Chapter 51 #2
Alena’s breath hitched.
“She saw what had happened to us—saw us enslaved.” Leywani’s voice hardened. “She was furious. The Rasennans, her commander… they betrayed her trust. She had told them about the Freefolk, but she had no idea what they’d done to us.”
Leukos, quiet until now, spoke up. “And when she found out?”
“She lost control. Her magic—” Leywani swallowed hard. “It started leaking out of her, thick black smoke pouring into the air. And with it… something came. Something… terrifying.”
She trailed off, and an unnatural stillness fell over the table. Even the fire in the hearth seemed to hush, save for a single crackle that echoed like a warning through the silence.
Alena’s mind reeled, heart thudding hard against her ribs. “She—she summoned something?” Her hands clenched Leukos’ damp cloak. “Ley… what did you see?”
But Leywani wouldn’t meet her gaze. Her eyes dropped to the empty vial in her hand, knuckles white around it.
Alena leaned forward. “Leywani—”
Before she could press further, Theo lifted a hand, halting her. He faced Leywani, his tone calm. “What did the commanders do next?”
Leywani met his gaze. “They panicked. All of them. Even that monster Tarxi. I don’t know the details, but Dalmatius… He struck some kind of deal with Katell. He promised they’d let the Freefolk go—if she stayed behind. And she said yes.”
“And then?” Theo coaxed.
“The Freefolk left, and Katell stood watch on top of the palisade,” Leywani said hoarsely. “Day and night, she held the gate shut with magic to keep the soldiers from following. As far as I know, they all got out.” She paused, her voice thinning to a whisper. “And then they took us to Kisra.”
An icy knot formed in Alena’s gut.
“And the Emperor came for Kat,” Leywani continued in a small voice.
Leukos’ jaw tightened. “What did he want?”
“Katell’s magic. The beasts she can summon—demons, I found out later. They brought her to a pool inside a temple—the water was completely black. I’d never seen anything like it. They dunked her inside, and when she came out…” Leywani’s voice faltered. “She wasn’t the same.”
Alena’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling her gasp.
“Black,” Theo muttered, eyes narrowing. “Like Laran’s Tears.”
“They did it to control her,” Leukos replied.
“Those Tears made her sick,” Alena whispered, dread curling in her stomach. “They made her lose her mind, and they dunked her into a pool of them? By the Moon… what will happen to her now?”
Leukos and Theo exchanged a glance—tight, uneasy, full of things left unsaid.
Alena shot to her feet, throat tightening. “No, she can’t be… We can’t abandon her yet. She recovered once. She can do it again.”
The door creaked open behind her. A gust of cold air curled through the smoke-darkened hut, stirring the rushes on the floor.
Alcaros ducked inside, his expression grim.
“We need to warn Volcos.” His eyes flicked from Alena to Leukos.
He’d been listening. “Katell’s not the same enemy as before.
She might be stronger than any of us imagined—”
“She’s not our enemy!” Alena’s voice rang out, fierce and broken all at once.
The silence that followed was thick enough to drown in.
Alena swung towards Leywani, seeking support, but her friend shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry, Alena. I came to warn you.” Leywani rose with a tremor, her eyes hollow. From beneath her tattered tunic, she produced a scroll, its edges crumpled and stained, and extended it to Alena without a word.
Alcaros narrowed his eyes. “I thought I searched you.”
Leywani didn’t even blink. “You missed it.”
Alena took the scroll, her hands trembling. Unrolling it, her gaze swept over the careful handwriting in Koine—military notations, positions, routes—a precise account of the Rasennan legions’ movements.
Her pulse quickened. Without a word, she passed it to Leukos. He rose from his seat across the table and unfolded the parchment. His eyes moved fast, jaw tightening with every line. When he was done, he handed it to Theo, his expression darkening.
“Who gave this to you?” Alena asked.
Leywani hesitated. Her lips parted, then shut again. Her gaze slid—unmistakably—to Leukos.
Theo leaned forward. “Did he look like Leukos?”
Leywani gave a slow nod. “His skin was darker… but yes. He looked just like you.”
The air seemed to collapse in on itself.
Alena gasped. “By the Moon…”
Leukos’ face had gone blank—utterly still. Not calm. Not composed. Frozen.
“Prince Galen,” Theo breathed, awe breaking through his voice.
He reached for Leukos, clasping a firm hand on his shoulder. But Leukos couldn’t tear his eyes from the scroll, staring as if sheer will might make his brother’s face appear in the ink.
Alena caught his gaze and gave him a tentative smile, her chest tightening.
