It wasn’t until Nya’s dad signed the bill and put his card back in his wallet Nya’s anxiety eased. The last thing she wanted was an in-depth discussion on linguistics being a better career choice.
“Let’s take a walk before heading back. The town has changed so much since we were here,” Gia said. Ike smiled as he took her hand.
“This was my mother’s campus for her academy training,” Nya explained to Xari as they walked beside them.
“I didn’t know that.” She turned to Gia. “So, after you won the championships how long did you stay in Carpathia?”
Nya’s mother kept her eyes forward as her shoulders stiffened. “I didn’t win. An American Champion defeated Ike in the Trials. He came here for the Claiming Season, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Nya glared at Xari. It wasn’t like the media didn’t bring her father’s scandal up. Every. Single. Year. Why on Earth would she ask her mom about it?
What made it worse was the female that beat him was none other than the current Scythian Chancellor.
Now that Nya was a Champion, the press was bound to walk down memory lane. They’d start with old interviews of the Chancellor claiming that Ike was her top pick. And then they’d follow up with that awful footage from their final round, the one where her dad dove to the ground and stayed there, while Alexandra fell to her knees, pleading with him to get up. The incident had cast a shadow over Nya’s entire life.
Xari’s face flamed red. “I’m sorry. Of course, I knew that. I’m an idiot.”
Ike’s eyes warmed. “Don’t apologize. It happened long before you were born. And choosing Nya’s mother was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Gia changed the subject and pointed to various places, telling them about stories of her time in the academy. Xari kept the conversation going, asking questions and laughing at the right times, but Nya remained quiet. Her leg ached with every step, but she tried to keep an even pace so no one would notice. This little walking tour down memory lane distracted her parents, and she needed time to think.
According to Scythian law, the first round of the Trials allowed an Amazonian warrior to choose five males that she thought best matched her as an equal. The next round was dedicated to getting to know the males on a personal front. Candidates were encouraged to go beyond the arena and explore other avenues of interest, socially, emotionally, even sexually. The third and final round of the Trials set a challenge in the stadium between the Amazonian warrior and her Chosen. The male that proved his worth became the Amazonian warrior’s rovni, while the other four candidates were sent back to their champion’s academy. At the start of the Claiming Season, the roles shifted. Males then had time to choose five females that he deemed could be his equal, and the process started again. In both the Carpathian Trials and the Claiming Season, once a mate was chosen there was no going back.
On the rare occasion that someone protested the match, the Suveran, or leader of the region, ruled on the dispute. Nya shivered thinking about that. The Suveran over Carpathia was the very female her father had spurned all those years ago, Madame Executive Chancellor Alexandra Vasilica. Ike and Alexandra had managed to remain friends. Still, it would be smart to avoid having her rule on anything.
“Isn’t that Jax?”
Nya glanced up, her eyes following her friend’s gaze. Broad shoulders and dark hair stood a head taller than those around him. The Allos obsessed over even features and muscular bodies, and so they considered Scythians extraordinarily beautiful. Jax garnered attention every time he went to town with his dark hair, strong jaw, full lips, and muscular build. But his most striking feature was his eyes. Deep brown irises framed with thick lashes hid his thoughts well, although when he was angry, they sparkled like diamonds on dark velvet. At 6’7” he towered over most Allos but was an average height for a Scythian male.
He walked down the street, his hand on the small of a female’s back. Her dark eyes twinkled as she laughed at something he said. Her blouse clung to her curves perfectly, and her pants hung just at the end of her high heels, making her legs seem impossibly long. Between her outfit and her layered bob, she had an air of sophistication and polish. She looked to be in her early to mid-thirties, and her bronze complexion, dark eyes, and full lips led Nya to believe that her heritage most likely centered in Persia or India. Nya’s stomach churned as Jax leaned in, whispering something that caused the female to lay her hand on his arm. The move could hardly be considered inappropriate, but the way she looked at him made the gesture incredibly intimate.
