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My feet knew the way and carried me to the door that led into the great hall.
Without thinking about it a second time, I tore it open and immediately felt the gazes of hundreds of pairs of eyes on me. While at first there was apparent surprise in them, it quickly turned into an expression of recognition, while in Aspasia's blue eyes, the fire of knowledge glowed. She stood amid a group of women who seemed to have just arrived, carrying only a small bag in their hands or what they wore on their bodies. She exchanged a few words with her neighbor before walking in my direction.
Her look was serious. I did not receive a smile this time, although compassion was written on her face.
"Myrina, it …" I cut her off before she could continue. I didn't want to hear she was sorry. It gave me the feeling of having already lost Charly completely. That could not be because, for her sake, I was ready to fight, and every spark of hope would give me a little more strength.
“I’m here to join you,” I explained to her without mincing words. Understandingly, Aspasia nodded at me.
“But there is one condition,” I demanded.
The woman across from me tilted her head questioningly. “And what would that be?”
"I'm only here at night to plan with you and …" My gaze drifted to the fighting shadows in the background. "… And to train with you. During the day, I will be at home to keep up appearances. I will share with you every piece of information I get from my father and brothers. Besides, I know the ports of New York like the back of my hand, as my father used to take us there very often."
Aspasia looked at me thoughtfully. Was her invitation no longer valid?
"As you see, I will be useful to you," I quickly added. However, the blonde rebel still did not answer.
Hoping to convince her, I pulled my last ace out of my sleeve.
"Also, I know of another underground tunnel system where I train with my brother and fiancé several nights a week." I had decided to keep Jack and Edward to myself for now. After all, I didn't know if I could trust them.
Aspasia’s face brightened at the word tunnel system. Then she grinned audaciously at me. “You had already convinced me atI’m here to join you, but my gut told me you hadn’t remained inactive yourself, and I was eager to learn more.”
Puzzled, I looked at her, and then I also had to laugh. "I don't want to ever play cards with you. I wouldn't stand a chance with your poker face."
Aspasia winked at me but immediately became serious again. "Have you really thought this through? How will you manage the days if you don't sleep at night?" she questioned.
"Don't worry. I have plenty of time to sleep during the day. And since I'm always in my room anyway, except for short visits to the garden or the salon for embroidery, no one will notice if I lie on the bed in between."
"Well, then everything is settled. Now you only have to pass our Amazon admission ritual," Aspasia told me and went off in the direction from which the sounds of metal on metal were coming this time.
"Amazons? Admission ritual?" I asked, dumbfounded, and simultaneously, a knot formed in my chest.
“Yes, that’s right. We call ourselves the Amazons. Do you know their history?” Aspasia wanted to know. My first thought flew straight to the strange dream I had recently had. The one in which I was an Amazon queen. But I shook my head. After all, it had only been a dream.
“With your name, I would have expected you to know about this tribe of women,” she noted in surprise.
“What does my name have to do with it?” I returned uncertainly.
"Myrina was an Amazon queen. Didn't you know that?" The young woman answered my question and turned to the training course we had reached.
Without waiting for a reaction from my side, she began to tell me the story of the Amazons and how they lived and fought. But my head was buzzing because all this coincided with my dream. However, I kept the memories of my own experience among these mythical warrior women to myself and vehemently pushed them aside.
"After we got together here in the tunnels, we wanted to give the group a name with meaning. So, we decided to call ourselvesthe Amazons. Just like those epic women of legend, we take our destiny into our own hands and have created a small female state down here," she concluded her narrative.
Was it this very thought that had also pushed me here to this women's group? My wish for years was to determine my fate, make my own decisions, and fight for them. Would it be fulfilled here? Was this the reason for my dream of an Amazon queen named Myrina? Was it part of my destiny, just like Helen of Troy, to answer a calling and leave everything else behind? To take whatIwanted? It had to be because I felt I had finally found my place in this stormy world, here among these women, amongthe Amazons.
“What’s the deal with the entrance exam?” I asked, determined to earn that spot.
“We need female competitors who have assertiveness, fighting spirit, and a certain level of physical fitness. Therefore, every aspirant must face a duel. You too.” Her gaze slid over my appearance.
"Fit, you look, and fortunately, you have put on something other than a nightgown this time. It's not quite ideal, but at least you can move freely. Just take off your socks for better balance,"she said, pushing me further towards a ring where two women were training in a martial art similar to kickboxing.
“Maggy!” shouted Aspasia to the two fighters. One of them raised her head. She was about my height, an athletic figure, short black hair with reddish tips, and a face as if carved from stone, with hazel eyes that held a fire that fascinated me.
In mid-motion, she stopped and came running toward us.
