I wonder once again what brought these three men to planet Reena and the city of Lipa in the first place.
Conan cocks his head, warning Augustus: “Careful, brother. He has the Reaver, now.”
Evander looks down at me, ignoring their conversation.
“You pulled away from me, Ashley. Why?”
Why? As if you didn’t just buy me in a fucking slave auction! As if you didn’t just come into my life and turn everything upside down!”
That’s not fair. If it wasn’t for this triad, I probably have been bought by those Bullfrogs right now.
I take a ragged breath. “I-I’m sorry. I… I just need us to make sure my friend is safe.”
“She will be. I promise that to you. You don’t need to fear anymore.”
I pause – summoning the courage to ask my next question.
“Why did you buy me? There were nineteen other women for sale today. Why did you choose me?”
When they don’t answer, I find myself unable to stop the flow of questions.
“Why are you three even here? Why did you leave the Aurelian Empire? Don’t they kill deserters?”
Evander’s face goes dark. Augustus and Conan have identical expressions – filled with pain. Their expressions flicker and then disappear back into their signature emotionlessness; so fast I can barely catch it.
But I did catch it – and I touched a nerve.
“We’re here because this planet needs us,” snarls Evander. His voice is suddenly raw, and the words sound true…
…but I know, deep in my heart, that they’re not the whole truth.
“Sit down,” says Evander slowly. I take my seat on a raised stool. I don’t even question his order – it’s as if my body responds to his words before my brain can even process them.
Evander looks down at me. As he towers over me, I can’t help but think how the power imbalance is so evident. He’s a huge, powerful warrior in an elegantly-fitted suit, and I’m just a slave – technically, at least – wearing nothing but a bathrobe to cover my nakedness.
And yet, his gaze is soft.
“We are here because I made a choice, Ashley. A terrible choice, but one I had to make. I can’t take it back – I can’t change the past… But I can change the future. I believe that this planet is our destiny. If Evander is right, then you’re a part of it.”
“And what if I don’t want to be a part of it?”
I regret the words the moment I say them – but, by then, it’s too late.
Dammit, Ashley! I need these men to rescue my friend!
But the words blurted out of my mouth before I could even think to stop them. Evander doesn’t flinch, though. Again, he smiles – that tiny hint of joy on a broken man’s face.
“I’ll still save your friend, no matter what. It’s my word, Ashley. It will not be broken.”
A deep sadness fills Conan’s face. “We had many vows, when we joined the army…”
So, they were in the army, even without scars. Evander doesn’t want me to know some secret of his – something he’s struggling to take ownership of. What did he do?
A niggling voice in the back of my head cautions me. I suddenly understand. These three men are looking for redemption.
Did they… Did they hurt someone? Did they… Kill someone?
I have to put my trust in these three men, though – no matter what I suspect they might have done. There’s no other way for me to save Danielle.
When I look at the three towering warriors, I see brutal violence, secrets, and half-truths. For example, there’s a brutality to Augustus that scares me, as though something dark and violent is lurking just beneath the surface.
I jolt as the AI suddenly beeps: “Concierge at door.”
The robotic voice makes the announcement two seconds before there’s the knock at the door.
“Open,” says Conan. His voice has a thin waiver to it. Despite being the least violent, I sense that he’s the most broken of the three. There’s something horrific lurking in all their pasts; but it haunts Conan most deeply.
Evander walks to the door. As if by instinct, Augustus moves his body between the door and where I’m standing; as if the concierge might pose some threat to me. It’s as though his body moves without thought, too – as instinctive as a jungle predator.
“Very good,” says Evander, as he addresses the concierge at the door. He’s handing over a package that I assume must contain the dress they ordered, just minutes earlier.
The concierge mumbles thanks – many thanks. He darts away quickly, presumably wanting to make his exit before the Aurelian realizes he’s overpaid ten-fold for the dress…
...except he hasn’t. I can see that money holds little value to Evander. What can be done with it is more important.
“29 minutes,” says Augustus approvingly. I notice he didn’t look at a watch – Aurelians must have an internal clock far better attuned than my own.
What other advantages does this species have that I don’t know about?
Augustus steps aside and Evander offers me that package the concierge brought up. I open it, to reveal the dress within. It’s packaged beautifully, along with some expensive but rudimentary make-up. I pull the dress out, feeling the softness of the fabric. It’s sheer, and a light pink so faint it almost appears white.
“We forgot underwear!” I suddenly exclaim.
There’s that tiny smile on Evander’s face again. “No, we didn’t.”
Infuriation boils up inside of me. I can’t believe that he’s so blasé about the life or death of my best friend – making jokes about my underwear, instead of marching us to the shuttle.
“We need to go. Now. This isn’t the time for jokes.”
There’s no change in Evander’s expression. “Pleasure slaves don’t wear undergarments, Ashley. Tonight, you play the part. Understood?”
I can’t meet his eyes. I realize how impudent I sounded. Instead, I look down at Evander’s impossibly broad chest and murmur: “Yes.”
Augustus breathes in deeply. “Yes, sir. You need to play the part, remember?”
Anger boils up in me. I turn my
