by Zoey Ellis
“Did you see the king in the healing room today?” Vanna asked as she approached.
“We were just discussing it.” Helenka made room for her to sit next to her on the bed. “Zanya is sure he used magic—”
“It is rare for us all to be together and alone like this,” Amara interjected, trying to sound efficient rather than annoyed. “We need to focus on our mission and discuss strategies to move forward.”
All of her team immediately quietened, sitting on the beds and giving her their full attention. “We have been here now working on this mission for nearly two years,” she began. “I can’t say I am pleased with the progress we’ve made. We are still unable to get into the red dungeon.”
“These things do take time,” said Kekia, an older Omega who sat opposite her. Although she wasn’t strictly apart of Amara’s team, it was important that she was in every team meeting where possible. Kekia was a seasoned spy who had been assigned to the Western Lands for the last nine years. Her main role was to oversee new Omegas and provide them with guidance so they didn’t stand out as foreigners. Although Amara had learned most of the languages spoken in the Western Lands, there were things that couldn’t be learned without experience. Kekia was the main reason she, and many other Omegas, had settled in so easily—a primary reason the Omegas avoided detection. “Everything has to be carefully navigated here,” she said gently, tucking a bushy strand of brown hair behind her ears. “You know the risks.”
“Those children in that dungeon do not have time,” Amara argued sharply. “While we are here gossiping about the fucking king, they are suffering in all kinds of awful ways.”
The other Omegas’ faces dropped and the mood of the group shifted to a somber one.
“We are failing them with every day that goes by.” Amara made eye contact with each of them.
“We don’t know for sure they are suffering,” Zanya said. She was the strategist of the team; highly analytical and reliant on facts. “I don’t think we should make any such assumptions. All we know is, children have been disappearing from the known Lands, who many assume must be Omegas, but not all have been. We know they are taken to that dungeon and we do not see them again; it could be for any reason.”
Amara took a breath. That was true. She just scolded them for making assumptions yet she was making them herself. “You’re right. But we do know the kind of activities the king and his fellow rulers like to engage in. The fact that after two years we still don’t know what happens to them is a disgrace.”
The team was silent at that.
“We are probably the most diverse and skilled Omega spy team in the known Lands,” Amara continued. “We are supposed to be able to proudly tell the Mothers of our results. Instead we are not much further ahead than when we were sent here. For the rest of our time, we need to do better. I want progress. I want to see the exceptional skills the Mothers believe we have. I want no one to rest until we know what is happening to those children.”
A number of the Omegas nodded, determined expressions on their faces, while others sat up straighter, but Kekia slowly stood.
“Amara,” she said, moving to stand in front of her. “Working in the training dungeons is difficult, I understand how you must be feeling.”
Sudden tears sprang to Amara’s eyes, but she kept her gaze on Kekia. “It has nothing to do with that.”
“No?” Kekia took her hands in her own. “You just worked a double shift and you only finished a previous shift there three days ago. It is horrible what happens to those slaves. I do not doubt you are feeling traumatized.”
“I’m not traumatized,” Amara snapped, though the tears welled in her eyes. “I am fucking angry. I am angry that I have to watch those people suffer and do nothing about it. I’m angry that one Alpha feels he can do whatever he wants with no consequences. I am angry that I’m not making a difference here, that the Mothers have put their trust in me—in us—and we have nothing to show for it. I might as well be back at the Omega Compound, doing assignments throughout the Eastern Lands, where I can actually make a difference.”
Kekia squeezed her hands. “You are making a difference, Amara. You’re being too hard on yourself. Just because you have not yet found a way into the red dungeon doesn’t mean you and your team have no other achievements. It’s because of you we even know where the dungeon is. We have been able to locate most of the children’s homes and familiarize ourselves with their families because of you. You have increased our knowledge of what is happening across the different territories and allowed the Mothers to better analyze where to send spies. You have created connections all over the Western Lands that have allowed Omegas in Eiros the ability to complete their assignments quicker. Since you and your team formed, assignment completion rates in the Western Lands have doubled. The Mothers are pleased with you all.”
Tears tracked down Amara’s face and she lowered her eyes. “It’s not enough,” she whispered. “Nothing is enough if we cannot help the ones we came for.”
“We are helping them, Amara,” Zanya said, her voice suddenly closer.
Amara glanced up to see Zanya standing next to her and the other Omegas rising to their feet.
“Everything we do makes the Western Lands more tolerable,” Zanya continued, her bright blue eyes determined. “Every change that happens because of the things we do, every piece of information we learn that the Mothers use, we are helping those children.”
“We’re getting closer and closer to learning more about them each time,” Lisara said coming toward her.
“It could not go any quicker than this,” Kekia added. “The Mothers know that. It is why they got us jobs and official papers and fake families. They are familiar with the Western Lands and its politics, and know it will take time. We cannot be foolish and rush into anything that would cause our discovery. Then we would truly be failing the ones we came for.”
