Garnets or Bust

Chapter Five

Tessa spent several long seconds calming herself.

“I hate to say it, but killing me makes a hell of a lot more sense than marrying me.”

“I suppose so,” Daaron replied, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. “But I couldn’t do that to you, Tessa. You were the only person at university who didn’t fall all over themselves to kiss my ass. You were the only one who told me the truth, who stood up to me. You were the one who taught me that everyone—even someone born in the Warrens—has as much right to freedom and prosperity as a noble.”

“Wow.”

“Not to mention the fact that I still hadn’t gotten into your pants,” he added, a sly little smirk stealing across his face. It broke the tension that hung so heavily in the room. Tessa snatched a pillow and hit him over the head with it, hard. He grabbed her and wrestled her down, kissing her roughly even as he reached around to tickle her.

She kicked at him, pulling away from his kiss and screeching. He clapped one hand over her mouth.

“Be careful,” he said. “Remember our listeners in the hallway. We’ve already given them enough of a show.”

She nodded her head and he released her. Goddess be-damned, touching him made her want him again. All those years of celibacy must be coming back to haunt her, because all she could think of was sex, sex, sex.

“So where do we go from here?” she asked finally. “I understand why you can’t let me have the garnets. I don’t think I want them anymore, not if it means hurting so many people. And I certainly don’t have any love for Imperials. I grew up in the Warrens, remember? Their own personal hunting grounds? Where I live, a person who works for the Emperor is likely to get gutted if he strays too far without armed guards.

I’m not going to rat you out, Daaron.”

He nodded his head.

“I believe you,” he replied. “But only marriage is enough to convince my people of that. They’re different than most living within the Empire, very religious. When their priestesses declare a marriage valid, they don’t just see it as a social contract. It’s a lifemating. And something strange happens between them, I’ve seen it. I don’t think those couples could separate even if they wanted to. Our marriage will keep you safe.”

“I have an obligation to my mother,” she said, feeling tired. “I was going to use the money from the garnets to buy her freedom. I can’t just let her rot away. Will you help me?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Easy enough to buy out one woman’s indenture. I’m sorry for that—I know you wanted to do it yourself.”

“My pride isn’t worth destroying lives,” she said firmly, pulling away from him.

“This isn’t how I would have planned things, but I can accept reality. We should make the best of it, Daaron. I don’t want to fight with you if I don’t have to.”

“Then I guess we’re stuck with each other,” he replied. He reached up and tousled her newly shortened hair. She sighed, rolling her head into his touch. It felt good, comforting. For the first time in her life, she felt safe. Pretty pathetic, considering she’d just entered into a conspiracy against the Emperor.

“I suppose so,” she replied. “At least, let’s give it a try. I never considered marriage to you, Daaron. It’s going to take some getting used to. But when I was a little girl, getting out of the Warrens and going to university seemed like an impossible dream. I made it there. Maybe I can make it here.”

Daaron gave a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized just how nervous he was until she’d said yes. He thought about when he’d cut off her braids, marking her as his in the way men of the Warrens had for centuries. His noble peers had always laughed at the lower-

class practice, mocking the masses of Tyre for their barbaric traditions. He hadn’t understood until now just how satisfying those traditions could be.

“Come here,” he said, reaching for her.

“Why?” she asked, her tone suspicious. “I’m not up for more ‘boinking’ as you so eloquently put it. I need a shower first.”

He laughed and shook his head.

“Because you’ve done me a great honor and I want to thank you,” he replied, willing her to believe and understand him. “I know this isn’t what you planned, but I promise you I’ll care for you, Tessa. And your mother. I still have enough contacts on Tyre to find her.”

“Thank you,” she said. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Daaron smiled at her, feeling strange, almost light. Happy.

“I had no idea how much you could mean to me,” he said. “Never dreamed it, but I can’t imagine anything better.”

*** Tessa tried not to get too lost as Daaron guided her through the training center. The place was a maze, but she’d always been good with directions. Who would have imagined a conspiracy of this scope against the Emperor could exist, let alone that she’d become part of it? Although the politics really didn’t really matter to her. All that counted was her mother’s freedom and their new life. Daaron’s compassion for the Danubians, his willingness to risk his own life, had taken her completely off guard.

