“Why?” she asked when they were out of sight. “Why did we leave him with them?”
“A nemari is the charge of his liege or lord. In this case, Alchan is considered completely responsible for Rain, his well-being, and his actions. I’m his father, but he’s an adult. My claim over him is secondary now. It’s…” Zayden sighed. “An adjustment, but this is better for Rain’s future. Alchan knows he’s giving Rain a head start in our world most mutts will never see. On top of that, it takes a lot for Alchan to let someone close to him the way a nemari needs to be. Being a bedru, he’s extra possessive and protective. There’s no safer place for my son right now, and not even a father is safe challenging him.”
“And I have even less of a claim being the adopted sister.” She sighed as well.
“Sister.” Zayden snorted. “The last person who dared kiss the top of Rain’s head was his mother. You know, Mat talked to me about you and children, how you aren’t ready for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there’s something to be said about how you behave with Rain. If you think you’ll be a bad mother, don’t.”
“Excuse me?”
“You treat him like any good female treats an adult child of her family. You let him fly, fight, and make his own decisions, but when he’s on the ground, you dote on him. If he’s about to die, you turn to fight for him, but you don’t try to stop him from fighting to begin with.” Zayden began to chuckle.
“I don’t—”
“You don’t mean to do it, but you do it.” Zayden smiled, turning to her. “Why do you think I brought you out to help me catch him when he shifted? Why do you think I asked you to help me carry him here? See, I’m his father, but I can’t threaten the king no matter how much I want to. No male, not even Alchan, is foolish enough to dismiss a threat from a protective mother.”
“Sometimes, I hate you,” she muttered. He was using her to get his way without even telling her. Something about that pissed her off.
“Sometimes, I hate you too, but most of the time, I find your love for my son endearing and attractive.” He shrugged and started walking away again. “Maybe I just like the motherly types. Maybe I’ve just lost my mind.”
“Don’t be disgusting,” she ordered as she walked behind him. He was in a weird mood today. “And if you want help protecting Rain, all you need to do is ask. If I think you’re right, I’ll help any way I can. I don’t like being manipulated.”
“I’ll remember that the next time I need someone to threaten Alchan when I can’t.” Zayden didn’t seem fazed at all by her. He seemed entirely too pleased. She had never seen him quite as happy as he was at that moment. Then something faltered. “Wait, did you call my attraction disgusting?”
“I did.” She showed him nothing on her face, trying to hide how good it felt to see his gleeful face turn into an insulted, grouchy statue.
“I am not disgusting,” Zayden growled.
“No, you’re an asshole, and the concept of you being attracted to me is disgusting.” She smacked his shoulder and walked past him. “And I’m going to pretend those words never came out of your mouth.”
“What have I ever done in this world to deserve you in my life?” Zayden sounded insulted and dismayed.
“Nothing, which is why I find your attraction disgusting. You haven’t done anything to deserve me.” She finally smiled—she couldn’t help herself. Finding Mat and Leshaun sitting at a fire, she sat on Mat’s lap.
“Why are you smiling?” he asked softly.
“I upset Zayden.” She didn’t say anything else, kissing Mat softly. With Rain being taken care of and no Elvasi in sight, the world felt a little more normal. Her mood was better than it had been in months. Senri was spending her nights with her husbands. Kian and Nevyn could be caught talking during the days.
The world felt right.
“Everyone ready to move out?” Alchan roared over the caravan. She left her lover’s lap and found Alchan walking through the crowd. Luykas and Rain were behind him, then Bryn. Bryn found her and changed direction to come to her.
“Is something wrong?” she asked quickly.
“No. Alchan is just hoping to hit the mountains tonight, so it’s time to move.” Bryn leaned in, and their foreheads touched. It was all they needed.
Their party began to move shortly after that. Children yawned and stretched, their mothers trying to keep them moving. Some of the young males had taken over carrying the little ones a few days before, but half the time, the children didn’t want to be held. The Company was scattered throughout the group, and everyone talked quietly.
They walked all day, the mountains drawing closer. Eventually, it seemed like the mountains towered over them, and they started going up an incline. By nightfall, Mave realized she was no longer in the Empire. She was on the southern ridge of the Dragon Spine.
She was in Anden for the first time in a thousand years.
38
Mave
The world was dark except for the fires burning beyond the trees as everyone celebrated making it to the mountains. Mave only waited as females ran around, talking about hunting parties to help get food. None of them had eaten more than scavenged berries and wild vegetables for days.
But Mave only waited. She was finally in Anden. That was something. Now, it was time to find out what was next. It was time to find out if she and Alchan were on the same page, or if she had only imagined it. That killed the good mood she’d had at the start of the day, leaving her thoughtful and serious.
“Company, round everyone up!” Alchan ordered finally. “I have something important to talk about. Put them in the clearing to the north, and I’ll be there in a moment. I want Mave to stay with me. Rain, go with your father.”
Mave didn’t move as all the males ran off to find everyone before it was too late. Some of the females wanted to hunt tonight, but they had to hear this first. Some of the males were looking over the area, hoping for freshwater.
