10. Chapter TenAaron
Chapter Ten
Aaron
I van tossed his head back, slapping the table as he laughed. I had just recounted the morning events with Melina. He thought it was funny. I looked around the small bar, making sure we weren’t drawing attention. Although more and more Nodoorians lived in the area now, we were still in the minority here. And there were many Prinathians who didn’t like our presence. Crimes against our kind occurred regularly. The authorities and leadership did not approve but did not do much to dissuade or handle it. We were mostly on our own. If we expected fair treatment, it wouldn’t be happening soon.
I expected the Prinathians in Nodoor weren’t facing that much difference in treatment. Then again, the Prinaths were in power, and even the Nodoor leadership were little more than figureheads now. We had to comply and accept our predicament until enough time passed. We technically lost the war, and the fact that there was a treaty was more so because the Prinaths grew tired of fighting, and it made for a higher chance at maintaining peace.
I shook my head at the thought and picked up my ale. “How is my situation funny?”
Ivan sobered up and ceased his laughter. “Sorry, friend. It is quite juvenile what happened. Isn’t it? Did she get mad?”
“I think she was disturbed more than anything.” I could still remember her face from earlier. There was a mix of shock and conflict. She liked the dream, but it went against everything she was doing to keep me away.
“She’s not going to fall for you now, is she?”
“Thanks for your confidence.”
Ivan shrugged. “Eh, give it time. She’ll forgive you. How the hell did that happen, anyway? I haven’t done anything like that since I was 16 with my girlfriend.” He gave me a wistful stare. “She liked it, so we did it in real life.”
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks for the overshare. And I don’t know how it happened. I have more control than that.”
“If I were to guess, maybe it happened because you like her.” He leaned forward on the rectangular wooden table and looked around for listening ears as if he were about to divulge a secret. “You know, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if you could fall in love with her. She’s gorgeous, smart, ambitious, funny, and other positive words I can’t remember. You’re quite lucky, mate.”
“I know I am, but it was more about compatibility, not love.” I put my mug down, nodding. She permeated every part of my mind, every sense. Her scent was everywhere. I even took it with me to work on my clothes. At times, it could be distracting when I caught a whiff of her in the middle of my work. It was welcomed every time. No wonder I’d dream walked with her. I wondered if my scent stuck with her when she was apart from me. Did she like it?
Ivan wrinkled his forehead and waved his hand in front of his face as if he smelled something foul. “Stop beating yourself up about the past. You did what you could. You were a soldier, and it was battle. Their side wasn’t innocent either. How long are you going to punish yourself? It was cruel, them making you marry a Prinathian, knowing what happened. It’s like a daily reminder. And she was one of the kidnapped. But, outside of her pranks, she seems to like you enough. I’ve heard of worse responses in these marriages. Don’t you think she might understand if you told her the truth?”
I shook my head, looking out at the crowd of customers scattered around the brightly lit bar. It was midday, but most were off work, and we were in the city. Things were lively here. It reminded me of home in a limited way. When I wasn’t staying in base camps, my town in Nodoor was quite pleasant, with streets full of outdoor vendors and food stalls bustling between more brick-and-mortar businesses. Except for the fact that Nodoor was not as colorful or advanced as Prinath, it had the same feel. There were times that I missed it—especially my family. I caught myself wondering if Melina would like it there. And then I thought of my time in the military, the things I’d done. The memories would be there. If we went back, people would talk to her. Tell her things I did not want her to know. The thought made me sick to my stomach. “She won’t understand. And I don’t deserve her understanding.”
Ivan sighed, shaking his head. “You never know. Or you can keep pulling her into your sex dreams. See if that will make things better.”
I glared over at him. He was not helping me. “I won’t have another dream like that.” Of course, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t understand why I dream pulled; it’s what we Nodoorians called it in the first place. A sex dream about Melina was not surprising. I was attracted to her and saw her every day. However, not controlling my abilities around her was another matter. “My rut is coming on soon, and that’s probably why it happened.”
“Bullshit. That’s never happened before when your rut comes close. Admit it, you have feelings for her that you refuse to acknowledge because you enjoy emotional self-flagellation.”
“I do not.”
He put up a finger. “And because you won’t open your heart and release those feelings, it’s coming out another way. Keep it up; you’ll be coming on yourself every morning. And I’m certain that is not what every female wants to see when she wakes up.”
Ivan was crass, but he was not wrong. My body seemed to rebel against my mind, and I had to find a way to resolve the conflict. Could I tell her the truth? Did I even deserve her understanding if, by some impossible chance, she still wanted me? I knew that as it was, she wouldn’t give in to this arrangement if I couldn’t love her. If this were any other time and we weren’t who we were, I could effortlessly love Melina, my little Rabbit. But she deserved more than me. She deserved someone better.
