Halo: Let It Die (Book 4, Arbiter x Female human series)

Chapter 8: chief

     Bria woke up on a bed in a strange room. The room smelt like candles and alcohol. She slowly stood up from where she was lying in a puddle of her own blood-soaked white bedsheets. Her body ached with every move she made.

     "Bria," she jumped and looked immediately to the corner of the room where Lydia was sitting, smiling ear to ear. "Are you feeling okay?"

     Bria sighed and looked at her. "Lydia, I'm fine, are you okay?" She asked.

     "Why wouldn't I be?" Lydia laughed.

     Bria almost started crying. "He got you, didn't he?"

     Lydia shrugged. "I don't know, my stomach is in a lot of pain, but Kyle gave you to me and told me to keep you in my room."

     He wiped her memories.

     Bria felt rage in her heart. Lydia will forever have the empty feeling inside of her and will never know why.

     "You look angry, are you okay." Lydia questioned.

     "Kyle is just such an idiot." Bria whispered.

     Lydia gasped. "Bria, don't say that. Look at the amazing life he's given us. We would be dead without him."

     Bria looked into her eyes. "Oh yeah? Look at what he did to me!" Bria stood up, covered in blood and bruises.

     Lydia scoffs. "You're blaming that bar fight on him?"

     "Bar fight? That's the best he can do?" Bria shook her head. "How about when he just ripped a living child out of your uterus and smashed its skull right in front of you?"

     Lydia immediately frowned.

     "We need to stick together Lydia. Kyle is a madman." Bria shed tears. "He hurts us in ways that we can't remember. Obviously."

     Bria looked at the time and realized that she had to go back to the UNSC ship for a meeting. How was she going to go, with all of these crazy events?

     She left the room leaving Lydia with her thoughts. Bria managed to take a shower and cover up the bruises on her neck with makeup. She put on the white suit that covered her arms and pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail. She didn't want to look professional or proper. She decided to not wear the ponytail and let her hair go.

Back on the UNSC ship:

     Bria walked through the hallways of the shop to the meeting room. She tried to ignore that every step she took was more painful than the last. She managed to stop shaking and act calm and that she didn't just get played with last night.

     Entering the room with a round table, she spotted a couple of familiar faces. Thel and Cassie. She was questioning why Cassie was there but decided not to speak about it.

     "Ah, the fugitive." The man at the head of the table said. His name tag read "Price"

     "You called?" Bria said sarcastically while crossing her arms. She was going to give Kyle a bad name, even if it meant giving herself a bad name.

     "Care to sit down?" He more commanded than asked.

"I prefer to stand." Bria couldn't even sit she was in so much pain. leaned against the wall over behind where Thel and Cassie were sitting.

"Very well." He cleared his throat. "Our special quest should be here any..."

Cassie turned and whispered to Bria as everyone else was engaged in small talk. "You okay Chika? You're looking kind of pale."