Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

T he men dropped off more bags of crestali roots as Tiara yelled, “How much do they eat?” When cooked, the teal-colored roots had a creamy texture with a slightly sweet, buttery undertone reminiscent of Earth’s sweet potatoes. The roots were a staple in Crelentian stews and roasted dishes, served mashed, fried, or even as chips for a unique tangy snack. “I’m still chopping the vegetables for our stew!” She wiped the sweat on her brow from the hot kitchen.

“Great negotiating skills!” Maya yelled at her as she took a seat.

“Hey, you still have more cooking and baking to do!” Tiara pointed at the pots and pans on the massive stoves and grills in the kitchen. Maya gave her the finger.

Tiara huffed, shouting at two other girls to take over the cooking that Maya was supposed to finish. They scoffed, turning their glares at Maya and then Tiara.

“Don’t get mad at me,” shouted Maya. “This is all Tiara’s fault!”

Jaxxon had gotten even with Tiara quickly. She still remembered their negotiations. She demanded equal treatment—to explore Crelentia without a chaperone and shop independently. He claimed it was too dangerous and promised to get whatever she desired. He asked for more time to make things safe for her. But with Maya’s urging she demanded all or nothing. In the end, she got equal chores but not equal freedom. Tiara rolled her eyes as she stomped around the kitchen.

“Jaxx saved our lives. He’s done nothing but try to provide for us since we arrived. And he hasn’t asked for anything in return,” noted Lori. “Maybe threatening the security of his home isn’t the best way to negotiate with him,” she argued. “Besides, he likes you. He can’t take his eyes off you. Maybe you’re asking for things he can’t give you.”

But Maya convinced her they needed to keep the upper hand, which wasn’t going so well. Tiara looked around the kitchen. She was pretty impressed with the technology. The men said it was old technology compared to what their advanced civilization had before a great war they lost. But it was far better than what she had used while working in the canteen in the science outpost.

But Tiara hadn’t survived the Mineva mining colony without learning a few tricks. If there was one thing she knew how to do well, it was how to hustle and make money. She told her friends her idea. Maya jolted from her seat, giving her a high five.

Tiara shook her booty around the kitchen as her friends cheered her on. “If they want dessert, I’ll give them something so sweet they’ll eat out of our hands!”

Later that evening, they were escorted to the enormous dining hall where the men ate their meals. They passed numerous chambers with security protocols she hadn’t figured out how to hack into yet, including those on the command deck. A command deck that women weren’t allowed to enter. She harrumphed.

Dinner was boisterous as the men talked and ate their fill. They were jostling for food, pushing and shoving each other. The younger boys even fought and elbowed their way to snatch food. They don’t ask. They don’t say please. They just take!

In some ways, Tiara envied them. She’d grown up as a poor citizen in a place that never wanted her kind. She had to beg, manipulate, and steal. And Ms. Hazel taught them that sometimes they had to kill. She worked in mines with untold dangers looming around every corner. And some of those dangers were the men who worked in the mines.

These men are dangerous! And hungry! She smiled. The chaos of the men grabbing food sounded like a battle. And there was one way to manipulate a dangerous man short of sex. Dessert!

Even Jaxxon came by to eat, avoiding Tiara when she tried to talk to him about more freedom. He sent Zade to tell her to release the codes, and then he’d talk. Her threatening to turn the lights out again hadn’t made him budge, though he dared her to do it.

Soon, the room filled with the delicious smells of the pies and cakes Tiara and her friends baked. The two sentries had gotten the Vyrnac beans for her, which didn’t disappoint. The fermented beans created rich, spiced chocolate with a sweet and smoky taste, perfect for both eating and drinking. They’d also brought her Sumera flowers, which she discovered had a sugary nectar that, when boiled, turned into shimmering sugary crystals. The bright, pure sweetness of the sumera crystals had a hint of citrus.

She sprinkled the sumera crystals on the Vyrnac Delight, the name she’d given to the chocolate cake. “Perfect!”

As the women filled their plates with the desserts, the first man approached the area with his plate in hand, eyeing the Vyrnac Delight and candied Velen pear pie. A line of men formed behind him.

“Oh, I’m sorry. These are only for women!” Tiara announced, sending the room into an uproar.

The men turned to Jaxxon and Zade, their eyes filled with anger and their bellies with hunger. They demanded Jaxxon do something about it.

“Jaxx and Zade, are you going to stand for this?” they shouted as they waited for an answer.

“Who’s in charge? Tiara or you?” Hassan shouted, waving his empty plate toward Jaxxon, amplifying the scene.