“Aaron,” Ivan began, pulling my attention back to him. “What are your options? She wants out. You can’t get out. You both could flee to the human realm and separate there, but then you’re leaving your families at risk of punishment here. Even if both our sides let you out of this arrangement, it probably won’t be for years or decades. We live long lives. So, what are you going to do? Be platonic best friends for the next decade or more? If that’s what you offered her, no wonder she wants out.” He blew out a breath. “I’m assuming you haven’t even claimed her yet. What if she met someone else, and they claimed her? How would you feel?”
I rubbed the bridge of my nose, an anger rising in me suddenly. I’d thought about that possibility, and I hated it. It made me want to punch a hole in the nearest wall. “If I saw her with someone else, I’d want to rip his throat out.”
Ivan scratched the back of his neck and wrinkled his brow. “You know there is an option. She could kill you. Hell, I might help her make it look like an accident.”
I should have been offended but was used to his sick humor. I picked up my ale. “I thought you were my friend.”
“I thought you were smart.”
Before I could respond with some less-than-witty retort, we were drowned out by the loud voices from a table across from us.
“Another one of those marriages failed!” cried a female Fae with long white braids at the table.
“Not just failed,” said a sizeable male Fae with a bald head and long brown beard. “One died, and the other is missing.”
“They keep shoving these barbaric Nodoorians down our throats. When will they learn that these forced marriages and letting them on our land won’t work?”
I looked over to Ivan, whose jaw was clenched as he listened to them. His ordinarily jolly green eyes hardened. It was fair to say we were sensitive to negative talk about our kind, but we were also outnumbered. Not that Ivan would care. He was the act first, think later type.
“I don’t know,” began another female Fae with short orange hair and brown eyes so large they practically took up half her face. The Prinaths had much more diversity in the appearance of their Fae, even with their use of glamour. Standing out and appearing unique seemed as desirable as any traditional beauty. “I think it’s sad. Our people didn’t want to be part of this. Now, some are being sent off to awful Nodoor. I’ve never been, but I heard it’s cold and the sun never shines there. The people are all miserable and mean. They have to be to attack and kidnap our kind like they did.”
“I heard they smell,” said the white-haired female Fae in a loud whisper. “Can you imagine being stuck married to one and having to live there?” The Fae shook, her face horrified. “I would die.”
Ivan’s face crumpled in anger. “Are they fucking serious?”
I lifted my hand, eyes careful. “Ignore them, friend.” Easier said than done. The words were lies, but they still hurt.
Another male Fae with blue hair and a pinched face snorted. “You might just die if you got married to them. That’s what’s been happening. I’m sure the Nodoors are behind it. They are killing off their own kind to prove a point. They’re demons; they have no loyalty. At least this time, it was a Nodoorian who got shredded. Heard she looked like minced meat.”
The orange-haired female Fae shivered. “How awful. But maybe it’s karma for what they did. Killing our people and taking their powers.”
Ivan growled. I was losing my friend. We had to get out of here. I raised my hand to catch the eye of our waiter, signaling for the check.
The bearded Fae chuckled. “Well, the less Nodoor fucks we have, the better we are. They should have just killed them all instead of entering this failing treaty. If I had to get married to one of those ugly Nodoorian females, I’d go to prison instead.”
Blue-haired Fae shook his head, eyes skeptical. “You wouldn’t want to test her out first? It’s a free lay.”
I cringed at the disrespectful talk. They talked of us being barbaric when I could say the same of them. The check could not come fast enough.
The white-haired female slapped his arm. “Thigor, you are such a pig. That’s why I’d never couple with you.”
Bearded Fae wrinkled his nose. “Gods no. I’m not fucking up my dick sticking it into any Nodoorian bitch.”
Ivan slapped the table, shaking our drinks. The waiter, who had appeared with our bill, jumped slightly. I gave him the finger to wait as I paid with readied coins. It was time to leave. However, just after paying the bill, Ivan had already jumped to his feet.
He turned to look at the loud table, hands shoved in his pockets. “I don’t think any Nodoorian Fae would want your mangled dick in them anyway. It’s always the ones who can’t get any that talk big.”
I dropped my head to my chest, so much for being fast.
The bearded Fae pushed back his seat and stood up. The fucker was tall. Ivan was far from short, but this Fae had him by a few inches. He didn’t look as if he were in the best of shape, but we couldn’t underestimate him. He also had his friends with him, and I never assumed that female Fae wouldn’t fight. We had many Nodoorian females in our military who were just as powerful as the males. That put four against two because I would not let my friend get attacked.
The Fae sniffed the air and then gave an arrogant grin. “Do I smell the rotten stench of Nodoorian scum?”
