Lina
LINA
T he cold metal floor bit into my skin as I huddled in the corner of our cell. My heart raced, memories of the Obsidian Dawn assassin flashing through my mind. The dark stain on Arin’s tunic, the glint of the assassin’s blade, the tattoo on their wrist - it all swirled together in a nauseating blur.
“Why didn’t they just kill me?” I muttered, more to myself than to him.
Tharion’s deep voice rumbled through the cell. “They want something from you. Information, perhaps.”
I let my head fall back. “I don’t know anything.”
“Are you certain?”
The question hung in the air. Was I certain? Arin had been acting strangely before... No. I pushed the thought away.
“I can’t trust you,” I said, meeting Tharion’s gaze. “I don’t even know why you’re here.”
He let out a low chuckle. “Fate has a twisted sense of humor. I was hunting you, and now we’re both trapped.”
My blood ran cold. “Hunting me?”
“A job. Nothing personal.”
I scoffed. “Right. Nothing personal about chasing me into a trap.”
Tharion’s markings seemed to darken as he leaned forward. “Look, human. We’re in this together now. Like it or not, we need each other to survive.”
I wanted to argue, to push him away. But he was right.
“Fine,” I relented. “So what’s the plan?”
Tharion studied me, his gaze intense. “Why did you have a bounty on your head?”
The question caught me off guard. My heart skipped a beat as I processed his words. “What? There’s a bounty on me?”
He nodded, his expression unreadable. “That’s why I was hunting you. It’s a considerable sum.”
My hands trembled as I wrapped my arms around myself. “You took the job without even knowing why?”
Tharion shrugged, his lean muscles rippling beneath his gray skin. “It’s a job. Didn’t really matter.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My life was just another paycheck to him. The cold metal of the cell leeched the warmth from my body.
“I was just doing the shopping for Dr. Heylarth,” I whispered. “Everything went crazy after that.”
Tharion’s brow furrowed. “Who’s Heylarth?”
I balled my hands into fists, slowly relaxed them, trying to steady my nerves. “He owns my indenture papers.” But that didn’t explain it all. “But he’s never been cruel. He must be so worried about me.”
Something flashed across Tharion’s face - a tightening of his jaw, a narrowing of his eyes. He looked almost... grumpy. But why would he care?
“Dr. Heylarth is an elderly Mondian,” I tried again, the words tumbling out. “Apparently he’s had some sort of exciting life and spends his days locked up in his study, writing a memoir. He’s kind, patient. Nothing like most owners.”
Tharion’s posture relaxed slightly. “Go on,” he prompted.
The stale air of the cell filled my lungs. “I went to the bazaar to get his favorite tea. Arin Tal… the tea merchant. He was fine, and I looked away, and then he was dead. And then I saw the assassin - and saw they were part of Obsidian Dawn.”
Tharion leaned forward, his interest piqued. “How did you recognize them?”
The memories I’d tried so hard to bury came rushing back. My hands began to shake uncontrollably. “I know their mark too well. The Obsidian Dawn ran the first space station where I was first indentured. They were terrible - slavers in all but name.” My voice cracked. “Dr. Heylarth saved me from that hell.”
I couldn’t stop the tremors wracking my body. The cell closed in around me, the walls pressing closer. I gasped for air, feeling like I might shatter at any moment.
Suddenly, strong arms encircled me. Tharion pulled me against his chest, his warmth enveloping me. I should have resisted, should have pushed him away. But in that moment, I needed an anchor.
I buried my face in his shoulder, inhaling his scent - something wild and alien, yet oddly comforting. My shaking gradually subsided as he held me, one hand stroking my hair.
“It’s alright,” he murmured, his deep voice rumbling through his chest. “You’re safe now.”
I knew it wasn’t true - we were both prisoners. But for a brief moment, I let myself believe it. When I finally pulled away, I felt steadier.
Tharion’s expression was thoughtful as he released me. “We need a plan,” he said, his tone all business once more. “Our captors took all my weapons and tools. We’ll have to be creative.”
I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself again. “What did you have in mind?”
His eyes glinted in the dim light. “We need to buy some time. The best way to do that...” He trailed off, looking uncomfortable for the first time.
“Is what?” I prompted. “What don’t you want to say?”
