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"Unless we can stop him from finding Hades and Hecate and taking their power," I replied.
"Then that's what we'll do," he said, as if it was a simple matter. "We'll return to the city and figure out where to start."
"I need to find others like me," I said. "Helene claimed they're out there. The soldier with the scar spoke of a hemitheos council." I stopped and narrowed my eyes. "Would you really have let Dex execute me?"
Bain looked embarrassed, but shrugged. "I couldn't stop him if he insisted, but I would tell him what I sense about you."
"Oh?" I cocked my head and tried to keep from drowning in the depths of his eyes. "What is that?" His scent was heady; sandalwood laced with musk and something else. Something warm, but kept under careful control.
"I sense sincerity," he replied. "I sense a woman whose heart is in the right place. I sense fear of what might come, but determination to stop Comus from destroying the world. Perhaps regret for her part in it, but short of dying, you couldn't have stopped them."
"I know," I replied quickly. "But my curiosity got the best of me as well. And—" I sucked in a breath and inhaled the evening smells of the trees and plants around me. "He promised freedom. He lied about the form of it, but it sounded wonderful."
Bain paused for a few moments. "After all you went through to avoid slavery, you wanted that for everyone else?"
"Exactly." I looked regretful.
Bain grazed my cheek lightly with the back of his hand. "That's not a bad thing to want. For all we know, he could have made it come true and everyone would have lived their days in bliss." The side of his mouth quirked.
"When you put it that way, it seems ridiculous."
"Not ridiculous, just idealistic."
"That's a better word than dumb as fuck."
"Much better," he said with a firm nod.
"What is Dex going to say?"
Bain lowered his hand. "Dex will look forward to the challenge of stopping an evil demigod from destroying the world. He gets bored sometimes."
I smiled ruefully. "I suspect the next while will be too much excitement for all of us."
"I think you might be right." His eyes lingered on my face for a while and he smiled softly. "Whatever reasons the Covener had for sending you to the Vault, I'm glad he did."
"I'm glad too. Helene would have taken me either way and if she had, I would have been on my way to the hemitheos court right now."
"You wouldn't have let them force you to go," he said.
"Yes I would. I won't be like her or Comus. I won't use my power to hurt people. I will use it to stop him." I was done being a pawn in other people's plans. From then on, I would be the one making plans. They would have to fit in with me, or at least offer viable alternatives to my ideas.
"I believe you," Bain said softly. "I'll do whatever I can to help you." He stepped away from me with reluctance. "We should get some rest," he added in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Although maybe after Kerina tells us all why she's afraid of cows."
Kerina gave him a dirty look, then stuck her tongue out at him.
"That's blatant insubordination," he said, but she seemed amused.
"It is, isn't it?" Kerina replied. "I guess I should take some more training, my discipline is slipping."
I lay down with my head on my pack and pulled a blanket over myself. The last thing I heard was a chuckle. I thought it was Bain, but I wasn't sure.
* * *
"I'm notsure where he came from, sister." The nurse kept his voice low, so as not to disturb the sleeping man. "He staggered through the clinic doors and all but collapsed at my feet. He was as naked as the day he was born." The nurse noticed the expression on the other nurse's face. She looked as though she might peel back the blanket and peek.
"Before he fell asleep, he told me he woke in an alley not far from here. He has no idea how he got there. He claims to have no memory of his name."
"Curious," the second nurse said. "Was he injured? Maybe he hit his head. Or had it hit for him. He wouldn't be the first to have that happen."