Galen. Alive. After all these years… he was alive. Leukos had spent half his life trying to find him, thinking he was probably already dead, but his brother was alive. The heir to the Megarian throne was—
Leywani’s brow furrowed. “Galen? No, he said his name was Velthur. He’s captain of the guards. Lecne served under him.”
Theo went rigid, colour draining from his face. “Captain of the Tarquinian Guard?” he repeated, as if saying it aloud might change the meaning.
From the doorway, Alcaros straightened, shoulders taut. “Velthur…” His voice was a low growl. “Our spies spoke of him. One of the Emperor’s inner circle. Trusted. Dangerous.”
Alena’s stomach dropped. She turned to Leukos, searching his face, but he hadn’t moved—not a twitch.
He sat carved from stone, but the cracks were spreading.
His fists tightened until his knuckles shone white.
His chest rose in shallow, uneven pulls.
Only his eyes gave him away. A storm gathered there.
Fury. Fear. And something far more fragile—hope, breaking apart.
“Ley,” she asked, desperate to understand, “is he the one who helped you? What did he say exactly?”
Leywani hesitated. Her gaze bounced between their faces, confusion tightening her brow.
“At first, I thought he was our enemy,” she admitted.
“He arrived with the Emperor, beat Katell, and threatened to kill me if she didn’t step into that black pool.
” Her hands twisted together, knuckles pale.
“But after that… he brought me to the edge of the battlefield. Made me watch as Kat tore the camp apart. Then the next morning, he and Lecne took me to the river and put me on a boat.” She glanced up at them, uncertainty written across her features.
“He told me he was saving my life, then told me to find you. To warn you about… Kat.”
A long, terrible silence followed.
Theo finally broke it, his gaze darting towards Leukos. “It sounds like… he might be on our side.”
Leukos gave a terse nod, and Alena didn’t need to ask to understand his feelings. She could see it in the tight line of his jaw.
He wasn’t thinking about strategy. He was grieving.
Because no matter whose side Galen—or Velthur—was on, he wasn’t a hostage, as the Megarians had believed. Somehow, he’d risen to captain of the Emperor’s personal guard—a trusted blade in Tarquinius’ inner circle.
He wasn’t the boy Leukos had once called brother anymore.
Theo turned his attention back to Leywani. “Will you tell us how the camp was torn apart?”
Leywani, who’d been stifling a yawn, flinched. “What?”
“You said Katell destroyed the slave rebellion in Eluvia,” he pressed. “Our scouts confirmed it. Entire camps burned. Dozens dead. But one person couldn’t do that alone.” He leaned forward, studying her with unwavering intensity. “How did she do it? What did the Tears—that pool—do to her?”
Leywani didn’t answer right away. Her lips parted, but no sound came.
Finally, a whisper slipped past them. “I tried to help her. I thought she was still there. I tried to reach her—to pull her back. But…” Her shoulders hunched, as if the memory threatened to crush her. “But then I saw her summon them.”
Cold dread crept up Alena’s spine.
“They crawled out of the smoke—like shadows with teeth. Like nightmares given shape.” Her voice cracked, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “And the things they did…” She shook her head, unable to finish.
“The Makhai,” Alcaros confirmed, arms folded across his chest. “Volcos warned me about them. Laran’s monsters. Demons that tore through half the Rebel Queen’s army like they were made of paper.”
Alena’s stomach lurched, bile rising to the back of her throat.
She’d heard the name before—during Brennus’ feast last summer, when her mother’s warriors had spoken of the Battle of Kendrisia.
They hadn’t wanted to speak of the demons then, either.
Just a mention of them had caused an uproar at the table.
Theo leaned back in his chair, a low hiss escaping him. “Twelve be damned.”
“Lecne and I were sent to warn you about them,” Leywani continued. “Katell can summon two demons, and they wiped out an entire slave camp in seconds. Women and children, too.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sound of them screaming.”
Horror bloomed in Alena’s chest, stealing her breath away. She’s no longer the sister you knew. The White Mare had known what had happened to her.
Her vision blurred, but she refused to give in to despair again. Not when both Leywani and Leukos needed her.
“I think that’s enough for tonight,” she said, letting her gaze settle on Theo with a firmness that ended any protest before it began. “It’s late. We all need rest. Alcaros, please see Leywani to a bed.”
Alcaros nodded and crossed to Leywani’s side, offering his arm. She stiffened in her chair, but with a gentle squeeze from Alena, she gave in and stood, leaning on him for support. Together, they headed for the wooden partition.
“This way,” he murmured, guiding her through the candlelit room.