Jaxxon’s shadows rippled, as did a few of his men sitting at his table. He rose from his seat, eyes narrowed and zoning in on her like a torpedo as he closed the distance in three long strides .

The depths of his anger poured from him as Tiara stood before him. His hands wrapped around her shoulders tightly before she could step back. She’d overplayed her hand. This man was going to rip her head off. In those seconds, she saw what others saw. A warlord!

“Whoa! Let’s work this out so we can all eat,” said Zade, running to her rescue.

Jaxxon leaned in close. “You serve me. Not the other way around.” His hands tightened around her shoulders, his anger still rippling. “Now, what do you offer I shouldn’t just take ?”

Tiara’s anger rose, replacing her fear. She’d always been a fighter and never let anyone take anything from her or her friends. She was a natural-born leader, which meant taking chances and dealing with the consequences. Many underestimated her, believing she was impulsive and reckless. But Tiara knew this gamble was worth it. If only to piss Jaxxon off more with his condescending attitude.

Tiara stood on her tiptoes and leaned against Jaxxon’s chest, reaching for his ear. Steeling her voice, she whispered her offer and her price.

Her lips touching his ear seemed to shock his senses, and he deeply inhaled her, holding her a few seconds longer. Then he stepped back and smirked. His eyes drank her in before he looked at his hungry men with empty plates. And then he looked back at her as he glared. “Drak!”

Within the next hour, Tiara and the girls made more money selling the cakes and pies to the men than they’d ever made in an entire day on Mineva.

Jaxxon was furious they were forcing the men to pay for their dessert, whispering to her on his way out. “You have money. But just where the fuck do you think you’ll go to spend it?” He laughed when he saw her realization sink in.

Putting her hands on her hips, she rolled her eyes, knowing he was right. Damn! He’s still in control.

Jaxxon left the room without dessert. But Zade and his men stayed. The dinner turned into a party as alcohol was served. Before long, everyone was singing and laughing. And the girls made new alliances among Jaxxon’s men.

Their newfound alliances repeatedly spoke on their behalf over the week, putting pressure on Jaxxon to give them more freedom. Soon, Jaxxon was alienated in his own home. He was a tyrant who refused to budge and a workhorse who forced the men to work long hours with little entertainment.

He was insistent they were still in danger of the Vralgari learning about them and continued asking Tiara if she knew what the Vralgari were after. She said she didn’t know—which was true, and given the Vralgari hadn’t attacked the fortress, it was the least of her concerns. What are they so worried about? What aren’t they telling me? She had no idea.

Yet, Jaxxon and Zade constantly had the fortress on high alert, and the men were working overtime on security measures.

“Look, give back the codes for the lighting system on the terraces. And I’ll give you access to two levels of the gym,” Jaxxon said one morning. It was a small step in the right direction, and she could tell he hated negotiating with her.

“I won’t give you back the codes. But I promise not to turn out the lights again.” Tiara knew from one of her alliances that a tunnel led from the gym to the outdoors. She rubbed her hands together at the prospect of finding a way into that tunnel. She wondered what was so crucial to Jaxxon about the lighting on the terraces, but it was one of many questions she needed to unravel.

Later that afternoon, Tiara saw men dropping off more food and supplies. She recognized one of the men, running to catch up to him as her eyes widened.

“Hey, I saw you jump off the terrace! How...how are you alive?” She looked him over for injuries, seeing none.

Winking, the man smiled. “I didn’t jump far!”

He kept walking without offering further explanation. Tiara ran back to the conference center and onto the terrace. Looking over the railing, she didn’t see where the man could have safely jumped. There wasn’t a nearby ledge or anything she could see above or below the terrace. There was no stairway or other doors. She could only see a steep drop to the land below, and they were over sixty levels high.

How is that man still alive and well?

B affled by all the secrets Jaxxon and his men kept, Tiara was cranky and irritated. They still didn’t have half of what they needed, and the freedoms they’d been given weren’t nearly enough. She demanded another audience with Jaxxon. He must have heard in her voice that she would turn out the lights and more if he didn’t meet her.

An angry Jaxxon stormed into the men’s locker room, where Tiara had demanded he meet her in private. He let the door slam as he entered the room, standing near one of the stalls. Wearing a navy-blue tank shirt and tan cargo pants, he looked at her with his usual dominating stare, waiting for her to say something. When she said nothing, he looked at the time on the band around his wrist and then back at her. A shadow of a beard was growing on his face, and he looked like he hadn’t gotten much rest.

