64. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
“He had Nestor’s shield.”
Leukos’ low voice reached Alena’s ears from across the clearing. They’d been camping there for the past day, reunited with Nik, San and Kaixo. And though she had isolated herself, Alena’s Gift picked up every word of Leukos and Nik’s conversation. The two men stood by the horses, their heads bent together.
“Are you certain?” Nik asked.
“A golden shield with a centaur at its centre?” Leukos retorted. “What else could it be? By the Sea, how did the Rasennans get their hands on it?”
Nik blew out a breath. “The Rasennans are fascinated with Achaean myths and the heroes of old, you know that. They change their names to Rhaetic, like Nestor and Nestur, for example, and twist their stories to fit their needs. I heard their ancestors were actually Achaeans who settled in Rasenna hundreds of years ago—”
“I don’t care. It’s our heritage. And Nestor’s shield belonged to…” Leukos huffed in frustration. “They say the Blacksmith, himself, forged it, and the Grey-Eyed Maiden Gifted it to us.”
“Yes, but clearly, Laran stole it.”
They fell silent, and Alena hugged her knees tighter to her chest, staring into the orange flames of the campfire. San cast another concerned glance her way, and Kaixo was quiet, no doubt sensing the palpable tension that had infiltrated the group since Alena and Leukos had joined them.
It’d been days since the hillfort.
Days since she and Leukos had fled through the forest and reunited with the others in the caves. Days they’d spent travelling east, out of the Western Lands and into the northern borders of the Empire.
Days that blurred together in Alena’s mind—riding with Leukos by day and sleeping surrounded by her wolves at night. The world had become distant and insignificant in the face of her sorrow.
“Alena, you have to eat.”
Leukos approached and set down a bowl at her feet, but she ignored it. San had already tried to make her eat, and their constant hovering was setting her on edge. Standing up, she drew all eyes to her and, without a word, slipped into the pitch-black forest.
“Alena!” Leukos called after her.
“The wolves will protect me.” Her voice sounded hollow to her ears. Not waiting for an answer, she pressed on away from the comfort of light, food, and companionship.
She would rather embrace the darkness of the night and the chilly air that nipped at her arms and legs than see the pity on her friends’ faces.
The wolves stayed at her side as she ventured deeper into the woods. Their silent presence was the only comfort she allowed herself. Two had followed her from the hillfort—the grey wolf and a female with a black coat—and the others had returned to their forests. Yet no matter where they journeyed, the wolves’ presence, linked to her by the Huntress’ Gift, enveloped her.
She tripped on upturned roots and broken branches, not caring where she went. The foreign scent of damp soil filled her nose. It seldom rained in the Freefolk Lands. On the rare occasion it did, Damocles would stand outside their tent and lift his face to the sky. Katell always called him a madman, but she’d join him, dragging Alena along, and they would laugh as they jumped into puddles and soaked their boots.
The memory was so vivid, it made her stumble.
She caught herself, bracing a hand against the nearest trunk. Thinking about Camp Bessi wouldn’t do her any good. It had ceased being her home the day they’d been exiled. From then, she’d believed home to be with her family, with Katell, but she’d been wrong.
Up ahead, a fallen log blanketed in moss was nestled in an open grove beside a meandering stream. The cold moonlight shone through the treetops, glittering over the water’s surface. Alena sat on the log, and the wolves circled it, sniffing the ground.
The stars sparkled above in the clear, black sky. Somewhere among them, Damocles was watching her, his brow marked by deep lines. The same expression he’d worn countless times whenever she was caught borrowing scrolls or messing up a healing potion.
Protect the family, no matter what.
She’d tried.
Stars be damned, she’d tried to save Katell, but her training, her Gifts, her words—none of them had mattered.
She hadn’t been enough.
Now her world lay in shambles at her feet, and she didn’t know how to pick up the pieces.
A twig snapped behind her, but the wolves, sprawled at her feet, didn’t move. Light, unhurried steps brushed the mossy ground, and soon Nik appeared, carrying a torch. Without a word, he planted the lit branch in some loose soil and took a seat beside her.
Sitting in silence, they listened to the stream’s gentle, gurgling waters. The moment stretched on, Nik offering nothing but his presence and a silent understanding.
He’d been through many hardships, too, most of them much worse than Alena’s. If she were in her right mind, she could have taken comfort from the fact that they’d all escaped the hillfort relatively unscathed. And that Katell was still alive.
But no amount of reasoning could appease the raw ache in her chest.
Her sister’s rejection had crushed her heart, and a terrible numbness had taken root in its place.
Yet, her mind knew no peace. It raced, never stopping since the encounter at the hillfort. Her thoughts kept her up every night, forcing her to pull apart every word, every detail of their exchange, revisiting them again and again to understand why.
Why?
