Page 69 of Grounded (Convergence #1)
The attack, when it finally came, was unexpected. Not because of its occurrence, or even its timing. No, it was the origin that shocked Liria.
“Sir, get up,” someone said.
Liria jerked awake instantly, but she was still seconds behind Thax, who had the man's throat in his hand by the time she opened her eyes. Thax saw it was one of their guards and released him.
“I'm sorry, Jenvaren.” Thax found a pair of pants and pulled them on. “I just reacted.”
“It's all right, Blessed One. I'm sorry to interrupt your rest and invade your private quarters. But timing is critical.”
Liria frowned. When had they started calling Thax Blessed One?
“Are we under attack? Do you need my assistance?” Thax yanked on his shirt next.
“No, sir. The attack is over. We need you to collect your things and come with us. It's time for a change.”
Still in bed since she was naked and there was a random Aethari standing nearby, Liria looked at Thax as she clutched the blanket to her chest. Thax's eye twitched.
His jaw hardened. His hand clenched into a fist. Subtly, while he watched Jenvaren, and she watched Thax, Liria reached under her pillow and palmed the pulser she kept there.
Thax cocked his head and folded his hands behind his back. “What change is that?”
She tensed to bring the pulser forward.
“We've seen you summon magic, Blessed One. You have great power that can only be granted by Source. We want you to be our king.”
“King?” Thax lifted an eyebrow. “I never said I wanted to be a king.”
“But that's what we need. I've listened to your speeches, protesting mandatory service and so many other things.
I've always agreed with you, but I didn't think I could do anything about it.
Not until I saw you fly. Converge. Then I knew that Source has been guiding you all along.
You have always been destined to rule us.
You're an Aethari who lost his wings through service on the surface—the greatest testimony against sending our people down here. And yet, Source has given you back the sky! You need to be in Icara, sir. We will take control of Icara for you, and then we will spread your message to the other cities. Soon, you will rule all the Aethari.”
Liria's throat went dry. It was just as she and the Speaker feared.
Thax's father would be killed by an Aethari who believed he acted on Thaxvarien's behalf.
Not because Thax wished it but because it was what would be best for him.
He would be the reason for a rebellion, he didn't support.
The Source of Magic had chosen him—that's what they believed.
Keeping them ignorant of the part that the Source of Technology played in Thax's talent may have been a bad call.
A king. Just as Liria had feared. They wanted a king. But that wasn't moving the Aethari forward. It would be taking them in the opposite direction.
This was the very reason they should have kept Thax's new talent a secret.
But isn't that the way of secrets—you tell someone you trust, who tells someone they trust, and so on.
Thax told his father. The Speaker told his guards.
They told others. Thax's father had trusted his men, and maybe that trust was warranted under normal conditions.
But loyalty gets strained under the weight of faith.
The Blessed One. They had turned Thaxvarien into something greater than a speaker.
And they decided it was what the entire race needed.
Great convergence, what had Jenvaren done? And how many of the Speaker's guards had joined him?
“I'm not ready to take that step,” Thax continued to speak calmly to the man. “I'm still preparing myself and waiting for Source to guide me.”
“See us as Source's guidance. We're the sign you've been waiting for. This is the time to act, Blessed One. Your people need you. Come back to Icara with us. We have prepared for you.”
Thax lowered his head and looked away as he nodded, appearing to consider this. Then he met Jenvaren's stare and said, “You're right. It's time to act. Give me and my destra a few minutes to dress and grab our things.”
Jenvaren grinned. “I will wait for you outside.”
“One moment. What about the rest of your team and my household staff?”
“The staff are still asleep.” Jenvaren stared at Thax.
Liria clenched her jaw to keep from cursing.
“I see,” Thax said. “And the six other guards?”
“One is with us. The rest have been handled.”
“Handled?”
“Change requires firm actions. We will not permit anyone to stand in your way.”
“Yes, I agree. Firm actions are necessary.”
Jenvaren's shoulders relaxed. “I knew you would understand, Blessed One. Be quick.” He glanced at Liria and inclined his head. “We should leave before any of the servants wake.”
Liria nodded and smiled as much as she could with her heart racing and her hand twitching on the trigger of her pulser.
She wanted to blast Jenvaren over the side of the loft, could have in a few seconds, but she didn't know how many more of those crazy motherfuckers were waiting downstairs.
He said there was one other with him, but that didn't sound right to her.
How had two men killed five? No, it's smarter to know what you're facing before you start a fight.
“We'll be quick,” Thax promised, drawing the Aethari's attention away from Liria.
Jenvaren went down the spiral stairs, and Thax subtly watched him. They both waited until the sound of the door closing came.
Thax leaned over the loft railing. “He's gone.”
Liria pulled the pulser out from behind her back.
Thax hurried around the bed to her. “Get dressed.” He took the pulser from her.
“Aga,” Liria whispered.
“She'll be all right. They're not interested in Medeans. They just want to get me to Icara.”
“To start a fucking war!” she hissed.
“Shh! I know, Liri. But we don't know how many of them are participating in this little rebellion. Jenvaren said there was one other guard with him, but he also implied there was a great force backing them. They could have summoned help. And I want to know what they have planned before we kill them.”
“I can tell you what they have planned.” Liria yanked on her underwear and glanced at him. “They're going to kill your father.”
“I know. And I love my father dearly. But I need to see you safe before I help him.
I barely restrained myself from tearing out that bastard's throat just for daring to look upon you clad only in a sheet.
Jenvaren knows you're my destra and still, he dared to stand there before our bonded bed with no respect to your state. He will die before the night is over. I swear to you.” Thax's face slid into the expression he wore when he fought Nethren.
It was terrifying, especially when his eyes started to glow.
Then sparks appeared in the air around his hand—the hand holding the pulser.
“Thax!” She pointed at the pulser.
Thax flinched, and the sparks disappeared.
“What the fuck was that?” she whispered.
Thax frowned down at the weapon. “I think I pulled energy out of the pulser.”
“Fuck. You need to be careful. Maybe you should give that back to me.”
“I'll be fine.”
Liria pulled on the clothes she had discarded before bed the night before. “Take a breath, destru. We know what's coming, and that gives us the edge. Don't let your protective instincts cloud your judgment. I will be fine. We need to warn your father.”
“You're right. You will be fine because I will not let anyone hurt you. But I will also learn their plans before I execute those fucking traitors. Then I can warn my father.”
“Thax, they're fighting for what they believe in and what they think you believe in.”
“I do believe in change. But not through violence. They want to murder my father, Liri.”
“Let's verify that before we act.”
Thax grimaced. “If we must.”
Liria clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
He winked at her. “Hurry, Liri. He's probably waiting in the corridor.”
They hurried downstairs, and Liria ducked into the dressing room.
The entrance was right beside the stairs, the room taking up half of the suite's width while the bathroom took the rest, across the suite's hallway entry.
She grabbed two more pulsers out of a trunk, slid them into a holster, pulled that on, and then covered it with a jacket.
Thax waited at the dressing room door, his stare on the suite's entry.
“All right,” Liria said as she emerged.
“Do not hesitate to defend yourself, destra. The enemy is within our home.”