SEVENTEEN
HOT PAIN SIZZLED down his side, but Devix compartmentalized it just like he did everything else during fights.
He had a few moments to catch his breath as he watched Pidixa push himself off the floor of the facev. He took that moment to look at his luxiva, over his shoulder. Her eyes met his and just as quickly, he felt strength and determination return to his body, overriding any sensations of physical pain.
This wasn’t just about him. It was about them.
He was a mated male now. He was physically stronger for it, mentally stronger for it. Pidixa was well-trained, better than he remembered, but even though Devix may have lost some of the skill he’d once possessed, he would not allow his betrayer to win the warrior trial.
Pidixa had already taken Luxiria away from him, his warrior status away from him, his brother away from him.
He would not take away his luxiva, his offspring, too.
Pidixa’s chest heaved as he turned to face Devix. His eyes flared hot and with a growl, Pidixa launched himself again, always on the offensive, never defensive. Devix could use that to his advantage.
They grappled with one another. In the back of his mind, through the haze of the fight, he heard the reaction of the crowd. Their cries and words echoed around the cavernous mountain, rising in sound with every blow and punch and spatter of blood, like morbid music to their warrior trial. Devix almost missed the sound of the beating drums. Anything would be better than the sound of the blood thirsty crowd, especially since most craved his downfall.
He would disappoint them, Devix knew.
The fight went on. Devix didn’t know how long it lasted. Even when Devix had been a warrior, battles were mostly a blur in his mind, punctuated only by brief, clear memories. Devix had fought many, many battles. But he never truly remembered them.
And in a way, this battle with Pidixa would end the same. He would bear the scars of it, but he wouldn’t be able to recall every single detail in his mind.
All he would remember was his luxiva’s eyes, the sight of his blood brother standing next to her, the driving determination he felt, and the chaos of a warrior fight. Because it was chaos, as all battles were.
Torn flesh, exposed muscle, the gouging of sharp horns, and the feeling of slippery skin, coated in metallic-scented blood.
It was madness.
And for a moment, it made Devix realize that he didn’t want the warrior life any longer. He wanted the life of peace, the one he had been building with his luxiva on Rozun, the one where he didn’t have to clean blood from under his claws or coat his skin in healing salve every night after a training session.
He wasn’t that male anymore and he hadn’t been for quite some time.
However, he also recognized that he wouldn’t be able to claim that life of peace with Pidixa standing in his way.
Devix could sense that his opponent was beginning to fatigue. His offensive attacks weren’t as often, weren’t as powerful. He’d damaged Pidixa’s dominant hand and wrist early on and Devix could tell that his strikes with the other hand weren’t as balanced and steady and sure.
Pidixa was fading. Devix realized it. Pidixa realized it a moment later when Devix made another offensive move against him, catching the warrior around the horns and driving his knee up into his face.
Blood gushed from Pidixa’s nose and Devix channeled all of his strength into his forearms, using the power and leverage from Pidixa’s horns to throw him down onto his back, so hard that his opponent’s breath rushed from his lungs. Devix climbed on top of him, pinning him so he couldn’t strike, the way he was trained to do with any opponent. Through the mindless haze, he perceived the sudden hush of the crowd behind him, because even they knew what would happen next.
End this, his Instinct urged, high off the bloodlust. End this now!
Devix knew how he would kill Pidixa. He would drag his claws—the same claws he let grow long for this warrior trial, after dulling them for his luxiva the past couple lunar cycles—across his exposed throat and let the blood drain from his betrayer’s body. It would be a slow death. Pidixa would realize what was happening, but he would be unable to do anything about it. And Devix would watch him die. Arvalla, who was standing on the same terrace as his luxiva, would watch her brother die.
But just as Devix began to drag his sharpened claw across Pidixa’s throat, he stopped.
He heard the rough pants of his breath, felt the aching pain that tore through his side, felt the warm blood that painted his flesh. Some of it was his, the same blood that his luxiva had taken into her body during their ravraxia. The same blood that connected them, the same blood that would run through their offspring.
Pidixa’s gaze met his own. His face was bruised and bloody. A gouge that Devix didn’t even remember giving him adorned the right side of his cheek, narrowly missing his eye.
And Devix knew, right then, that he didn’t want to kill him, didn’t want to spill his blood anymore than he already had.
A Luxirian warrior would’ve done it. A Luxirian warrior would’ve slit his throat without a moment of hesitation, for everything that Pidixa had done.