“That must be the female he’s been seeing,” Nya said, her voice sounding off.
Xari turned, her gaze thoughtful. “Did Jax tell you about her?”
Nya shrugged not wanting to admit listening to idle gossip. “It doesn’t matter. Besides, he said today that he’s taken the rest of the summer to concentrate on his personal life.” She kicked a rock, watching it bounce across the road. “And she must be the reason why.”
Jax and the female reached a small pub on the corner. As he dropped his hand and opened the door, he looked their way.
“So. Mom. Dad.” Nya turned to her parents.
Ike kept his eyes on the pub’s entrance. “Yes, Pumpkin?”
“We leave tomorrow afternoon for Carpathia. Any idea how long the flight will take? And are you staying to see us off, or are you leaving first thing in the morning?” She kept her tone light.
Xari glanced over with a why-are-you-so-enthusiastic-now look, while Nya’s mom sadly smiled. “Your father and I will be saying our goodbyes tonight. We’ve accepted a mission in Russia for the next six months. We wanted to wait and tell you after the Championship.”
Nya glanced at her mother. “Would you still have gone if I didn’t win, or would we all be headed back to Ireland?”
The question hung in the air like a lead balloon.
Ike cleared his throat. “You won. That’s all that matters.”
Obviously, Jax had told her the truth about her parents’ backup plan.
Awkward silence loomed as they crossed the street.
“Pumpkin, you’re limping.” Her father stopped in front of the pub’s large storefront windows.
“I’m all right.”
Gia put her arm around her daughter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about your injury when I suggested a walk.”
Ike patted Xari’s back. “I’d love to hear more about your parents. Why don’t you go with me to fetch the car?”
Xari glanced at Nya; I’m sorry written all over her face. “Sure, Mr. Thalestris.”
Gia’s frame tensed as she met Ike’s gaze. His eyes sparked as he squeezed her hand. “You two stay here. We’ll only be a minute.”
People milled about as Xari and Ike started down the street. Desperate, Nya looked around for some other place to be. The last thing she needed was Jax looking out the window, seeing her waiting like some pathetic Dickens’ orphan.
She spotted a bus stop bench down the street. “Mom, do you mind if we sit?”
Concern deepened the creases around Gia’s eyes. “Not at all, sweetheart. Here, let me help.” She put her arm around her daughter’s waist, taking some of the weight off Nya’s leg. “You’ve overdone it. Why didn’t you tell us?”
Nya shook her head. “I’m fine. Just a little worn out. I helped track a mountain lion, and we didn’t make it back until right before the trials.” She groaned as she sat, keeping her hurt leg straight in front of her.
“Yes, I heard about that.”
Nya leaned back and rested her head on the hard-wooden edge. The silence became oppressive.
Gia finally spoke. “Nya, choosing your rovni is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Let me help you.”
Absolutely not. “I think I can handle it on my own.”
The black Range Rover pulled around the corner, and Nya exhaled in relief—until it slowed as the light in front of the pub turned yellow, then red.
Damn.
“Sweetheart, I know we never discussed what happened with Penn, but—”
“We are not talking about that.” Nya sat up straight.
“Honey, I’m worried about you.”
Nya stared at the light, hoping like hell the thing would turn green. “Don’t be. I’m fine, Mom.”
“No,” Gia’s voice grew husky, “you’re not. You won the championship, a feat only a few achieve. You should be overjoyed, and yet, you seem lost. Sometimes, it’s hard to look at you and see all that pain. It’s my fault you met Penn in the first place. I should have never—”
“Mom, stop. It’s not your fault, and Penn has nothing to do with how I feel.”
Even as she said it, Nya knew that wasn’t true.
Gia’s breath hitched. “I can’t ask you to forgive me, and worse, I’m afraid you may never heal. It breaks my heart.”
The last of Gia’s words cracked, and Nya scooted closer, putting her arm around her mother’s shoulders in a rare display of affection.