“Well, you asked for this meeting...” He rubbed his jaw, waiting for her to say something. “I was in an essential security briefing and must return.”

“We want a women’s bathroom! One that is stocked with things we need.”

“I told you this bathroom is for you and your friends. You don’t have to worry about the men coming in here.”

“It doesn’t have everything we need. Where are the feminine products?” she asked as he leaned back, blinking several times. “You know...for our menstrual cycle! Where do women here get their products? ”

“I don’t know where they got them. Ah...Ah, the women didn’t live with the men,” he blurted.

“Well, take me to where they lived?—”

“YOU CAN NEVER GO THERE! NEVER!” Jaxxon shook as he clenched his fist at his sides, looking into her eyes with something akin to fear and loss. Seconds passed as he finally calmed down, his shadows a sound barrier around them.

Tiara didn’t breathe until the shadows fell. He didn’t explain, simply turning on his heels and saying over his shoulder that his men would find what they needed.

“But wait!—Your men won’t know what we need. Why can’t we go with them to get supplies?”

“Because no one can learn that you are here.” He left.

What the fuck was that? Tiara had to find out what happened to the women of Crelentia. Why are there no women’s bathrooms?

Until now, she thought they were in a part of the Villagio fortress where the women hadn’t been allowed. But now it was clear the women had never lived here. But why? Why keep the women separated from the men? Are we in danger from the men? Is that why Jaxx keeps a close eye on our movements? She had to find the answers. She needed to know from whom and what they were up against if they were in danger.

Tiara told Maya and Lori what happened. Lori was equally alarmed, but Maya wasn’t.

“Look, Tiara, Jaxxon probably reacted that way to you because no man wants to hear about female problems! Especially one on her period!”

“You didn’t see him, Maya. He was—” Tiara struggled to find the right word. “Terrified!”

Maya laughed. “Yeah, terrified of you and your damned drama. Maybe he’s just not into you!”

“What do you mean, ‘he’s not into me?’ I’m not flirting with him.”

“Oh yes, you are! You even call him Jaxx! Only his friends call him that!” said Maya, making a face .

Tiara opened her mouth but had no comeback, which only encouraged Maya.

“You’re always demanding one-on-one meetings with him like you’re a fucking warlord princess. We all have a say in how we’re treated. No one elected you as our spokesperson!”

Lori intervened as they began screaming and shouting accusations at each other. Tiara couldn’t believe how Maya was twisting everything she said.

“Look, there’s something else weird going on here.” She bucked her eyes at Maya when she made a face.

“Well, out with it?” Maya shouted.

“I could’ve sworn I saw a dragon when we were on the ship. Two dragons!”

Maya looked at Lori and then back at her. They both fell out laughing.

“You are truly a drama queen! Jaxx has lit a fire in you, and you want his attention. Just admit it.”

They walked off, leaving Tiara wondering if maybe she had bumped her head on the ship.

She returned to the terrace, again searching for how the men could have survived the fall. And then she looked into the sky. There were nothing but majestic mountains. Yet, she knew she was onto something. Jaxxon was a warlord who commanded obedience. He was smug and cocky. But his haunted eyes revealed a man who lived through horrors. The kind of man who would kill at a moment’s notice.

She had to be careful, especially knowing her ancestors had run from this place. Though clearly predisposed to violence, Jaxxon seemed more protective than dangerous. Even though I hacked into his security system, he’s gotten me whatever I wanted. He’s never once tried to force me to give the codes back. But am I pushing him too far? She laughed out loud, knowing she had a stubborn and violent streak in her too. Perhaps it’s the Crelentian way.

The next morning, a group of men she had never met entered the gym. They were talking, unaware of her lifting weights in the corner. She was glad because they would have told Jaxxon she was in there when it wasn’t her turn. But working out was one of the few things she could look forward to each morning.

As she worked out quietly, she listened to the men talking. It didn’t take long to realize the men had been away on a dangerous raiding mission all night. She wondered what it was about and where they had gone.

Tiara hurried to finish her workout. She saw Jaxxon and Zade placing supplies around the tables as she entered the conference center. There were beautiful dresses, skirts, and shoes. They even had sweet-smelling lotions, soaps, and feminine products. She couldn’t believe it.

They had fun trying on the clothes. Tiara was surprised at the sheer skirts, revealing halter tops, and beautiful exotic gowns the men had gotten them. Humph! I was expecting they’d try to cover us from head to toe. Yet, her favorites were the jean shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers they’d gathered for them.