For days, Alena had kept her pain locked inside, but now, without warning, the words tumbled forth. “When Katell was sixteen, her closest friend, Leywani, was sold to a violent man for a pile of furs.” Her voice shook, punctuated by deep breaths. “I was too young at the time to understand what had happened, but Kat saw it all. Leywani’s fate scared her. She witnessed our elders trading young girls as they traded our flocks, and it instilled fear within her. From that day on, she trained like no other, spending all her time outdoors with hunters and warriors, learning sword fighting, archery, and combat.”
The memories of that time were still fresh in Alena’s mind.
“She trained to protect herself and to protect me. And foolishly, I resented her training because it took her away from me. I tried to train with her, but as you know, when it was clear I lacked her skills, she grew frustrated, so I gave up. Compared to her, I was weak.”
Her throat tightened, but the rush of emotions pouring out of her wouldn’t stop. Beside her, Nik remained still, listening.
“I followed in our father’s footsteps and devoted my time to becoming a healer. And then he sent me to learn how to cook and clean with the other wives. How to take care of a future husband and children, not fight. Not… not to be the daughter of the Rebel Queen.”
Hot tears burned her eyes. It was hard to think of Damocles. And even harder to think about the mistakes he’d made. Had he expected Katell and Alena to never leave Camp Bessi? To keep their true lineage forever hidden?
She swallowed back the lump that rose in her throat. “At the hillfort, Kat… she still perceived me as weak. Pathetic.”
Nik glanced sidelong at her. “Alena—”
“It’s true,” she cut in. “I saw it in her eyes. It didn’t matter that I’d survived all this time. It didn’t matter that I’d gained a Gift. Compared to the Sixth Legion and the Black Helmets, she took one look at me and decided to stay with them. She said—” Her voice caught. “She said they were her family now.”
In all the days Alena had spent looking for her sister, she’d never once thought her sister might have stopped searching for her.
She was shaking so hard that she hardly noticed Nik grip her hand.
“She isn’t herself.” He drew closer, his voice firm. “In the arena, she was fierce and violent, yes; but she was also loyal and had a big heart. She did everything in her power to protect children and showed the people of Bruna defiance and compassion, and they loved her for it.”
Alena pressed a hand to her mouth, his words reminding her of the sister she knew and loved.
“The last time I saw Kat, she was pitched against her Amazon friend, Sinope, and won. I believe whatever happened that day broke her. Trapped in the arena, fighting for your life for days on end wears you down. It breaks you apart, piece by piece until nothing matters anymore, and all you know is violence. Sinope was her friend, and after Kat was forced to kill her, she was ripe for the picking. And that bastard Dalmatius knew exactly how to bring her into his fold.” Nik locked eyes with her. “The Rasennans might have twisted her mind, but they can never twist her heart. Beneath it all, she’s still the sister you love, Red. You didn’t save her this time, but don’t give up on her.”
Warm tears slid down her cheeks. “I miss her. I miss her so much.”
He pulled her in his arms, and she cried against his chest, drenching his tunic. Another time, she would muster her strength again and find another way to save her sister from the legion’s grasp. But in that moment, she let herself break.
Nik held her in a gentle embrace, his steadfast presence acting like a healing salve for the ache within her heart. When the tears subsided, she drew back, rubbing her eyes and nose. “Thank you, Nik.”
“Anytime.” He squeezed her shoulder, holding her a moment longer before getting to his feet. He picked up the torch. “I’ll head back to the others. Don’t stay out too long.”
Before he walked away, he glanced over his shoulder, his mouth quirked. “Oh, and do me a favour? Put Leukos out of his misery when you come back. Even though he won’t admit it, our fearless leader is going mad worrying about you.”
He cast her a knowing glance and took off through the forest. Alena watched him go, a single flame against the darkness.
She released a heavy sigh into the night. She hadn’t meant to keep her distance from Leukos since the hillfort. Or from any of them, for that matter, but it’d been too hard to face them. She’d been so wrong about Katell, and the realisation made her feel like a fool.
The grey wolf gave a wide yawn, and his ears flicked at a rustling sound in the bushes.
A shadow slinked by the stream. Without a noise, Alena pushed to her feet, retrieving the dagger from her belt.
The shadow stepped under the moonlight, revealing a snout, pointy ears, and a bushy tail.
The fox!
Alena crept closer, kneeling by the stream. “You’re back.”
Where had it come from? And how did it keep finding her? She hadn’t seen it since the day she’d been bathing in the river.
Its glimmering eyes stared at her, and Alena raised her left hand to compare. They were almost the exact shade of gold as her Mark. Could the fox be linked to the Omega?
It turned back to the bushes and then glanced back at her again. Like it had prior to the Blood Wolf’s attack.
Watching.
Waiting.
Alena shook her head. She couldn’t simply leave the others based on a hunch that it might somehow be connected to her Gift. She’d pledged herself to the rebellion after all, and intended to return to Achaea with Leukos and the others.
