by M. K. Dawn
I laugh at the irony. “Did part of that training include stalking and kidnapping, because you did one hell of a job at that?”
Brady nudges me with his arm. “Oh, yes, Princess, that’s warrior training 101.”
“So, what happened? Where are your mother and sister now?”
“When the invasion started, we snuck my sister and mother out through a secret passageway. The king refused to leave, and my father stood by his side as he was sworn to do. I watched Wright kill my father, as he stood in front of the king, shielding him from a fatal blow. They were very close, almost like brothers. Your father was a good man, and a damn good king. When my father went down, I ran to him and moved him away from the fighting. I should have tried to save your father, but I couldn’t leave my father there to die alone. The king and the other warriors continued to fight, even after Wright promised them immunity. He could never willingly let Wright take over his kingdom. My father’s dying words to me were, “find her.” I knew exactly what he was talking about, so I left. I found out after the battle that you and your mother were also taken when the fighting started. It’s long feared your mother did not make it out alive, though I'm not sure what happened. You were snuck out and sent to the human realm to be hidden. My sister was sent to Prince Henry’s castle until she was old enough to join the Kardia army.”
“And your mother?”
“She passed away not long after my father.”
“How?” Not only had he lost his father, but then his mother shortly after.
“From the loss of her warrior.”
“Like from a broken heart?”
He smiles. “More like a broken soul. Once you are bonded – married - to a warrior, it’s for life. All warriors and their mates are born with half a soul. This is where the human realm gets the term soulmate from. But the warriors literally have soulmates. Once you find your other half, the pieces of the soul are bonded back together during an ancient ceremony. This makes it so we have one soul to share. Once one of them passes, the soul goes to Elysium, and since you cannot live without a soul, the other person dies not long after.”
“That sounds barbaric.”
“You think so? I see it more as the ultimate fairytale, the true story of Romeo and Juliet. You love someone so much, that you are willing to forfeit your life for them. You should have seen my parents’ love for one another. It was awe-inspiring. You will see it between Nick and Shae as well.”
“So, women go into this willingly, no warrior pheromones clouding their judgment? How do you know the person you are bonding to is your soulmate?” This all sounds so crazy. I can’t imagine that kind of love.
His hesitation before answering my question is disconcerting. “What is it, Brady? Are the women forced into doing this?”
His laugh surprises me. “No, of course not. I just don't want you taking this the wrong way, with everything I told you before.”
“I'm trying to keep an open mind, but this is a lot to take in.”
“One way you know you’ve met your soulmate is she’s the only woman unaffected by your pheromones. The pheromones - which by the way - disappear after the bonding ceremony takes place.”
That stops me right in my tracks. Just a while ago he told me I was able to break his influence. “Does that mean... me and you, I’m….?”
“No. I'm not sure why you’re able to do that.”
“Oh, good. Not that being your soulmate would be a bad thing. But with my current situation…” Shit, I’m making this worse.
“Alaina, I know what you mean. It would be awkward with you being promised to someone else.” He gives me that smile that has come to have a calming effect on me. “Anyway, I actually already met my soulmate.”
“Oh, wow… well, then, this is really awkward, since you kissed me.”
“She’s dead.”
Seriously, can I not keep my foot out of my mouth today? “Oh Gods, I'm so sorry.” I don't want to upset him, but I have to know. “How are you still alive then?”
“We never did the bonding ceremony. We were very young when we met.”
“That’s who your father told you to run to? It was the girl from the healer’s house?” He raises an eyebrow, as I put the pieces all together. “Your face gives it away. You had the same look when you spoke of her earlier. How did you know she was the one?”
“She was training to be a healer. When I got hurt, I went to see her. Her mother had her touch my head, to practice the act of healing it. I felt it then, a jolt, a strange sensation that I can’t begin to describe. It literally made me jump out of my seat. Her mother must have known, because she made me swear to protect her, said she would be very important one day. I failed, let her die. I didn't even know her name.”
Tears sting my eyes at his heart-wrenching revelation. I place my hand on his arm, trying my best to comfort him. “You were just a boy. No one’s death is your fault.”
“I had just become a warrior, I should have saved my father, my king… her.” He’s distant, lost in the pain of a love that will no longer be. I should move on, change the subject, lighten the mood a little, but I'm angry that he may never feel love again. “Did you find her?”
“No, I was too late. Her body and that of her mothers had already been taken to the Passage of the Gods, as is the way of our people. We do not have funerals for our dead like humans do. Once you pass, your soul goes into limbo and is not permitted to go to Elysium, or the Fields of Punishment, until your body has been buried at the Passage of the Gods. Immediately after death, the person is transported there, coins placed on their eyes so they can be sent to Hades. That way, no one has to spend too much time in limbo.”
“Did you say Hades?”
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. Persephone, is a real bitch; Hades, not so bad.”
“Wait a minute. The Gods you keep talking about, they’re the Greek Gods?”
“As you would know them. Many Nysians lived in the human realm during that time. The Greek adopted our beliefs then spun it around, calling them Greek Gods when, in actuality, they are just, The Gods.”
