14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Slavers and prisoners alike prayed to the gods.
Katell observed it the first night she spent sleeping out in the forest, bound in chains. Men and women grasped little wooden and clay statuettes in their hands, whispering prayers in the darkness. Some held onto coins, others burned herbs or bundled up wildflowers to deposit near water.
The prisoners’ worship of their Parthian, Achaean, or Rasennan gods fascinated Alena. For Katell, it was the two-headed hound’s master that caught her attention. On a particularly warm night, the tall man with eyes as dark as Leukos’ had laid down all his weapons and knelt before the fire. The beast had remained at his side, a rabbit twitching in one of its jaws. The master had mumbled chants over the fire, his voice growing with fervour, until he’d sliced his palm over the flames. Then he’d taken the rabbit and cut it open, offering its blood and entrails to the bright red flames.
The camp had grown silent, the other prisoners turning pale, their mouths agape, as an icy chill had settled over them. Something powerful had shifted in the surrounding air, and a primal sense of terror had rippled through Katell, clawing at her insides and leaving her shaking all over.
Then, without warning, the cold had lifted, and the thickness in the air had dissipated. Neither sister had spoken afterwards for a long time.
No matter what Katell had believed before, after that night, the gods were real to her.
As the days went by, prayers and chants became a daily occurrence around them—except for Leukos. She’d never seen the Achaean in prayer. He was hard to read, his emotions hidden behind a constant mask of control. Yet, in the few days they’d known him, he’d proven himself to be a valuable ally.
When Scorilo spat in Alena’s cup or spilled it on her lap, Leukos shared his water without a word. Somehow, it was always full to the brim and cool despite the warm summer air.
Katell was certain that he came from a rich family, perhaps even a noble one. His gestures were too calm and poised for a farmer. Unlike the other prisoners, Leukos held an air of aloof arrogance that enhanced his good looks and drew glances from the women.
He was also built like a warrior, with broad shoulders and strong legs. His muscled arms were toned for battle, not farming.
And if Katell was right, that made him an even more useful ally.
Trusting others didn’t come naturally to her, but even she couldn’t deny the help Leukos had provided when Scorilo came looking for trouble. Leukos had once saved them by using his weight to rock the wagon behind him without notice. It had caused an instant ruckus.
Deep bellows had resounded from the wagons and all the slavers, including Scorilo, had circled the wooden cage, shouting at the beasts inside and using long sticks to poke them through the narrow slits.
The cries emanating from within had sounded human.
A few nights later, while Katell ate her stale bread, a hand squeezed through one of the wagon openings to snatch a cup of water from a slaver.
A large, hairy, human hand.
“Did you see that?”
“See what?” Alena was focused on unwrapping the dust-filled bandages from her sore feet.
“I thought I saw a hand coming out of the cages.” The slavers had always called the beasts within the wagons Non-Humans, and Katell had assumed they’d meant wild animals. What if she’d been wrong?
Her sister followed her line of sight. “A hand? What are you saying? The wagons are carrying people?”
Katell fell silent. Titus approached the wagon with caution, a torch light in one hand and raw meat in the other. He threw the food into the small opening and hastily withdrew.
Whatever was locked inside, their confinement was cruel. Beneath the hot sun, the heat inside the closed cages with only narrow side slits and a small window at the back would be unimaginable.
“Are you sure?” Alena asked.
“Non-Humans are people, just like you and me.” Leukos leaned against a dead tree stump, brushing dirt from his dark blue cloak. “In some ways they’re different from us, though. Scholars have argued about whether they should be considered men or not. They look human, yet they are more savage than us, apparently incapable of deep thought or the arts. They live in groups like animals and eat like them. They resemble men, but they don’t act like us, thus they are Non-Humans.”
Alena drank in every word. Damocles had never mentioned these people before. “How do you know all this?”
“Since Caius Tarquinius came to power, his legions often raid the northern territories where the Non-Humans live to bring them back as slaves. Anyone who travels within the Empire will encounter them. The nobles prefer them to regular slaves as the women and children are stronger and easier to train for domestic chores.”
“What about the men?” Katell asked.
He paused, his expression turning grim. “They’re sent to the salt mines.”