“I can’t come with you,” she whispered in the night. “I’m sorry, I can’t just leave them.”
The fox was still in the darkness, poised in its stride.
“I don’t know what you want from me, but they need me, too. Leukos needs me, and I can’t lose him as well. I’m sorry.”
Could it even understand what she was saying? It was hard to tell.
The fox merely stared, its eyes glittering like jewels under the moonlight, and then it disappeared once again into the thick undergrowth without a sound.
Alena had never planned anything beyond finding Katell, but one thing was for certain: she’d stay with Leukos from now on and follow him wherever he went.
Her heart had made sure of that.
The morning dew still clung to the grasses and ferns when she took off with San to collect herbs and roots. The sun’s rays peeked through the leaves, bathing the forest in a warm, golden light.
Together, they searched for edible plants, pausing to examine some wrinkled yellow mushrooms before deciding not to risk it.
In the end, San found a patch of white valerian flowers emitting a sweet fragrance. They went to work, pulling the plants by the stems to harvest the roots and wrapping them in a cloth.
“I think that’s enough.” Alena added the bundle to the others in her satchel, and they walked back towards the campsite.
Being reunited with San was an immense relief. Alena had missed her company at the hillfort, and San had wept with joy once they’d reunited.
But the road to Achaea was dangerous, and the thought of risking San’s and Kaixo’s lives unsettled her. She had to find a safer path for them.
“San.” She halted, and San glanced back at her. Whichever scholars had named her people ‘Non-Humans’ had never spent time with them. It didn’t matter if they had stockier builds, longer faces, or more prominent brow ridges. San and Kaixo also had feelings, thoughts, their own language, and plenty of skills. They were human in every way that counted.
“Leukos and the others,” she said, “they’ll soon travel to Achaea. Have you been there before?”
San shook her head.
“If I go with them, do you wish to follow?”
“I follow Mistress,” San answered without any hesitation.
“San.” Alena clasped hands with hers. “You can go wherever you want. You and Kaixo are free. If you want to go back to your homeland, then I’ll help you. I can travel—”
“No!” San jerked back, her features contorted in fear. “No home, Mistress!”
“San—”
“Please, no home!” She grabbed Alena by the arms with alarming strength.
“It’s all right, San, it’s all right.” Struggling to understand what she’d done wrong, Alena tried not to wince at the fingers digging into her skin. San’s whole body was trembling at the mere mention of her homeland. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. But I thought perhaps you would prefer to go home.”
Tears pooled in San’s eyes, and Alena pulled her taller frame into a hug, brushing her golden hair.
“Home kill Kaixo,” San whispered in her ear. “Kaixo is human. Father is Rasennan.”
Alena tensed. Mingling with Non-Humans was punishable by death in all the kingdoms of the Great Sea, including the Empire, and yet Kaixo’s father was a Rasennan. Had he been San’s previous master? Had he forced himself on her?
Unimaginable horrors ran through Alena’s mind, and her throat ran dry.
“Your secret is safe with me.” She drew back, locking eyes with her friend. “I’ll protect you and Kaixo. I promise.”
San wiped her wet cheeks, sniffing. “San follow Mistress. Mistress go Achaea, San and boy go Achaea. Mistress go Rasenna, San follow. Always.”
Alena took her hand once more and smiled. “Of course. But if you wish to stay with me, then you must call me by my name. I’m not your mistress, San. No one owns you. Not anymore, not ever. I’m your friend.”
San had always refused to call Alena by her name, but this time, she nodded.
“A…le…na.” She spoke with hesitation as if expecting some kind of punishment. Alena gave her an encouraging smile, and San repeated the name with more confidence. “Alena.”
“Now, we are true friends.”
No matter where Alena ended up, San and Kaixo would always have a place by her side, and she’d do everything to keep them safe. Always.
Weaving her arm through San’s, she walked back to the others.
At the campsite, Leukos was sitting on the thick root of an elm tree, carving a wooden figure in his hand with a knife. Alena had seen him working on it with Kaixo every night.
The boy peered over Leukos’ shoulder, mumbling words of guidance. He only ever spoke Koine to Leukos and sometimes Nik. Glancing around, Alena found the other Megarian saddling the mare beside the mule they’d bought in a village. San went to give him a hand.
“There.” Leukos handed the statuette to Kaixo, and the boy’s face lit up as he turned it in his hands.
Alena approached and caught a glimpse of the carved wooden figure before Kaixo raced off to show it to his mother.
“Is that… supposed to be San?” Unlike the other female statuettes she’d seen during her travels, Kaixo’s figurine was rather voluptuous and sported a horned headdress.
“No, I believe it’s their deity, Ama.” He watched San smile at Kaixo and pull out a similar figurine from within her cloak to compare.
