“You were being trained in secret by our king? Why?” He tried to keep the growl out of his voice. He tried so hard.
“I thought you would disagree with it,” his son said in a small voice. “I thought you would be angry.”
“I am.” Zayden was pretty pissed off, actually. “You were keeping this a secret from me. If you wanted more training, I would have understood.”
“Really?” Rain looked up quickly, his eyes wide. “I mean…”
“Yes. You were put in a very dangerous position in the pits, and if more training is what makes you feel better as a warrior, as an Andinna, I would have understood. You didn’t have to keep it a secret from me.” Zayden sighed. “You probably thought I was going to be upset because it puts you in danger.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve already been in danger countless times, Rain. I can’t stop you from reaching for your goal to be a warrior like me, Matesh, or any of the Company. We raised you, and I was fighting the inevitable. When I saw you fight against males your own age, I knew you were our type of warrior. Seeing you fight the way Mave does, seeing what you learned from her, I knew you were growing up to be one of the greatest achievements of my life. I might fight it and grumble, but I know who you are. You should have told me.” He rubbed his face, looking away from his son. “I’m sorry you felt the need to keep secrets from me.”
“Father…the gladiators…they made me feel weak. Training with Alchan makes me feel strong again. I just didn’t want to worry you.”
“I’m always worried about you,” Zayden whispered. “Always. Nothing is ever going to change that. Leshaun is always worried about Matesh. Alchan and Luykas worry about each other. That’s part of being part of a family. But I don’t want to hold you back. I’m glad you trained with Alchan over the winter. It’s…it’s obviously made you more confident in yourself like you used to be.”
“Well, about that training…” Rain kicked a stone. “He offered me something. I have to give him an answer after The Hunt is over. He wants me to be his nemari.”
Zayden dropped his hands to his side, letting that sink in. He couldn’t find words for a moment as different things warred with each other. His son was offered the position of nemari to the king of the Andinna? That was one of the greatest honors a young warrior could ever receive. A nemari to any nobility would be a great thing. His son could end this and be set for life, considered one of the most respected members of their culture—a mutt, his little half breed—beside the king.
That was also the thing that made him want to stomp his foot and snarl that his son couldn’t accept. He would have to remain at Alchan’s side until his training was complete. He would be next to the biggest target of their people, next to one of the most vulnerable members of their society. He would be expected to lay down his life for Alchan.
But then, that’s what’s expected of all of us. The Company is the royal guard. We’re all supposed to die for him. Rain would just be the last line of defense.
He saw the hopeful glow in Rain’s eyes. His son wanted it. His son knew what a great honor it was and what it would mean for his future. Alchan was smart as well. He would be gaining a wyvern as a defender and a strong student who would learn fast.
“I’m so proud of you,” he told his son. “I’m so, so proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Rain stepped forward, meeting his father in a hug. “I’m going to say yes.”
“I figured.” Zayden ruffled his hair. “If any young male deserves it, it’s you. I’ll be telling Alchan to keep you alive, though.”
“Baba!” Rain pushed him away. “I’m over three hundred.”
“So?” Zayden laughed, and his son tried to shove him again, stronger than he was a year ago. The physical work Alchan put his boy through was paying off. He’d noticed before, but now he was suffering the consequences. “Let’s get this done and get home tonight. We’ll have mead on our new rug. Well, in a week when it’s done drying out...”
He let Rain carry the bloody skin to the stream and wash it while he started a fire. There was no reason for them not to eat before making the long fly home, no reason not to celebrate this future Rain had earned for himself.
He looked up at the sky, enjoying the heat from both the sun and the fire as he waited on his son to come back. Then a small body flew into view. He frowned, narrowing his eyes. It was a female. She should be in the village, not in the wilds where the males were hunting.
He was even more confused when the female turned and started diving down to him. He stood up quickly, concern racing through him. There was no good reason for a female to be there—not a single one.
She landed in front of him, across from the fire. He didn’t like how wide her eyes were. He didn’t like how the smell of smoke radiated from her. He didn’t like the cuts and bruises that covered her arms.
“What happened?” he asked softly, slowly walking around the fire. “What happened?” he asked again when she didn’t answer. Tears began to roll down her face. “Whoa, little female. Tell me what happened.”
“Elvasi attacked the village last night,” she whispered. “They…burning. Everything was burning. They took people. They killed so many…”
“Oh, no. No, that…” His breathing started to catch, his chest tightening. “No.”
“Mave saved me and others. She told some of us to find males. You’re the first member of the Company I’ve seen.” Her words were growing stronger, but Zayden’s were growing weaker.
“No…”
“She went back to help more, but I left and don’t know if she came back. You have to go back and help. You have to. We need…”
“Baba?” Rain was behind him. He turned slowly to see his son, who must have heard the female because his skin was pale and washed out under his blue tatua. “What do we do?”
Fuck. He was the one in charge here.
“Rain, shift. Leave all of this. In your wyvern form, anyone who sees you will know something is wrong and find out what happened. Female, you’re going to lead me to the survivors. We’re going to figure this out. I promise.”