Ivan took his hands out of his pockets. He was readying himself for a fight, although usually careful. He was more than half ice dragon but it was secret who he shared this information with. Only a few Nodoorian’s outside of his family knew. Even most higher ups in the military were in the dark about his unique lineage. “Or maybe you smell the fact that you haven’t bathed in quite some time. And yes, you’ve been blessed by the presence of a Nodoorian. And if anyone’s ugly in this fine establishment,” he eyed each Fae at the table individually, “it’s not us. I think it’s quite evident why you lot didn’t get selected for the marriages. And for that, we are eternally grateful.”
“Why don’t you go back to where you came from, you pig!” the white-haired Fae spat .
I touched Ivan’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here. They aren’t worth our time.”
He rocked back on his heels, giving the group a slightly crazed smile. He was no longer listening to me. Ivan was liquored up and full of anger. Not a good mix. “Nah, mate, think I’ll stay with my new friends. Maybe teach them a lesson in manners.”
The bearded Fae took a step toward us. “Just how will you do that, you fucking rat?”
Ivan shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe start by fucking the Prinathian women you could never get.”
I closed my eyes, releasing a sigh. “Why?” He was unhinged. Of all the trash things to say. He knew this would anger the Fae. This was a foundation on how to start a fight.
And, as if to prove my internal point, the bearded Fae swung at Ivan, landing a free punch on my friend’s face. I said it was free because Ivan allowed it. He was a fierce hand-to-hand combat fighter, and if he got hit, it was because he was messing with the Fae. It also showed to onlookers that he did not physically start the fight. Although verbally instigating was another thing.
None of that mattered now because Ivan tilted his head from side to side and then teleported, reappearing behind the man. He punched him in the back of the head and then teleported as the man spun around, punching him again. The other friend shot up and landed a kick in the center of Ivan’s back. Ivan fell to his knees from the surprise attack.
I rushed forward, chopping the friend in the throat with the side of my right hand. The Fae stumbled back, grabbing at his throat and gagging. I looked back to Ivan, who was already on his feet, tussling with the bearded Fae. I needed to get him out of here before we all got arrested.
I paused, a sudden wooziness washing over me, bringing a heat of prickly sweat. I inhaled, the scents of the room making me almost nauseous. I wanted only one scent, and it was not in this room. I needed to get out of here, now.
Something crashed into the back of my head, a sharp pain digging into my skull. I grunted, grabbing my head and spinning around. The white-haired Fae dropped a now broken glass to the ground and charged at me, clawed hands out as she screamed. I didn’t want to strike her. I could tell she was no soldier by her attack style.
I teleported out of her way, and she fell forward to the floor. Unfortunately, when I reappeared, the blue-haired Fae tackled me to the ground and began to pummel me in the face. None of these Fae were soldiers. Ivan and I could easily take them out. We had to hold back. Not to mention, I was still feeling sick to my stomach and in no condition to fight.
I felt a kick to my side and looked up to see the white-haired Fae about to ram the point of her boot into me a second time. However, I couldn’t stop her because I had the tall Fae attacking with only my arms as a shield. I had to stop this quickly. A crowd had formed closer to us, watching like it was some kind of show. I wasn’t surprised that no one jumped in. It was clear that there were no victims here, and it was often the Fae way to settle our own petty disputes. However, it would have been better if this were outside, where we wouldn’t have caused a disturbance or ruined property. I did not doubt that the staff had already alerted the authorities.
I uncrossed my arms and shoved my fist into the center of the Fae’s chest, sending him flying off me and into another table. He didn’t move, appearing very disorientated. Good. I jumped up and quickly tapped the female on the shoulder, pouring my magic out through my fingertips. She immediately fell unconscious, but I caught her before she hit the ground. I carried her to the nearest chair and lowered her head on the table.
“She’s just sleeping,” I announced to the other patrons.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and looked over to Ivan, who was straddling the other male Fae, a dagger now to the other Fae’s throat. Where did the weapon come from? The other female Fae stood with her hands to her face, screaming for Ivan to stop.
“Ivan, let’s go!” I shouted, waiving my arm for him to follow me to the entrance.
Before I could wait for a response from Ivan, a loud screeching sound erupted from just outside the pub, followed by several screams and cries from the Fae outside. I looked back to Ivan and waved my hand so he could get up and come with me. Ivan jumped to his feet, and we pushed through the crowd to the front of the pub. We looked through the tall windows to a scene we had not expected. A creature, perhaps eight feet tall, stalked through the center of the road as several Fae ran in horror into the businesses and restaurants on either side of the road or behind parked transporters .
The creature was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It was deep blue and shaped like an insect, similar to a praying mantis. It had a large head and bulging red eyes with no pupils. Several rows of arms lined its torso on either side. Its body appeared covered in a hard shell that would be difficult to penetrate. However, my sword might be of use.
