“I would never,” he promised. “Keep challenging me as you please. It’s humbling.”
“Good. I like humbling males.”
Then he did laugh, and so did she—the only person at the table who didn’t was Zayden, who sank in his chair a little. Alchan reached out and tentatively put his hand on Zayden’s shoulder.
“You raised an amazing male,” he said to the father, who was two hundred years younger. “And we’re going to get Amonora’s Blessing when the mission is over.”
Zayden inhaled sharply and looked up.
“That’s…it would make him your consort.”
“Yes,” Alchan said, sitting down beside Zayden. “I want your blessing, as well.”
“You’ve been a great commander to me for many years. You watched me stumble and continued to give me chances. You saved my life.”
“And you saved mine,” Alchan reminded him.
“If he’s happy, you have it. I was angry yesterday, but Mave…”
“I don’t need details,” Alchan said, looking between the two. He had a feeling he knew exactly how Mave got Zayden to calm down and look at the situation differently. “Stay for breakfast. Let me wake up Rain. I’m sure he would love to see you both, and if you don’t want to talk in front of me, you’ll have the entire mission to talk behind my back.”
Mave started to laugh again behind him as he went into his room and saw Rain standing there, half-dressed.
“Did you hear that?” Alchan asked, leaning on the door frame.
“Yeah.” Rain smiled. “I did.”
“Okay. Then come out and have breakfast with him and make him happy.” Alchan smiled when Rain walked up to him and kissed him slowly, pushing him out into the hallway where they could be seen.
Alchan turned as Rain left him and went to sit at the table with his father and the female who might as well have been his mother. She smiled over their heads at him.
They would be going on a mission in only two days, and Alchan, seeing all of them together, realized it wasn’t only Luykas and Mave he considered family. The entire Company was his family, and he hoped they would all return. He wanted to have more mornings with his lover and the family they shared.
Perversely, he was glad they all knew.
He heard the door open and close, seeing his brother come in. Luykas stopped short, seeing the scene at the table, then turned to Alchan with a shocked expression.
“Family breakfast,” Alchan said softly. “Before everyone leaves on the mission.”
Luykas smiled, then went to kiss his wife on the check and give Zayden a hard, friendly thump on the back.
“Mave, don’t forget you promised to spend the day with Senri and her males,” Luykas said to his wife.
“Oh, I haven’t,” she promised, then looked at Alchan. “I thought you were making breakfast.”
Alchan lifted his hands and walked for the kitchen, getting back to work on his preparations. A moment later, Zayden walked in and silently began to help him, doing things Alchan had never done in his own cooking, using spices Alchan never bothered with.
“Rain’s favorites,” the father said softly. “Might as well make sure you’re perfect for him.”
38
Mave
Mave jumped off her horse, looking at the night sky stretching above her as she led it to the valley field.
“Make sure you eat before we move again!” Nevyn called out. Forty Andinna answered back with grunts of affirmation. Mave only chuckled as Mat held out a piece of road jerky for her, and she snatched it, trying not to be annoyed.
“We’re nearly there,” he said softly, looking south after they released their horses into the valley.
“Nearly.”
Due to the size of their unit, it had taken over two weeks to get to the very same valley where they had stashed their horses before. It wasn’t the slowest pace, but it was slower than if they had gone with a light strike team.
“We’ll arrive at their camp before dawn,” Kian yelled. “This is the point of no return. If you want to take a moment and say your prayers to the gods, now’s the time!”
Mave rolled her eyes, but when she looked at Mat, she saw something in his hand.
“What’s that?” she asked, frowning at the medallion.
“A symbol of Kristanya,” he answered. “I’m going to go say some prayers…if you would like to join me?”
Mave took a moment to consider it.
“Fine,” she relented. “Should we get Bryn and Zayden?”
“If you would like,” he said, smiling.
