The evening air was cool against Reiya’s skin as she stepped out of the bathhouse. Her skin felt supple, lightly fragrant from the oils and balms she’d smoothed over her body, a lingering luxury as she made her way through the market.
The bustling energy of the day had softened—sharp spices fadinginto the richer aromas of roasted meats and woodsmoke, mingling with the earthy scent of trodden soil and scattered embers.
As she walked, her mind returned to Solmaz’s words. The idea of submission wasn’t as defined as she’d once believed. She’d always imagined submission as surrender, a loss of freedom, but Solmaz seemed to embody a kind of independence that contradicted everything she’d been taught about Omegas and their connection to Alphas.
Could submission be something chosen rather than imposed?
Could it, somehow, lead to even greater freedom?
The thought unsettled and intrigued her in equal measure, leaving behind questions she didn’t know how to answer.
The streets grew emptier as she neared the caravanserai—the vast, open space just beyond the market where travelling merchants parked their wagons and set up camp for the night. A network of alleys and narrow roads led to the field where the wagons circled for protection, each trader and family staking out their space beneath the wide starlit sky.
There, the Xians’ fire would be waiting. A beacon of safety and familiarity.
Then, she saw Mei Mei.
The girl stood a few steps ahead, her small figure outlined by the firelight, still wearing the bright red tunic her mother had sewn for her.
Two men loomed before her, faces obscured beneath shadowed hoods. One crouched low, speaking to her, while the other stood watchful and silent, his presence heavy with quiet scrutiny.
A chill crept down Reiya’s spine.
After Jodhar, the sight of unknown men lingering near the young, innocent girl struck a nerve.
Urgency filled her voice as she rushed forward, eyes locking onto the girl. “Mei Mei!Chía sengü! Sö mo chayi raosi!”
Her words, telling the girl to step away from those strangers, sliced through the hum of the street.
One of the men turned—slowly, deliberately—his hood shifting just enough for the firelight to catch on something beneath.
A glint of gold.
Chapter Twenty
REIYANA
Reiya’s heart pounded as Mei Mei turned, startled but unafraid. A wide grin spread across that small face as she waved. The kneeling figure rose in one fluid motion, and now both men faced her—their features still hidden beneath the deep shadow of their hoods.
Reiya’s steps slowed, the flickering firelight teasing out familiar shapes—the curve of a grin half-hidden in the dark; the broad, grounded stance of someone who carried himself with ease.
She stopped, gasping, the world narrowing to the space between them. These weren’t strangers. The princes of Asadia stood before her, as solid and real as the ground beneath her feet.
The urge to throw herself into their arms, to feel the solid certainty of their hold, was nearly unbearable, but she forced it down.Their expressions mirrored her own—stunned, but soft with recognition. Even with her hair darkened and her silks exchanged for the plain garb of a Xûen woman, there was no disguising what passed between them.
Firelight glinted off Alarik’s narrowed eyes. Kaelendrin’s gaze lingered, lips parting as if to speak but stopping short. She traced over their desert-worn attire—layers of earth-toned tunics and loosely draped scarves, leather belts weighted with pouches and gear. Theyblended easily into the dust and shadow, yet there was no mistaking the quiet nobility threaded through their stance, the effortless grace in the way they carried themselves.
Her heart thudded, chest tightening beneath the weight of unspoken words. After days adrift in unfamiliarity, the sight of them felt like stumbling into the arms of something once lost.
She swallowed hard, blinking against the sting in her eyes. For a moment, no one spoke, until Mei Mei tilted her head and broke the silence, her bright voice cutting through the tension.
“Do you know them, Yara? They asked a lot of questions about the pendant.” Her small fingers were still wrapped around the wing-shaped charm dangling from the necklace around her neck.
Her throat tightened as she met their eyes. She dipped her head, swallowing the surge of emotions.
“Yes,” Reiya replied softly, her gaze shifting to the little girl. “We’ve crossed paths before.”
Mei Mei’s excitement, so unburdened and light, was palpable.