A fate that awaited them all if they didn’t find a way to escape. A fate worse than death, according to the other prisoners.
Katell curled her hands into fists, her chains rattling. She’d kill all the slavers before they sold them to the mines.
There had to be a way out. Her sister would not end up a slave.
“How long until we reach the slave market?”
Leukos studied her. His skin gleamed in the moonlight, highlighting his dark features. He was paler than most olive-skinned Achaeans. “The slavers mentioned they were taking us to Bruna. It’s the largest city in the Empire’s Noric province. Judging by the caravan’s slow pace, we’ll reach it during the next full moon.”
She nodded. “That gives us enough time to plan an escape.”
Other than Scorilo and Titus, most of the slavers had been handpicked for their muscular builds rather than their sword skills. With her magic, none of them would pose a threat to her, but without it, she’d need help.
Alena, who’d been listening while tending to her blistered feet, looked up in alarm. “Kat, we have no weapons.”
“Maybe, but we have the element of surprise on our side.”
Leukos leaned closer. “How so?”
She paused, waiting for Titus to move out of earshot before she continued, “We’ve been walking and following their orders for days now. The slavers aren’t keeping a close watch on us anymore. They believe we’ve fallen in line and accepted our fate.”
Leukos’ gaze shifted between the two dozen slavers surrounding the camp. It was difficult to imagine how the slavers had captured him in the first place when his demeanour radiated a restrained intensity, ready to be unleashed at any moment. He shook his head. “We’re outnumbered and have no weapons.”
The slavers bellowed at their line of prisoners to stand up, cutting them off. The sisters complied, falling silent.
Katell flexed her hands.
A familiar tingle thrummed beneath her skin.
“Keep moving, you bunch of lazy dogs.”
The tail of Scorilo’s whip landed a hand’s width away from Alena’s foot. She jumped at the loud crack, and the slaver’s yellow smile spread, his scarred cheek seeming to coil with sinister delight. “Better hurry up, sweet girl. We won’t stop until we reach the mountains.”
Katell cursed under her breath, clenching her fists over her chains. The metal bent in her palms, and her pulse quickened.
Her instincts had been right. Her magic had returned, growing stronger with each passing day. Soon, she”d be able to cut Scorilo down.
The slavers’ caravan continued its relentless pace, heading straight for the snow-capped mountains ahead. By the end of the day, they reached a sprawling forest of oak trees and stopped in a clearing close to a cascading stream. Crystal waters tumbled down from the mountains, rushing past the camp in a furious roar, frothing white against the rocky riverbed. The shallow streams in the Freefolk Lands seemed old and lazy in comparison.
The slavers arranged the lines of prisoners side by side, and Katell thanked the Moon when Leukos was placed close to them.
Once the slavers settled around their own campfires, Katell beckoned Leukos with a tilt of her head and tugged Alena’s chains to catch her attention.
The Achaean shifted as close to the sisters as his chains allowed.
“I have a plan to escape.” The river’s nearby roar drowned Katell”s voice from any eavesdroppers.
Alena huddled closer while a frown pulled Leukos’ eyebrows together. “How exactly do you suggest we break free from these chains and confront over a dozen armed men?”
Katell held his gaze, but the Achaean’s stoic expression gave nothing away under her scrutiny. She needed him for her plan to work, but first, she had to convince him of it.
With a sigh, she opened her hand, revealing the twisted metal. “My strength has returned. I can take on the slavers, but I need your help.”
Alena’s eyes went wide. “When did this happen?”
“How is that possible?” Leukos’ features shifted as he stared at the bent iron. Surprise? Awe? It was hard to tell what stirred within him. “Kurush can block magic at will. I saw him use his powers once against the others when they argued, and the two-headed hound immediately turned on its master. Are you sure?”
Katell curled her fists, a warm essence pulsing through her veins. “I’m sure. I don’t know how or why, but my strength isn’t being suppressed anymore, and I don’t think Kurush has realised it yet.”
Alena glanced at the three masters sprawled around their campfire. “It could be a trap.”
“Whether it’s a trap or not, we have no choice,” Katell continued. “The mountains offer us the perfect chance for escape. The woods are dense in this area, and we’d have a better chance of losing the slavers here than in an open space. However, our best chance of success is if someone stays behind to act as a distraction.”
