49. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Nik smirked from atop his horse, opening his arms wide. “Welcome to the Western Lands.”
Grassy plains covered in dark pink wildflowers stretched away to the horizon while serrated mountains loomed at their back.
Riding beside him, Alena shielded her eyes from the unrelenting sun. “I don’t see how this plain is any different from the others we just passed.”
“Well, take it from someone who has crossed into Western territory more than once. We’re in their lands now.”
Alena glanced at San, who shrugged. She’d offered her the choice of following Leukos, Nik and her to the Western Lands or staying behind at camp, but the mother had chosen to travel with them; and truth be told, Alena was glad for it.
Kaixo tore through the field, running in circles and scaring the bees and yellow butterflies away.
The sweet smell of wild thyme floated in the air, and Alena bent down from her horse to pull the tall grasses tickling against her legs.
“Oh look, moonwort.” She halted her mare and jumped down, grabbing a knife from her satchel.
“Alena!” Leukos turned his horse around. “What are you doing?”
“Give me a moment.” She cut as many leaves of the healing herb as she could fit in her satchel.
Leukos circled closer, frowning. “Alena!”
“One moment, I need this herb,” she said. “If any of you sustain an injury, we’ll be glad to have it.”
“We’re in enemy territory. Get back on your horse.” From the fierce tone of his voice, she knew it wasn’t a request. Ever since they’d skirted the border mountains and river, he’d been on edge and more insufferable than usual.
With a huff, she stood, holding his gaze, and then, putting the leaves and knife away, she remounted. A muscle ticked in Leukos’ jaw before he wheeled his horse around and galloped ahead.
Biting back a grin, Nik sent a sharp whistle to Kaixo. The boy scampered back to his mother, who was still on horseback, and she helped him sit up front with her.
The small party followed Leukos through the sunlit plain without another word.
Later that day, they huddled around the campfire. Leukos towered over their small group. “As long as we stay off the roads and stick to the forest, we should reach the Green Mountains territory without being noticed.”
Alena nodded, laying her freshly washed tunic on a low-hanging branch.
Leukos had been strict about lighting a fire, and every night he’d argued with Nik about the right time to put it out. That evening was no different.
“When night falls, we smother the fire out,” he warned. “If the Blood Wolf is close by, he’ll spot us. So will the Westerners.”
Tending to the fire, Nik shook his head. “We can’t all survive on dry bread and nuts. Kaixo caught a couple of rabbits earlier. Let’s cook them and fill our bellies.”
Leukos’ expression darkened. “I’m not doing this to punish you. I’m trying to keep us alive! You might have learned the value of caution and protecting your friends had you stayed in Megara.”
Nik’s arm froze in mid-air. He glanced up, meeting Leukos’ fierce gaze with equal intensity. The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words. The air crackled between the two men, charged like a storm, and Alena held her breath.
Nik dropped his gaze first and chucked another log on the fire without a word. Exhaling a rough breath, Leukos left to tend to the horses.
With each passing day, the tension between them increased, and Alena feared the moment it would explode. She had no idea how to fix it. Whatever had happened in the past between the two men was still a sore point, and both refused to talk about it with her.
Sighing, she got to her feet and went to find Leukos. Dusk drew near, muting all the colours of the forest into grey shadows the farther she walked from the campfire.
She found their leader wiping his stallion with grass.
“I didn’t mean to snap like that.” He kept his head down, his black hair veiling the expression on his face. “It’s just… seeing him here, every day… perhaps I made a mistake.” He balled his hands into fists. “Maybe it was a bad idea for him to join us, after all.”
“Leukos.” She touched his forearm, coaxing him to look at her. It hurt to see him so agitated. “You didn’t make a mistake, we need him. Nik’s Gifted and a skilled fighter.”
“And yet, we can’t trust him.”
“I trust him.”
“You shouldn’t.” He shook his head. “You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to me!”
The stallion started, huffing in agitation at her outburst. Leukos appeased him with a pat on the neck.
Alena hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but the secrecy between the two men was driving her mad. “You can’t tell me not to trust him without explaining yourself. It’s not fair.”
He resumed his grooming, shutting her out. “Go ask him, if you want to know.”
As much as she wanted to leave and let him brood alone, there was still the matter of their brutal travelling pace. “No matter your thoughts on Nik, he’s right about taking a break. We can’t keep riding hard without proper rest. It’s dangerous.”
Leukos slipped under the stallion’s neck, seeing to the other shoulder. “We just need to push for a few more days.”
Alena remained in step with him. “The horses won’t last a few more days. San and Kaixo are hungry; they need meat.”
“We need to keep moving.”
