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Sticking together, we started looking for the middle girl, continuing in the tree line and keeping quiet.
"Why are we looking for Efari again? We already caught her," Kadeia complained loudly.
Both Thos and Maderes shushed her. I looked into her small chubby frowning face, her eyes a piercing blue like my mother's and full of innocence, and said, "We are playing a new game, and you need to be very quiet to win. We are looking for Efari because she is winning by being very quiet." Her competitive need to win against her older sister had her nodding her understanding, and she covered her mouth.
A scream sounded from nearby and my heart cried out. A child's scream—Efari.
We raced toward it, not caring that the low branches of the trees scratched my skin nor that the thick roots poking out of the ground made me stumble. I clutched Kadeia to me tightly, shielding her. She seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation, crying quietly.
I wanted to praise her and also scream in frustration as her tears soaked my tunic.
She shouldn't have to go through this. She should be allowed to scream and cry like a normal child.
We came to an abrupt halt when we spotted Efari in the hands of a slaver, squirming and crying. Behind them was a bored faei, waiting to portal them away. I shoved Kadeia into Thos's arms and said, "Get home." I stared hard at Maderes too. She would be the first to jump into a fight, but I needed her to protect Thos and Kadeia. She nodded stoically, and I gave her a quick smile. "I love you all."
Tears pricked my eyes, but I steeled myself and charged toward the slavers before I could talk myself out of it. I knew I wouldn't win against two grown adults. I wasn't expecting to. I just wanted to free my sister, even if that meant taking her place in slavery.
She stopped squirming when she saw me, and with a teary cry, she called my name.
I caught them by surprise, racing straight into them and knocking the slaver’s grip loose on her. I tugged her away, then pushed, shouting, "Run!"
A loop of rope was thrown over my head and tightened painfully. I fell to the ground, kicking dust up around me, fighting for breath and tugging at the rope. I heard more screams, but I couldn't decipher them. Panic gripped me. A large body sat on me and roughly tugged my hands away from my neck to tie them together.
I was caught.
Just not the way I had expected to be when I came into the orchard that morning.
As I was hauled to my feet, my head swam, and my eyes streamed. My heart dropped when I saw the frightened faces of my siblings staring back at me, each in the grips of a slaver. Even little Kadeia had a rope as thick as her arm wrapped around her neck. They looked at me, hope dwindling in their eyes, and I had to look away and bite back a sob. The slaver tugged on my rope, and I knew this was my last chance, my last time to see them.
"We will see each other again," I promised. Thos's bottom lip wobbled, but he nodded. "I love you." The anger in Maderes's eyes dimmed as she mouthed the words back. Efari and Kadeia continued sobbing, calling for me, their faces red and wet, but I knew they heard me. I wanted them to hold on to that hope.
We would see each other again.
The thought echoed around my head as the dream changed, and I was left feeling out of breath from the emotions still coursing through me.
Trying to identify where I was now, what memory I would be forced to relive, I noticed that the tree trunks looked thinner, but their leaves were still a rich green and the branches were heavy with golden fruit.
Still on Tartarus.I noted.
I walked steadily along a dirt path. I was no longer a boy. I was a man, a titan, but my coloring was different. I wasn't myself.
Who am I?
I tried to take stock of this new body, noting the heavy footsteps that felt more defeated than strong, the tightness and soreness to my eyes, which felt like I had spent the night before crying.
The most obvious and striking thing was the feeling that I was walking around with a hole in my chest. I looked down to double check, but nothing appeared wrong. Yet something felt missing. Something that caused tremendous pain.
It was reminiscent of how I felt before I met Clawdia, but that was a small ache and something I had lived with my entire life. It had been practically unnoticeable. But this, this felt fresh, raw, like a stab to the gut and I was pouring blood.
At my side, an elderly titan lady was chirping happily, but there were pain lines around her mouth. "Your brother is coming home. The Fates announced it. They are gods among us now. With a soul mate. Nisha."
"Nisha?" I asked. It was disturbing to hear a stranger's voice come out of what felt like my mouth, but I tried not to get distracted.
There was a slight pout and upturned nose as she said, “Nisha. She’s akari."
"How … exciting for them." But my tone was not excited.
"We have all been suffering since the..." She rubbed her chest, and I found my hand copying her, rubbing my own. Although it didn't stop the horrendous ache inside. She continued, "Fall ... So, I thought we could arrange a welcome home celebration. It might help everyone feel a little more … joyous."