“We need to make Grax believe I’m doing what he ordered,” Tharion said, his voice gravelly. “That I’m... hurting you for information.”
My stomach lurched. “What? No, I can’t?—”
“It’s just pretend,” he cut me off, his tone softening slightly. “But we have to give him something. And it needs to look real. He’ll be watching.”
My throat was suddenly dry. “How real?”
Tharion’s jaw clenched. “I’ll have to be rough. Pin you against the wall, snarl at you. Nothing too extreme, but... convincing.”
My heart raced, a confusing mix of fear and something else I didn’t want to examine too closely. I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“Ready?” Tharion asked, his muscles tensing.
Before I could respond, he lunged forward. His large hands gripped my upper arms, slamming me against the cold metal wall. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs.
Tharion leaned in close, his hot breath fanning across my face. His pointed canines gleamed as he snarled, “Tell me what I want to know, human!”
I struggled against him. “I can’t answer you because I don’t know! Please!”
He pinned me in place with his body. The heat of him seeped through my thin clothing, a stark contrast to the chill of the wall at my back.
“Liar,” he growled, his face almost brushing mine.
My heart pounded so hard I was sure he could feel it.
“I swear, I don’t—” I began, but he cut me off with a low, menacing growl.
One of his hands moved to my throat, not squeezing, but a clear threat. “You know something about the Obsidian Dawn. Tell me!”
I whimpered, partly for show, but also because of the confusing sensations flooding through me. Fear, yes, but also... something else. A heat pooling low in my belly, a tingle where our bodies met.
“Stop,” I whispered, my voice breathy. “I’ll tell you everything I know, just... don’t hurt me.”
Tharion’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Could he sense my arousal? The thought both terrified and thrilled me.
His lips brushed my ear. “You’re doing well,” he murmured, so quietly I could barely hear. “Keep it up.”
Then, louder, he snarled, “Start talking!”
My heartbeat drummed in my ears but I had to focus, had to come up with something believable. I made a fist, fought to keep my voice steady, tried to think of any gossip, anything that might work in our favor.
“There were... rumors,” I forced out. “About Arin Tal.”
Tharion’s grip on my throat tightened slightly. “What rumors?” he growled.
I squeezed my eyes shut, partly for effect and partly to block out the distracting sight of his intense red gaze. “People in the marketplace... they whispered about a secret storage space.”
“Where?” Tharion demanded, his breath hot on my cheek.
“I don’t know exactly,” I whimpered. “Somewhere in Adtera. That’s all I heard.”
Tharion snarled, pressing me against the wall, his body far too close to mine for my peace of mind. “You’re lying. Tell me more!”
I tried to focus on my role, on spinning a convincing tale. But my traitorous body had other ideas, leaving my mind blank, thoughts struggling to keep up.
“I swear, that’s all I know!” I cried out, my voice higher than usual. “I was just running errands in the marketplace. I overheard things.”
“Liar,” Tharion hissed, his hand moving from my throat to grip my jaw. “You know more than you’re saying.”
I let out a small, involuntary moan at his touch. Heat flooded my cheeks as I realized how it must have sounded. Tharion’s eyes widened slightly, and I saw a flicker of something in their depths.
“Really,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I’m telling you everything I know. There were whispers about a hidden entrance. Near the old spice market.”
“Go on,” he rumbled, and I quivered at the sound.
“They said Arin had connections. With smugglers, maybe?” I was grasping at straws now, hoping it sounded plausible. “Something about about moving goods off-world without going through official channels.”
Tharion pulled back slightly, studying my face. I held my breath, praying he’d play along convincingly.
“And you expect me to believe you know nothing more?” he snarled, his grip on my arms tightening.
I tried to look terrified and not... whatever else I was feeling. “I swear, that’s all I heard! Please, I... I don’t know anything else!”
Tharion’s eyes bore into mine for a long moment. Then, abruptly, he released me and stepped back. I sagged against the wall, my legs suddenly weak.
“We’ll see if your information proves useful,” Tharion growled, turning away. “For your sake, it had better.”
I slid down the wall, hugging my knees to my chest. My heart was still pounding, and I couldn’t quite catch my breath.
It was just the adrenaline from our act, nothing more.
But as I watched Tharion pace the cell, his powerful form taut with barely contained energy, I knew I was lying to myself. And that terrified me more than any threat from our captors ever could.