His dismissal was the last straw. She grabbed his arm, and his muscles tensed beneath her touch. She moved in closer, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Leukos, I know the dangers. I was there too when the Blood Wolf found us. But if we go on like this, we’ll lose the horses—or worse.” She looked him in the eye, past his mask of icy indifference, their faces only a few inches away. “Please.”
He glanced at her hand on his bare arm, and her skin tingled when he didn’t pull away. After a beat of silence, his gaze fixated on her with such intensity that it seemed to peer into the very depths of her soul.
His dark eyes were like shadowed pools, yet his words were soft. “You never give up, do you?”
Alena shrugged. “Katell once said it’s part of my charm.”
“I don’t think your sister meant it as a compliment.”
She huffed, and a subtle smile played at the edges of his lips.
“Fine, you win.” He stepped away, scrubbing a hand down his tired face. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning and take a break when the sun is at its highest. If our map is correct, we should reach a river soon and can rest once we cross it.”
“And you’ll let us have a fire and cook some fish?”
“Yes. We might as well fill our bellies and take turns napping.”
Cooked food and a nap? Alena’s grin threatened to split her face. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day! I’ll let the others know.”
“But only for tomorrow!” he called after her as she headed back to the campfire.
The next morning, they rode across grass plains that reminded Alena of the Freefolk Lands but with a prettier array of wildflowers. Following the rough map Elishat had drawn, Leukos headed straight for the woodlands ahead, and they savoured the shade of the beech trees above. They followed the distinct sound of trickling water and discovered a shallow river, where they stopped to refresh.
Kaixo zigzagged through the trees, scaring away the birds, and when he reappeared by San’s side, he was covered in leaves and dirt. He proudly held up some mushrooms for his mother, who rewarded him with a pat on the head.
Leukos scouted the area and led them to a clearing sheltered from the sun by a canopy of branches.
“No one has come this way in a while,” he said, inspecting the grass for tracks. “We should camp here for the day.”
“It’s perfect.” Alena eyed a comfortable-looking spot beneath an oak tree. “San and I will tend to the horses, then go bathing in the river. Nik, can you gather some wood for the fire?”
The blond wiped the sweat from his brow and passed the reins of his horse to her. “Of course. Anything for you, Red.”
Leukos glared at Nik, but the latter ignored him and disappeared in a blur.
“I’ll go hunting with the boy.” Leukos’ knuckles were white against the bow in his grip. “Make sure Nik is back to keep an eye on the horses before you go bathing. We’ll be back soon.”
“Be safe.”
He gave a curt nod, adjusting the quiver of arrows around his shoulders, and called out to Kaixo. The boy bounced over to him, ready for a hunt.
They strode off through the trees, and Alena released a long breath. Nik’s behaviour only worsened Leukos’ foul mood, and his constant goading made her question if he wasn’t doing so to punish himself.
Whatever Nik’s reasons, if they didn’t learn to get along soon, it could compromise a potential alliance with the Westerners. How could the tribes trust them if the Achaeans were bickering amongst themselves?
With a sigh, she helped San unsaddle the horses and let them roam free in the clearing.
“This is the best!”
Alena rested her head on the rocks behind her, cool water gliding over her naked body. Overhead, she glimpsed blue sky and sunlight through the leaves.
San stared wide-eyed at the water swirling around her feet. Bathing had been a quick affair for the Non-Human mother—and not a pleasant one. While Alena had dived in, eager to wash after days riding through the heat, San had crouched in the shallow waters, refusing to venture too far from the riverbank.
The bushes rustled behind them, and Kaixo burst forward, a grin breaking across his face. Stripping off his tunic, he jumped into the river with a shout.
San caught her boisterous boy in one hand and picked up the soap in the other, scrubbing Kaixo’s body clean despite his protests. When she dunked him in the water, he spluttered, flailing his arms until he broke free and waded to a laughing Alena.
“He does not clean,” San said in defence.
“Oh, I think he’s very clean now. Aren’t you, Kaixo?”
He leapt out of the river with a scowl and brushed the water off his skin.
San stood up as well and slipped on her tunic. “I go, too.”
Alena nestled against the rocks. “I’ll follow soon.”
She wasn’t ready to leave yet, and some peace and quiet away from Nik’s taunts and Leukos’ brooding was just what she needed.
The Non-Humans slipped away, and Alena closed her eyes, savouring the sounds of trickling water and ruffled leaves.
Once again in solitude, her thoughts wandered back to Katell, as they often did.
Her poor sister.
Taken by the Rasennan army to be used for her Gift. Alena refused to believe Katell could be so easily manipulated into fighting for the Empire. Their father had taught them better. He’d told them many stories of the Rebel Queen, about her bravery and strength, how she’d fought for freedom against Emperor Tarquinius, and how the people had loved her for it.
