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I was in love with Kaal.
I’d been swept away by lust since the moment he first claimed me, hard and rough. I loved his raw mastery, his dark domination. When I had sex with Dyllan I’d always held back a part of myself. Kaal demanded everything from me. He stripped my soul bare, made me confront all my inhibitions. With him I discovered the heady thrill of submission. Giving up control made me feel wild and voluptuous, set me free to revel in every erotic sensation he tore from my body.
But over time, our relationship had grown to encompass far more than mind-blowing sex. I respected Kaal. He was brave and decent, with a strict moral code. Even in this hellhole of a prison where survival depended on how tough you could appear, he wouldn’t hurt anyone unless they hurt him first or attacked someone he cared about.
He may have lacked the formal education I’d had but his mind was sharp. Coming from a primitive world meant he was far more attuned to living things than machines. He could connect with creatures from different species, whether animals or sentient beings. He valued life in all its diverse forms. And as we came to know each other, I gave thanks for another blessing—that of having a lover who was also my best friend.
* * *
Irarely left the hut. Not because I feared for my own safety but because I knew doing so would needlessly endanger the lives of Kaal and the other rebels. They insisted on guarding me at all times. The only exception I made was to address small gatherings of prisoners from other worlds where I hoped we’d recruit new fighters for the Insurrection. Inmates from different planets tended to band together within the prison walls, living in small enclaves and keeping to themselves as much as possible. Even then I was in disguise all the way to their quarters and back, cloaked in my shapeless gray garment with the hood drawn over my head. Just another faceless convict moving silently through the shadows.
Most of the time the core of my supporters met in Harald’s hut. So I didn’t think it odd that night when they began arriving one by one. Not until the tiny room was crammed with men, none of whom would meet my eyes.
“What’s going on?” I took in the faces around me. “And where’s Harald?”
“Starn has him locked up,” Eldon said. “He’s trying to lure you out of hiding. You’re becoming a threat to him. Stirring up trouble. Encouraging prisoners who’d given up hope to dream of one day being free again.”
“How does locking Harald up take away the threat I present? Does Starn plan to kill me to keep us from planning an escape?” I glanced around the shanty. “Where does he think we’d go?”
“He wants to make an example of Harald. Show the others what happens when they listen to your treasonous words. He’s...” Eldon’s voice faltered. “He’s going to hold another assembly tomorrow. He’ll drag Harald onto the platform and demand that he denounce you as a fraud and a liar. If Harald refuses, he’ll torture him until he breaks. Starn is hoping you’ll show up in the crowd and try to stop him. When you do, he’ll have his guards seize you. You’ll be locked away in solitary confinement, where he’ll take you in every way until he tires of you, then give you to his guards. You probably won’t survive more than a day or two.”
Kaal broke in angrily. “Show me where Starn is keeping Harald. I’ll go. Now. I’ll set him free.”
Eldon shook his head. “I believe if anyone could do it, you’re the one, brother. But it wouldn’t do any good. He’ll just take another of us. And another, until he lures her out of hiding. You’re not the face of the Insurrection. Aria is.”
“If you don’t try to save Harald from certain torture,” Eldon said, addressing me again, “Starn will brand you a coward and a fake. He’ll tell the rebels it’s proof you can’t be trusted to stand up for them. If you lose too many followers, it’s only a matter of time before the other criminals overpower those of us who are left to guard you. They’ve all been dreaming of fuck—ah, that is, having their way with you ever since they saw you on the platform with Kaal the day you arrived. They’ll battle over you. Each night you’ll go to the winner. For as long as you last.” Eldon shrugged. “He’s got you in a box. Either way, your threat to Starn will be gone.”
“Oh, gods, no.” I clenched my fists and held back a wail. Though I hadn’t known him long, the old man had been a friend and an ally. It seemed everyone who dared to get close to me put themselves in danger.
Chapter Eighteen
Ree
Of course I went. I had to.
Kaal tried to stop me. Pleaded, then threatened to spank me harder than he did on the platform.
I gave him a sad smile. “I’m sure you would. You live by a code of honor. It’s one of the things I love about you. But so do I. I won’t abandon my friend, a man who believes in the Cause. A man who risked his life for me when I was still a stranger. I couldn’t live with myself if I did.”
In the end, he agreed, but only if I promised to stay in the back of the crowd.
Together with a carefully chosen handful of rebels, he and Eldon came up with a plan. They knew Starn would expect Kaal to be by my side, protecting me. So one of the other men would stand next to him, hunching over to make himself look short and pulling up the hood on his gray cloak to hide his face. I’d stay in the back of the crowd with two others guarding me. Kaal made certain they were the youngest and strongest volunteers.
Several other rebels would start a fight in the crowd and while everyone’s attention was diverted, Kaal and his team planned to storm the platform, rescue Harald, and spirit him away.
