“Are any of us?” He dropped into a chair.
“What did she say?” Tatiana asked.
“She cried.” He shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face, trying and failing to hide his own glistening eyes. “And said that there was nothing any of them could do.”
“Fuck.” The word seemed wholly inadequate compared to what I was feeling, what we all were feeling. “Well, we’ll have a story no one at the university will believe.” I said softly.
“Yeah, a once in a lifetime experience.” Jaron’s voice was as dull as mine.
“I suppose we should pack.” Tatiana made to stand, but didn’t seem able to push herself up.
“We don’t own anything here.” I reminded her, my voice gentle. I let my gaze drift to the window and stared out at the extension of the city on the other cliff. “We were never truly a part of this place.”
Chapter 32
We were led up to the ship bays, the massive domed caves dug into the cliffs providing deep shadows and cool relief from the intense sun. The ships hummed, ready to take us to the meetup where our uncertain futures awaited. At best, we would be taken back home and could pick our lives back up. I idly thought that my condo must have been cleaned out and rented to someone else by now. And yet I couldn’t bring myself to care that all my stuff was likely gone. At worst, we would be interrogated about the vorpyr and sent to prison to hide what the Consortium had done. But it was most likely that they would interrogate us and then force us to sign a nondisclosure agreement before letting us go.
I stopped and turned, looking out at the opposite cliffs, the colorful buildings, sliding doors open and sleek curtainsfluttering in the breeze. Vorpyr flew here and there, going about their daily lives. The call of a vorilh echoed down the canyon to me. I’d never hear that sound again.
It felt like I should be crying, but I was just numb. I didn’t have any tears left after the piercing agony of what Arrazyl had said. A day later I’d gone to see him, wanting to understand, to hear him say it. He’d been good to us, cared for us, for me,made loveto me, and I wanted to hear him tell me why he’d said those things. Why he hadn’t told me he was sending us back. But Vuldrex wouldn’t let me see him, stating that he was busy with one of his duties, or he was gone flying, or that he was in an important meeting. I finally had stopped trying to see him. Clearly, he hadn’t wanted to see me.
Thyra flew in and landed, her wings twitching and rippling behind her, the veins pulsing with a muted pale color.
“Wait…I wanted to give you this.” She handed me an object wrapped in a massive purple leaf.
“Thank you.” I took it and impulsively leaned forward to give her a hug. Her left wing twitched as she hesitantly reached around me and hugged me back. Something I’d never seen them do.
When I stepped back she looked past me as Jaron came over. His face was drawn, and I left to give them a moment together. She gave him something, the color of the veins in her wings flashing even paler. I didn’t need to have studied the vorpyr to know she was exhibiting grief.
Tatiana was quiet, gaze unfocused, as we stood together outside the ship. Kyvar stood near us, tense and stoic.
That damn Vorazyr. He’d caused so much pain. No one had told me exactly what was being traded or why, but from what he’d cruelly said about many humans not being worth one vorpyr, it was likely the Consortium had captured one of his.And he rushed to send us back,I thought bitterly. He had donewhat he’d wanted and here we were, our hearts dealing with the consequences of his choice.
Kyvar lowered the ramp. “It’s time to go.”
Jaron separated from Thyra and joined us, jaw set. We trooped into the small planetside carrier and settled on a bench built into an indent in the side of the ship.
“It’s hard, I know,” Tatiana said softly to Jaron.
“It’s just Stockholm syndrome, we’ll all be fine after some counseling at home,” he said coldly. Full of pain.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the hard metal of the craft, intent on meditating. Something I’d never done before but decided would be useful to start. The ship slid out of the bay and angled out of the canyon before getting underway.
“Where is the Vorazyr?” Jaron asked.
“Arrazyl will meet us there.” Kyvar said, eyes ahead on the viewing window.
Arrazyl… despite my attempt to keep myself in a state of calm, my mind drifted to our time together. How he showed me his world, talked with me about his culture, took my hand and laughed as we danced at the festival. The incomparable pleasure I’d experienced. Shivers traced my spine at the memory of him between my thighs, dominating me, making me scream his name as he inflicted unbelievable pleasure on me.
I clenched my thighs together, feeling empty. He’d imprinted himself inside me, leaving me with only a memory and the sense of utter loneliness. But he said how he truly felt. He’d done nothing more than play with a fun new toy. Our time together was nothing more to him than a passing moment of fun. When had my own feelings changed to something more? It had sneaked up on me and now I sat there, aching for him, knowing he wasn’t thinking about me, focused on throwing me back tomy people as soon as the opportunity arose. I clenched my jaw against the pain that lanced through my chest.
“Are you ok?” I opened my eyes to see Jaron’s brow furrowed in concern, eyes searching.
“Just overwhelmed that we’re finally able to go home.” I whispered, not wanting to draw anyone’s attention.
Kyvar glanced over his shoulder, meeting my gaze with a knowing look. I hated him for it. I hated that he seemed to know what had happened between Arrazyl and me, somehow knew that I longed for him to come to me and put his arms around me, but knew he never would again.
Would I ever be satisfied with a human male after this experience? I doubted it. How could I be? It was as though he was still inside me, stretching me to my limit and wringing out all the pleasure my body was capable of. He’d taken over both my body and heart. I touched the necklace I’d tucked into my pocket. I’d intended to leave it, but I couldn’t.
