Chapter Nine
KOLVAR
From the moment I woke up and went above deck, following a deep, dreamless night of sleep, I’d immediately recognized a subtle but noticeable shift in the energy of everyone on board.
Like an undercurrent affecting everything, there was a sense of optimism and renewed strength that seemed to fill the space as soldiers went about their normal jobs.
Of course those elements had been there before to an extent, but now it felt different—it felt energized. Charged.
I knew it was partly due to it being a new day, most soldiers having gotten some rest following the pure chaos that had erupted the previous night, and the news that we had only lost two ships and no casualties in such an event had brought major relief to all.
More than anything though, I had a feeling the change had more to do with Kyella and the bravery she had shown.
There was no doubt in my mind that our woman had proven to everyone that she was worthy of her title.
Of course, we had known that, and Myrin had known that, but I could see that her position was set in stone in the eyes of the people by her courage and ruthlessness when it came to vanquishing the threat to our fleet.
In my mind, she hadn’t needed to prove anything, but I could see a difference in how others regarded her.
I picked up the sounds of the light conversations showcasing the change, the respect that had been established from her speech the night of Myrin’s wake only growing in admiration with each passing hour.
While I agreed with Elijah, and I hoped that Kyella understood she could depend on us and ask for help, it was clear that her efforts were far from wasted.
My gaze moved to the woman standing in front of me, looking out past the front of the ship with her eyes on the horizon, as if she could see the approaching empire.
It wouldn’t be very long before she finally would see it once more.
The weather had been exceptionally good, and outside of our run-in with the sea monster, our journey was passing quickly.
We would reach the coast of the Thaician Empire all too soon.
An empire that we had fled only a short while ago, stealing Kyella away in the cover of darkness before sailing across the Cursed Divide. It was so odd to think that we were now returning willingly.
The difference this time was that Kyella was returning as an Empress in a fearless effort to free those who were still under Malakai’s rule. She would show him that any threat to our new homeland was a cause for war.
Admittedly, there was a part of me that didn’t want her coming within a mile or more of the damn place.
I was beyond protective over her, and I didn’t want to risk losing her to the place she was held captive for so long.
Something about the place felt ominous, like it was the one place that stood a threat to everything we had in store for our future together.
I shook myself from my worried thoughts, maintaining the belief that we would be sailing back in no time, victorious and free from the threat of Malakai.
If I steadfastly believed it, it had to come true, right?
“The winds are stronger today,” Kyella commented, tilting her head back.
Some of her dark hair had pulled free from her braid, whipping around, and highlighting a face that was filled with determination.
Strength emanated from her, and I had little doubt that anyone who looked at Kyella would view her as a symbol for strength, hope, and a reason to fight.
“They are,” I agreed. “The navigators said we’re traveling at top speed. We should be there by late evening, which is ideal since we don’t want to approach unless it's under the cover of darkness.”
She nodded in understanding, her attention momentarily snagged by an upbeat song that carried across the ship’s deck, several of the sailors singing the tune. It was clearly one that was well known, despite not being familiar to me.
Kyella’s gaze lit with interest, and her soft expression made me want to lean down and place a kiss on her plush, parted lips.
I knew several people were watching us, and I wanted to respect Kyella’s wishes to keep our displays of affection to a minimum in front of others, so I pulled away quickly.
I didn’t like it because I wanted to kiss my beauty, but I understood it.
It was probably for the best because what I wanted to do with Kyella wouldn’t be possible on this ship. No, I would need to be patient until we were back home. Then I could have her exactly how I wanted her.
“How are you feeling, darling?” She turned her gaze to me, her golden eyes lighting with a flame of heat that only intensified their nature. A coy smile pulled at her lips as her gaze darted over my shoulder, no doubt checking to see how close people were.
“Feeling? I feel amazing, Kolvar. Although, I’m sure that doesn’t surprise you.”
I felt my chest inflate with pride, and a deep, primal sound nearly broke from my throat at the desire that flashed in her gaze. I loved that we had made her feel that way. Though I did want to know if she was sore. It was something I was concerned about, especially after she took us so damn well.
Last night was something else.
I felt more connected to her than ever, my fingers toying with her braid as her gaze moved back to the horizon, knowing that we couldn’t say more than that right now.
But I could think about it. I could think about the appreciation and affection I felt toward Kyella.
Last night only drew my attention to how close we had grown as a unit.
Kyella completed us—made us the family we were meant to be—and she had been the piece missing from everything we had been building. It was almost as if we had been waiting for her to arrive without ever really knowing it.
She was the center of our world and our future, and I would fight like hell to protect that.
My thoughts lingered on all the things I would be willing to do to ensure we all came back home, but as the late morning turned to afternoon, we made our way from the front of the ship toward the back.
Elijah and Dakath joined us as we spoke, patrolling with ease and allowing us to remain available for anyone who might have questions.
We were only occasionally interrupted, allowing us to take the moment of solitude and peace to relax. It felt necessary, as I had no doubt that we had a tough battle ahead of us.
Despite our strategy and planning, we had no idea what to expect when we arrived at the Thaician Empire.
Throughout the afternoon, I noticed that Kyella was people watching as men scurried back and forth across the deck, her brow furrowed slightly in thought as she listened to the men’s lively conversations.
“How large is the Tridian empire exactly?” She asked curiously. “I’ve seen maps of it, but I haven’t had a chance to leave the capital city. How many small communities are there?”
“Large,” I immediately answered. “There are farming communities and a lot of land, but no other large cities, just small communities. The way it is laid out makes it seem much larger because it is so spread out.”
