Chapter 2
”Come on,Moris! Keep your knees up!” Major Kentos shouted from the sidelines, his voice bellowing over the stomping feet and exhausted grunts of the hundreds of soldiers running through the obstacle course.
I chuckled, the sound barely audible. My lungs pounded against my chest as I neared the finish line. After stopping to pick up one of my comrades when they had taken a nosedive into a pool of thick mud, I had fallen behind.
But I wasn’t for long.
Now, only a few soldiers were ahead of me.
My feet were swift and light as I jumped from one platform to the next. My legs were nimble; my body energized.
Quick, easy touches.
When I reached the last platform, I didn”t hesitate. I dove.
Chest to the ground, I crawled beneath the barbed wire. The rough ground tore through the linen fabric of my training uniform. My knees scratched against the ground, dirt piled beneath my nails, and sweat beaded at the base of my neck. My joints burned and screamed at me, yet I didn”t stop.
I wouldn”t stop.
I couldn”t.
This was my chance to prove to the leaders that I had all the skills necessary to rise in the ranks. Not only could I be a team player, but I also had the strength to carry the team. I had the endurance and willpower to keep going and push through the pain.
Since I could crawl, I had been training for this moment.
If a child was blessed with a gift, the child usually showed signs of the gift early on. However, according to my parents, I showed no signs. Their concern was like a blazing siren in my ears whenever they looked at me. Because despite my entire family having been born with a gift, it had looked like I was bound to be giftless. I watched as my older brother Sawyer mastered any weapon he touched, and my younger brother Xander crafted tools before he could form a coherent sentence. I could see the pride in my father”s eyes as he watched his sons” gifts flourish. And there I was, giftless.
So, I took to my studies like a moth to a flame, eager to prove that lacking a gift would not hinder me.
Little did I know my gift had already shown itself.
The gods hadn’t blessed me with an ability that improved my sword handling like Sawyer. I wasn”t given enhanced speed like Gabriel or increased physical strength like Maximus.
I was a huntress, through and through. My ability was not flashy. Most, in fact, didn”t even notice it.
Not everything needed to be covered in diamonds or gold to be of use, though.
My ability was an internal sensation that rose in the pit of my stomach and sent warning signals flaring through my body. It was subtle: the twitch of a finger, the click of a heel. It allowed me to assess my opponents” skills and outmaneuver them, to prey on their weaknesses and outsmart them before they even knew who was sneaking up behind them.
I didn”t need strength or speed to be the best. While Gabriel”s speed might have helped him during the two-mile run, his speed could only help him so much.
Gabriel hissed as the razor of the wire tugged at his skin. As blood bubbled along the fresh wound, his body shook, and his brown skin turned a sickly shade of green. Gabriel”s fear of blood was almost paralyzing. Countless times, I had seen him freeze up because someone had nicked another with a blade during training. His speed was rendered useless.
Unwilling to let the opportunity pass me by, I hurried past him.
Clearing the barbed wire, I pushed myself up and off the ground, then sprinted. My arms pumped faster and faster.
Twenty more yards.
I was ahead of everyone now. I wasn”t going to lose this. I needed this.
Fifteen more yards.
My legs burned, but I didn”t stop.
Everything was riding on this moment. I had spent my life training, studying, and shaping my body and mind to be the best.
Ten more yards.
Another pair of feet pounded behind me, but I didn”t waste the precious seconds to note the distance between us. I couldn”t afford to. Today was the day all my hard work would prove to be worth it.
Today was the day I finally won.
Today was the day I came in first.
Today was the day the leadership saw me for who I was.
Seven more yards.
I could taste the victory on my tongue, the salt dripping into my mouth as beads of sweat rolled down the contours of my face.
Five more yards.
I ran faster. Faster. Faster.
Two yards.
My heartbeat echoed the sound of my feet slapping the ground.
One yard.
”Nice job, Captain Ferrios.”