Fighting for the Empire was wrong. They both knew it, and Katell was no fool. She was smarter than whatever the legion had planned for her.
She had to be.
A soft rustling broke Alena from her thoughts.
Opening her eyes, she found a fox standing on the opposite riverbank.
No, not a fox—the fox. The same one that had fought off the wolf and brought her food when she was caring for Leukos.
It watched her with wide, glowing eyes, its fiery red coat standing out against the dark foliage.
“It’s you.” Alena swam closer. The fox slinked forward, furtive. “Have you come to save me again?”
It sat on its haunches, inches away from the river, and cocked its head, waiting.
“Do you have a message for me?” she mused. “I’m sorry, I don’t speak fox.”
It turned its head towards the trees and then back at her.
“All right, you win.” She got to her feet and stepped out of the river, letting the water pool down her body. Rinsing out her auburn hair, she then fanned her long curls over her shoulders.
The fox trotted away, then peered at her.
“Oh, you want me to follow?” She brushed water from her body and slipped her tunic back on. It clung to her wet skin.
Again, the fox stepped away and stopped by a cluster of brambles, looking back at her.
Expecting.
Waiting.
Alena paused, then shook her head, confused. What did it want with her? Where did it want her to follow?
“Oi, Red!” a voice shouted beyond the tree line.
Nik.
“I can’t follow you,” she whispered, hoping the fox would understand. “I’m sorry, I can’t just leave.”
“Alena!” Nik’s call grew louder.
She whirled towards his voice. “I’m here.”
When she glanced again, the fox was gone. Staring at the empty space, a sense of unease gnawed at her heart. As if she’d missed something important.
Had the fox tried to warn her somehow?
But why here and now? And about what?
Her first instinct was to tell Leukos, but when she’d mentioned the fox coming to their rescue against the wolves on their way to Bruna, he’d brushed it off as a lucky coincidence.
“Are you still bathing, Red?” Nik stumbled through the bushes, one hand masking his eyes.
“No, I finished.” She tugged on her soft linen breeches and ran her fingers through her long locks. Nik’s hair and tunic were also damp. “You bathed as well?”
“I went further downriver.” He dropped his hand and shot her a bemused glance. “Why? Afraid I spied on you?”
“What? No, of course not.” His smug expression made her hesitate, and she narrowed her eyes. “Wait, did you?”
Warmth rose to her cheeks, and she crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to hide her figure.
Nik laughed, a genuine chuckle that lit up his face. “As much as I appreciate the female body and all its curves”—he gave her an appreciative glance, and heat exploded over her face—“Leukos would have my head if I came near you.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
Was Leukos concerned about her honour? The Megarians had much stricter rules when it came to women, but their leader had never mentioned anything to her before.
“We should head back.” Nik’s gaze turned to the forest, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself. Come on, I’ll walk you.”
She slipped on her boots, tucked the dagger through her belt, and then followed him through the trees.
“Nik,” she said, still thinking what the fox’s sudden appearance might have meant. “What do you think will happen once we reach the Green Mountains? Will the Westerners truly see us as allies? Do you think we could be in danger?”
He shrugged. “The Westerners and Achaeans were allies once, but who knows what they think now. I’ve travelled these lands before and was never met with hostility, although times have changed.”
The dense canopy thinned out, and the gentle chorus of chirping crickets intensified as the clearing emerged. San and Kaixo sat under the oak tree near the grazing horses. One of them raised its head and let out a whinny.
The serene scene shifted the moment Nik draped an arm around Alena’s shoulders and pulled her against his hard body.
“Nik!” Alena’s blush returned. “What are you—?”
A playful smile rolled on his lips. “Our fearless leader wasn’t too happy when the Non-Humans came back without you.” Across the clearing, Leukos’ eyes centred on them. “He tried to forbid me from going to the river to find you, but I chose not to listen.”
Her stomach twisted in a knot. “Nik…”
Leukos headed straight for them, his face a blank mask, although it didn’t fool either of them. “I asked San to go find Alena.”
Alena wanted to shrivel beneath his glare, but Nik’s response was a casual shrug. “I’m faster. Besides, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
His gaze dropped to her tunic, and he winked. Alena glanced down at herself… at the way the damp cloth clung to her skin and revealed her chest.
Mortified, she jumped away from him with a squeak. How much had they seen? Feeling exposed, she pivoted away from both men and flapped her tunic in a vain attempt to dry it.
“You disobeyed my order.” Leukos’ menacing tone seemed to suck all the air between them.
Biting her lip, Alena peered over her shoulder at the two men.
