“Yeah,” Emerian confirmed softly. “She was…plain-faced like me until her escape?”
“She was the last time we saw her.” Trevan reached out and poured a steaming hot drink and held it out. “Coffee. It’s stronger than I’m used to, but maybe you have the stomach for it.”
“Because I’m half Andinna?”
“Yes…sorry.”
Emerian sighed and took the drink, sipping it slowly. It was delicious, deep in flavor, and strong. He wanted to hate that he liked it, but Andinna coffee was amazing, of course.
“Why didn’t they get me off the boat with you two?” he finally asked, frowning at the dark liquid.
“I never got a chance to ask, but my best guess would be favoritism. Not us over you, but you over the other Andinna.” Trevan turned his own drink in his hand. “Maybe also a little us over you, but…I’ve never had a real conversation with her. I don’t know her that well.”
“Yet you gave up your entire life for her,” he pointed out, always aware of the fact.
“And now I’m here and not a captive of my once loved Empire,” he retorted. “Are you scared?”
“Aren’t you?” he growled. “Look at them. She, the king, and that white-winged one—”
“Luykas Andini, the king’s half-brother. He’s a mutt like you,” Dave said with a smile. “You and him could get to know each other. He could have some advice—”
“I don’t need or want his advice,” Emerian snapped. He immediately regretted it. “I’m sorry. I’m hungry and tired and…I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“None of us do,” Trevan reminded him softly. “We were just told this was the path to freedom from the Empire. This is where everything is going to happen. And…I want to be here for it. I’ve wanted freedom for the Andinna for centuries. It always bothered me to see how they were treated, her especially. Why don’t you sit down? We’re going to take this one day at a time.”
Emerian had no fight in him, falling into a chair that was more comfortable than anything he had ever sat in. The cushioned chair was perfectly designed for an Andinna, so his tail could hang comfortably, and his wings weren’t crushed on something, supporting his upper back as well.
Of course, they would have furniture that makes sense for us. They just have everything for these damn wings and the stupid tail, don’t they?
He wasn’t sure why he was angry. He wasn’t sure why this bothered him. He didn’t understand why he disliked the fancy room he was in with so much food and hot coffee.
Why are they treating us like this? This isn’t barbarism. This is class in its own way. Sure, the building looks a little rough, but the stone is well put together.
It felt like an eternity, but the door opened, and there she was again, in all her terrifying glory. He wanted to sink at the sight of her. The intricate tatua over her face, the black armor with its dragon. The imposing nature of the way she carried herself.
She was dominant, and he could feel it. He’d never been confronted so strongly by the feeling of wanting to submit just to please someone and get into his place. He’d grown up thinking he was beyond the primal nature of the Andinna to play dominance games.
She made him want to kneel, and he wanted to hate her for that.
“You three feeling better?” she asked, looking over them, her face deceptively blank. “We’re ready for you.”
Dave got up first, walking fast to see her. Emerian could have sworn a smile was beginning to form on her lips as human and Andinna stared at each other.
“It’s good to see you,” she said softly.
“It’s good to see you, too,” Dave said, emotion obviously choking his words.
“For once, I get to say this. Follow me,” she said with a kind touch, the smile finally forming. She completely ignored Trevan, who was now standing awkwardly. Emerian got to his feet quietly, following the female out.
Back in the main room, Emerian continued to keep his eyes down. His mother had tried to teach him when he was young, the more dominant the Andinna, the more dangerous they generally were. They trained harder, killed more. They were the pinnacle of what the Andinna were.
He was standing in a room with the most dominant female around and the king.
I don’t think my mother ever thought I would be here.
He stood back from the table, letting Trevan and Dave draw closer.
“Welcome to Anden, Trevan, Dave, and Emerian,” the king greeted. Emerian wasn’t foolish enough to forget his voice any time soon. “You may look at me. I’m not going to cut you down for it.”
He didn’t want to look at the king, not now, not ever. Seeing him beside Mave with the blue wyvern over them had been an image he knew would be burned into his mind for the rest of his life,
Pictures of power. They should know he was scared shitless of them.
“Emerian. Look up,” someone ordered in a tone that meant he had to.
Slowly, he brought his head up, scared of what he would see. He was able to look between Dave and Trevan and see the white-winged Andinna, Luykas Andini, there.
“No one here is going to hurt you unless you betray the cause or commit some crime that requires severe punishment,” he said with a gentleness that should have been insulting.
It was a balm. Emerian felt his body relax without really understanding what was happening.
“You’ve never been exposed to dominant Andinna before. It takes some getting used to.” Luykas smirked. “Believe me.”
“Um…” No, not like this, he hadn’t.
“I lived in the Empire until I was around a hundred years old. I get it. I’m a bit more dominant than you, but finding out how to follow your instincts won’t take long, I promise.”
“Thank you,” Emerian whispered. That was interesting. He was the king’s brother, but he grew up with Elvasi. He knew both sides better than probably anyone at the table.
“We wanted to discuss what your futures would hold now that you are free of the Empire,” Alchan said sharply, stepping up next to his brother. “There are two choices for you. You can come with us to our base village while we fight the rebellion against the Empress, or you can board the next ship for Olost, which leaves in four days.”