I skirted to a stop a couple of yards past the finished line. Holding back the need to keel over, I saluted Major Kentos, forcing my body to remain still as I looked at him. My legs trembled, but I wouldn”t show any sign of weakness. Not now. Early on in life, I learned that it wasn”t merely about your performance on the training course that mattered, but what you did afterward that counted even more. It was about how you carried yourself after you had won and stripped off your uniform. So, I held my head high and prevented the bubbling excitement filling my body from spilling over.
Major Kentos nodded once before returning his attention to the finish line and jotting down Gabriel”s time as he crossed it next.
I forced my shoulders back as I headed toward the bench. I grabbed a canteen and took a swig of the cool water. Only when the canteen touched my lips did I let the smile appear.
I had beaten everyone. That promotion was mine.
Gabriel joined me as we waited for the next group of soldiers to finish. I passed him the canteen, and he nodded in gratitude before pouring a stream of water into his mouth.
After he wiped his face, he exhaled a small laugh. ”By the gods, Captain Ferrios, I never thought I”d see the day someone would beat me on that course.”
My lungs throbbed as I chuckled. The air was ice-cold in my lungs despite the early spring heat. ”Can”t always be first, Lieutenant Celris.”
”True, but I never thought a huntress would be the one to beat me.”
I snorted.
It was a common misconception that the gift the gods gave me meant that I simply excelled at tracking people and animals. While that was true in part, my abilities expanded beyond my gift. Tracking down game in the woods taught me to be patient and still my body and mind. That skill helped me train and push my body to excel beyond my gift”s capabilities.
”My ability has nothing to do with why I just kicked your ass on the course.”
Gabriel laughed. ”Don”t worry, I”ll get my title back next time.”
”Better get ahold of your fear of blood first,” I said, cocking a brow as the mere mention of blood turned Gabriel’s skin green.
Shaking my head, I turned my attention to the course. Several other soldiers had finished and were either drinking too much water that would no doubt cause a cramp soon or were heaving behind the bushes. Five of the soldiers in my company crossed the finish line, making it into the top twenty-five. Pride sparkled in my eyes when they saluted Major Kentos with their backs straight before walking over to their canteens on steady feet. Only when they were at the benches drinking water did they let their fatigue show.
I beamed.
There was no way I wouldn”t get this promotion.
Gabriel nodded and left to stretch somewhere away from the heaving soldiers. Two familiar faces joined me, canteens in hand.
”Lieutenant Monistare and Captain Torian, took you two long enough,” I said.
”Oh, shut it, Ferrios,” Moris mumbled as he bent in half, his breathing heavy and his face red.
Quint patted him on the back. ”Arms up, Lieutenant.”
Moris grunted, but he straightened. He rubbed his fingers across his short, tight black curls before lacing them behind the back of his head as he inhaled.
A smile tugged at the corner of Quint”s lips. I bit back my laughter, opting instead to take another sip of water.
Slowly, others filed in around us, heaving and downing water as if it would rejuvenate them and extinguish the pain piercing through their limbs. While my body ached, a charged energy flowed through me. The anticipation of the upcoming announcement had me bouncing on my toes with nerves that even an hour-long obstacle course couldn”t smother.
Having joined us, Sylvia, the lieutenant of one of my platoons, leaned forward with a broad smile splitting across their face. ”I heard that promotions are happening today.” They wiggled their ginger brows at me.
”Oh?” I diverted my gaze to the obstacle course once more, watching the soldiers run across the finish line.
For weeks, I had known promotions were happening today. I supposed there were some perks to having your father as the commander of the military.
Yet, had he told me who was being promoted? Of course not. That would have been too easy. If my father taught me anything, it was that when we were in uniform, bloodlines were nonexistent. All that mattered was rank and your squad.
Leaning back on their heels with their hands folding behind their back, Sylvia shoved my shoulder. ”Oh, come on, Captain.”