Jaxxon promised more would come as he and Zade watched the glass doors leading into the conference center. Yet, Tiara was sure they kept an eye on more than just the doors.

Zade was a flashy dresser, charming and seductive. Several of the women, including Lori, were looking over at him from time to time. Yet, he had a dangerous edge, just like Jaxxon. Leaning against the door, Jaxxon seemed to prefer a rugged, bad boy style of clothing with cargo pants, hooded jackets, and combat boots. And he also seemed to enjoy thick chains around his neck and fashionable belts.

Jaxxon was gorgeous, and her friends weren’t shy in letting her know they’d happily trade places with her, though she had no claim to him. He ran his hand through his curly black hair while guarding the door. A warm smile lit his bronze face when he caught her eye.

Tiara knew they had to be on guard with both the warlords. The two cousins were close and seemed to divide their duties around the compound. Even after Jaxxon left to return to duty, she heard Zade talking to him on the coms. The two were inseparable.

Tiara and her friends were dressed in new clothes and ready to have fun. She saw Jaxxon at dinner. As she walked to his table, his gaze never faltered as he followed her every movement. His eyes swept over her when she stopped before him.

“Jaxx, thanks for the clothes and other items.” She fidgeted, suddenly self-conscious beneath his intense stare. Knowing him, she figured he’d ignore her. But he shocked her and stood.

“You look nice,” he said with a sexy smile. “I picked that out for you.” She blushed, surprised by the compliment. He took her hand, kissed it, and sent her on her way. He never let her sit with them.

Damn! His touch felt magnetic! And he shopped for me! She couldn’t keep her eyes off him for the rest of the dinner. And more than once, she caught his eyes on hers. Warmth spread through her as she realized it was getting hot.

Jaxxon was loud and carefree, having fun with his men whenever he wasn’t on duty. He and his men were heavy drinkers, and they loved to brawl afterward. He was wild and aggressive, and so was Zade. Their table was always the loudest. Tiara had seen more than one fight get out of hand. But fighting seemed to be the way of this rowdy group. But tonight, Jaxxon was on duty and left early with several men.

Fuck, I wish he’d stayed just a little longer! Where does he sleep when he’s off duty? She felt flush just thinking about him in a bedroom. He stared at me the entire dinner but never approached me after the one compliment. Jaxxon was unreadable, making her more curious about the handsome and dangerous warlord.

After dinner, Maya displayed their assortment of desserts as men formed lines to get them. Tiara collected their payments while Lori started the music. Soon, everyone was drinking and singing. It was becoming a regular party scene, and they were making a fortune.

Tiara was on her second drink, savoring it as she talked trash with her friends. She laughed and sang with added drama and fanfare. Her friends did the same.

As the night unfolded, Tiara saw Zade enter the room, rousing a few men out of their seats. He told them Jaxxon would be pissed if they were late to their assigned posts. Zade left, pulling two of the drunk men by their arms. He told three others they needed to get to their posts too. Yet, an hour later, Tiara saw the same three men still drinking and singing, ignoring Zade’s threat.

Even the younger boys had started staying late after dinner. Though Jaxxon would never have allowed it, Tiara let the younger boys and the teens come to their conference center. With the group of boys and girls surrounding her, she sang songs her mother sang to her as a child and told stories.

Later, Zade barked orders to the younger boys when he saw them gathered together with the girls, promising Jaxxon would be livid that no one was following their regimented routine.

Jaxxon and Zade ran the compound like a strict military command center. They were tough on the men and boys and expected them to work hard whenever on duty. Zade snatched the boys off the floor and sent them running down the hallway, threatening Jaxxon was on his way. But the boys didn’t run off from fear. They ran with respect for a commanding officer giving them an order.

Over the next week, Tiara and her friends made more alliances with Jaxxon’s men and had them do all types of favors for them. It wasn’t freedom, but it was something. Yet whenever she asked probing questions, the men suddenly had work to do.

But some men thought Tiara and her friends had too much freedom and disliked it when they interrupted their ‘boys’ time. Yet, after a while, they even gave in to doing favors for the women when they wanted entrance to the parties or an extra serving of food.

“You’re manipulating my men!” Jaxxon accused her in one of their private meetings. She and Jaxxon were meeting more and more privately. While most meetings had been productive, and they’d even begun enjoying each other’s company, this meeting was explosive. They were in the lower level of the gym. She gave Jaxxon a list of demands, and he laughed in her face. “Do I look like I have access to a luxury shopping mall?”

She didn’t know why she was surprised. He was moody as ever and riled up—Jaxxon at his best.