Who could have imagined the mighty Lord Von Saur’rel could have a soul?

It certainly made up for the loss of her garnets.

After leading her in what seemed like endless circles, Daaron finally brought her into a large dining hall. Round tables surrounded by bench seating were bolted into the floor. At some silent signal, people filtered in through the doors, more men than women. They eyed her closely, some looking friendly but most seeming suspicious, even hostile.

She supposed she would feel the same way about a potentially threatening stranger if she found herself in their shoes. Daaron took her hand, guiding her up and over a bench onto one of the tables.

“This is my wife Tessa,” he said, voice firm and in command—the voice of a man whose authority had never been questioned in his entire life, she thought. “You will treat her with the same respect you treat me. Do you have any questions?”

“I do.”

The woman who spoke was young and lovely, but her face held a brittle tension that spoke volumes about the life she’d led. No one could ever mistake her for someone who had been granted anything. Tessa knew instinctively that if anyone could successfully challenge her presence, this woman would be the one.

“Why should we believe you won’t betray us?” she asked, her voice ringing in the barren, metal-walled room. “Daaron says you’ll obey him, that you’re his true lifemate.

Will you obey?”

Good question, Tessa thought. She knew she should say yes, but she’d never been good at lying. Warrens culture might tell her to obey her husband, but somehow that didn’t seem to apply to a woman who had been to university and now found herself married to a noble-born rebel. And she wasn’t even sure she knew what a lifemate was, let alone whether Daaron was hers. He looked at her expectantly, nodding his head as if to give her permission to speak. Needing a man’s permission just because he’d cut off her braids rankled. Time to lay her cards on the table. She figured it might not be smart, but Tessa didn’t care. She should be honest if she hoped to make a new life among these people.

“No, I won’t just do what he says,” she replied, holding the woman’s gaze with her own. She needed to get this just right. “Just because I’m from the Warrens doesn’t mean I’m a puppet. I’m a thinking, feeling human being.

“My mother sold herself into slavery to give me a better life, so I understand what it means to hold a debt to those who sacrificed for your freedom. I hear you lost your homes and families to the Emperor. I’ll never betray your secret. You dream of a galaxy where nobody dies because a seating chart gets fucked up. I dream of a place where nobody’s parents become slaves to provide their children with an education. Sounds to me like we’re on the same side. But I’m not just going to obey him blindly.”

Tessa snapped her mouth shut, shooting Daaron a defiant look before turning to meet the woman’s gaze. She expected to see hostility there, perhaps even a threat.

Instead she caught a smile.

“Good,” she replied. “He deserves to be put in his place. He might threaten you if you don’t obey, but I’ll kill you if you do. There aren’t many women on this planet and we have to stick together. Otherwise the men will get the idea that they own us, and we can’t afford that. They already hold most of the power. The priestesses will agree with me.”

Daaron glared at her, but she laughed, walking up to Tessa and offering her hand in friendship.

“I’m Leezal,” she said, helping her step down. “Don’t worry about Daaron, he made it clear to us from the moment he saw you that you were special. I think he’s the only one who didn’t realize just how he felt about you. Your people seem to be awfully stupid about lifemating. And I’m sorry we shot you with the flechettes. It was the only way we could think of to keep you from getting hurt.”

“I’m just happy that I didn’t hurt Daaron,” Tessa replied, wondering if Leezal could be a friend. How strange things had become! “When I thought I’d killed him, I wanted to die myself.”

“And you would have too,” Leezal replied, her face suddenly serious. “We owe him everything, Tessa. You can’t imagine.”

“I’m beginning to,” she replied, meaning every word. “I’m starting to realize just how much I want to learn more about him. I’ve never been so wrong about anyone in my life.”

“I know the feeling. I’d just lost my home and family when he found me. I thought he’d come to kill me for the Emperor. Instead he gave me a new life and purpose. Come with me, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”