“Is that why people didn’t hesitate to travel into the capital city to volunteer? From what I could tell at the market, it seems like quite a journey many of them make to trade.”
I nodded in agreement. “It is a very familiar route for many, traveling at least once a month with their goods and crops.”
“The Tridian empire seems heavily based in commerce—trading and the like.” She pointed out.
“Exactly,” Dakath agreed. “We’re not militaristic in nature.”
Elijah added in his opinion. “The vast majority of our land is utilized for farming.”
Kyella considered our words before nodding. “When we return home, I want to travel through the empire. Not only to thank each family that sacrificed what they did to make this possible, but to connect with each community and show them that I’m not focused on only those who live in the city.”
“Every few years Myrin made a similar trip, wanting to check in on the people herself rather than relying solely on the lords to report,” Elijah added.
Kyella nodded as if the decision was made, and I couldn’t help but smile with that knowledge that when we came home, our girl would slip into her position as Empress flawlessly.
We just had to get to that point.
The concept of traveling the countryside with Kyella was enticing as I knew it would allow us more privacy outside of the castle.
But what I loved even more was the idea of visiting the small town I’d grown up in–where my family lived before they passed.
I’d always loved the thought of having my own family, and now that I’d found Kyella, the idea of walking those same streets with her and sharing with her the memories I always looked fondly to—was an appealing one.
There was so much I wanted to do with Kyella, but it felt like Malakai was a fucking wall between us and our future. And that wall was one I would relish in destroying.
***
The skies darkened as late evening shifted into night, the optimistic energy turning into something darker, quieter, and more determined.
I could sense that the soldiers were preparing themselves to sail into the Thaician Empire’s water.
Our fleet was more than ready for war, but the mindset required for going into battle was something far different than the logistics of preparing for it.
The reality of everything we were about to do seemed to be hitting everyone and as we extinguished any torches, the lively nature of the ships quieted to near silence.
I had never taken part in anything more serious than a skirmish, but I felt that I was ready for what we were to face in the Thaician Empire.
Though there was sadness and tightness in my chest with the knowledge that there would be some who didn’t make it home to their families.
Death was an unavoidable tragedy of war, though that didn’t make the thought of facing it any easier.
I watched as the navy skies deepened to black, showcasing a gorgeous sky blanketed with stars and a nearly full moon. The clear, cloudless night would allow us to take advantage of the moonlight once we reached the harbor.
The navigators assured us that we were close to approaching, and Kyella, Elijah, and I stood gathered at the front of the ship.
Dakath had left to retrieve Tristan, who had spent a great deal of his day building rapport with the soldiers, working shoulder-to-shoulder with them and fortifying the sense of camaraderie amongst the crew.
“I know we will be taking Malakai by surprise,” Kyella said, drawing my attention away from the sky. “But I can’t help feeling cautious. It always felt like he knew everything that was going on, like he could see everything.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she continued quickly, “I know that isn’t the case—more of a by-product from the abuse and fear I suffered under him, but it's making me uneasy. The last thing we need right now is a surprise.”
“We’ve acted fast, so he won’t see the attack coming,” I assured her, hoping like hell I wouldn’t be made a liar. We couldn’t predict everything, but it wasn’t possible for him to know our plans.
Everyone that could have told him was dead, and the bastard we suspected as the possible traitor had been apprehended and was being questioned.
He hadn’t set sail, otherwise we would have come across his fleet, the route we chose was the shortest and most efficient path to reach the other side of the Cursed Divide.
Kyella nodded in agreement as Tristan joined us on deck, the five of us easily slipping into quiet conversation about what we planned to do, with Elijah taking the lead.
“We attack directly at the harbor, which allows direct access into the city. Hopefully, the opportunity for innocents to escape away from the chaos of war and into the countryside will present itself with our full-frontal assault. I don’t want them caught in the crosshairs of what is sure to be a bloody event. ”
“I don’t know if that will be enough.” Kyella frowned, concern lingering in her gaze.
“We may need to find a way to fully remove them from the situation. Malakai is the type of bastard who would actively want them to die. He doesn’t care about innocents or bystanders.
If he thinks we want to protect them, he will want them slaughtered. ”
I fucking believed that, the bastard.
“Maybe we can put together a better plan of how to filter them to a safer place once we draw closer to shore and get eyes on it,” Dakath suggested.
“That is the ideal situation…”
Kyella’s words trailed off, and we turned to see what had caught her attention. The darkened shoreline of the Thaician Empire was highlighted by the light of the moon, pinpricks of light glowing from the city.
It was a beautiful land, and I remembered thinking the same thing the last time we approached it.
The kingdom was a dark spot on an otherwise plentiful and large expanse of land.
Or maybe my interpretation of that was because I knew the toxic shit that lived within that castle, of the lords that ruled over these lands, infecting everything with their darkness and depravity.
They were the problem here, not the place itself, which meant all of them would have to die. There was no other damn option.
“…but an ideal situation that may not be possible.”
Kyella wasn’t wrong about that. We had a problem.
The Thaician fleet sat openly in the harbor, as if they were preparing to launch their own attack. I felt a momentary surge of adrenaline, wondering if we needed to prepare for the onslaught of battle…only to realize that it appeared the harbor and ships were empty.
Of course, I couldn’t be sure, but I didn’t see any sign of movement, nor were any torches lit. Instead, the vessels seemed to be simply anchored, facing the open sea as if waiting for orders to leave.
I surveyed the ships, prepared and ready to attack our lands. Anger ran through me at the realization, but there was a bigger issue at hand.
The ships blocked the entrance to the harbor, making it impossible for us to dock and launch our attack.