But all that could wait.
“Are we going to do this?” she asked softly. They were alone for a moment, and she knew it would be the last moment she had him to herself to talk this out. “Are we going to ask this of them?”
“I am. You’re the only person who knows. I know you’ve been thinking about it since the attack on the village. You understand better than all of them.”
“She’ll never stop until we’re all under her heel,” Mave whispered, leaning over to rub her face, trying to wipe the exhaustion from her eyes.
“She won’t,” he agreed. “When we rescued you, I thought it would bring more trouble and, in a sense, it did. Freeing only Rain and Mat would have caused this, as well, so there’s no reason to blame it on you.”
“What changed for you? All any of you ever said from the beginning was that you weren’t heroes. Not anymore. Not ever.”
“I realized I was failing. I thought I was doing the right thing, defending those I could and leaving the others to survive their torment. I was wrong, playing it too safe. When she attacked the village, I realized I had given her the power to do as she pleased. I didn’t free Andinna for a long time because she had scared me into thinking she would kill off our people if I tried.”
“But?”
“She made some mistakes. Do you want a rundown of the political and economic running of the Empire?” he smirked at her.
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.” He pointed at a fallen log. “Want to sit with me?”
She nodded and found herself side-by-side with him. He rubbed his hands together, staring into the darkness. There was something uncomfortable about it, the idea of being so utterly alone with him.
“I’m going to need your complete support,” he started. “No questions, no arguing. Not in the beginning, anyway. The females are going to look to you, and if they trust you, and you trust me, they’ll follow along.”
“What about the males?”
“They’ll follow. I’m the highest-ranking male of th
e Andinna. They’ll follow.” He gave her an earnest stare. “Will you?”
“I’ll follow,” she promised. “You’re a quiet leader. I never expected that. You were such an ass when we met.”
“I wasn’t in a good place. I don’t do well with dominant females, and it took time to adjust to having you around. I’ve never truly had my place and position threatened, and you did both. You were a threat to my dominance. Add in, you were a complication to an already complicated mission. You came with problems I couldn’t even begin to figure out how to deal with. And you remind me of your mother and father.”
“I can’t help with that last part,” she said carefully. “I’m pretty sure I can’t help with any of it.”
“I have taken comfort in one thing. You hate leading.”
“I do,” she agreed, nodding. “I will lead a charge, but I don’t want to plan it.”
“And that means you’ll always have to answer to someone. It might as well be me.”
She couldn’t find a fault in that logic.
“So, that made it easier to have me around.”
“Yes, then I realized you were thinking what I was thinking. You, better than anyone here, have an understanding I’ve been trying to give them from the beginning. Getting out of the Empire was a long shot to begin with. Once I realized they were out of Blackstone with Senri and the others, I knew where this would lead.”
“Have you talked to Luykas about this?”
“No. He couldn’t know yet, for a variety of reasons. He’ll be finding out tonight with everyone else.”
“He’s going to hate that,” she pointed out, hoping he already realized. “And I’m going to have to deal with it.”
Alchan’s chuckle was filled with humor and hopelessness, complete dismay, and so much more. She had never heard so many conflicting emotions in a laugh, but there was Alchan, losing his mind.
“You wouldn’t have to deal with anything if you just fucked him and sent him on his way.” He stood up, continuing to laugh. “You could have him wrapped around your finger like Brynec and Matesh.” He looked down at her, and the laughter got louder. “And you don’t even realize it.”
She waited for his insanity to pass. The laughter died down eventually, and he fixed his hair, schooling his face as if it had never happened.
“Now that you’re done, let me correct something. Your brother doesn’t want to be with me. We’re blood bonded, I would know.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Nothing could hide how his lips twitched. “You know, I’m about to ruin the lives of so many of my people, but I haven’t laughed like that for years.” He sobered. “I won’t be able to fight a lot coming up, so I have one more boon to ask you.”
“What is it?” She sat up a little straighter, frowning.
“I’m the last in the royal line. I have to produce heirs—”
“Absolutely not,” she snarled.
“No…” Alchan growled back at her. “Mave, don’t take offense, but you couldn’t even get me hard. I despise dominance in a partner, and everything about you makes me feel like a fucking eunuch. It doesn’t work like that for me like it does other males. I can’t fight because I have to have a child, though. Luykas and the others will keep me out of the battles, even if I hate them for it. I was trying to tell you a member of the royal family will sometimes ask for someone to represent them on the battlefield. A…” He sighed. “A Champion. I’m asking you if I can title you The King’s Champion.”
“Why me?” she asked softly, the title ringing in her ears.
“I’ve only ever met one person who walks into a space and fills it without trying. Even when you try to hide, there’s no missing you. People will see you, the most dominant female of the Andinna, flying in the name of their King. It will give them confidence in both of us.” He shrugged. “You understood what none of them have this entire journey. That counts for something. Also…I want to piss off Shadra.” He extended a hand for her. “What do you say?”
She waited a moment, looking between his hand and his amber eyes.