But Devix wasn’t a Luxirian warrior. Not anymore.
He was a Rozian.
“I am not afraid to journey to the blackworld,” Pidixa spat at him. “Do it.”
“I do not want to kill you, Pidixa,” Devix rasped.
“Why?” Pidixa hissed.
“We both know you deserve death for what you have done,” Devix replied, tightening his hold to keep Pidixa pinned. “But I will not be the one to pass judgment. Your race will, just as they did to me.”
“You have to complete the terms of the warrior trial or you forfeit,” Pidixa rasped, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth.
“No, you will forfeit. Confess what you did,” Devix said, hardening his tone. Behind him, the crowd had gone nearly silent. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vaxa’an watching the exchange carefully, the only one who could probably hear what was being said. “Or it means your death, right now. I do not want to, but I will, if it means protecting my life and my luxiva’s life. Confess.”
“Never,” Pidixa hissed, his eyes hardening.
In the distance, he heard a cry of alarm, a female cry. It took him a moment to recognize the voice as Arvalla’s.
“Do you want your blood sister to see you die?” Devix rasped, leaning forward, tightening his hold. The tip of his claw dug into Pidixa’s throat and the other male stilled. “If you confess, there is a chance you will live, so that you can still protect her, so that she will not be alone.”
Pidixa’s eyes flared. For all his faults, he loved his sister. And Arvalla loved him as well, enough to protect him by betraying Devix.
“My confession means her tribunal as well,” Pidixa hissed. “I will not let her face execution for what I did.”
There was a sudden murmuring in the crowd, a sudden tension. Devix looked up from Pidixa’s eyes, scanning.
And then he saw her.
Arvalla.
She was running down the terrace steps to the arena floor. The warrior male that had escorted her there was quick on her heels, trying to catch her before she reached the base. But she was fast and she managed to evade his grip.
“Arvalla!” Pidixa yelled, catching sight of her as well. “Stop!”
Pidixa resumed his struggles against Devix, but he held him down, pushing all of his weight against the warrior. And in that position, it did not matter. As a mated male, Devix was stronger. Pidixa would never be able to shake off his hold, no matter how desperate he was.
They both watched as Arvalla raced past the both of them, running towards the dais where Vaxa’an stood, the silent spectator of the warrior trial.
Their Prime Leader’s expression was grim as he watched Arvalla throw herself down at the base of the dais, on her knees before him.
Devix heard her speak, though he knew most of the crowd would not be able to. And if he could hear her words, so could Pidixa.
“Prime Leader,” she cried softly, “I beg that you stop this warrior trial, that you spare my blood brother’s life. He is too proud to ask for mercy, but I am not.”
“There is no reason for my interference,” Vaxa’an replied, his voice steady and cold, “unless you give me one.”
Arvalla didn’t even pause for a moment before she said, “There are no grounds for this warrior trial.”
“Arvalla, stop!” Pidixa roared.
Arvalla continued, ignoring her brother, “Devix did not commit the crime he was accused of and so Pidixa had no right to challenge him. I confess to it all. It was all my own doing. Pidixa believed me when I told him Devix forced me into a mating. He was only protecting me. And I have lived with the guilt for eight rotations and I cannot any longer, not at the expense of my brother’s life. I will not watch him die.”
Devix squeezed his eyes shut, his breath hissing out of him. Even now, she was protecting her brother. Devix had been there, however. It was Pidixa that had orchestrated the entire falsehood, not Arvalla.
“Please,” she begged Vaxa’an. “Please end this. Let me have a tribunal but spare his life.”
Vaxa’an gestured to the warriors that formed a circle around the fighting floor, that had held the crowd back and at bay. It was dead silent as four warriors broke from the ring, approaching where Devix held Pidixa down.
“Release him, Devix,” Vaxa’an ordered.
Only once two of the warriors secured Pidixa’s arms, ensuring that he wouldn’t lash out when Devix let him go, did Devix push away and stand. The other two warriors flanked his side. Immediately, Devix sought Cara up on the terrace. Her wide eyes met his, but they were a comfort.
Vaxa’an’s voice boomed around the arena, ensuring that every Luxirian in attendance would hear.
“This female has just confessed to me that the crime Devix had been accused of committing eight rotations ago was false. This female claims that she fabricated the entire lie, which ultimately resulted in his wrongful exile and the stripping of his warrior rank.”
A wave of energy passed through the Luxirians in attendance. It was shock. Complete and utter shock. Devix heard their voices, their words of surprise, but he kept his gaze on his luxiva for another moment.
