by A K Clark
“Isn’t that what you bastards have been doing? Exiling the men so you can swoop in and take the women? Burn the communities to the ground with the women and children trapped?” His accusation surprised me. I’d never felt unsafe around the members in Delphi. This man didn’t know what he was saying.
Isaias stood and backed up a few steps, the man’s words unsettling him.
“Members do not harm people. We wouldn’t harm women or burn communities. We prevent those crimes.”
“It’s what happened in Thebes.” The man pointed to the remaining men. “Those three told me as much. They exiled them for—”
“Shut up, Taryn. You’ve already said too much,” one man said through gritted teeth.
Isaias looked at Darrien, his face scrunched in confusion.
“Thieves took the polis while everyone slept,” Theo said, dismissing the lies with a wave of his hand.
“Who told you that? One of your precious members? How do you think he escaped a horde of bandits who attacked in the middle of the night? Surely they would have been smart enough to kill the polis guards before they took the town,” Taryn said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Theo scrutinized the man, considering his words. I looked at Darrien but couldn’t get a read on him. We needed more information and this Taryn wouldn’t be helpful. I took a chance and walked to the men who had yet to speak.
“What happened?” I asked.
“The members attacked the town. We went to a friend’s house at the edge of the city and were a few glasses in when it happened.” He trailed off, unable to finish. Blood had dried on his upper lip. I grimaced.
“What?” I asked, placing a hand on his arm. He looked at it in disbelief, but the small kindness helped him finish the story.
“It started with a woman screaming. We started toward town, trying to figure out what was happening. When we came close to the market, there were dead bodies already.”
One of the other men picked up where he left off, his voice gravelly with emotion. “We weren’t close enough to intervene—two drunken cowards. We knew the men were members. They were the ones who helped exile us.”
“Why were you exiled?”
“Because we found out they’d converted. They threatened us, saying if we told anyone they’d hurt our families. We let them cast us out to keep them safe.” Shame flickered in his eyes. “The night of the ransack, we heard screams coming from the town.” A sob racked the man; he bent his head to hide his tears. “When we looked back, we saw the fires.”
Watching a man cry was a foreign thing, and the sight of these men who’d lost everything resonated with the broken part of me.
“Your family?” I whispered the question.
“Gone,” he said. When he looked at me his eyes were shuttered. He retreated into himself, finding the place in his mind that kept the pain away. A place I knew well.
“What about Zeus? Did you see him?” I described him to the man. My gut clenched when I pictured him doing such terrible things. No, he couldn’t be involved in something so evil.
“If he wasn’t with the men ransacking the polis, he’s dead,” the man replied. I pulled back, turning to hide my tears. A delusional part of me hoped Zeus had escaped. If what the man said was true, I prayed he died fighting the men who destroyed the polis.
I stood, bracing myself against a tree, my heart heavy with sadness for the man. His family burned to death just like Vero had. My stomach turned, and I thought I might be sick. The sound of the crackling fire brought back more violent imagery of Vero’s death.
I laid my head against the tree and closed my eyes, trying to shut it out. Breathing until my nausea subsided. No longer queasy, I focused on the questions Isaias asked the men. It didn’t block the sound of the fire but curiosity overrode the panic tightening my chest.
When Isaias ran out of questions, we were all tired.
“You have to untie us,” Taryn said.
“We don’t have to do anything,” Theo said. “Now be a good boy and go to sleep.”
Taryn struggled against his ropes to get to Theo, but they didn’t budge. The men had given them enough room to breathe and nothing more.
“Taryn,” Nisus said, “let’s rest. I’m sure these men will let us go in the morning. It’s what any honorable man would do.” He gave Isaias a pointed look.
It wasn’t easy falling asleep. The bandits had brought back my anxiety. Every sound I heard had me stiffening, my body preparing for another attack. I wasn’t sure if I believed the stories these men told but it was hard to fake that kind of pain. Would Isaias let them go? Would we be safe if he did?