Could she pledge her loyalty to a royal, a king? This king? She had a bad history with the upper class in the Empire, but there was genuine respect between them now. He was asking her to be a figure piece and more. She would fight in his name.
“I’ll be your sword,” she whispered.
“Exactly.”
She grabbed his hand and let him pull her up.
“I accept, my King.”
“There’s normally something to give you when this happens, but that will have to wait. I’m King Alchan Andini of the Andinna. You are henceforth known as Maevana Lorren, King’s Champion. No one outranks you, except me.”
“Even Luykas?” She raised an eyebrow.
“Even Luykas, but I would recommend continuing to allow him to be the leader when it comes to tactical decisions.” He sighed. “It’s time, isn’t it?”
“I think it is. Even if you have none of their support, you have mine. I’ll fight to the end for this.” It was her vow to him. She would die for his goals because she understood them. She wanted what he wanted.
Together, they walked north to the clearing. She could see the Andinna huddled around the fires, waiting for them.
Alchan walked into their view first, and she followed at his back right. She didn’t know if that was her place, but it felt right, and he didn’t correct her. Was there a protocol for what they were about to do? They hadn’t even said it yet, the words hadn’t left their mouths. This would be the first time they gave a real voice to it.
“Good evening, everyone,” Alchan greeted as he filled the space, his voice even and secure, not betraying any worry or anxiety. “There are probably many questions you all have right now, including one about getting back to Olost. We lost our stolen ship in Ellantia, and more disheartening, we lost Sen and his crew. Rainev saw many sailors beginning to escape as the ship went down, which is hopeful. We’ll rescue who we can, and hopefully, Sen didn’t go down with the ship.”
“He would do it, too,” Nevyn muttered.
Mave found Bryn and Mat in the crowd. Their confused looks made her feel guilty.
“Beyond that, we have other important questions, but I think we can all agree we know one thing. We’re going to be in the Dragon Spine for a long time. Without a secure way out of the Empire, we have to hide here, probably through the coming winter. Tonight, however, I’m going to pose a question to you and give you my future aims for our people thanks to recent events.”
“Brother?” Luykas stepped closer.
“Sit down and listen. You and I will have a long discussion after this.” Alchan’s firm order didn’t force Luykas to back off, but the mutt did anyway. She waited, knowing people were now looking at her with confusion as well. What was she doing there, backing up Alchan?
“I say we don’t work to leave the Dragon Spine,” Alchan announced. “What if instead, we fought against the Elvasi? What if we stayed here and began freeing our people in the Empire and reclaiming Anden as our own?”
“Are you talking about…” Luykas didn’t know when to be quiet.
“Rebellion.”
The crowd erupted all at once. Mave didn’t move, falling into a place she was used to—roaring crowds and a dead stare, straight ahead.
Rebellion—one word that changed the course of their people.
She and Alchan had been thinking about rebellion, the idea that they would fight against the Empire until the bitter end, taking back what Shadra stole from them—their people, their lives, their homes—every last piece of what they had lost a thousand years before.
Shadra would no longer get to roll over their people like a wave of despair. They were going to fight back for every inch.
Never again.
“Quiet!” Alchan roared over the screaming after a moment.
The immediate silence was deafening. Mave still refused to move, planted behind Alchan’s right side, a guard and his Champion, e
ven if no one knew that yet.
She had accepted his offer because of that one word—rebellion—something she could put herself behind and support to her very last breath.
“This is shocking, I know,” he continued. “But the attack on our village will only be the first. In Blackstone, I learned Shadra has been telling those I once considered allies there would be no free Andinna within a decade. She is aiming to kill or enslave every last one of us. If we don’t fight now, there will be nothing to fight for. All of our villages will be raided. All of our homes will be burned. All of our elders will be slaughtered. Our females and children will be taken and brutalized. Males, we will have nothing. We would bend our knees to her, just for a taste of everything she will have taken away from us.”
“It’s suicide,” Luykas hissed.
“It’s suicide not to,” Alchan retorted.
“Mave, don’t tell me you agree…” Luykas frowned at her. “Oh shit. You were in on this. Alchan, you’re going to get everyone killed. Shadra will not stand for this.”
“She doesn’t stand for us to do anything,” Alchan reminded him. “We’ve let her scare us into submission for too long.”
Luykas rubbed his face, shaking his head. He looked once more at his brother, leaning close to him.
“We have a problem,” he said cryptically. Only she could hear the message between them, and she had no idea what problem Luykas was talking about. There were plenty of problems with the idea, but none of them had to be kept secret.
Alchan seemed to look around at nothing, then nodded.
“We can handle it. Go where I can find you.” When Luykas was out of sight, Alchan turned his attention back to the Andinna in front of him. “This won’t be easy, but nothing has been for a very long time. We’ve lost a thousand years, and now, we can’t afford to lose any more. I’ve failed you as a king, allowing us to rest and hide for so long. I thought she believed she’d won, and nothing we did could draw the entirety of her ire again. I was wrong. I was so wrong, in fact, she marched through Olost, had spies in our mountains, and we missed it. If I could give up the throne right now, I would, but we all know that has never been an option, for you or for me.”
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