Vaxa’an continued, “I have no choice but to forcibly end this warrior trial after this female’s confession. I will meet with my elder council and my Ambassadors about how to proceed but until then this female will be imprisoned and she will wait for a tribunal.”
“No!” Pidixa exclaimed, though his breathing was labored, struggling against the warriors that detained him. “Prime Leader, she is innocent in this!”
“What are you saying?” Vaxa’an asked, but he never lowered his voice. “That your blood sister is lying to your Prime Leader or that it was you who fabricated Devix’s alleged crime? Be clear, Pidixa.”
Pidixa stared at Vaxa’an. His broken hand and wrist hung limply at his side and blood dribbled from his nose and mouth, dripping to the floor of the facev that drank the blood like water.
He was caught. He had no choice now but to confess. Or else it meant his sister’s punishment.
“It was I who lied about the crime,” Pidixa admitted, meeting the Prime Leader’s gaze. Another wave of shock rippled through the crowd. “She is trying to take blame to protect me. Ignore her and give me a tribunal in her stead.”
Vaxa’an met Devix’s eyes and pure relief exploded in his chest. Taking a deep breath, still feeling the pain from the gash in his side, he knew it was finally over.
All of it.
Pidixa had finally confessed.
It didn’t feel as Devix expected it would. He felt vindicated, yes, but he felt almost…indifferent. His only concern was being reunited with his female.
Nodding at the warriors that flanked Pidixa, Vaxa’an ordered, “Take him to the command center for imprisonment.” To Arvalla, he said, “You will accompany your brother.”
The armed guards at Pidixa’s side tugged him into motion, eliciting a pained groan from the male. Arvalla’s face was stricken as she quickly approached her brother’s side. But just as she passed Devix, she paused.
Devix had always wondered what he would feel if he ever saw Arvalla again. He’d always imagined disgust, hatred, anger. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel any of those things. It was like a numbness had spread throughout his entire body at the sight of her, a coldness, but also an understanding.
“I was trying to protect him,” was what she said, right then. “I never imagined he would do what he did. But I had to protect him. Please believe this.”
“I do believe you,” Devix replied, but his tone was like steel. “You finally made it right, Arvalla.”
“I should have told the truth eight rotations ago,” she said, swallowing. “The guilt I have felt…”
Devix didn’t care about her guilt. “Without your betrayal, Arvalla,” he started, casting a gaze over her, “I never would have found my luxiva. So perhaps I should be thanking you, for I never knew what love, what happiness was, before her.”
Arvalla’s gaze shuddered, his words stinging her to the core, he knew. She looked at the ground as she passed and Devix wondered how he’d ever thought that he’d loved her. He knew they would never speak again.
“Devix!” he heard behind him and when he turned, he saw Cara approaching him. Rixavox was close behind her, but it was his mate who reached him first. She didn’t care that he was covered in blood, both his own and Pidixa’s, when she embraced him.
“Luxiva,” he murmured, closing his eyes, leaning his forehead down to rest on her slim shoulder. Between them, he felt the press of her swelling stomach.
“I was so scared for you,” she whispered.
“It is over now,” he told her softly. “It is over.”
“It truly is,” she murmured, pulling back to look in his eyes. “They confessed. Now everyone knows what they did.”
Devix’s gaze slid to his brother, who stood just behind Cara. When his mate saw him, she stepped away, allowing the two brothers a moment.
Rixavox clasped Devix’s shoulder. “You fought well and with honor, just like the warrior I remembered you to be.”
“Thank you, brother,” Devix told him, “for all that you have done.”
Rixavox’s gaze went to his side, saw that the blood had not clotted yet. He cast a look at Cara and then said, in Luxirian, “You need to see Privanax for that.”
Devix nodded. In Luxirian, he replied, “Will you take me to him? I know my female does not like him very much, but I could use his lasers right now.”
“Yes, come,” Rixavox replied, jerking his head towards one of the back tunnels that led straight to a side entrance of the command center.
“What’s happening?” Cara asked, coming to his side, touching his arm, when Rixavox guided them to the tunnel.
And because they’d agreed to be honest with each other, he said, “I need to have some cuts mended by Privanax.”
Surprisingly, Cara nodded without a moment’s hesitation, revealing her worry for him since she had no reaction to the healer’s name. “Okay.”
“You will be…nice to him?” he tried to tease.
“For you, I will be the nicest, sweetest human being he’s ever met,” she told him.