Amara’s vision blurred with tears and her throat ached as she swallowed. They were right—she was being unfair to her team. Everything that could be done without detection had been done, and they had done it well. She smiled at them all as they crowded around her.
Amara's team was put together by the Mothers. She had never met any of the Omegas before arriving at the Western Lands. They all arrived at different times and taken different routes to end up at the castle. They were so diverse in so many ways, and had different skills, but they were solidly dedicated to their mission, and to her. Maybe it was true—maybe the training dungeons had affected her more than she anticipated, but she couldn’t allow it to make her reckless. She tried desperately to save those two people today, going as far as trying to access the magic she felt around the room in order to provide them with some relief. Of course, it didn’t work. And even when they died, their bodies draining of all life, their eyes dull and empty, she had looked around the room only to see the other slaves on the beds heading in the same direction—hopelessness in their eyes. King Malloron’s slaves were his most prized possessions in Eiros. His scouts took men and women from all over the known Lands to train them, some of them with specific traits and features that pleased his clients, others just stolen at random. According to the mission information, no one had ever escaped.
Amara looked around at her team’s worried faces and nodded. “Thank you. All of you.”
Kekia pulled her into her arms, and the rest of the Omegas joined them, all pressing in for a group hug.
“I guess I’m not fit to lead right now,” Amara mumbled into Kekia’s shoulder.
“Of course you are.” Helenka patted her back. “You just need food and sleep and a different shift pattern. You’ll be fine.”
“Eating Treyala’s soup buns will help you forget about things for a while,” joked Pameli. “You’ll be too busy fighting for your life.”
The huddle of Omega’s chuckled as Treyala leaned over to punch Pameli.
“It wouldn’t hurt you to visit Ricker,” Lisara added. “You know he’s fond o
f you—let him spoil you and give you some attention for a bit.”
“We all feel this way sometimes, Amara,” another Omega, Jaione, said. “You know we do because you’ve made sure these past two years that we’ve looked after ourselves so it doesn’t overcome us. You have to look after yourself too. We will not begrudge you that.”
Murmurs of agreement came from the other Omegas and Amara nodded. She had been very insistent about Omegas taking care of their emotional state while in Eiros castle, and yet she seemed to have forgotten to take care of herself lately.
“I know we are no longer at home in the Omega Compound,” Kekia said, her voice rising to address all of them. “I know we are far from our home where we are safe. I know that we miss our closest friends, our Omega sisters that we grew up with and the Mothers who protect us, but we are still family here.” She squeezed Amara closer. “We are your family here, and when you have a hard day, we will support you, just like you have always done for us over the last two years.”
The rest of the Omegas nodded, and a weight lifted from Amara’s heart. There was only so much she could do, she had always known that, but at some point in the last two years, she started taking everything personally. Thinking back, it could have possibly been the day that she saw children streaming off a boat at Eiros port, all having traveled from different parts of the known Lands. They had been taken into the castle and never seen again. She thought about that for days, unable to sleep or concentrate properly. But if she was unable to do her job, she would put everyone at risk, and that could not happen.
***
By the end of their meeting, each spy had a new goal to work on over the next month. Most of the tasks involved discovering more about the red dungeon; more scrutiny and research regarding how supplies were delivered, and observations of the Talent-crafters who worked in that sector to see if they were affecting it magically. Others focused on organizing shift patterns so the Omegas could switch from one to another without detection, while others focused on engaging and distracting targeted servants and staff within the castle so the Omegas would have less resistance completing their tasks. They shared out the various color tunics based on what jobs they were intending to do and then left the room gradually one by one and two by two to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Amara felt more secure about their direction for the next month. Zanya reviewed Amara’s plan of action for each sub-team and made suggestions to increase the likelihood of their success. Amara’s main focus for the next month was the layout of Eiros Castle. She had been trying to obtain a floor plan for months. The problem was, no one had access to the whole castle. Servants were limited by their jobs, and the color of the tunic indicated where in the castle they could access. She tried to get to the architect but that had proven difficult since multiple architects designed the castle over many decades. However, Jaoine recently obtained reliable information that plans were stored in DarRojan—it was just a matter of getting to them.
The three Omegas Amara shared her servants’ quarters, Lisara, Helenka, and Zanya were all helping with the task in some way. Of the three, she was closest to Zanya, who had been born in Eridemont in the Western Lands. Amara wished she had known her at the compound. Although she was a serious woman, she was sharp, smart, and direct while still remaining kind. Sometimes she could even be a bit gawkish. In fact, in a lot of ways she reminded Amara of both Cailyn and Victoya, her closest friends she’d grown up within the Omega Compound. Maybe that was why she felt closer to her.
She couldn't deny that she missed home. Cailyn had arrived at Eiros Castle as King Malloron’s guest nearly a year ago, then had disappeared just as quickly and mysteriously as she had arrived. Kekia told her that Cailyn escaped and was no longer in King Malloron's hold, and although Amara had been relieved, she wished she could have at least said goodbye or somehow had the opportunity to send a message home to all of her other Omega sisters.