I held back my smirk. ”What, Lieutenant Larpos?”
”It has to be you. I mean, you were the first to finish the course, and your leadership is unparalleled. Who else could it possibly be?”
Sylvia had a point. Even if I hadn”t finished first, the soldiers in the companies under my command ran like a well-oiled ship preparing for a storm. Everyone knew their job and their position. I hadn”t dedicated my entire life to learning the proper way to lead, different strategies, and the history of the seven kingdoms to be passed up for a promotion. Winning today”s obstacle course was simply sharpening a well-worn blade.
At only forty years old, Major Kentos was retiring, which meant his position would soon be vacant.
Why anyone would retire from such a prestigious position was beyond me. I would rather die in the military than spend the remainder of my life wandering aimlessly. It was how my grandfather died, my great-grandfather died, and the ones before him. And as much as I did not want to think about the day ever coming, it would no doubt be how my father went. It was who the Ferrioses were. The fight was in the blood that ran through our veins. We were born warriors, and we would die as warriors.
I didn”t want my name to be another Ferrios in the history books, though. I wanted my legacy to live on for centuries after I traveled to the Beneath.
While I might have been young, I had proven my ability and skill time and time again.
Major was the obvious next step.
And it was within my reach. I could feel it.
We stretched as we waited for the rest of the soldiers to finish the obstacle course. Moris and Sylvia joked together, placing bets to see who would finish last, but I barely heard them. My attention was fixed on the leaders gathering upon the raised platform.
As if he could feel my eyes on the stage, my father turned. For a second, despite our uniforms, he was only my father as he winked, his mouth twitching up.
The moment vanished too quickly, though, for the stern commander returned and gave me his back once more.
When the last soldiers filed in, the commander”s secretary whistled.
Canteens were discarded haphazardly across the benches as everyone lined up before the leaders. The only noise that ripped through the silence was the ragged wheezes of those still trying to regain their normal breathing. Several soldiers—more than usual—had been directed to the healer tents to recover.
Nevertheless, my father began. ”Great job out there today, soldiers. As you all know, physical fitness is important to any soldier”s well-being.” His gaze scanned the crowd, and he took his time, looking at each company, each platoon. ”You are the ones in the front lines—the ones who are the first to the action. If you cannot carry one of your own off the field in the heat of battle, you are a risk to the rest of your squad and the rest of your platoon—a risk to Pontia. If you are not strong enough to fulfill your duties, that is on you. But the weight does not solely lay on your shoulders. Your leaders—lieutenants, captains, majors, marshals, and generals—have trained you. If you fail, they fail. You will only go as far as they have led you because, at the end of the day, there is more to a well-trained military than their physiques.”
”But a good physique does give us something nice to look at,” Sylvia mumbled behind me, and Moris snickered beside them.
I wiped the amusement from my lips when the commander glanced at my company.
My father continued, ”Strong morals, values, and communication are also a necessity. A company can only go so far without those things.” He looked toward Major Kentos, who had joined him. ”Major Kentos, you have led your soldiers well—better than most, if I am to be frank. However, you have set yourself a new goal, a new mission to look forward to as you put your own family first.”
Behind them, Kentos” wife sniffled on the stage as she pulled out a handkerchief.
My father winked at the major. ”Your second family, however, will always be here if you ever get bored in retirement.”
Major Kentos laughed but shook his head. ”I have given the majority of my life to our kingdom. It is about time I give some to my wife.”
”About damn time,” his wife said through sniffles, and the crowd of soldiers laughed.
When the noise died down, my father added, ”It is with sadness that we must fill your position with another, but I know that you have trained your successor well.”
”Indeed, Commander,” Major Kentos said with a nod.
Flutters filled my stomach. This was it. This was the moment that would change the rest of my life. After this, I would be one step closer to becoming the youngest general in Pontian history.