“Look, my men are showing up late to work or too tired to serve! And the boys are missing their duties too!” he shouted, pulling his hands through his curly hair as he looked ready to wring her neck. “And I know they’ve been doing favors for you when they should be on duty. Favors that are causing some to venture to dangerous places.”

“I can’t help it if they’d rather spend time with me and my friends than with you!” She winked, trying her best to stifle a giggle.

“Oh, that’s very funny! This is serious. The men have work to do and your games are endangering everyone.” His eyes bore into her. He looked like a raging storm with his shirt slightly unbuttoned, and his shadows shifting across his muscular chest.

Pulling her eyes from his chest she looked up at him. “They’re just having fun. Maybe you need to have some fun too!”

“If you’re trying to manipulate me with sex, it won’t work. I’ll fuck you so good, you’ll rethink your strategy!” He smiled, stepping closer.

Her mouth hung open as she blinked several times. “I wasn’t—You misunderstood me!” she shrieked.

He moved in close, and before she could move, he had her by the waist. Locked in his firm grip, he stooped and put his face right to her panty line. He slowly stood, eyeing her with a cocky grin. “Hmm, is that so? Your scent says otherwise.”

Heat flooded her as she bit her bottom lip, regaining her composure. “You’re so full of yourself! I’m trying to make things better for everyone here, including your men! I’m not manipulating them!”

But Jaxxon just growled like he always did. He threw his hands up in the air. “This is your final warning. Undo whatever hack you used on my systems. And stop interfering in the men’s duties.”

She narrowed her eyes. If he wants a showdown, he’ll get one .

“I want more freedom! I’m tired of taking orders from you and your men!”

“It’s my way or the stars!” He smirked.

“Give me the keys to your spaceship, and I’ll happily leave!”

He chuckled, throwing a cocky smile her way. “Good luck with that!” Then, he turned to leave as she began throwing a tantrum, cursing behind him.

“You—”

He pivoted fast and was in her face before she could finish the sentence. “Say it! I dare you!” he growled, leaning in close with wild eyes.

Tiara swallowed, seeing the veins in his neck bulge. Oh my god! What is he going to do to me? She kept her mouth shut and her eyes down. He stood for another few seconds before turning and finally leaving down the hall. He barked new orders over his shoulder. Tiara sighed in relief when she heard the elevator doors close, knowing he was ready to do something wicked to her if she cursed him. She had undoubtedly struck a chord with the handsome warlord.

He assigned the women more work. They were going to have to work fourteen-hour shifts like the men. They were already working ten-hour days, which Maya constantly pointed out was Tiara’s fault. And they still had very little access to the grounds outside the fortress. She needed to explore the place to get answers.

Lori gave her a side-eye when she told her what happened. “What? I wasn’t going to manipulate him with sex!” Tiara blushed, knowing she would have loved to wrap her legs around Jaxxon.

“Oh, look who returned from her private meeting with Jaxx!” Maya sneered as Tiara reentered the conference center. “Did you get us more freedoms or more goddamn work?”

Before she could answer, Maya continued, “We need to get out of here! I’m not going to spend the rest of my life living in a goddamn conference room! Are we going to let them continue treating us like second-class citizens?”

“So, that’s why I’m trying to bargain with?— ”

“Bargain? And how’s that coming along? At least we each had private quarters back in the mining colony. We could go where we pleased and fuck like animals at the nightclubs! Well, maybe not you, Lori...but we had fun!” Maya looked at Lori and then back to Tiara. Maya flung her hands around the room, pointing out the moldy furnishings before going to the terrace.

“Look, there’s an entire world out there. A world that our ancestors ran from! These men are dangerous. They’re shadow raiders!”

Her antics got the attention of the other girls, who were so quiet that it was clear they were listening to Maya’s every word.

“Has he convinced you to join his harem yet?” she shouted.

“Harem? He doesn’t have a harem!” Tiara’s temper was boiling over as she huffed.

“Trust me, that’s what these guys are probably hiding. Someone lives in the cities we see from the terrace. Do you really think we’re the only women on this entire damned planet?” Maya rolled her eyes.

Now, this got Tiara thinking.

“And I overheard the men talking. Jaxxon isn’t just sitting on the command deck holding his dick. He’s quite the ladies’ man. He and Zade do more than raid when they go out at night. The two warlords are known for wild partying. And trust me, it isn’t to sing goddamn karaoke!”

Tiara didn’t understand why Maya’s words hurt, but the words stung. And Maya knew it as she walked away with a smirk. Bitch!