26
Ripples of vibrant purple and pink clouds filled the sky, stretching across the wide expanse blending seamlessly with the orange horizon. I stretched, shaking off the stiffness from sleeping on the ground and eyeing the men who had ambushed us. Some slept slumped over at uncomfortable angles, but I couldn’t find enough pity within me to untie them.
The pain in my head from smashing the man’s face had subsided, but two dark bruises had formed under his eyes. I walked the perimeter of the camp trying to ease my restlessness. While I checked on the horses, I heard the faint scuffling of feet. I froze, listening intently for the noise. There it came again. I set off in the direction of the sound, making as little noise as possible, taking care not to alert whoever it was of my approach.
My heart felt like it would break out of my chest as I crept closer to the sounds of struggle. Then, I heard a familiar grunt and almost sagged in relief. It was Theo. I let out a low, strangled laugh. I’d thought it was another group of bandits.
Isaias held Theo to the ground in a headlock. Theo pulled at his arm to no avail. I watched them curiously. I’d only seen one fighter use the move before and my teachers hadn’t taught it, saying it was a dirty trick used only by roughnecks in the streets.
“Do you concede?” Isaias asked. Theo bucked under his deadly grip once more before raising a hand. His face had grown bright red under Isaias’s hold. I smiled as I hid behind a tree, trying not to laugh at Theo as he sucked in sharp breaths, recovering from the fight. He took more than enough joy in beating me senseless. Seeing him defeated was a great way to start my day. He deserved a good ass kicking.
“Would you like a turn, Pythia?” Isaias asked, pinning me with a wry look. I reddened with embarrassment. Apparently my approach hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“You haven’t trained since we’ve left Delphi. You need the practice.”
“I’ll spar with you…under one condition,” I said.
“Oh?” The edges of his mouth tugged up in amusement.
“Teach me how to break the headlock.”
“Now, pull your head back toward me,” he said as he wrapped an arm around me from behind. I did as he asked.
“Good. Place your fingers on the inside of my arm. Now tuck your chin, then wrap your right leg around mine.”
I stood, but he corrected me.
“Don’t stand—sink into my hold, round your back.”
I sunk down, curling into his hold as instructed. My back brushed against his stomach as I came into the correct position.
“Now, step out with your left leg and pivot to face me but don’t let go of my arm.” I did as he instructed and, much to my surprise, broke his hold. “Good. Next time, when you pivot, pull my arm across your body.” I repeated his instructions until I threw him to the ground.
“Good. Now for this hold, you’ll want to disarm me differently.”
Before I registered his words, he stepped next to me, wrapped his arm around my neck and pulled me down, lacing his fingers together, locking me in the hold. I gasped for air as he squeezed. He had me in a vulnerable position, but I knew he wouldn’t do anything untoward.
If I hadn’t been struggling to breathe, being locked in his arms might have been thrilling. Being close to him reminded me of our conversation during Thargelia and the lingering tension between us. Ultimately, my b
ody’s desire to survive trumped its growing want for Isaias and I struggled to break the hold.
“Turn your head toward my body so you can breathe.” I followed his instructions, and then he released me. I glared at him and rubbed my neck.
“What?” He raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “You thought there was only one type of chokehold?”
“I guess I expected more of a warning before you bent me over in a headlock.”
“To break that one, you can either try to hurt the attacker by hitting their stomach or other sensitive areas.” Isaias smiled with embarrassment as he clarified what he meant with a gesture. “Or you can shove your hand into their face and stand up. It will force the attacker back and give you an opportunity to break the hold.”
We continued practicing until I broke the hold. It was harder to get out of than the other one, but with his instructions, and a few more tries, I broke it.
“Good. It won’t be as simple in a real fight, but if we practice enough, your body will know what to do.”
“Thank you for showing me.” My smile fell when I saw his scratches from the previous night’s scuffle. Most were shallow, but he had them all over his face and shoulder.