My father”s gaze fell upon me, and a small smile flashed across his face. As it disappeared, though, my brows quivered, and a cold sweat broke out over my skin.
”Captain Torian, please step forward.”
My heart fell to the bottom of my feet as Quint stepped out of line and headed for the stage.
”I—I don”t understand,”I whispered as Quint shook Major Kentos” hand. Quint”s wife stood beside him with a big smile as she rocked a newborn with bright, rosy cheeks on her hip.
I had no complaints about Quint as a person. He was even a good soldier, but his heart was with his family. Everyone knew that.
Which made this decision that much harder to bear.
”Don”t understand what, Captain?” my father asked. After the ceremony was finished, he had come down the stage. A black silk ribbon pulled back his long, dark braids. He brushed back a braid that was too short to pull back, which kept falling in front of his face.
My mother, who had been waiting off to the side like she did every pinning ceremony, now stood beside him, her hand wrapped around his arm. Her small round face bunched up, crow”s feet forming on the outer corner of her hazel eyes. Next to my father, their height difference was even more dramatic. Despite the elegant heels she wore, my mother was still shorter than him by at least a foot.
”This—” I said, waving a hand in Quint”s direction. Then quieter, I added, ”The promotion. The lack of promotion. I have done everything. I have excelled at everything.”
Since the announcement, I had swallowed the frustration, but now it was building, threatening to boil over. I steeled myself, my nails digging into the pad of my palms. ”It”s because I”m too young, isn”t it? For years, you have said that we value the youth, but that”s not true, is it?”
My father sighed, but his gaze remained earnest. ”It is not your age, Captain.”
”Then what is it? You”re the commander. You should—” I gasped, eyes widening. ”That”s the real reason! It”s because you”re my father. I thought we were past this, but I can see that I was wrong.”
He rubbed a hand across his face, the skin growing taut. My father said something—a disagreement perhaps—but I wasn”t listening anymore. My mind was spiraling as I tried to make sense of the promotion.
I wrung my hands together, my gaze becoming unfocused as I stared out beyond my parents to the sea of bodies. ”If I were promoted, the soldiers would believe I had gained the position because of you. That I didn”t earn it, that it was simply handed to me.” I crossed my arms over my chest as I tapped my foot. ”Well, that”s utter bullshit. I”ve worked my ass off. Every day, every night. I have fought harder than anyone. I have trained nonstop since I could walk. The fight is in my blood; the military is in my blood. It”s who I am. It”s what I was born to do. How dare the other leaders think?—”
”Captain Ferrios!”
My heels clicked together, my posture straightening at the shift in my father”s tone.
”Menides!” my mother chided beside him, her pale cheeks turning pink. She glanced around us at the nearby families who continued their cheerful conversions.
My father sighed. As he exhaled, his eyes briefly closed shut, and his age showed across his face in the deepening wrinkles. ”Listen to me, Dani. It”s not because of who I am or how old you are.”
”Then what—” I snapped my mouth shut as he quirked a brow.
”You have done everything right. None of the leaders question your strength, loyalty, or drive.” Reaching out, he squeezed one of my shoulders. ”However, there is more to leading than rising in the ranks. Pontia is our home. We fight to protect it. We fight, train, and lead to protect the people within it. But more than that, you and your mother are my home. Every day, I do what I do for the two of you. I come home every day for you.”
My gaze bounced between my parents. My mother looked up longingly at her soul bond, her grip around his arm tightening as a warm smile spread across her face.
”And?” I asked, my eyebrows drawing together.
My father surveyed Quint, who was holding up his baby, giggles spewing from the child”s mouth. I tried to recall the child”s name, but it was lost on my tongue.
”Captain Torian has a family. He has a goal outside of the military.”
