Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
ALENA
Once the golden light faded, the circle erupted in raucous celebration, shattering the stunned silence. The Westerners cheered, clapping and shouting, while Nik and Theo whooped.
Alena’s fingers curled around Leukos’ hand.
By the Moon, he was breathtaking in the dappled sunlight.
The crown of antlers and oak leaves on his midnight hair caught the sun’s golden hue, making him look more regal than ever.
But it was his expression that gave her pause—like he’d wandered the world lost and had finally found his way home.
He touched her cheek again, a quiet moment stolen amid the chaos, and the fierce love shining in his dark eyes made her knees weak.
Then Kaixo rushed in, nearly knocking them over, clutching Ama’s statue—a simple wooden carving once more.
“She glowed!” he shouted, breathless. “Ama glowed for you! Mama said she would protect you. That her Mark was on your hand.”
Alena blinked, startled. She lifted her hand, where the Omega Mark still shimmered.
So the Mother Goddess… was Ama?
“Let me see it,” Leukos said, taking the figure from Kaixo. He reached for Alena’s hand and raised it beside the statuette.
“When I made this last year, San was insistent on one thing,” he murmured. “She said the figure had to have two curved horns rising from either side of her head. Repeated it over and over, like it was sacred.”
He turned the statue upside down, aligning the elegant curve of the horns with the golden Omega symbol etched into Alena’s skin.
The two shapes mirrored each other with the same downward arch and spirals at the end.
“Curved horns,” Leukos said, more to himself than to anyone else.
Alena tried to make sense of the undeniable resemblance. Had Phoebe known who the Mother Goddess truly was? Had the Grey-Eyed Maiden?
No wonder her magic had endured. She hadn’t been forgotten—only veiled. A mythical deity kept alive by the Non-Humans who had worshipped her all along.
And the Rasennans were none the wiser.
Before she could speak, the clearing shifted. Villagers arrived from the distance, their arms full of garlands, ready to lead the couple back to the village where a feast awaited. Music spun through the air, the bright notes of lyres and flutes blending with the jingling of tambourines.
They swept Alena away, draping wildflowers across her shoulders and pressing kisses to her cheeks. But through it all, Leukos remained at her side like a silent tether, his hand brushing hers.
A great fire crackled at the edge of the village clearing, and people gathered round long wooden tables piled with platters of spit-roasted pigs glazed with wild honey, grilled trout wrapped in grape leaves, wheels of soft cheese, berries bursting with juice, and herb-stuffed flatbreads still warm from the oven.
Clay jugs of mead and summer wine made their rounds, accompanied by loud toasts to the gods—each one louder than the last.
When the sun began to set, the music swelled. Wild, airy melodies filled the air, and one by one, villagers kicked off their shoes and danced barefoot in the grass, arms linked, voices raised in song.
Alena, Leywani, and Kaixo were quickly pulled into the fray, their hands tugged by Westerners who sang local songs and whirled them around with abandon.
Someone handed Alena a cup of sweet golden wine, and she gulped it down, letting the warmth unfurl in her chest. Soon she was breathless with laughter, hair tumbling free, garlands around her shoulders bouncing with every twirl.
Across the clearing, her gaze caught on Leukos. He stood just outside the circle, arms folded, a soft, private smile on his lips. The firelight flickered in his dark eyes, and while he didn’t join them, he never looked away from her.
No one dared drag him into the dance, though Damona gave it a valiant try, laughing as she tugged on his arm. Nik swept her up with a roguish grin, spinning her into a dizzy reel until they nearly toppled into a barrel of wine.
Eventually, the rhythm slowed, and Damona whisked Kaixo off to bed.
Alena slipped from the circle, joining Leukos until Volcos pulled them back to the feast, guiding them around the tables to greet each guest. Villagers and warriors alike offered warm words and clasped hands, and Alena accepted every blessing with heartfelt thanks.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Alcaros weaving through the crowd, two cups in hand and a tentative look on his face. He stopped at a corner table where Leywani and Lecne sat side by side, both looking restored after days of rest in the village.
Relief eased through her—Leywani’s colour had returned, her strength no longer shadowed by exhaustion.
Being in a foreign land, surrounded by unfamiliar customs and faces, had to feel disorienting.
Despite that, she’d agreed to stay safe with Damona and Lug and care for Kaixo, while Lecne had requested to fight in the upcoming battle.