It took a moment to round up her males, then they found a quiet spot under a tree. She watched her males kneel in a circle, pointing inward. They left a gap for her, and she took it, even though she had never participated in this. She had never even seen them do this before.
“Mighty Kristanya, the black dragon, the one who sacrificed her wings.” Chills ran down Mave’s spine at his words. How many times had she heard that Kristanya gave her wings to the Andinna? Probably thousands. Tonight, it struck a chord. “Embodiment of the darkness, ruler of death, and master of war. Hear your warriors’ prayers as we prepare for battle. We ask you to guide our hands as we slay the enemy. We ask of you to steady our wings as we fly. We ask for your blessing as we march to death and confront the inevitable. May we be masters of it in your name.”
There was a moment of silence. Mave kept her eyes down, knowing it was proper for prayer. No one said anything until Mat sighed.
“And now we hope she heard us,” he said, pulling the medallion from the middle of them and tucking it away.
“Aye. Not havin’ her blessin’ for this would be a disgrace,” Bryn said, nodding sagely as she looked up.
“I’ve never seen any of you do this before,” Mave pointed out. “Like before Kerit.”
“Alchan’s words would have been considered a prayer to her in the name of all the warriors,” Zayden explained, standing up and brushing off his knees. “You also don’t need to do this so formally. You can send a silent prayer to her as well, which is what I normally do on the road when I get a chance. A quiet minute, just for me to clear my head and ask for her blessing.”
“But?” She heard a but.
“We’re about to knowingly engage with the leader of the enemy forces and attempt a risky move, capturing him to face judgment,” Mat said softly. “I wanted to pass along something more than a silent prayer.”
“Okay.” She didn’t let it bother her, but things were beginning to click—things that would probably be on her mind for the rest of this journey. “Let’s meet with the others and see if it’s time to go.”
Walking away, her heart was pounding. Nevyn and Varon’s story had been the first time she heard of their dragon gods playing an active role in the lives of the Andinna. She knew many considered Luykas’ problems with the blood bond to be a punishment of the gods, but she had never thought of it that way. That couldn’t hold a candle to the reality of Varon, once blind, regaining his eyesight and losing his voice, a trade done by the goddess Amonora. Hearing that story was one of the reasons she had taken to avoiding the priest.
Between that, her dreams, and her new tatua, she felt as if she was facing something she couldn’t beat.
All I can do is focus on the mission at hand.
She found Nevyn and Kian at the front of a growing line of Andinna, waiting to leave.
“Are we ready?” she asked.
“We’re waiting on some to handle their business and finish eating,” Kian answered. She moved to stand beside him and used that to keep Nevyn at a distance. Avoiding Nevyn and Varon was still one of her top priorities.
As they stood there, waiting for everyone to get back together, a shadow passed over them. Mave looked up to see the wyvern overhead and heard Andinna gasp as Rain landed in the middle of the clearing, scaring many of the horses.
“Hey! Watch it!” Nevyn roared as the blue beast walked toward them. In the blink of an
eye, Rain was in front of them, throwing a thin cut of cloth over his waist to cover himself.
“Sorry. I was looking around the area,” he said, sighing. “Who has my pack?”
“Matesh, but you’ll probably be going back into wyvern form any minute,” Mave answered, holding up an arm. He ducked into it and held close to her side. “How’re you?”
“Ready to fight,” he answered. “Everyone here moved so slow, it was the worst. I could have been down here days ago.”
“Well, we didn’t have horses for everyone. Nearly thirty of our warriors were on foot for most of the trip,” Kian reminded him. “Mat, Rain needs his pack!”
Mat brought it quickly, and they all watched as Rain dug through it and pulled out a piece of jerky.
“I ate earlier and let it digest, but it’s nice to eat something with some flavor…and no fur,” he mumbled with his mouth full of the dried, spiced meat. “Don’t tell Alchan I was eating wild.”
Most of the males snorted, but Mave gave Rain an odd look, wondering why he was concerned about that. Rain sighed at her stare and sagged.