“Wait here, I want to clean those.” I took off toward camp to retrieve my medicines. When I returned, I sat in front of him on a rock to clean the wounds. I poured wine onto the cloth I’d brought and dabbed it over the injuries. I tried not to notice how close we were or how much I liked taking care of him. Isaias was mostly quiet until I came to a big gash. He gripped my shoulders, hissing in pain.
“Sorry,” I muttered, pulling back and waiting for him to tell me when he was ready for me to keep going. He gritted his teeth and nodded. Luckily, the rest were smaller and didn’t sting as much. I felt his gaze on me as I worked. After expertly avoiding getting lost in his eyes, I rubbed some of Ivien’s honey mixture over the affected areas, coating them all with a thin layer.
The combination of the alcohol and honey would help keep the cuts from getting infected. I wouldn’t worry about such small injuries if we were in Delphi, but as it was, we were on the road and didn’t have the luxury of bathing, much less tending to wounds with fresh water.
“That should do it,” I said as I wrapped my supplies.
“Alex,” Isaias said, waiting for me to look up before continuing. “Thank you.” His eyes filled with affection. I did my best not to fall into the hug he gave me. “Let’s go eat. I’m famished.”
After eating another ration of bread and dried meat, Isaias pulled Chad, Darrien, and Theo aside to discuss the bandits. I stifled the urge to insist they include me. The bandits had revealed devastating details. I wanted to give them time to process the information and set a path forward as official Members of the Order.
Darrien’s face was blank as he listened to Isaias, but his hands clenched and unclenched. He didn’t agree with whatever Isaias suggested. Theo struggled to keep his voice down as he whispered fiercely at Isaias.
“All finished?” I asked Darrien as Isaias brushed past me with Theo and Chad hot on his heels.
“Isaias thinks we should release them so they can lead us back to their camp.”
“Release them?” I asked, eyebrows raising in surprise. I trusted Isaias, but letting them go didn’t seem like the best decision. I pulled out the blade strapped to my waist. I had no desire to be attacked again. This time I would not hesitate to stab anyone who tried to grab me.
“Easy, Pythia. They won’t hurt you,” Darrien said, confident in his abilities to thwart any threats.
“I know. If they try to harm me in any way, I will kill them.” I narrowed my eyes at him but he had looked away and didn’t see my annoyance. I didn’t need his protection.
Darrien turned, saw the look on my face and gave me a stern look, his eyes holding a hint of amusement. “Sometimes I forget you’ve learned to take care of yourself.”
“I don’t see how you could. I beat you more than a few times sparring.” I winked at him before joining the other men. Truthfully, I’d only beat him twice. His soft laugh followed me as I walked away.
“What makes you think we won’t just kill you after you let us go?” Taryn asked Isaias as I came to stand next to Theo.
“Because I know your friends aren’t stupid enough to try to save you when you attack me.” Taryn turned to look at his friends, who all avoided making eye contact with the belligerent man. His eyes widened in shock before he turned back to Isaias.
“Well,” he said, “are you going to untie us?”
“Maybe we should leave him tied up,” Theo teased. Taryn spat in response.
Honestly, any more spitting and he’d be a camel.
Theo shook his finger at Taryn and approached the man. “Ah, ah, ah. Do you really want to spit at the man cutting your ropes? They’re so close to your wrists…” Theo grabbed Taryn’s wrists before quickly cutting the ropes away. “Lucky I didn’t slip,” he growled. Taryn paled at the blatant threat.
The man rubbed his wrists before scrambling away from Theo to stand. Theo freed the other men without incident, but each wore wary expressions when he knelt to cut their ropes. Darrien came up behind me and the newly freed men registered his presence. He might not have been as skilled as Theo or Isaias, but he was pure muscle. His size made people uneasy. Chad lurked by the fire pit feigning disinterest.
“What now?” Nisus asked. The other men fell into a haphazard formation but flanked him nonetheless.
Isaias appraised the men with a small smile on his face before answering. I knew his amusement was a façade. I saw him analyzing how each man stood, searching for any sign of a threat before he responded.