I had never put much stock in theology, but this was pretty damn amazing. “So, who is the one God Christians believe in?”
“Zeus, of course. And the bastard is loving it. The other Olympians, not so much.”
We’ve kind of gotten off-subject, and there was more about soulmates that I wanted to know. “So, is that it for you? Will you never marry? Never feel love again? Never have a family?”
He sighs heavily. “I didn't think it was possible to feel anything close to love again after she died,” he stops, and looks me dead in the eyes, heating my body. “But one look at you and I know that’s not true.” His words are like a knife in my heart. I can’t take my eyes off him, the taste of his lips still lingering on mine. My body moves closer without my consent, our eyes never breaking the connection. I want to kiss him. No, I need to kiss him.
“Sorry,” he whispers. “I shouldn’t have said that.” He gently brushes my hair away from my cheek, dragging his fingers along my skin as he does. “I know nothing I say changes the reality that you will have to marry Henry.” I'm lost in him, hanging on every word. “The fates are cruel, sending you to me when you belong to someone else.”
His lips graze mine, but this time it feels like goodbye. Tears add a salty flavor to the already foul taste of loss in my mouth. All of this feels so wrong. “I don't know why this is so hard.”
“Are you sure about all of this?” Something feels off about this whole situation.
“No.” His revelation knocks the wind out of me. We stand there, forehead to forehead, for an eternity.
“Brady. Do you still think I’m…?”
“You have to be…”
“I don't feel like I am. Nothing is adding up…”
“I know.” He lifts my chin. “We’ll figure this out. There has to be an explanation for all of it.”
All I can do is nod. To me it’s clear-cu
t - I'm not the princess. But, what the hell do I know? I’ve only known about all of this for a day.
Chapter Fourteen
Brady
What the hell is wrong with me? None of this makes sense. The way I feel for Alaina can’t happen. My head screams things are not what they seem, and my instincts are rarely wrong. Her memory alone is enough to trigger suspicion. Once we get back to camp, Eric and I are going to have a long chat about the inconsistencies.
The snap of a twig throws me into high alert. Judging from the amount of time that has passed, we must be close to the rendezvous point, but without my orb, I can’t be certain.
I lean into Alaina. “Someone’s coming. I want you to hide behind those trees over there while I check it out. I'm sure it’s just Ace, JD, and Tom, but I would feel better if you were out of sight, just in case.”
She agrees and ducks behind a tree not too far from where we’re standing. It's moments like these when I wish I had my sword. I left it at camp when I departed for the human realm. Its absence is like missing an appendage.
I sprint towards the sound of footsteps but stay close enough I can still hear Alaina if she needs me. She’s vulnerable, which must be rectified once we get back to camp. Training her to defend herself will be top priority. She had already proven herself brave when she saved me from Kakos; now all she needs is the skills to back up her fiery attitude.
Not far from where Alaina hides, I find Ace, JD, and Tom. To ordinary ears, they are noiseless, but I can hear every step they take.
I creep closer, and in unison, they draw their swords. I’ve trained them well; there’s no sneaking up on them.
“At ease, men, it’s just me.”
“You’re broken an orb really blows, man,” Tom says. “We’ve been walking around this area for an hour looking for you.”
“Alaina isn’t used to walking in these conditions. Where were we supposed to meet?”
“Here,” Ace says.
“Where’s the girl?” JD asks.
“Let me go grab her. I wanted to make sure it was you guys first.” I jog back to where Alaina is hiding. “All clear, Princess.”
She emerges from her hiding place and strolls towards me. “So now what?”
“Now we wait for the others and transport back to camp. Once you’re all settled in, you start weapons training.”
“I'm sorry. Did you say weapons training?”
I chuckle at her wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look. “That’s right, Princess. It’s time for you to learn how to back up that sassy little mouth of yours.”
***
It’s not long before Hawk and Xavier show up. Clint and Bo arrive exactly thirty minutes later.
“Any issues?” I ask.
“None,” Clint answers.
“Good, looks like we’re clear to transport. Xavier, I’ll hitch a ride with you to camp. Once things are clear, you’ll come back and transport Alaina. Everyone else will stay behind to guard the princess. No one else is to transport until she is safely back at camp. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!” they say.
“This is what we have spent our lives training for. We protect the royal family at all cost.”
I rest a hand on Alaina's shoulder. “You okay, Princess?”
“Everything is about to change, isn’t it?”
“Yep, but I’ll be there every step of the way. Xavier, time to go.”
Xavier grips my arm. “Ready?”
I shoot Alaina a quick wink and her worry melts away, replaced by that gorgeous smile.
“Let’s go.” In an instant, she’s gone, replaced by a vacant forest about a hundred yards out of camp.
“You’re a fucking idiot. And I'm saying that as your oldest friend,” Xavier says.
“What?”
“Don't give me that innocent shit. You know what! Not only is she betrothed, she’s the fucking princess! You two can’t keep your eyes off each other.”
