiding from an asshole who wanted to kill me and rule the world. This was absolutely not the time to be wondering about Rickon's relationship status.
But I couldn't help it. I found him attractive. From the moment I first laid eyes on him, wings and all, if I was being honest with myself. And the idea that he might have a whole family waiting for him among the stars made my chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with fear.
Rickon's expression shifted, the easy warmth draining from his features. For a long moment, he didn't speak, and I watched the firelight play across his face, or rather, the holographic projection of his face.
"They're gone," he said finally, his voice quiet. "My mate, Iloyana. My daughter, Akiatela. They died many years ago."
My stomach dropped. "Rickon, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"
"A disease swept through our settlement," he continued, as if he needed to get the words out now that he'd started. "It moved fast. Killed most of my family within days. My parents, my sister, and her children. Nearly everyone I knew." His jaw tightened. "Akiatela was only six cycles old. Still so small."
I felt tears prick my eyes. "God, Rickon."
"My brother survived," he said. "Tavik. He was much younger, barely more than a fledgling. Like me, he'd been off-planet, working on a mining crew. When I finally tracked him down, I thought...." He exhaled slowly. "I thought I could save at least one person. That I could protect what was left of my family."
"You found him," I repeated. It made my heart hurt to think of Rickon alone in the universe.
"I did." A bitter smile crossed his lips. "Managed to get him out, too. But the Kerzak controlled the mining operation, and they don't take kindly to anyone interfering with their labor force. They captured us before we could reach my ship."
My chest ached at the pain in his voice, even as he tried to keep it level and controlled.
"Tavik was young enough that they sold him to a merchant vessel. But me?" Rickon's eyes met mine, and even through the hologram, I saw the darkness there. "I was big. Strong. A warrior. They sold me to the fighting pits."
"Fighting pits?" The words came out as barely a whisper.
"Gladiatorial combat," he clarified. "I fought for ten years before being rescued."
Ten years. My mind reeled at the thought. "We had gladiators on Earth," I said quietly. "In ancient Rome. Slaves and prisoners forced to fight to the death for entertainment."
"Then you understand." His jaw tightened. "It was much the same. Fight or die."
"But you survived."
"I did more than survive." The self-loathing in his voice made my heart clench. "I was good at it, Ellie. Too good."
"Rickon." I breathed his name, not out of shock, but a need to comfort.
"It was easier," he continued, wincing at the words. "Easier to focus on the next opponent, the next battle, than to think about everything I'd lost. My mate. My daughter. My entire world. When I was in the arena, there was only survival. Only the fight. I didn't have to feel anything else."
I wanted to reach out to him, to touch him, but somehow managed to keep my hands still. "You did what you had to do to stay alive."
"Perhaps." He was quiet for a moment. "Then a human female named Willa was placed in the pits. She was part of a plot to assassinate Duke Ako, but, along with her mate Charick and Captain Adtovar, we foiled the plan. Afterward, I got invited to join the crew of theHistoria. They saw something worth saving in me, even when I wasn't sure I saw it myself. Being on theHistoriaand rescuing abducted humans gave me a purpose again. A reason to be more than just a weapon. It helped meremember who I was before—the male my mate fell in love with. The father my daughter knew. I could still protect people, still make a difference, without losing myself to the violence."
My throat felt tight. "They would be proud of you, Rickon. Your mate and your daughter. You're a good man."
His eyes glistened in the firelight, and for a long moment, he didn't speak. When he did, his voice was rough. "Thank you, Ellie. That means more than you know."
