Page 9 of Grounded (Convergence #1)

“What the fuck was that about?! Rinna shrieked as soon as she was inside Liria's room.

Liria shut the door and rolled her eyes. Rinna had waited a total of sixty seconds after Rennux left before she came pounding on her door. “That was a mistake.”

Rinna's eyes widened. “What kind of mistake? The sexy kind?” She wriggled her hips. “Liria, you secret slut! I knew you had it in you.”

Liria snorted a laugh despite herself. “Shut up.”

“Seriously, though, what was that fine, feathered man doing here? Why did he have to apologize to you? Tell me everything!” She flopped her arms about. “Tell me now or I'm just going to die!”

Petite, blond, and stunning, no one would look at Chief Rinna Jass and think “Now, there's a woman who makes weapons.” But that's exactly what she did.

Rinna was the chief of a team of pulser convergers.

She liked to say they put the pulse in pulser.

As the smallest of the energy blast weapons, pulsers were carried by everyone in the fortress when they were on duty.

Rinna hadn't made them all—there was more than one team converging pulsers—but she had insisted on making the pulser Liria carried.

That's how close they were. Close enough for her to shriek at Liria, and for Liria to only smile back.

“I saw him drop something on the way to his barracks. I went to return it.”

“Of course, you did. You're a good person.” Rinna was practically salivating. “And what did he do? Was it nasty? Tell me it was nasty.”

“It was nasty.”

“Holy shit! Really?”

“No.” Liria laughed as Rinna pouted. “Well, a little nasty. All right, very nasty, but also sexy.”

“Oh, fuck! No, fucking way! It really was? I was just hoping. Oh, sweet convergence! Tell me every detail!”

“He thought I was hunting him down for sex.”

She snorted. Not because that offended her, as it had Liria. No, Rinna snorted because she knew her best friend and knew what the possibility of that scenario was. Zero.

“Yeah.” Liria rolled her eyes. “I tried to disabuse him of the notion, but he kept cutting me off.”

“With kisses?”

“No, shut up and listen, you pervert.”

“Sorry.” She waved at Liria. “Please, continue. I'm calm now. Mostly. Don't leave out a single detail.” She sat down on Liria's bed and leaned her forearms on her knees. “I want measurements.”

Liria grimaced. “I yelled at him. I berated him and insulted his people. I was pretty rude, actually.”

“No, not you.”

“Shut up.” Liria plopped down on a chair. “I had just been talking about Aethari and their bad attitudes to some of the other chiefs. It was right there in the front of my mind. Just sort of popped out.”

“Lemme guess—Jallen and Bray?”

“Among others, yes.”

Rinna snorted. “And?”

“And then this motherfucker had the nerve to tell me that when they get posted down here, they call it being grounded.”

“Grounded? Like a kid's punishment?”

“Yeah, except they mean it literally. Like they're trapped here. Wings clipped.” Liria paused for effect and then added, “To defend us.”

“What?!” Rinna shrieked as she shot to her feet.

“Yup.”

“I assume you let him have it? The entire Liria-lecture-experience.”

“Oh, yes, I let him have it all.”

“My girl!” They clasped hands. Then Rinna went still. “Is that when he kissed you?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“Oh, shit!” Rinna grinned. “He's one of those.”

“Those what?”

“Those guys who get turned on by women who stand up to them.”

“That's like every woman here.”

“No, it's not, Li. I mean, sure, women have to be strong to work here, but they don't stand up to attractive men like you do. Faced with a, well, a face like his, most women cave. They smile and stutter. But you put that face in its place! You don't give a shit about looks, and some men love that.”

“I prefer men who aren't so attractive.”

“Oh, girl, I know. It's no secret. You don't have to go into your speech about why lesser men are better. I don't need the Liria-lecture, believe me.”

“They aren't lesser just because they aren't as attractive.”

“Whatever.”

“Rinna.”

“He's so beautiful, Liria,” Rinna whined.

“I mean, really fucking handsome. Flood-the-cave below hot.

He's the most attractive Aethari I've ever seen!

It's like magic spawned him directly from its Source.

Blammo! It's a boy! And you just handed him his ass and told him to kiss yours. You're my hero!”

Liria laughed. “He's not that handsome.”

“Uh, yes, he is. He's dumb, drooling over your own tits handsome.”

“I assume you mean his admirers are the dumb drooling ones and not him.”

“Yes, Li. Sheesh. Did you really feel nothing when he kissed you?”

“I sort of kissed him back.”

“What?!”

“Shh.” Liria laughed and shook her head. “I was furious with him. It was one of those—what do you call them?”

“Angry fucks?”

“Yes, but without the actual sex. Although he did touch me.”

“He touched you?”

“Yes.”

“There?”

“Yes.”

“There-there?!”

“Yes, Rinna, he sort of rubbed me and pushed a finger, well, you know. He split me and hooked a finger up there.”

“Holy fuck! He fingered you through your clothes! And you let him? You are so going to have sex with him.”

“No, I'm not.”

Rinna crossed her arms and stared Liria down.

“I'm not. I told him the same thing.”

Rinna's mouth and eyes went circular as her arms fell to her sides. “What?! He asked you to have sex? Like just asked?”

“He pretty much said we would. Was damn pushy about it, truth be told.”

“Oh, damn.” Rinna squished up her face. “Bad move. That was the wrong way to go with you.”

“Yes, and I made that clear.”

Rinna walked over to Liria slowly. Quietly. As if Liria were an animal she didn't want to spook. Then she whispered, “What did he say?”

“He promised to wait until I asked him to kiss me.”

Rinna shrieked wordlessly and jumped up and down.

“Cut it out.” Liria pressed her lips together but couldn't stop herself from laughing. “Rinna, stop it already!”

“Woo-hoo! Li's gonna fuck a winger! Li's gonna fuck a winger! Li's gonna fuck a winger!”

“Shut up!”

“You'd better tell me everything after he lays that sexy body all over you!”

“Rin, I'm not having sex with Private Rennux.”

“I know you, Li. He got to you. I can see it all over your face. You're practically steaming with lust for him. Stewing in your girly juices.”

“Eew, Rinna.”

“I give you a week!”

“Oh, for fuck's sake. Get out!”

Rinna laughed her way out the door. Liria slammed it shut and locked it.

“Damn it all. I think she's right.” Liria stormed into her bathroom to take that shower at last.