“There’s nothing to forgive, so stop with the guilt. And I’m doing the best I can,” Nya whispered, telling her mother the God’s honest truth. “I’ll go to Carpathia and pick five warriors, but you’re right. Something inside me is broken, and it’ll never be whole again. I’m disconnected like my emotions aren’t attached to me anymore. How can I be someone’s equal when the only thing I can offer them is my body?”
“Oh, Nya.” Her mother’s voice thickened. “You make it sound hopeless, but I promise, it’s not. Try and keep an open mind. I have faith there will be someone strong enough to break through that barrier you’ve built. And when that happens, you’ll find love.”
“I don’t believe in love. You know that.”
Gia’s eyes filled with tears. “Love exists, but you must let go of the past. Concentrate on the beauty around you and live in the moment you’re in.”
Nya just stared, trying to find something to say.
Gia wiped a tear from her cheek. “I sound like a sap, but it’s true. You’ve spent the past four years either worried about the future or trapped in the past. You may not understand right now, but someday I hope you will.”
The light finally turned green, and the Range Rover pulled forward.
“Dad’s here.” White hot pain licked up her leg as she stood. She welcomed it, allowing it to wash over her. A crying Gia Thalestris was an enigma. But pain, that was something she understood.
She started toward the SUV, afraid to look back. Gia finally got off the bench and followed.
The stoplight was headed from yellow to red by the time her father did a U-turn, and they ended up in front of the pub again. Nya couldn’t help searching for Jax’s dark hair and tall frame.
She found him easily. He and the female were sitting at a table near the front; their chairs scooted close. He looked into her eyes, his gaze intense.
Nya didn’t know if it was the constant pain she’d been in since the championship or the fact that her mother had brought up a subject that left her feeling raw.
Whatever the reason, for the first time in years her throat ached with unshed tears.
She kept her face toward the window, watching as Jax’s female ran her thumb along the side of his mouth, wiping a crumb from his lips. He smiled and leaned back.
There’s more to intimacy than sex, Vtachi.
That hollow ache in her chest intensified as Ike pulled away. Nya closed her eyes, trying to drown out the depressing thought that she would undoubtedly experience sex, but true intimacy, a connection with someone that understood her, was something she would never really know.
Chapter Nine
Jax stood outside the main conference room dreading the conversation ahead.
He’d seen Nya in town but couldn’t do a damn thing about it because he was in the process of telling Joanna goodbye. And now, as if things weren’t complicated enough, Ike Thalestris demanded a meeting. He took a few calming breaths before opening the door.
Ike stood at the windows, his back to him. “Who was that suka you were with last night?”
Well, at least he got straight to the point. Jax closed the door behind him and counted to ten. “Her name is Joanna, and she is no whore.”
“If she’s not your suka, then what is she to you?” Ike’s soft voice held such intensity he might as well have been screaming.
“With all due respect, Commander, that’s none of your business. But if you must know, she’s a fellow counselor and a friend.”
“I’ve researched every Scythian psychologist on the North American continent. I would have seen her name before now.”
“She an intellect and left the Society a while ago to specialize in Allos diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.”
Ike balled his hands into fists. “Why would you bring a defector and an Allos lover into this?”
“Defector is a bit dramatic, don’t you think?” Jax leaned against the large table, crossing his feet at the ankles. “Just because she chooses to live outside a compound and use her knowledge to help others doesn’t mean she should be drawn and quartered. Like it or not, both Allos and Scythian psychology are the same, and when it comes to Nya’s well-being, I’m willing to use whatever means available. Joanna is a wealth of knowledge and has used controversial but hugely successful techniques when dealing with the subject.”
“You’re sleeping with this female.”
“Again, not your business,” Jax calmly replied.
“As long as you don’t have your sights set on my pumpkin, you’re right.” Ike’s eyes found Jax’s. “But I’ve seen the way you look at Nya, and I know your reputation. It concerns me your name is on the list.”
