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As I led them to our encampment, Oz looked around, taking in what he’d missed before. “What’s with this army? Why are you leading them?”
I glanced at him, wondering how he’d react. “I’m going to reclaim Athain.”
“What?” Zora’s eyes widened. “And Nyana? What about her?”
Coldness seeped into my voice, one I hadn’t felt in a while.
“I’m going to make her pay for what she did to my father.”
Chapter 12
Kael
ThevibrantchaosofSailtown was pure sensory overload. Shadows shifted in the corners of my vision, as the narrow pathways of the canyon seemed to pulsate with the hum of whispers, a cacophony of distrust as the rebels arrived on their deaza, walking through the assembled Niothe.
Walking amidst the Niothe soldiers, I felt as if I was back on display in the colosseum. It wasn’t just the inescapable weight of their gazes, but the murmurs that filled the air every time I passed. But it wasn’t admiration or desire in their stares. No, it was the cold, prickly touch of hostility, like walking through a cobweb in a forgotten corridor. They knew Theron, trusted him. I was the other, in every way. Sálfar, rebel, slave... Different.
The rebels at the rear, winding through with their lumbering deaza, finished arriving, circling up as we would in the deep desert. But it wasn’t to fend off a lobaros attack. They didn’t trust the soldiers any more than the soldiers trusted me. Sand swirled around my feet, and I tried to pull my necklace in place. Originally, the tiara had seemed like the best idea, but I realized it was a liability. I was used to moving through the shadows, being able to blend in and I couldn’t do that in a crown. When I’d told Theron, he’d presented me with this necklace, a twin to the tiara I’d claim.
Roza stalked by me, her features drawn.
“Hey, Roza. You alright?”
She stopped, looking around before noticing me. “Oh, hey. Yeah. I’m fine. Just a little misunderstanding.”
“What happened?”
“I may have kidnapped the Marshal’s cousins,” Roza replied, her cheeks flaming red. “I thought they were spies.”
A smirk teased the corner of my lips. “How many broken bones do they have?”
She rolled her eyes but seemed a smidge relieved that I wasn’t angry. “None. The male was a capable fighter, but stopped once we captured his twin sister.”
Twin sister? My mind went back to the days in Adraedor during Varzorn’s visit. Zora and Oz? What in Atar’s name were they doing in the desert?
“No harm done.” I bumped into her with my shoulder. “Maybe you’re going soft.”
She snorted. “This from the girl fucking an elf.”
“You should try it sometime. Their stamina is incredible,” I winked, and she sputtered. “Go to sleep, Roza,” I urged, my tone softer now. “You look dead on your feet.”
“Alright, alright.” She nodded, disappearing into the shadows of the canyon walls, leaving me on my quest for Theron.
I found him further ahead, bathed in the rosy hues reflecting off the red stone. He was every inch a warrior king—all coiled power and raw determination. Theron stood tall with broad shoulders, his shoulder-length black hair tied into a tail, with pieces falling out around his face. His bronze eyes smoldered as he watched his soldiers march past, and my skin flushed at the sight of him. He had an air of confidence that was incredibly attractive, like there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. His armor shone in the early morning light, metals of varying shades woven together. I’d seen what he was capable of when wearing that armor, the magic he could pull. He was more powerful than any other man I’d ever seen, as if Atar had come again.
A surge of longing went through me, tightening my nipples and stealing my breath away.
He caught sight of me and grinned—a wolfish, roguish smile that promised pleasure. My heart fluttered.Love.This was what love was like. It was still a new concept to me. I wavered between wanting to tell him all the time and being so shy that I could hardly stand to look at him.Get it together, Kael.I walked to his side, enveloped in the intoxicating scent of leather and citrus.
“Do you remember Oz and Zora?” He nodded toward the two figures beside him. The pampered Elven nobles of before were gone, replaced by tattered robes and sand-crusted hair.
“Of course,” I murmured. “Are you two alright?”
Oz gave a nonchalant shrug, his topaz eyes glinting with fatigue. “We’ve been better.”
Zora’s gaze, meanwhile, roved over me, her mouth hanging open. “You look... different.”
Chuckling, I raised an eyebrow. “Is it because I’m not half-naked this time?” The joke made Zora burst into a snorting laugh.