“Yes, Father.” Rain wasted no time, shifting so fast his clothing shredded and flew off in small scraps. The giant blue wyvern leapt into the air, taking flight with two large beats of his wings.
“Female, what is your name?” Zayden asked gently, reaching out to her. She took his hand, squeezing it.
“Carianne,” she answered. “Thank you for coming back with me.”
“Of course,” he whispered. “Of course.” He used his other arm to wrap around her head, pulling her into his chest, holding her for a moment. “Let’s go. Let’s get back and fix this.”
He let her take off first, following close behind. It took most of their remaining daylight to get home. They passed over an empty clearing, and the female started to panic.
“They were here! I left them here!”
Zayden reached out to grab her arm in the sky. “Where could they have gone for shelter?” he asked quickly. “Where?”
“I don’t know!” she cried out, tears rolling down her face.
“Let’s…” He tried to find any good option. If Mave was still around, if she made it back from whatever rescue she might have tried, she would have found them a better place to stay. A place where they could be found by other Andinna but maybe not Elvasi. “Let’s try Alchan’s home. It’s removed from the village. It might be safe. If it is, we can hide there, even if no one is there. Alchan can always go home, and we can meet him on his arrival. Okay?”
She nodded, and he led the way. Everyone in the village knew where Alchan lived, but very few were ever allowed to go. He only allowed villagers there when he was away with the Company, to help keep it clean, as Zayden allowed for his own home. Even then, Jesvena only allowed males to the king’s home.
As they cleared the forest around Alchan’s home, he saw a makeshift campsite built in front of his king’s home. He landed in the middle, the fema
le landing near some of her own, grabbing at them and holding them. He didn’t have time for the sentiment.
“I need Mave! Or Leshaun!” They were the only members of the Company who weren’t on The Hunt. “Has anyone else made it back?”
“Only our males!” one of the females called out. “Mave is—”
“I’m here,” she said softly.
He looked up to see her standing at Alchan’s door, Leshaun behind her. Her abdomen was bandaged, and she limped down the stairs. She was alive, they were both alive—something in him sagged with relief. He hadn’t known he was so worried, so anxious to know if they had made it through. He started climbing the stairs as she walked down them, meeting halfway. For the first time since they met, they embraced.
“I was so worried,” he admitted. “About both of you. Mat is going to be grateful. So is Rain. I am.”
“It was awful,” she whispered, clutching him. “They burned our buildings. They broke into my home. They set doors on fire on the cliffside, trapping some inside and some outside. They captured…” Her voice broke. “They captured…”
Zayden looked over her shoulder to Leshaun. “Who?” he mouthed.
“Senri, Allaina, and many others. I saved nearly all the children. These are all the females Mave was able to rescue or were able to escape on their own. They killed every male, the elderly, and the sick.” Leshaun sat down slowly on the steps. “We’ve put the children inside with their mothers if their mothers are still here.”
“Who’s in charge?”
“Mave and I,” he answered softly. “I do mean all of the elderly, Zayden. Jesvena is dead.”
With Allaina and Senri captured, that meant the entire village leadership had crumpled in a single night. There was now only one person who truly led these Andinna.
“We need Alchan.” He didn’t let go of Mave, and she didn’t let go of him. He couldn’t bring himself to force it, knowing until Mat or Bryn returned home, she needed someone, anyone to cling to. He could hold her until they came back. He could do that for his friends…and for her.
“Yes, we do. Where’s Rainev?” Leshaun frowned, apparently worried at the absence of his boy.
“I actually sent him out in wyvern form to get as many males as he can.”
“Good. I’ve already sent word to all the free cities that the mountains were attacked by a military force from the Empire. That bitch must have been planning this for months, bringing men into Olost. They took three-fourths of our females here. This was the biggest village, and she crushed us.” Leshaun sighed. “She knew the males would be gone on The Hunt.”
“She had to have known,” Zayden agreed. Mave’s hands relaxed on him, and she pulled back. He searched her face for anything and only found a blankness that made him uneasy.
“I’m going to kill all of them,” Mave whispered. “All of them.”
He didn’t try to stop her as she brushed past him, limping down the rest of the steps. He turned to watch her walk away, the group of survivors parting for her as she made her way back toward the village.
“Where is she going?” he asked, hoping Leshaun had an answer for him.
“She told me earlier today she was going to see if any Elvasi came back tonight. I would say come inside, but the children…”
“If they don’t come back tonight, Alchan is going to want everyone to get back and salvage what they can. At least we’ll get information from her rage.” He didn’t like how she wasn’t waiting for Mat or Bryn. He would point those two to their female when they got back, whenever that was. No one ever told anyone where they were going on The Hunt.
Zayden sat next to the old male, leaning down to hold his face in his hands.
“How did this happen?”
“I have a few ideas. I’m waiting for Luykas and Alchan before voicing them. They have a better understanding of the Empress and Elvasi military than I do.”
“Of course.”