Amara did not work in the training dungeons again over the next two weeks. Instead, she prepared to infiltrate the archive in DarRojan to gain access to the castle plans. It was always risky preparing to go off-site when so entrenched in the castle regime, especially when it required the use of magic. Lisara was working on making sure the portal was undetectable, while Helenka collected data and information about what she could encounter when she arrived.
As Amara prepared for her mission to DarRojan, she firmly kept at the forefront of her mind why she was doing it, and what it meant for her to succeed. For there was only one enemy, only one real threat to every slave held in the castle against their will, and that was King Malloron.
CHAPTER THREE
MALLORON
"Emric!"
King Malloron’s bellow echoed along the corridor in his castle as he stormed to his temple. His indigo cloak billowed behind him as he rounded another corner, his boots thudding on the stone ground. The charms encoded in the walls of the corridor absorbed his call, and rippled it throughout the castle toward to his intended target. Emric should hear it within a few moments.
Malloron closed his fingers over the throbbing pulse in his palm that indicated where the captivating servant was. He’d been unable to observe her the past few days due to having to clean up the messes that occurred as a result of being away. But as long as the pulse kept throbbing, he knew she remained in the castle, and it was only a matter of time before he would be focusing on her.
In all honesty, his mind was always slightly on her. She was an intriguing find and one he had been hoping to make for so long. But unlike other Alphas, Malloron only needed an Omega for one purpose, and it had nothing to do with making him weak—only to do with making him stronger. The excitement to explore her built steadily… he could barely contain it. Now his final urgent meeting had ended, he was going to be giving his complete attention to his new toy.
He turned into the corridor that led to his temple and was slightly appeased to see Emric already waiting for him.
The man was dressed in his usual colorful Eiros attire, his pointed beard and thick hair a deep blue that cooled the brown of his skin. He stood firm with his hands behind his back, relaxed and calm while watching Malloron carefully. He held a smile on his face, but was poised for action—typical for a Gamma.
"Good evening, Your Majesty," he began. "I trust things went well in your meeting with Elion?"
Malloron almost snarled at him at the mention of his brother but held himself back. He opened the door to his temple and swept inside.
The temple was situated in the center of the castle. Large and richly furnished, it was the most elaborate room in the castle. Two of the walls were filled with bookshelves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, filled with ancient, heavy, dusty books that contained numerous spells, incantations, and recipes that had been experimented and refined over the centuries. On another wall, a number of glass cabinets contained stocked herbs, gems, liquids, stones, and other high-quality materials and ingredients needed to create charms and potions. At the center, two wooden arches engraved with the Ancient Tongue crossed each other at their middle point convexing to a dome that bowed over a marble stand to create his altar.
The temple was created centuries ago; it was the place his ancestors developed and honed the Talent. The room had been used by the Visant family throughout the years, and they had all added to the vast magical knowledge and resources.
Malloron stalked to the altar, sweeping around the intricately engraved stand that held one of the ancient spell books. "You were with the Emperor’s Omega for nearly three months while you traveled the White Ocean," he began, as he thumbed through the thick rough pages. "Did she say anything to you about the Talent?" He glanced up to see Emric still waiting at the door. Exhaling with annoyance, he felt for the magic woven into the huge violet rug that covered the floor. The spell protected the entire room from intruders, going as far as to protect it from those seeking it out. Malloron muttered a few words to disarm it and beckoned for Emric t
o enter. “Tell me.”
Emric entered cautiously, his eyes on Malloron as the door swung shut behind him. "No, Your Majesty. She was mainly concerned about what was going to happen to her."
"Did you notice anything strange about her?" he asked, still turning the pages of the spell book. “Anything at all?”
Emric hesitated, thinking deeply, his blue brows pulled together as he considered. "Not that I can think of, Your Majesty. She seemed normal to me."
Malloron's head snapped up and he grabbed the side of the stand. "Then think harder. I have recently learned disturbing news that Omegas are infiltrating this castle.” He struggled to keep his voice at an even keel but the information still infuriated him. He leaned forward, over the stand. "You are supposed to know everything that goes on here. If Omegas hide within Eiros Castle walls, I expect you to know."
“Omegas hiding here?” Emric’s face was a picture of confusion and a tinge of fear, his throat constricting as he swallowed. "Your Majesty, I have no knowledge of this. And even if it were true, as a Gamma I wouldn’t be able to detect an Omega, even if she were not hidden."
Malloron gripped the stand harder, realizing the truth of what he said. Part of what made Emric so useful was that he had no scent and could be undetectable in certain situations. Unfortunately, Gammas were also unable to scent the other dynamics. Emric was all but useless to him with regards to searching out Omegas. Even when he had sent him to search for the Emperor’s Omega, it was necessary to send a Beta with him.
"That is of no consequence,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “Find out exactly what she did when she was here. I want to know about every single person she came across and who she spoke to while in this castle."
Emric bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty. I will conduct a thorough investigation and report back to you."