Both mother and son had often uttered the name of their goddess, but Alena knew little about her. “I don’t remember ever seeing them pray.”
“It must be the words they repeat before meals. They’re giving thanks.”
“I suppose you’re right.” San had once tried to teach Alena a few of their words, but the nuances of their meaning had been difficult to grasp. Alena did, however, understand that they were expressions of gratitude.
A loaded silence followed. Leukos studied her, and although his guarded expression had once baffled her, she could now start to read the signs. The slight crease between his eyebrows, the intensity of his gaze—he was concerned for her.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I should ask you the same question.”
She was deflecting, but her concern was valid. After exerting his magic at the hillfort, Leukos had almost collapsed when they’d reached Nik, and he’d slept half a day, only awakening when he was able to ride again.
Now his face had a healthier sheen, his eyes were brighter, and his movements were less sluggish.
She cleared her throat. “I’m sore from riding.”
He took her wrist, guiding her towards him with a gentle tug. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then no. I’m not all right.” She hated how fragile her voice sounded. “But I will be.”
He searched her gaze before pulling her into his arms. His bronze-scaled armour dug into her body, but she didn’t care. She lay her head atop the smooth leather shoulder strap and wrapped her arms around his middle, breathing in his comforting scent.
Pine trees, campfire, a hint of spice… and home.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” he murmured.
She drew a ragged breath. “You were there for me, and that was enough.”
“And I’ll be there for you next time as well.” He withdrew, cradling her face in his hands. “I made you a promise, remember? I’ll help you save her.”
She shook her head, holding back a fresh wave of tears. “Leukos, I don’t think I can. I—”
“You’ll find a way, Alena. You always do.”
Callused thumbs grazed her skin, brushing the tears at the corner of her eyes. His faith in her eased the ache in her chest, and she offered a tearful smile in response.
A sharp whistle broke them apart. “Oi! Who kicked me awake earlier and said we had to leave at first light? Let’s go, Your Highness!”
Leukos shot Nik a dark look across the clearing. “I’m going to kill that idiot before we even make it back to camp.”
A chuckle escaped Alena’s lips, startling them both. Still smiling, she rejoined the others, ready to leave.
Alena rode in front of Leukos on the mare while San and Kaixo had the mule. Nik remained on foot, using his Gift to keep up. The wolves took the lead, steering them away from any sign of danger. By nightfall, they reached the familiar lake nestled within the forest and the rebel camp at the foot of the hills.
Theo and Pelagios greeted them with warm words and embraces before showing them to their tents for food and rest. Exhausted, Kaixo had already fallen asleep, and Leukos carried him to Alena’s tent, laying him down on a cot. San covered him with furs.
The boy’s rich brown hair fell across his face as he slept. His cheeks and arms had filled out since the slave market, and his usual scowl had softened to smiles and even laughter at times.
Satisfied that mother and son were settled in for the night, Alena followed Leukos back outside.
“Elishat and the other scouts will be back in the morning.” He stretched his arms, then rubbed the sore muscles in his neck. A chill breeze blew dark strands of hair across his tired face. “I want you to join us when we discuss our next steps.”
Alena tugged her cloak tighter around her and nodded, stifling a yawn.
Leukos stepped closer, shielding her from the wind. “Get some rest.” He brushed her hair back, his fingers lingering behind her ear. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
From the tone of his voice, he didn’t just mean the rebellion. They hadn’t had a chance to talk since the kiss they’d shared after the feast; there’d been no time.
Beneath his gaze, heat climbed into her cheeks, betraying her feelings. The bright flame inside her chest grew into a blazing inferno whenever he was in sight.
She’d never felt this way about anyone before.
I will fight for you until the end.
Had he only said it because she was the Omega? After all, he’d previously said he was protecting her out of duty to Katell…
No, it couldn’t be. Every covert glance and caress they’d shared spoke volumes about Leukos’ feelings. It should have been enough to settle Alena’s mind, yet her heart ached to hear those words from his lips.
However, their circumstances had changed since returning to the camp. He wasn’t just Leukos anymore; he was a prince of Megara with duties and responsibilities that she couldn’t even begin to imagine.
He leaned in, brushing his warm lips against her cheek in a kiss. “Good night, Alena.”
Her skin tingled all over. “Good night, Leukos.”
A rare smile graced his face before he stepped away, heading to his tent.
Once he was gone, Alena released a breath and focused on the Huntress’ Gift, reaching out to her two faithful wolves. Instead of entering the camp, they’d chosen to remain in the mountains, keeping watch from afar while hunting for food. Through their bond, images of their hunt filtered into Alena’s head, allowing her to experience the world through their eyes and ears. Although the wolves hadn’t encountered any humans, they’d spotted another creature skulking in the woods surrounding the rebel camp.
A red fox with glimmering eyes and a white paw.