“I don’t want him to think it’s gross,” the young male explained. “He probably wouldn’t, but you know…”
“Ah.” She nodded quickly, trying not to smile. After her initial anger and their secrecy, she thought Rain and Alchan made an interesting pair—Rain, young and naïve in some ways and Alchan, brooding and dangerous, but tender underneath it all. She had seen the tender side of him before, even if he tried to hide it under gruffness and distance.
They make each other happy. That’s all that matters, isn’t it?
She was beginning to think so. Maybe two years ago, she would have gutted Alchan for being with Rain.
I know I would have. Maybe it wasn’t just their father who made them feel the need to keep it secret.
Zayden walked up and looked over his son and how she was holding him, then moved to stand beside Matesh. Bryn was quick to follow, falling in with her other males.
“I know you’ve been with him for a couple of seasons now, but how is it? Being with Alchan?” Mat asked, crossing his arms. “I know we spoke at length, but I’m certain I’m not the only person curious to hear about it, now that we’re past the high emotions, and he’s not hovering.”
“He’s…” Rain trailed off thoughtfully. “He’s protective, but he’s always made sure I feel like I have my own power, too. He’s big on rules. He made sure there’s always a space for me to go to if I’m not in the mood or can’t deal with him. He treats me differently, and I used to think it was a bad thing, but he does it because he cares. He’s not physical with me if I challenge him over something, and he’s quick to admit his faults, not that they’re really his fault. They’re just who he is, but he beats himself up over them. He’s…” Rain cast a look at his father, his face heating.
“Don’t let him being around embarrass you,” Mave said, also looking at Zayden. “I could tell you things about him that would disturb you.”
Zayden’s face flushed as well. Rain snorted and looked away. She had made both of them red-faced and embarrassed, and that delighted her. Since the moment he was officially in her mayara, she found a perverse pleasure in giving Zayden a hard time, and he loved it. He was a glutton for punishment in ways her other males weren’t. Bryn and Mat both laughed, leaning on each other as Zayden glared at them. Then he turned his sapphire eyes on her, full of promise that he would get her back for what she had said.
“Well, I’m not sure Alchan would like me talking about our more…private life,” Rain finally said. “And I’m not keen on hearing about my father’s…habits.”
“Varon would get a laugh out of all of this,” Nevyn whispered to Kian.
“He would,” her father answered. “Too bad he wasn’t ready in time for the mission.”
“He was disappointed when the healer refused to give him the all-clear. Another week and he would have been brand new,” Nevyn said, sighing. “He’s probably losing his mind back in the village, completely healed and not here.”
Once everyone was around them, they started walking toward a trail out of the valley. Rain stayed in his Andinna form. Getting closer in his wyvern form would draw attention too quickly, and they didn’t want Lothen’s camp to have a chance to prepare for their attack.
As they walked, Mave’s attention turned to the mission again. It was easy to relax while traveling, but now she focused.
Lothen was close, and this time, she wouldn’t let him get away. Years of torture at his hands would culminate in his capture today and his execution once they took him back north. Alchan and Luykas were planning to meet them south of the village, so the trip back wasn’t as long. They had to be quick, or they risked the Empire launching a large-scale rescue attempt.
They flew short hops between cliffs but kept under the trees most of the night until Mave knew they were in range to find possible patrol units.
“Hold here for a moment,” Nevyn said softly. “Remember, everyone, my team is going to swing around their camp and come in from the west. Mave, your team will come in from the east. Rain, you’re going to assault from the north and cut straight down the middle, and we’re going to pinch in from the sides. And Rain? Don’t get shot down. If they focus on you, you need to get out after doing some damage and not risk yourself too much.”
“I’m the one who breathes fire yet gets told to leave as soon as possible,” Rain said, almost annoyed.