“You’re giving us the choice?” Trevan asked softly. “I want to help more. I don’t know how I can, but…I didn’t do all of this just to hide in the free cities. If you’re going to fight for the Andinna, I want to be a part of it.”
“Then you’ll ride out with us in one week. We’re hoping to make it back to our village before winter is over. We’re cutting it close, but we should have time now that we’ve secured the path between Kerit and home.” Alchan nodded at him. “It’ll be an honor to have you help our cause. No one here would have blamed you for leaving. You’ve done enough for us as it is.”
“And you’ve suffered enough for it,” Luykas added.
Emerian looked down the table to see her. She was quiet now, her face blank. Whatever she was thinking about what Trevan said, there was no way of guessing.
“I want to stay. Let’s say that my time in the pits has only made me a better soldier, not a worse one.”
Alchan reached out, and Trevan shook the offered hand.
“Then, welcome to the rebellion. Truly. There’s only one thing to make sure is clear. You’ll be under the protection of the Ivory Shadows for your entire time with us, and the option to leave for Olost is always open to you.” Alchan pulled his hand back and looked at Dave with an odd expression. “You’re the human who helped, Dave. I’m going to make a wild assumption and say you want to stay as well.”
“I can manage Mave’s schedule,” Dave offered quickly. “I can run messages, though all of you can fly, so that might not be a good role for me, but I can be her…assistant.” He looked down the table, and Emerian caught his worried look on his profile. “If you’ll have me.”
“I’ll have you,” Mave whispered. “It’ll help me keep you alive.”
/> “Dave, you understand this war might last longer than you’ll…be alive, right?” Luykas asked carefully.
“I do.” Dave seemed uncomfortable for a minute. “Do you want the greatest secret about my position in the Empire? We were all pro-Andinna. From the very first human who worked as the servant for Mave’s schedule, escorting her around, we’ve all been…dedicated to her. In another couple of decades, I would have gone to the resistance and started searching for the best replacement, someone loyal. They would have been given a…history book, really, of everything that goes on for Mave. The numbers of the gladiators known to cause her the most problems, the names of Elvasi nobles who requested and paid for her the most. I knew Mave as the Champion of the Colosseum…better than my own family.”
Alchan and Luykas both had surprised expressions. They looked down at Mave. Emerian’s eyes followed theirs.
There was no denying the brokenhearted and pained expression on her face.
“I need some air,” she whispered. She started walking away before turning back. “Dave, you can stay and work for me. That’s fine. That’ll never change.”
Then she was gone, disappearing beyond the large doors that Emerian remembered coming into the room through.
“Luykas?” Alchan seemed concerned.
“I don’t know—”
“I do,” Dave said quickly. All of them looked back down at the human who apparently knew much more than anyone gave him credit for. His face was red now. “The first human they assigned her in the pits was her friend. They were close. He’s the one who started writing everything down, hoping someone would one day help her because he saw her go from a bright, but scared girl to…well, the beginning of the adult woman she is now. He wrote…he wrote in his last entry that she was given the ability to visit him. The next servant would get her there. She cried when he died. Or so the next journal says, written by his successor.”
“Ah,” Luykas said softly. “Alchan, if you don’t mind…”
“Stay one more moment, then you’ll have leave to do as you wish.” Alchan looked at him. Emerian felt pinned. Of course, this was going to come back around to him. “We’ve heard some troubling tales about you, but the offer stands for you just as it does them.”
“Troubling tales?” Emerian swallowed the lump of fear in his throat. He’d been a stupid fucking prick in the pits toward the other Andinna.
“About your mother and father. A situation like that can obviously leave a mark on someone. If living among so many Andinna is hard for you, you can go to Olost.”
“Or you can stay and try to find a place on this side of your heritage,” Luykas said softly.
Emerian had thought about this for weeks. Since he was put on that fucking boat and told he was coming here, he thought about it. He had hoped Dave and Trevan would go to Olost. Following them there would have been easy. He had no other friends. No connection to anyone, it seemed. He had a human who was obsessed with a female that scared him and an Elvasi who was obsessed with the same female. If he wanted to keep his only friends, however weak those connections were, he had to stay and fight in a war.
Or he could run to Olost alone, very alone. Maybe he would meet other mutts there, but he would never really have a place, either—not like the one he wanted with the Elvasi.
“I’ll stay,” he whispered. “I’ll stay here. I’m terrible with a sword, though…” He lifted his hands. “I don’t know what to do.”
“We’ll find you something,” Luykas promised. “Now I really must go. Alchan?”
“I’ll have Rain find them a home.”
Suddenly, the blue mutt appeared at the table, looking between them. Luykas walked away quickly.
“Is she happy?” Trevan asked suddenly. “The Champion?”
Alchan and Rain looked at each other before Rain turned back to the Elvasi. Emerian hoped it was an answer that would put Trevan at ease.
“She is. One of her husbands just left the room to check on her. She’s still Mave, the warrior capable of extreme violence and feats of war that make others wary to even talk to her, but she’s not the female she was in the pits. You saved her. You saved me too. And Matesh? He became her first husband, the first male to join her mayara. There’s three. You’ll meet Brynec soon…Shit.”