”Exactly, so why should?—”
My father squeezed my shoulder again, halting me. ”The soldiers need to know that their lives outside of the military—outside of their squad—are equally important as their life in uniform. While the military is their family, it is not the only family they must care about. If they do not have strong ties at home, they are bound to lose hope when war comes.” His hand fell from my shoulder, yet the weight of it remained. ”Because war is coming, my dear. Rebellions are rising throughout the seven kingdoms. It is only a matter of time before it reaches us.”
My brows twisted together. ”I do have people. I have you and Mother.”
”Mhm. And?”
”And?” My gaze flicked between my parents. ”What do you mean, and?”
”And what happens when we are gone?” he asked, pulling my mother closer. My mother’s countenance dripped with pity. ”While I like to believe we are still young, time will catch up to us.”
I bit down on my tongue, unwilling to think of a time when I wouldn”t have my parents beside me. Several of my friends had lost their parents, some younger than others. I saw the pain that loss had caused. I couldn”t imagine experiencing it firsthand.
”Who will you have beside you when we are gone?”
My lips parted, but he cut me off as if knowing my response.
”When your friends have found their own families to care for?”
Shaking my head, I stared at the sky. Pain laced my jaw as I bit down, grinding my teeth.
”Look, honey,” my mother said, wrapping her hand around mine. ”This is a good thing. You cannot go unmarried forever.”
Startled, my gaze dropped from the sky. ”Unmarried?” I glanced around and lowered my voice when a few heads turned our way. I grimaced, but to my father, I asked, ”I didn”t get promoted because I am unmarried?”
My parents exchanged glances, and my mother shrugged.
”It is more complicated than that, Dani,” my father said, sighing—I was so sick of his sighs. ”But yes, in layman’s terms, your marital status does play a part in why Captain Torian was picked over you.”
I threw my hands in the air, aghast. ”Unbelievable!”
”Dani, you”re a strong leader, and you will be a great major and even general one day.”
His hands fell onto my shoulders. It was supposed to be grounding, reassuring, but the once comforting touch only reminded me that I remained in the same place as I started. What once felt within my grasp suddenly felt miles away.
My father”s hand tightened around my shoulders. ”General Walen is retiring in five months, which means roles will be shifting again. Perhaps if you show the others that you have a life outside of the military, you could sway their decision.”
”Oh, that”s a fantastic idea, Menides!” My mother clapped, grabbing my arm. ”I know of so many young men who would be wonderful partners for you, Danisinia.”
”Excuse me?” I spat, almost choking on the words.
”You know, suitors? Potential husbands?”
My expression flattened. ”I know what a partner is, Mother.”
With a soft huff, my mother tossed a hand in the air. ”Well, you never know. The only real partners you have had are your squad members. Your father is right. It”s time for you to settle down. Make a family like your brothers. Sawyer and his wife, Ambrosia, are on their second child already. Even Xander and Vera are happily married. Soon enough, my next grandson or granddaughter will be on the way soon.” My mother grabbed my father”s arm, shaking it. ”Oh, Menides, wasn”t their wedding two summers ago beautiful? And so young, too! Just imagine another wedding! Our final one. It”s making me emotional even thinking about it.”
I stared at my father with fear in my eyes. ”Father.”
He scrunched his face, his gaze darting between us. ”Sorinia, Dani doesn”t need?—”
”Nonsense,” my mother waved a hand in the air. ”I”ve been meaning to have this conversation with you for a while, Danisinia. It is time we think about your future.”
”Mother, I don”t think?—”
”I know. You haven”t had time to think about possible suitors with all this training, but do not fret. Sawyer married Ambrosia only after ten months; Xander, only eight. What is five months? I”ll talk to some of my friends tonight at the ball. See if we can find you a nice boy, one with good standing.” She tapped my arm. ”Don”t you worry, dear. I have it handled.”
”Handled?” My voice went up an octave.
I glanced at my father, pleading for him to help me, but he only gave me an apologetic grimace. We both knew that once Sorinia Ferrios had a plan, there was no changing her mind.
I was downright screwed.
And not in the way I preferred.