“You’re imagining things.” I storm off towards camp. Xavier follows close behind. “I admit there’s some sort of attraction, but nothing is going on.”
“You need to work on your pheromone control.”
Gods know I don’t want to get into this right now. “Doesn’t matter.”
Xavier clutches my arm and whips me around to face him. “What do you mean by that?”
I shuffle back. “She isn’t affected by it.”
“That’s impossible, unless she is your…” He pauses mid-sentence.
“Don't fucking go there; you know it’s not possible. My soulmate is dead. I don't know how Alaina does it, but she can break the trance. It’s on the long list of things I need to talk to Eric about. So, do me a fucking favor and stay the hell out of it.” It’s already going to kill me to see Alaina with Henry; I don't need Xavier adding his two- cents.
“You got it, boss.” Back to warrior tone, which means he’s pissed. We’ve been best friends since childhood, and he has never taken me shutting him out lightly. When my soulmate died, he mourned right along with me. He stood next to me when the pain of it all took its toll and led in its wake an on-slaughter of self-destructive behavior.
I should apologize but now isn't the time. I have to make sure our camp is secure so we can transport Alaina over.
Back in camp, it’s business as usual.
Eric jogs up and peers around. “Where is she?”
“With the others. Everything safe here?”
“Yeah, we’re good,” Eric says.
“On it.” Xavier disappears.
“How did it go?” Eric asks.
I give him a brief recap of the mission. He’s not thrilled I had to force Alaina to cross, but tough shit. She’s here which is all that matters.
“She’s having strange memories.” His eyes perk. “She knows about things and places that she shouldn’t.”
“Like what?” Eric stuffs his hands in his pocket in an act of indifference, but he’s hiding something; I'm sure of it.
“Like when she transported us away from Kakos, she had to have pictured the healer’s house in her head. And when I found her in the house, she knew about my scar, that it was healed there.”
Eric’s gaze blanks. “I think you’re blowing things out of proportion. I'm sure there’s a logical explanation.”
“Really, like what? The princess never left the castle, how would she have known…” He isn’t even paying attention. I follow his stare, but I already know what has caught his attention. Alaina’s back.
Chapter Fifteen
Alaina
“I know you.” The words leave my mouth without a second thought. “You’re the one who saves me in all of my dreams.” Those green eyes and dirty blond hair have been fixed in my head for as long as I can remember. Though he was only a boy the last time we were together, I would recognize him anywhere. His oval face and pointed nose haven’t changed a bit.
“Alaina, this is Eric.” I know Brady is the one who spoke, but for the life of me, I can’t take my eyes off Eric. He’s real. How can he be real and nothing else?
“I remember you.” Memories I didn’t know I had flood back. I speak, not knowing what I’m going to say. “We were friends. You came to my house every day. You used to take me to see the warriors train. I always annoyed you, asking questions about the warrior with blue eyes. You took me that day, to watch the new warriors get selected. The night the war broke out in the village, you saved me, took me to the woods. You put something around my neck and whispered something I did not understand. Then there was a bright light followed by darkness.”
Eric pauses briefly then shakes his head. “Brady mentioned that you have all these memories but let me assure you that they are not real. As I was about to explain to him, when I took you from the castle to send you to the human realm, there was a memory block on your orb that, when put on, pushed fake memories into your head just in case some of them came through. It would have been very dangerous for you in the human realm to reme
mber who you actually are.”
His explanation feels wrong, rehearsed. Why give me memories of Brady’s soulmate? Why give me memories at all? Wouldn’t it be good if my real memories resurface making my transition easier? None of this makes any sense.
Eric’s eyes tell me there is more he’s not sharing. “I know this must all be very overwhelming for you. I lived and worked in the castle, so yes, we knew each other, and were friends. Sometimes I would help you sneak out of the castle so you could watch the warriors.” He’s backpedaling, filling in the holes that are missing from his story. “I’m sure you have a million questions that I will be happy to answer for you once we get settled back at Prince Henry’s castle. For now, I’m hoping you will trust I have your very best interest at heart. Can you do that? Please?”
“Okay, that makes sense, I guess,” I lie. “And yes, all of this has been very overwhelming. I’m exhausted and in desperate need of food. I trust you Eric, one hundred percent.” That I know is true. I trust him. Maybe it’s foolish, but I do. He would never hurt me intentionally, though I’m almost positive he has yet to tell me the whole.
Eric turns his attention to Brady. I almost forgot the warriors were here. “You have brought great honor to Nysa by bringing our princess back safe and sound, Brady. I’m sure you’re exhausted as well. Henry has charged a few of his guards to begin Alaina’s training. It will start first thing tomorrow.”
“Fuck that!” Brady snaps. “We are her warriors, and I will train her personally. Her safety is too damn important to be left up to guards from another kingdom whom we hardly know.”
“Sorry, orders are orders, direct from Henry. We’ve had a lot of activity going on; we need you to lead your team on recon missions and ensure Wright’s men are not advancing.”