“Much appreciated, but it’s a little cramped back here,” Aiko griped as my soul mate moved to do as ordered—closing the hatch. “Queen Gwynnore, will I still be able to fire the penis with your soul mate’s crotch pressed against my ass?”
“With vigor.” I snorted. “And I’m really beginning to like you, Aiko. It’s always the quiet ones that surprise you the most.”
CHAPTER FIVE
~ Kimber ~
Jaapri, Ultima Esperanza, Chile
Pacific Coast
“He left me.”
I blinked a few times, staring at Roran and Rilen sitting at the table across the room. I cocked my head. “He not only left me but took Aiko with him!”
“Yes, ilati,” Roran said. “We were right there.”
“He hates Aiko! He’s going to get him killed!”
“He doesn’t hate Aiko.”
I snorted. “Please. He hates Aiko. He finds him a nuisance. Nothing is redeeming about Aiko to him. Aiko saved my life, and he can’t find his way clear to not hate the man.”
“Yes, ilati,” Rilen said. “We know. You must give him time, though. Just because you leapt into his heart doesn’t mean Aiko will. He already has us.”
“But Aiko is important to me…”
“Ilati. Our mate is old,” Roran stated. “It is not easy for him to adapt.”
“You did fine.” I snapped the words at them.
Roran nodded. “I did. Rilen did not. It’s not simple. You’re still so young to us, and I keep wanting to remind you of that. I know you’re not actually young, but…”
I just stared at the two of them. “Do you think I don’t understand what’s going on? Dorian is a stubborn ass, and I don’t even know why I love the man! He’s been impossible the whole time.”
Rilen stood, the anger evident on his face. “I’m going for a walk, brother. Before I say something exceptionally stupid.”
Roran stood with him. “I’ll join you. I feel my tongue burning.”
I watched dumbfounded as the twins walked out of the room where I had been assigned. I moved to follow, but the two creepy bodyguards Queen Gwynnore had left behind glared at me and shut the door.
Now I was alone.
There were no windows or other doors, save the bathroom.
My mind wandered…
Dorian was so transparent. He was hoping to be rid of Aiko for good, but that was unfair.
He was a wonderful man. I knew the twins were kind of fond of him. Dorian was just jealous that there was another heart to divide out what love he thought he deserved. A heart he wasn’t fond of.
And now I was stuck behind in this cold, dark stronghold with just the twins. Even Bel and Gwen were gone.
I walked to the door and pulled it open with the intention of trying to find something to do in this miserable place.
“Mistress Breaker.”
The voice made me jump and I realized the bodyguards were still there.
They were…creepy. “Hello. I…uh…wanted to go for a walk?”
The pale, redheaded one with honey-gold eyes spoke—reluctantly. As if he didn’t enjoy the act, a bitter expression on his face. “Sorry, Your Highness. We’re under the directive to confine you to quarters.”
“We can bring you anything you like to keep you entertained.” That was the dark one with warm brown skin, black hair, and blacker eyes. He, too, looked like he’d rather poke his eyes out than actually speak to me.
“I want to go for a walk.”
“Can’t.” The red one.
“Treadmill, if you feel the need to move.”
Treadmill? “What’s that?”
They glanced at each other.
I could tell they weren’t related to each other, but they acted like Roran and Rilen.
“It’s an exercise machine that allows you to walk in place.”
“That sounds boring.”
The dark one—I thought his name was Crow—nodded. “Most people listen to music or watch TV while they’re on it.”
TV was interesting, but some of the things shown on it were unintelligent or…just strange. That didn’t interest me because if I watched television, I wanted to sit and watch it. Some of the documentaries were fascinating. They helped me understand this strange world.
“If I said yes to the treadmill, would you bring it here?”
“Those are the orders. You’re under guard here, in your room,” the red one answered, and I realized I couldn’t keep calling him the red one. I wracked my brain for his name and finally came up with Phoenix.
“Then, please. And music? What do you have?”
Crow sneered. “I’ll bring you an iPod filled with all kinds of music. I suspect you’ll be all about the classical, but no reason not to try it all out.”
I nodded. “Please, then. I’m going stir crazy. And do you have books?”
“There’s a tablet—Oh.” Phoenix glowered. “I’ll show you how to use that while Crow gets your treadmill arranged.”
Crow nodded after they stared at each other in that creepy not-twins-but-super-close way. He walked off, and Phoenix backed me into the room.
Damn.
Phoenix spent the next half an hour showing me how to use the tablet and… I was fascinated.
“So you have all this information at your fingertips?”
“Yes, but just be careful when you’re reading anything historical. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and some websites flat out lie.”
“Why… would they lie about history?”
He raised an eyebrow. “History belongs to the victor. It’s only in hindsight we discover the value of the conquered.”
How many victors did this world have? We had landed in the middle of a war, so it made me think there were many conflicts.
“Well, I would just like to read some books.”
He tapped on the screen, on what looked like a little tree, and a whole little library appeared. “These are all the books on this device. You can search for more if you like, by category.”
The door opened, and Rilen and Roran walked in, ahead of a crew of maintenance men with Crow.
A few gestures and the men were dropping something in the corner, doing things—hooking it up?—and they were on their way.
Crow held out a device to Rilen. “You know how to use this?”
“Works like the phones?”
“Yes, very much like those. This is for music.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Crow nodded and motioned Phoenix to follow. They were gone in the next minute and left me standing and staring at Roran and Rilen.
“Where did you go?” I asked. “I couldn’t follow.”
“We needed fresh air,” Rilen said.
“You’re not allowed to follow.” Roran cocked his head. “Orders from the king and queen. We have limited use of the grounds.”
“Also, their orders.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face. “They pulled us into a war in another world, and now I have to use,” I glanced over to the device in the corner, “something I can’t even describe to get any kind of exercise. Why did they bother?”