It moved quickly, its sights set on a group of children running and crying through the street, but hardly fast enough to escape this thing who towered over them by several feet like a giant. We had no time to waste. I conjured up my sword, and Ivan did the same, having an equally destructive weapon.
We moved in unison to the creature, splitting up to attack on both sides. I stumbled slightly, sweat dripping into my eyes. My clammy hands gripped my sword tighter as I continued my descent on the beast. It caught my movement and swung out, batting me across the chest and sending me back into a parked transporter. It hurt like hell, my chest and back throbbing from the impact. I’d bruise, but I wasn’t broken. However, that loss of the creature’s focus gave Ivan an opening, and he jumped in front of the beast, sliding his sword into its belly and slicing it down. A river of green liquid poured from it, dousing my friend in a thick sludge.
The creature screamed in agony and lifted its arms, grabbing Ivan. Ivan plunged his sword down again into one of the creature’s arms, but in response, it squeezed its remaining arms, wrapping tighter around Ivan. Ivan, struggling against the creature’s grip, cried out, his arms now were pressed to his sides. I was confident that beast had enough strength to tear my friend apart, and I would not let it. I teleported behind the creature. Vertigo hit me when I reappeared on the creature’s back, blurring my vision and making me light-headed. I didn’t have time for this weakness. I shook my head of the dizziness and shoved my sword into its head with that short moment of clarity. The creature stumbled back, shrieking again and dropping Ivan. It tried to swat behind itself to hit me, but it was already dead. I jumped off the creature. In seconds, its body would catch up with the death of its mind, and it would drop.
And a second later, the creature fell to its knees. Ivan limped over to me, holding his side with his sword still in his other hand. We watched as the creature fell sideways completely, its arms wiggling until they, too, stopped moving. I moved to the head and decapitated it in several chops, taking no chances of it not being dead. It usually only required one hit, but my strength and focus were compromised.
“What the fuck was that, mate?” Ivan asked, still frowning at the beast.
I shook my head slowly, wiping sweat from my forehead. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Does anyone know what this is?” I called, turning around and looking at faces peeking from doorways and behind transporters.
I heard several negative responses. The bearded Fae that Ivan also cut walked over to us, his face cautious as he looked at the creature. “This is not a beast of our land.”
Ivan swore. “It’s not of our land either.”
The other Fae glanced over to us, a pensive look on his face. “Thank you for killing it. And for saving those children.”
I looked further down the road. My vision was now blurred again, but the children were well out of hearing distance. They waved at me in thanks, and I lifted a hand in response. I looked back at the monster on the ground, uneasy. “This is the second beast I’ve killed since being here. Someone is behind this. This is no coincidence.”
The bearded Fae nodded in agreement. “No, it’s not. Are you sure your kind wouldn’t be behind this? They did have a pact with witches. Seems like something they’d do.”
Ivan grumbled and turned from the man. I wasn’t in a place to argue at the time. The putrid decay from the creature mixed with the surrounding mixture of smells of the town threatened to empty the contents of my stomach. It had been fine at first, but I was different now. More sensitive. It took only a matter of minutes. I needed to get away from people. Now.
I looked to the other Fae. “I can’t be sure, but I can tell you not all Nodoorians are the same. Whoever is behind these things is hurting all of us. Excuse me.”
I looked back to the pub, a waitress at the door. “Sorry for the earlier commotion. Please prepare a bill for all the damage. I’ll pay in full and then some when I come back.” I had hopes that paying for the damages and adding a bit extra for all the trouble would avoid any appearance from the authorities. Melina did not need that stress, although, my imprisonment might allow her out of this marriage.
When I got to my transporter, I found Ivan standing beside it, looking up at the darkening sky. With the sun setting, the sky was turning a vivid purple. It was the same as in Nodoor, but he seemed to be eyeing it with a worry I’d never seen on his face before. He was clean of the green blood from the creature. I assumed he used his magic.
“Sorry, Aaron. I know that didn’t help our cause, and these creatures aren’t helping either,” he said quietly, shoving his cut hands into his pockets as if he didn’t feel any pain from his injuries. Perhaps the adrenaline was still kicking in. I, too, felt no pain from my injuries. However, I had other things I was feeling. “What if our kind is behind this?”
I rubbed my forehead, unable to concentrate on his very important words. “I’m just as concerned as you are, mate,” I began through a strained voice, squeezing the bridge of my nose as if that would help stop the prickly, heated irritation crawling up my back and wrapping around my torso. It would not. “However, we have more pressing matters at the moment.”
Ivan turned his gaze from the sky and frowned as soon as he set eyes on me. “You look like you’re going to pass out. What’s going on?”
“It seems my rut has come on a bit early.”
Ivan’s frown turned into a wicked smile before he burst out laughing again. For the second time that evening, I wondered why he was my friend.