A muscle twitched in Nik’s jaw. “I’m not your slave.”
In one stride, Leukos closed the gap between them, his expression darkening.
“Leukos, stop!” Alena shot forward, her pulse trembling. “He’s just baiting you. He didn’t see anything.”
His cool stare flicked to her.
“See? Nothing to worry about,” Nik drawled. “Your girl is safe.”
He strode past them, but Leukos’ hand shot out to grab his arm. “As long as you’re around, I very much doubt that.”
Nik stiffened, then stared at Leukos’ grip. “You believe I would hurt Alena?”
“Who knows what you’re capable of, traitor?”
Alena’s mouth dropped open.
Leukos let go of Nik, gently pushing her out of the way. When Nik glanced up, the teasing light in his eyes had vanished.
The crackling energy of the impending clash seemed to close in around Alena, and she struggled to draw in a breath. She felt like a silent observer in a battle that had slipped beyond her control.
A bitter breath passed Nik’s lips. “If you have something to say, then spit it out. But Alena trusts me, and that’s all that matters.”
“She trusts you because she doesn’t know the truth,” Leukos snapped. “Because you haven’t told her yet, you coward!”
Startled birds shot upwards in a flurry. Across the clearing, San watched them with a furrowed brow, and Kaixo pressed against her side.
Keeping his gaze on Leukos, Nik stepped right into his face. “Say that again.”
Ice-blue magic flashed through Leukos’ eyes. “You betrayed us. We were your brothers, your family, and still, you betrayed us. Then you disappeared and never looked back.”
Nik blanched.
“Tell her, you coward.” Leukos seized the front of Nik’s tunic and shoved him towards Alena. “Tell her the reason why every Megarian would gladly rip you apart and feed you to the dogs!”
Nik’s gaze locked with hers, and he swallowed, the struggle to find the right words etched in the lines of his face. Alena waited, the silence suffocating. But then, his eyes shuttered, and he pulled away.
Leukos watched him leave, his lips forming a thin line as something raw and vulnerable leaked into his icy stare.
It broke Alena’s heart. “Leukos, let him be,” she pleaded. “Please, don’t—”
“He killed them.”
Nik stopped dead in his tracks.
Alena’s body went cold all over. “Wh-What?”
“The massacre.” Leukos’ voice was hoarse and low. “The Rasennan army spent months besieging Megara, and then they suddenly entered the city and slaughtered everyone inside the palace. How? How did they break into the city?”
Alena could sense the ache radiating from beneath his skin.
“It was Nik. His father made a deal with the Emperor, and ever so loyal Nik, eager to please his father, led the Rasennan soldiers through the city sewers and right into the heart of the palace.”
Her stomach dropped.
“He even showed them the secret passage from the queen’s chambers—”
“I didn’t know,” Nik whispered.
“—to the nursery.”
Alena’s hands flew to her mouth. Nik’s father was the Silver Shield who had betrayed King Pandion. And Nik, still a child at the time, had unknowingly led the assassins to the royal family, causing the massacre and Megara’s defeat.
Nik faced her at last, and the constant misery that seemed to linger behind his gaze was plain to see. He was a man haunted by his past, burdened by the weight of his guilt. “My father said if I led the soldiers to the palace, then the war would finally be over. He said we’d be safe, and I believed him.”
He clenched and unclenched his fists, his eyes clouded with remorse. “Like an idiot, I believed him. When I understood what was really happening, I couldn’t stop them.”
He lifted his gaze, waiting for Alena to speak. She stared back at him, speechless. What did he want her to say? Did he wish for her forgiveness? Her understanding?
It wasn’t for her to forgive him.
Beside her, Leukos’ chest heaved as if speaking the truth out loud had taken a great toll on him.
She reached out to comfort him. “Leukos.”
He jerked back. “Don’t—”
The swift sound of an arrow whizzed past her. It pierced Leukos’ shoulder and knocked him off his feet.
Alena gasped. “Leukos!”
Nik whirled around before he disappeared in a blur. Leukos grunted, one hand already pressed against the bleeding wound. Alena rushed to his side and broke the arrow’s shaft. If he hadn’t moved away from her before, the arrow would have hit his heart. Blood trickled from the wound, and she bundled his cloak across his shoulders, wrapping the wound tight.
“Leukos!”
He grimaced in pain. “Help me to my feet.”
A scream tore through the clearing, and Alena’s gut clenched. San and Kaixo stood by the frightened horses, backing away from the pack of wolves that had emerged through the undergrowth.
Beneath her, Leukos’ face darkened. “Alena, it’s him.”
A cold rush of fear flooded her lungs.
The Blood Wolf.