Page 109 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

“I feel battered by the whole experience,” Aria suddenly admitted. “I’ve never seen the likes of that place. We were cattle, worse than dogs, only there to serve their pleasures. I came out of it better than some of the others, though. My appetite for sex helped me there, but also they saw me as prized goods. They could get a higher price for me with clients, so I got better food and a bit of medical care. The others…the ones who didn’t know…didn’t understand how it all worked fared the worst. If you didn’t please the customers or didn’t get enough requests, you didn’t get fed or were fed very little. Any kind of medical treatment for injuries was rare. I tried…” Her voice broke and disappeared. She took a breath and started again in a shaky, breathless tone. “I tried to help them. To give them tips on dealing with customers. I tried to share my food. But it wasn’t enough. Some just…”

She didn’t need to explain. There were some who couldn’t adapt enough to survive. Some she couldn’t save because their injuries were too severe. He could easily imagine that Aria had been forced to watch several of her fellow captives die from starvation or mistreatment.

“You can’t blame yourself,” he said gently. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. “You held them together, gave them hope, kept them fighting until I could save you. That was more than enough. We saved this many captives because of you.”

“I knew you’d come for me.” The arms wrapped around his waist tightened as if she was trying to fuse with his body. “I never doubted it for a second.”

“Good.” He would always come for his sister. She was his little light, his sunny smile.

“But how did you even know where I was? Or that I was in danger?” She lifted her head and loosened her grip on him so she could wipe away the tears still streaking her cheeks.

“Well, we’d set up our meetup in Hundager, remember?”

Her mouth dropped. “Fuck, I’d forgotten completely! I was so focused on surviving that place.”

“When you didn’t show, and still didn’t show for three days, I knew something was wrong. I started going from town to town, asking for any information about you, trying to trace backward through the towns you might have gone through to reach Hundager. I finally learned you were abducted and sold into a sex ring. From there, I figured out it was one belonging to Count Pierres. I’m sorry it took me so long; it was difficult to find information⁠—”

She held up a hand, stopping him. “No, I’m grateful you came at all. No one else in our family would have. I haven’t even seen you in six years. You look so handsome now. You were such a scrawny teenager back then.”

He stuck his tongue out at her. “And you a child. Still, that’s what happened.”

“And you just grabbed this party and ran to my rescue?” A hint of her old mischievous spirit flashed in her eyes and pulled her full lips into a wicked grin. “How did you do it? Do you have them all wrapped in a sexual spell so they’ll do your bidding by just crooking your finger?”

Lirion tossed his head back on a loud bark of unexpected laughter. Gods, he’d missed her silliness. It was so good to see this experience hadn’t crushed it out of her. “No! Not at all. You’re ridiculous.”

Aria rolled her eyes, but she still smiled up at him. “That’s how I would have done it if I’d had to rescue you.”

“I’m sure, but no. Fenric actually approached me first. He has a job he needs my help with. We swapped jobs, I guess you could say.”

“Ahhh, so you’re still on the hook to help him?”

“I am. I don’t mind it. He and his friends went above and beyond to help me. I’ll do my best to return the favor after everything they’ve done for us.”

She smiled softly as she returned her head to rest against his shoulder. “You’re fond of them, I can tell.”

“They’re truly good people.” Lirion’s lips twisted into a sardonic grin. “But don’t tell them I said that. It may hurt their feelings. They really seem determined to be called villains.”

Aria giggled. “Yeah, I overheard Malfas whispering to himself while he was cooking about how they were going to spin this rescue into a theft and that it would surely help them climb the villain rankings.”

Lirion grunted. More than likely he’d been talking to Ezlan, but he didn’t want to try to explain that to his sister now.

Aria turned to look over the few who lingered on deck. Rain, of course, was manning the helm, but Hapi and Fenric were also up top, speaking with Rain about something. Something inside of Lirion longed to go to Fen even now. He’d not been able to exchange two words with the man since his inglorious return to the ship, and while he appeared perfectly fine now, Lirion wanted to touch him, look into his golden eyes, and reassure himself Fen truly was well.

“They’re delicious, too. In different ways, of course,” Aria stated, breaking into his wandering thoughts.

“I must agree.”

“Fenric is the one with the black hair and those amazing eyes?”

A slow smile spread across Lirion’s lips as he stared at Fen. “You’ve noticed the eyes too? Aren’t they stunning?”

“They are. I feel like you’ll be upset if I try to get a better look.”

Lirion gave her a pained look. “Please leave him alone. I like that one.”

Maybe a bit too much.

She snickered. “I will. Although I’ll need to feed from someone. Not tonight, but preferably by tomorrow night. Definitely before we reach Relos.”