“I’m sure you realize we mean you no harm.” He paused, waiting for Nisus’s nod of acknowledgment.
“If you two are done making eyes at each other, I’ve got to piss,” Taryn said, spitting on the ground and turning to find a place to relieve himself.
“I find him rather annoying,” I said.
Theo looked at me in surprise.
“What?” I asked. “He’s disgusting.”
As if to prove my point, Taryn stopped not twenty feet away from the group and turned to face us as he relieved himself. I blushed and looked away.
“See what I mean?” I whispered.
Theo sighed tiredly. “I will enjoy kicking his ass.” It was my turn to look surprised as he continued. “Men like that always pick a fight. Even when others have agreed upon peace, he will incite violence.” He looked thoughtfully at Taryn for a moment before perking up. “I bet you the last sack of wine, he will pick a fight with me before sunrise tomorrow.”
I shook my head. Theo seemed excited at the prospect of getting into a fight with Taryn. Men.
“You’re on.” We shook hands, but Theo’s eyes never left Taryn. He tracked his movements with a predatory gaze, waiting for the moment to strike. As predicted, it didn’t take long for a fight to break out.
27
We spent the rest of the day hunting for something more substantial than bread to eat. Nisus and his men bagged a squirrel each. Darrien, Theo, and I didn’t fare as well. After hours of trying, we came back empty-handed, something I was more than happy about. I didn’t think I had it in me to kill an animal. If it came down to starving or killing my food, I’d probably do it. But I hadn’t reached that point yet.
When we reached camp, Darrien and Theo set out to gather fresh kindling for the fire, leaving me with the other men. I surveyed their spoils, noticing Isaias and Chad had yet to return. Hopefully Nisus felt kind enough to share. My stomach panged with hunger at the thought.
I’d never eaten squirrel and the idea of biting into one wasn’t appetizing. The smell of cooking meat made me salivate, though. Nisus cooked two while the rest of the men skinned the remaining squirrels. Taryn seemed delighted as he cut a small incision in the animal’s hide, pulling the fur away. He sliced into the animal more savagely than the others. I frowned at the pleasure he took in mut
ilating the creature.
His movements slowed as if he knew someone was watching. He looked up from the animal, smiling when his dark eyes met mine. I tried to hide my growing revulsion, but Taryn recognized it and smiled.
“Would you like a turn, woman?” he said, holding the squirrel out as he approached. When I didn’t answer, he smirked. “Isn’t too hard, dear. Watch me.”
He showed me the incision he made in the hide and pulled up on the tail as his other hands pulled the animal’s front legs in the opposite direction. I suppressed the urge to shudder when the body jerked, the fur giving way under the pressure and ripping farther from the body.
“Oh, he’s a tough one,” Taryn said, almost sounding excited. “Watch this, you put his tail under your feet. See here?” he taunted, daring me to watch.
“Right, well, you put it under your feet, then you grab the hind legs with your hand.” He grabbed my hand and clasped it around the animal. I gasped and tried to wrench away, but he held me firmly in place. I tried not to vomit as he forced me to rip the animal’s skin from its body, the sound of it echoing in my mind.
“Then you just pull it like that, you see?” He let go of me and clapped me on the back. I shoved him away, unable to do more as I bent over to dry heave. He laughed as he stumbled.
“Leave her be,” Darrien growled from across the way, dropping the kindling he had gathered on the ground.
“No harm in it, friend. If she’s on the road, she should know how to skin an animal,” Taryn said, spitting on the ground as he stalked off. The man is mad.
I sat and tried to settle my churning stomach. It was too much. The skinning reminded me of Vero’s horrid death. Of Zeus even. He was freshly dead, just like the squirrel. Were his killers as cruel as Taryn? Darrien stooped down next to me.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I forced myself to stand on shaky feet, ignoring my nausea. I wouldn’t let Taryn take any more satisfaction out of this. Darrien held onto my arm.