Alena’s head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
Katell didn’t answer. She knew what she had to do. She’d spent all day coming up with a plan. And there was only one way that ensured her sister’s safety. Someone had to distract the slavers while the others escaped.
She avoided Alena’s questioning stare and focused on Leukos instead. The Achaean met her gaze and held his silence as though he’d already sensed the importance of her impending words.
“Here’s the deal,” Katell finally said. “I’ll help you escape, but you must take care of Alena.”
Not a hint of surprise flickered across Leukos’ face at her request. His ability to remain calm and collected at all times was truly impressive. The Achaean was also no fool. If Katell could provide enough of a distraction, he’d find a way to outwit the slavers and escape with Alena.
Katell’s tone grew more pressing. “I need you to promise me you’ll get her away from here, from a life as a slave, and that you’ll take care of her.”
Alena tugged at the chains that linked them. “No, absolutely not. Kat, stop it.”
Leukos’ dark eyes flicked to Alena as if assessing whether she would be more trouble than she was worth. A moment later, he nodded. “I will.”
Before he could blink, Katell grabbed the chains binding his hands, pressing upon him the gravity of the situation. She was trusting him with her sister’s life and had to be sure he wasn’t about to doom them all. “I’ll distract the slavers and make sure they come after me. I’ll do what it takes to help you escape, Leukos, that much I promise you. But in return, you must save Alena. Now tell me who you really are.”
“Kat, don’t you dare!” Alena’s face had turned ashen. “I won’t let you.”
Katell refused to let her resolve waver. This was what her father had meant by protecting the family. Alena came first, always. Katell would survive whatever the slavers had planned for her—whether she was sent to the mines, a brothel, or a noble”s house—but her soft-hearted sister wouldn’t.
It was a risk to put Alena’s life between Leukos’ hands, but he’d watched out for them during their days travelling together and had proven himself worthy in her eyes.
Besides, the Achaean was a warrior, she was sure of it. With any luck, he was an honourable one too.
Against the backdrop of the tumultuous river, Leukos’ smooth voice was steady and clear. “I am Leukos, son of Antigenes, Silver Shield to the late King Pandion.”
His unexpected revelation left her speechless. She dropped his chains, and he leaned back, maintaining a calm, assessing gaze.
“You’re the son of a Silver Shield?” Alena whispered.
He nodded.
Leukos wasn’t just a noble. He was the son of a Silver Shield—the elite Gifted warriors that had fought for the Megarian king. Men who’d been allied to the Rebel Queen, Damocles had said. Men known for their honour and courage.
A weight lifted off Katell’s shoulders. She’d made the right choice. Leukos would not fail her.
“Before my kin, I, Katell, daughter of Damocles, promise to help you escape from the slavers.” She chose each word with care. “And in return, before your gods, you, Leukos, son of Antigenes, will promise to keep my sister, Alena, safe.”
“Leukos, don’t say another word!” Alena’s outburst caught the other prisoners’ attention, although only a handful understood Koine. In her distress, she switched to the Freefolk tongue. “Kat, why are you doing this? This isn’t what I want. I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me.”
“Alena, it’s the only way.” Katell’s chest tightened, and she squeezed her sister’s hand. “There are simply too many of them. Even with my strength, even with the element of surprise on our side, if someone doesn’t hold them back, none of us will escape.”
Her sister’s eyes darted about the camp. “We—we just need more time!”
“I’m sorry, little star, but we need to act while we have the forest for cover.” Katell turned back to Leukos, switching back to Koine. “Do you promise?”
His dark eyes studied her for a beat. “I promise.”
“No, swear it.” She grasped his forearm and, at the contact, his muscles tensed. “Swear before your gods.”
Neither his gaze nor voice faltered. “Before the Achaean Twelve and my patron, the Sea God, I promise to take care of Alena.”
Katell’s knowledge of Achaea and their gods was limited. She glanced at Alena, who bit her lip and then nodded. Relief spread through Katell’s bones, and she released him. His honour and sense of duty to the gods should bind him to his promise.
Titus stood from the campfire, calling out for Leukos’ line to stand.
“Tomorrow night,” she whispered from the corner of her mouth. “Be ready.”