They waited together as the sun dropped. Large fires were lit across Alchan’s small piece of land. Inside, Zayden could hear children crying as their mothers tried to put them to sleep. Some asked where their mothers were, if they would ever see them again. He hadn’t heard the likes of their cries since the War ended and the Andinna were scattered, and families were torn apart.
Since Zayden had returned home, nearly half of the males were back. Some had small successful hunts and had already been on their way home. Many had been found either by the few females sent out, Rainev, or other males who volunteered to spread the word. Each one caused a small commotion as families found each other and males learned their females were gone, but none of them brought the small camp to life, and none brought Mave back to Alchan’s home.
The next real commotion came when the two most important Andinna landed. Zayden could see them in the firelight—white and black landed side-by-side, rigid, swords drawn. They stepped forward together, and heads began to bow. Some fell to their knees. It wasn’t the normal level of reverence, but tragedy had struck. Today, Alchan was a king, returning to help his people, and Luykas was his most trusted advisor and a member of the royal family.
Zayden stood up, helping Leshaun. Alchan’s face was the picture of rage.
“Rainev found us,” he said softly. “Leshaun, full report.”
Zayden groaned as Leshaun ran down what the Elvasi had done. The fires set to the ground level buildings to draw out the Andinna, not prepared for war but prepared for an accident. Fires weren’t common in their villages, but during The Hunt, a burning dining hall wasn’t unheard of. The females could get rowdy. From there, archers used burning arrows to set fire to the doors of their cliffside doors, killing those trapped inside or forcing them into the open to be killed or captured.
“I flew and grabbed children as they tried to escape. Most never had to put their feet on the ground. I flew them to the bathing pools and told them to hide in the water if Elvasi came close.” Leshaun rubbed his face. “The worst part is who was killed and who was taken.”
“Jesvena, Senri, and Allaina. All dead or captured, I’m assuming.” Alchan crossed his arms behind his back in a pure military gesture.
“Mave found Jesvena dead in the healer’s house. She was probably checking on the sick when the attack started. Allaina and Senri were captured while trying to defend a group of females caught on the ground. Most who tried to fly were netted and pulled down.”
“Where is she?” Alchan didn’t direct the question to them, turning to his brother.
“I thought what I felt last night was…a scuffle. The females sometimes spar and brawl when we’re gone on The Hunt…” He shook his head, closing his eyes. Zayden wondered if the blood bonded male felt guilty for not investigating whatever he had felt through the bond. “She’s in the village or near it right now. Damn the Skies, what is she doing over there?”
“She’s past talking to right now, so don’t bother her,” Zayden said, rubbing his hands together. “She’s off waiting for more Elvasi to kill if they come back.”
“Of course she fucking is,” Alchan muttered. “We’ll rein her in when more of the Company gets back. I’m not in the mood for an enraged dominant female. Why is everyone on my property? And why haven’t you let me in my fucking house?”
“Children are sleeping in there.” Leshaun took that one, something Zayden was grateful for. “I had nowhere else to put them.”
“Fine. That’s fine.” Alchan turned his back to them to look over the remaining Andinna. “Luykas?”
“We’ll talk when everyone gets back,” his brother whispered. “And we find out if the village is safe enough to salvage and remain in until we make more important decisions.”
“Agreed. Zayden, Rainev went further out. He promised to be back at nightfall tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“Did he tell you?” Alchan looked over his shoulder. “I’ve known you for a long time. I didn’t think you would be upset.”
“About you training h
im? Not upset about that. A little upset it was kept from me.”
“He wanted it, and I figured making him comfortable after last year…” Alchan stopped.
“That’s very sentimental of you, but he’s had a good winter. Thank you for that.” Zayden didn’t broach the other topic, and he didn’t want to. He’d talked to Rainev about it, and it was between them. He would wait for his son to give their king his answer.
Alchan nodded slowly.
Together, they waited. Nevyn and Varon landed next, stomped up the stairs, and sat down. They listened to the same rundown Zayden, Alchan, and Luykas had received. It was Nevyn who said something Zayden didn’t even want to consider.
“How do we tell Kian that Senri is gone?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Luykas answered. “And be honest with him.”
“It has to be the first thing we tell him. If we don’t tell him quickly, he’ll think we wanted to hide it from him.” Zayden hated it. He would have razed the earth if Rain had been taken again. Or if Summer had ever been taken when she was alive. He knew Mat and Bryn were going to ask about Mave the moment they made it home. “Jesvena’s husbands need to know as well…and Allaina’s.”
“We’re going to have a lot of angry males coming in over the next day and beyond,” Alchan reminded them. “There are a lot of broken families now. If any of you need me to step in and put someone down, let me know. Let’s keep it to putting them on their asses, though. We can’t hurt them.”
“Yes, sir,” they all answered.
Luykas started walking away, heading back down the steps of Alchan’s home.
“Brother…” Alchan’s tone was a mix of warning and sadness.
“I’m going to see her,” he said, jumping off before anyone could tell him to stop.
19
Mave
Mave sat on the top of the cliff above the village, waiting patiently for something to kill. She needed blood. She needed more of it. She needed to rage and hurt someone.
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