After a brief exchange, Alcaros lowered himself into the seat beside Leywani—only to slosh half his drink down his front with an awkward grin.
Lecne scowled, but Leywani’s lips twitched despite herself.
She tried to smother the smile, yet her gaze lingered a beat too long on Alcaros, and something in it caught.
Alena’s heart lifted at the sight.
The sky darkened, blushing gold and rose, and she drifted to the edge of the field, just beyond the laughter and music. The wind shifted, and Leukos’ cloak, which he’d insisted she wear as the evening grew colder, billowed around her legs, heavy with his scent.
Her limbs were light with wine and dancing. The air hummed with joy, and her wedding would forever be one of the happiest days of her life.
And yet, she couldn’t shake the guilt that came with it.
Katell should’ve been celebrating with her. Instead, her sister was still out there, in the clutches of the Rasennans, doing terrible, unforgivable things in the Emperor’s name.
The wind carried the echo of drums and laughter, but Alena didn’t turn back.
“You’re missing your own wedding feast, Red.”
She glanced over her shoulder to find Nik striding towards her, a cup in one hand and a crooked grin on his face.
“I’m not missing anything,” she whispered, wrapping the cloak tighter around herself. “I’m just… taking a break. If one more Westerner pulls me into a dance, I swear my feet will fall off.”
Nik chuckled and lifted his cup for a sip. But when his eyes settled on her, the smile slipped from his face. “I know that look. Something’s weighing on you.”
Alena glanced down, her toes curling in the cool grass. She shrugged half-heartedly, trying to reassure him, but the words were stuck in her throat.
He seemed to hear them anyway.
“She’d be proud of you, Alena,” Nik said gently. “You know she would.”
“I wish she were here,” Alena murmured. “It probably sounds silly, but I wish Kat had seen this—Leukos and I… I wish she’d given us her blessing.”
Nik’s gaze softened. “She will,” he said, his quiet certainty matching the steady confidence in his eyes. “When she’s herself again, she’ll be happy for you.”
A lump rose in Alena’s throat, and she fought against the tightness that threatened to choke her.
“We have to save her, Nik,” she whispered, voice catching. “I don’t care what the Rasennans did to her, I don’t care how far they’ve twisted her—she’s still in there. I know it.”
Nik opened his mouth, but before he could reply, a familiar presence approached.
Leukos appeared at her side, his hand wrapping around her waist. His eyes met hers with unwavering resolve. “And we will. I promised you I would help you save her, and I intend to keep that promise.”
Alena’s heart thudded in her chest. “There’s something else you need to know.”
She still hadn’t told them what the White Mare had revealed about Katell.
Nik raised a hand, already pivoting with a shake of his head. “Save it for tomorrow, Red,” he said with a grin, walking back towards the firelight. “Tonight”—he lifted his cup high and winked—“we celebrate and drink!”
He vanished into the crowd, tambourines and laughter rising in his wake.
Alena watched him go, her smile fading. “I’m worried about him,” she whispered. “We still don’t have a plan to break his deal with the North Wind. I think he’s starting to believe there isn’t one.”
“At least his Mark no longer reacts to my magic.” Leukos’ expression sobered. “Don’t worry. Theo will watch over him tonight. And we haven’t run out of time—not yet. Volcos was right about one thing—the Emperor’s not moving from Kisra anytime soon.”
Alena glanced at him, her thoughts already racing ahead. “So if we want to end this… we’ll have to go to Kisra ourselves.” Her voice dipped. “How are we supposed to get past all fourteen legions?”
Leukos smirked. “Only thirteen now, remember?” He stepped in close, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her gently against him. “Don’t lose yourself to tomorrow, love,” he murmured, lips brushing her ear. “Let the world and the war wait. Tonight is ours.”
The sky above faded from rose to deep indigo, the last threads of light stretching across the horizon. They remained silent, watching the lavender fields sway in the breeze, flowing like a gentle river.
Leukos pressed a kiss into her hair. “I didn’t think I’d ever have this. A future. A family. Not after everything.”
Alena slid her hands over his arms, grounding them both. “You do now,” she said, turning to face him. “You have me. Always.”
She breathed him in, letting the warmth of his presence carry her beyond the shadow of Katell’s absence. A year ago, her sister had sacrificed herself so Alena could have this life, this love. Tonight, she chose to honour that by holding on to what she had found.