“So, you demanded we meet to, what, warn me that you didn’t want a Tovaris claiming rights to your nata?”
Ike’s eyes flashed. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for your kind, even if you do skirt around the law. You know that.”
“Then what is this about? Why did you demand a meeting?”
Ike turned toward the window again as his voice became weary. “Fourth Gen has been working in conjunction with American counter intel. Last night, someone inquired about flights in the area heading to Romania.”
Jax froze at the change in subject. “You think the Drahzda know Nya is a champion?”
“It’s too big of a coincidence to assume anything else. We’ve ordered decoys on the commercial flights we scheduled for the champions, and the Chancellor is sending a private jet.”
Jax’s shoulders relaxed. “Good.”
“By the way, what did Nya say to you in the triage room, when I brought in her clothes?”
Jax smiled and eased away from the table. “It doesn’t matter what she said. The point is she’s waking up.”
Ike frowned. “And what does that mean?”
“That it won’t be long until she remembers. And when she does, God help you all.”
It took Nya little time to pack her belongings. The Society would provide any clothes and supplies they needed. They were instructed to bring only personal necessities.
But the idea of leaving behind everything made her uneasy, and so she stayed up half the night sewing a hidden sheath into the last of her leathers. By morning, her curved blade had a new home. She also packed her favorite hunting knife, ten arrow tips, a small medical kit, a few of her favorite tops, and three sets of bracings that fit her palms perfectly.
She held onto her pack like it was a lifeline as they got into the large SUV. Xari threw in her headphones, while Myrina stumbled into the very back seat. Thankfully, her broken arm still hurt, so the doctor gave her pain meds for the flight. With any luck, she’d sleep the eighteen hours, which included a layover in Paris. Cyrus was their official chaperone until their feet hit Scythian soil.
The first hour of the trip had Nya playing the “what if” game in her head—what if she wandered off and disappeared in Paris. Or what if she hid in the bathroom and missed her flight. Or what if—
“We’ll be at the Scythian airport within the hour,” Cyrus announced.
Nya sat ramrod straight. Wait ... what?
The sudden movement had Xari glancing over. She took out her earbuds and tucked them into her pocket.
“I thought we were flying out of Missoula.” Nya tried to keep the panic from her voice.
Cyrus glanced in the rearview mirror. “Change of plans. The Society sent a plane along with two formal embassy representatives. Good news is we won’t be departing the aircraft when they refuel in Paris. Once we reach Carpathia, you and the other regional champions will join the Madame Chancellor for a formal dinner.”
Excited, Xari leaned forward. “Oooh, and then what?”
The male smiled. “It’s a bigger event than usual, which has the press out in full force. There will be a meet-and-greet after the formal dinner. There, your guide will introduce you to your candidates. The council has thoroughly vetted these warriors, and they are the best match for you according to the personality profiles we created last summer. But if you don’t find them suitable, you have time to dismiss them and choose from the uncommitted, which are the males that made the list but were not matched by the profile data. Know that the decision to discharge a warrior should never be taken lightly. Once a male is released, he cannot be selected again. At the end of the first round, you will officially name five warriors that become your Chosen. And that’s when the fun begins.”
Nya felt like someone had dumped a cup of sand in her mouth. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she fought the urge to open the door and jump. Luckily, common sense took hold, and she sat back, staring blindly at the forest whizzing by.
“You okay?” Xari whispered.
Ashamed to admit she was scared, Nya said the first thing that popped into her mind. “I’ve only flown on the big airlines. Little planes freak me out.”
Xari patted her arm, but Nya kept her eyes on the window. Her emotions simmered close to the surface, and she didn’t want her to see. She hadn’t struggled with control in years, yet twice in under twenty-four hours she had the urge to cry. Really cry. Ugly, wailing, can’t-catch-your-breath-until-you-do-nothing-but-sob cry.
The Scythian Trials Page 9