“Yeah, we’ll keep him away from Brynec for a little while,” Alchan said absentmindedly.
“That should worry me, shouldn’t it?” Trevan looked back at Emerian, confused, but Emerian had no answer for him, so he shrugged.
“Brynec despises Elvasi,” Rain explained. “Really hates all of you. He’s fine with mutts, as long as they’re more Andinna in nature than Elvasi, but he has really valid and concerning reasons to hate Elvasi. He’s also not someone you want hating you. Don’t worry. He’s a member of the Ivory Shadows, and he’ll follow orders, but don’t expect him to ever like you.”
“Thank you for the warning.”
“He’s always wearing a scarf. You can’t miss him. Now, why don’t you three follow me? There’s a house I think will be perfect for you all.” Rain’s smile was strangely innocent. Emerian didn’t really trust it, but he followed the mutt out, and they walked the streets of Kerit.
They made several turns he couldn’t keep up with until they started going down a somewhat quiet road. Rain found the house and opened the front door, waving them in.
“Hey, Mave! Do you mind if you have neighbors?”
Emerian’s blood ran cold as he looked in the direction of Rain’s gaze. Next door, Mave stood with Luykas, looking toward them. Her eyes were red and puffy.
“If Dave’s going to be my assistant, it’s for the best,” she answered. Then she disappeared inside with the white-winged mutt following her.
Emerian was going to live next door to her. After months of hearing about her, in every possible light, he was now going to live maybe thirty feet away from the female who made him want to drop to his knees and beg for mercy for crimes he wasn’t sure he committed.
First, the rebellion. Now, this.
7
Mave
Mave stood alone on the street, her ears ringing.
No. He didn’t. He died centuries ago. He…
She leaned over, covering her face.
He was my friend to the end, wasn’t he? And he gave me silent support for all those years.
Mave’s chest tightened as the tears flooded her eyes. There weren’t many things she cried about, but in her youth, still too young to really understand how terrible life could get, she’d cried for him.
Centuries later, she cried for him again.
His death had been something she held close for so long. So many humans took the role he had started, the servant who only came for her, only led her to and from her torture and the duties of her slavery. So many and she had never become friends with them after, so afraid of the pain of losing the next one. That was the thing about the short-lived races versus the long. In the time it took an Andinna or Elvasi to reach adulthood, a human lived an entire life.
She couldn’t stay on her feet, her knees slamming into stone as the overwhelming pain washed over her and sobs wracked her body. So many years ago. She had tried not to feel like this for so many years.
Hands touched hers, and a wave of love flowed through the blood bond.
“Mave, it’s okay,” Luykas murmured. “Why don’t you talk to me about it?”
“He was my only friend,” she was able to choke out. “My only one. And then he died, and I told myself no more friends, not humans. No humans. No Elvasi. No Andinna. He died, and he left me alone. And…”
“And he never left you alone like you thought he did,” Luykas finished for her. She closed her eyes again, leaning into him. “He never left you alone. He left others in his place.”
Whatever noise she made sent her back to her youth. Barely a hundred and twenty, still fresh in the hell that was the pits, and her human had just died. She was all alone with no idea he had set her up with
companions for centuries to come—no idea at all.
The world would have been less lonely if she had known.
“Come on. We can go for a walk, and I can tell you what Dave told us after you left,” Luykas whispered, helping her to her feet. “Deep breath.”
She did as he asked, sucking air in, trying to control her emotions, which felt like trying to hold on during a storm at sea.
“What did he say?” She wanted to know. She needed to know.
“He, and I think a few others over the years, wrote journals about working around you, with you, for you. They made notes about who your enemies were in the pits and outside them. They watched you, hoping you would learn to rely on them. They wanted to do what was best for you, all these years. They chose their successors through the hidden pro-Andinna community Shadra could never crush. I wouldn’t doubt if the humans over the years were some of the first in the official cause.”
Mave looped her arm through Luykas’ and let him lead the walk.
“Keep going,” she whispered.
“That’s really all I know. I’m sorry.” Through the bond, she felt his need to help her, to offer her the peace of mind she needed so desperately.
“Why…How…” She tried to find a way to ask all the questions that were running through her mind. It felt impossible. “I wasn’t Dave’s friend. I was cold to him. I pushed him aside, and he…”
“He was living up to your first friend, I’m guessing.” Luykas sighed at the end. “And there’s nothing wrong with what they did. Would you have rather had humans as cruel as the Empress?”
“I just don’t understand why they did it. I guess I just always thought they considered us exactly what Shadra wanted them to see. Barbarians. Monsters. Uneducated brutes. Every human was scared of me, except Dave. I always thought he was just a fool. I thought everyone should be scared of me.”
“We don’t give humans and other short-lived races enough credit sometimes,” Luykas admitted. They weren’t walking very fast, and she didn’t know where they were going. The only thing she knew was moving was keeping the pain at bay for a moment. “You were just under a century when you were thrown into the pits, yeah?”
The Enemy's Triumph Page 7