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!”
“What the fuck?” Liria hissed at Thax.
Thaxvarien just shrugged, his gaze on his warrior.
“And yet, she is in my possession, Aethari,” Commander Vor said calmly. “She has sung for me and shared a beloved beverage with me. Has she ever offered her cup to you?”
Liria transferred her shock to the Nethren. That song had been for him? And what was that crap about beverages? No. There's no way her sister would sing for that monster. Not unless—
“Lena would only sing for you if you forced her!” Rallorival roared. “You creature of Tech! I will tear the metal from you and shove it down your throat!”
Commander Vor grinned while his soldiers laughed and taunted the Aethari. Then, lowering his device, he raised a metal fist and shouted without aid, “Not if I shove my metal down your throat first!”
The Nethren cheered. The Aethari shouted obscenities. The Medeans watched silently.
“That's enough!” General Caden shouted at Rallorival as he snatched the voice amplifier from Liria.
“Get your man under control, Thaxvarien!” Then he clicked on the amplifier and spoke into it as he focused on Vor.
“I am General Caden of Paradefense. Your people kill magic, Commander Vor.
We cannot allow you on the surface. It's for the good of Para.”
Commander Vor lifted his amplifier to reply in a more rational tone.
“You know that's a lie, General. I can see it in your stance.
You don't want to believe the truth, but it is right before you. Look upon me, a Nethren, and yet I flew one of your converged erials across the surface to the coast and back. It never faltered, but flew smoothly for me. Look upon the land around us. Nothing is turning black. I assume you are converging devices down there with no issue, despite your proximity to us. Am I wrong?”
The general just glared at the commander.
“I have not brought my army here to conquer, General Caden,” Commander Vor continued.
“My ancestors were born on the surface. We have a right to it as much as you do.
But because our bite can kill the Aethari, they trapped us underground.
Their bite is fatal to us as well. And yet, they are free to walk the surface.
You're a Medean man. Do you know why this happened?”
“Your people threatened the welfare of—”
“Please, General. Let's be honest here. We both want a peaceful resolution. It's time for the lies to end. Let my people come to the surface. If you would accept us, we would offer no harm.”
The general sighed. “I can't do that, Commander. I don't have the authority. Even if I did, I can't just open all the pits on the planet and welcome the Nethren to the surface. It would cause mass panic.”
“Then we do it slowly. But it must be done, General Caden. If you don't allow us to come up peacefully, it will be a war unlike any Para has seen. We are done hiding underground.”
“Commander Vor, your people have never hidden. You constantly test our barriers and kill my people.”
“Only to be free. What would you do to be free of a cage, General?”
The general grimaced and lowered the device.
Liria's chest clenched as she listened to the exchange and watched the Nethren man whose face she knew so well.
He thought Lena would help them come to the surface?
How? This was insane. Despite that, she sympathized with them.
It didn't seem fair to her either. Just because they were dangerous to the Aethari, they got buried alive.
The Aethari were just as dangerous to them, if he was to be believed.
So why should one race suffer imprisonment while the other roamed free?
Liria snatched the voice amplifier back. “We have your soldiers, Commander. We'll give them back to you for Lena.”
“You do not have the authority to make that offer!” General Caden shouted.
Lowering the amplifier, Liria glared at him. “You will honor it, or my destru and I will leave you to face this threat alone.”
The general glared back at her. “Fine.”
“I am here to negotiate a trade,” Commander Vor said.
Liria spun back toward him, hope flying to her chest.
“But not for Lena,” he went on. “I have hundreds of your soldiers imprisoned here, including Commander Havers. I will exchange the same number of hostages for those you've taken.”
“No! You will free my sister, or I'll fucking kill your men myself!” Liria shouted even though she used the amplifier. It made her voice rumble like thunder and echo off the walls.
The general grabbed the voice amplifier from her and pointed in her face. “Stand down, Rennux! You are not a part of this negotiation. You're not even part of Paradefense anymore. One more word, and I will have you escorted from this camp. I don't care how powerful your husband is. Understood?”
Liria clenched her hands but nodded.
The general lifted the voice amplifier. “If you release Commander Havers with five others, I will release your soldiers.”
“I'm not giving you the commander. That was just my way of informing you that he's alive. You have six Nethren privates. I will give you six Paradefense privates in return.”
General Caden's expression hardened. “You have hundreds, you say. If you want your soldiers back, I want double their number. Six Medeans and six Aethari. Their rank doesn't matter.”
“You may have four of each. That's all.”
“Eight total. All alive, Commander.”
“Yes, of course. We are not the monsters they say we are.”
General Caden nodded. “Deal.”
“What about my sister?!” Liria shouted.
“Mrs. Rennux, your sister is safe and unharmed.” Commander Vor met her stare across the distance. “I swear to you. She is under my protection and treated as a valued guest, not a prisoner.”
“She had better stay unharmed, or I will tear you apart, piece by piece!”
Vor inclined his head to her. “On my honor, she will be safe with me. She is important to my entire race. I would never abuse her.”
“What the fuck is happening?” Thax whispered.
“Ten minutes, General,” Commander Vor said. “I will drop the ward in ten minutes to allow your people to leave. You will have my soldiers ready, and we will make the exchange simultaneously. If you attempt any treachery, I will kill all the hostages, starting with your commander.”
The general cursed under his breath, then spoke into the amplifier. “Agreed.” He clicked the thing off and handed it to his assistant. “Do not interfere with this exchange, Rennux. If you fuck this up, it will cost soldiers their lives.”
“I understand, General.” Liria kept her stare on the commander as he left the wall walk. “I'll find another way to get my sister back.”
Thax took her hand. “We already have a plan, destra. We just need to be patient.”
“I'm done with patience.” Liria let go of Thax and headed for Rinna's tent.