“You’re too valuable an asset to lose, and it’s not because you’re fucking the king,” Kian said sharply. “We might need you for later missions. Right now, your entire job is to level some damage on them and make it hard for them to strike us as we go for Lothen. If their camp is burning to the ground, we can get in and out without needing to fight the entire damn army.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mave inched forward, knowing they were so close. All they had to do was launch their final flight.
“Remember, we’re not to kill him yet,” Nevyn continued. “Capture only. We want to attempt to use him as a bargaining chip. If not, we allow Alchan to decide his fate.”
Mave’s hands flexed as she anticipated the final orders from Nevyn.
“Everyone ready? Let’s get in the air.”
Rain shifted into a massive blue wyvern, knocking down trees around them as they jumped into the air. He was last off the ground, but Mave had to dodge as he quickly overcame them and flew ahead.
“Split!” he roared.
Mave veered to the east, knowing she was ahead of her unit. Bryn was the only one who could keep up with her, but she knew Mat and Zayden were close behind. They left the relative safety of flying beside Rain. If they pinched the army and came in from both sides, the camp would be thrown into chaos.
It was a fast flight. Soon, the valley ridge was in sight, and once they cleared it, she knew she would see their targets. At night, she couldn’t get a clear idea of where Rain was. She hoped nothing slowed him down once they separated. This would fail without him.
She was the first of her group to pass over the ridge, and just as she did, Rain came in from the northern edge. She stopped as he did his work.
“By the skies,” said a warrior near her.
Rain came in fast, and his blazing flames quickly lit up the Elvasi army. Within seconds, there were screams coming from the tents as burning bodies ran out and dropped dead only a couple steps later. Mave saw gryphons down in the camp, screaming as flames caught them as well, but the beasts were well spread out around the camp. She knew some would get into the air but hoped enough would die to buy the Andinna time. She watched as Rain circled around the middle of the camp, keeping Lothen’s obvious tent in the middle, cut off from others. She couldn’t see the prince in the dark, but she hoped he wasn’t caught in the flames somewhere else in the camp.
Mave wanted a piece of him for her own.
Rain beat his wings several times and climbed in the air, giving Mave and the others
their signal.
39
Mave
Mave dove, aiming for the center of the army, unsheathing her swords as she did. She landed on an Elvasi soldier, roaring as she killed him, then rolled to give herself less chance of injury. She cut into another soldier as she rose. As she spun, she saw Matesh and Brynec moving in for her, and together, they formed a unit with an objective. Capturing Lothen was the top priority of the mission, and she would see it done.
They moved for Lothen’s massive tent and found themselves facing a line of soldiers, ready to die for their prince. Mave blocked an attack and kicked back the soldier into another. Mat roared and cleaved the head off one to her left. Bryn, always fast, cut down two without her ability to help. Elsewhere, she heard steel clash and knew the warriors of her unit were creating the much-needed perimeter. They would hold off the rest of the camp from stopping her and the rest of the Company from taking Lothen. That was if they made it through Rain’s fire. A roar echoed through the valley, and Mave took a split second to look up, watching Rain fly overhead with gryphon riders around him. Luckily for her, the soldiers near her also took the chance to look up and see the commotion, and she took advantage of it.
She stabbed one who was shocked to the point he was unmoving, his sword slipping from his hand. Fear had the tendency to do that to some. Mave was grateful she was never one to freeze as the soldier dropped. A wide swing came at her head, causing her to duck. As she did, she took a controlled spin and cut down two soldiers at their knees, sending them down to be trampled or bleed to death.
“There’s a hole! Mave, get in there!” Nevyn roared. Mave turned to the tent again and saw the gap, running for it without hesitation.
She threw herself through the flaps and found nothing.
Prince Lothen wasn’t there. No one was inside the tent.
She turned to see a soldier running after her and quickly discarded him before heading back outside.
“He’s not here!” she called out. “Andinna, fly, and find the prince!”
The Enemy's Triumph Page 43