by Frost Kay
“What key would that be?” Gav asked gravely.
“My womb.”
Silence.
Lilja’s smile was brittle. “In all this time, the Scythians have never stopped their search for the perfect warrior nor their desire to be flawless. But something happened because of all their experiments, something they didn’t plan for. Their women have become barren, or if they could have children, they’re malformed. Given how much they’ve put into becoming untarnished I’m sure you can imagine their treatment of any child who doesn’t fit that description. This has left them with a single option.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” Gav muttered, his facing going white.
“They need broodmares. They need wombs to grow more warriors. So…they’ve been taking women.” She paused and let that settle in.
“The raids disguised the disappearances,” Sam muttered with a hint of a growl. “How did I not guess?”
“You couldn’t have known, Spymaster. The Scythians guard their secrets jealously.”
“How do you know all of this?” Lelbiel asked, his whispery voice seeming loud.
“Because they used me as one of their broodmares.”
More silence.
Lilja swallowed hard and continued. “I was strapped down and forced to take only God knows what draught. Then I was given to a warrior, and well…use your imaginations.”
“Did they beat you?” Zachael asked bluntly.
A peal of bitter laugh rang out from Lilja, the sound eerie. “And harm the body that protected their young? No. But that’s not the only way to hurt a woman. I would take a thousand beatings before I wished their kind of torture on anyone.”
Tehl’s stomach churned. “How long, Lilja? How long has this been going on?”
“At least twenty years.”
He grabbed hold of the table to steady himself as the room tilted around him. “Twenty years? They’ve been raping our women for twenty years?” His voice rose. “How are we now just hearing about it?”
Lilja stared right through him. “Few have escaped, but those who have are turned away for speaking nonsense. Think about it, my lord. If you didn’t have proof, would you have believed such a story?”
Tehl panted heavily and thought about it. No. Shame and guilt clenched his stomach. “I wouldn’t. Without proof, such a tale would have seemed like a story spun for entertainment.”
“Indeed.”
“How many have…?” He stopped, he couldn’t finish the thought.
“This is not on you, Tehl,” Hayjen stated. “This problem rests at the feet of the Scythians, not yours.”
“Will they do the same to Sage as you?” Rafe asked Lilja in a surprisingly gentle tone.
Her hands clenched at her side. “There’s only one reason she would be taken to Scythia, especially when she was a difficult mark to obtain. She was targeted. Scythia wants her.”
“And what will they do with her?” Tehl had the strength to ask.
Lilja’s magenta eyes clashed with his. “Destroy her.”
Chapter Six
Tehl
Destroy her.
It didn’t seem possible for anything to destroy Sage. She conquered everything that came her way. But Lilja would never say something like that unless she meant it.
“We can’t know for sure that’s what he plans for her,” William offered.
Hayjen glanced at William, his expression grave. “We’ve seen this time and time again. Lilja’s not the only one to have had such an experience. You should be afraid for the consort.”
The gravity of the situation settled heavily over the group.
“Then what do we do? We can’t leave her there,” Gav barked.
“But what can we do?” Zachael asked. “If we cross the border, it will mean war. We have no idea what is on the other side of that wall. We cannot take them on.”
“What about a small rescue team?” Lelbiel offered.
“I have sent some of my best spies over that wall. None have come back. None. We would send the men to their grave.”
“So…what?” Rafe snarled. “We leave Sage to die? To be used as a broodmare of their young? I’ll not do it! She’s been hurt enough to last many lifetimes. I won’t let her live in that hell where she’ll be raped until she dies.”
Tehl felt the same way. Their gazes met and understanding passed between them. For the first time since they’d met, they agreed on something. “I’ll not leave my wife there.”
“So, what do you propose? You can’t go traipsing through the jungle to retrieve her. Aermia needs you here.”
He glared at his brother. “You don’t think I know that?” His swept the men with his glare. “You’re all aware of how Sage came to become my wife. I did my duty, and so did she. I will honor my duty to Aermia, but I also have a duty to Sage, not only because she’s my consort, but my friend.”
“What about a treaty?” Jeren suggested.
“What?” William gasped. “You want to make a treaty with those monsters? They deserve to rot where they are.”
“No, listen…” Jeren leaned forward in his chair. “Scythia has been preparing for something for a long time. Presumably to invade Aermia. But what if we threw them off balance by offering a peace treaty? Scythia has been excluded from other kingdoms for hundreds of years, and we have what they need. Women.”
“Clever,” Lilja mused. “But the warlord would see right through that. He’s cunning, ruthless, and arrogant. He would see the treaty for what it was, a final attempt to keep them from invading our kingdom. He’d strike before you had a chance to rally your men, but his weakness is arrogance.”
“So, we use that,” Sam proposed. “We don’t want them anywhere near Aermia, but if the warlord is as arrogant as Lilja claims, he’ll want to meet. If only to flaunt his army and Sage in front of us.”
“That’s a huge risk to take,” Tehl said, then glanced to Lilja. “Would that work? Would he fall for it?”
The captain pursed her lips before speaking, “He would suspect a trap, but it would be an enticing lure that he’d likely engage. The warlord would meet with you, but no doubt have his army at hand.”
“We’d need to have ours ready,” Zachael remarked.
“How much time would that take?” Tehl asked.
“We could be ready in four months.”
“Make it two,” Tehl commanded. “Every moment we linger here is another moment the princess suffers in Scythia.” He turned back to Lilja. “Would the warlord bring her to the negotiations?”
A bitter smile graced Lilja’s face. “He wouldn’t miss the chance to bait you. He’ll bring her, but you won’t be able to rescue her.”
Silence filled the room.
“Why?”
“You don’t understand the enemy you’ll be engaging. The warlord is not like you or me. He has plans, and then plans to cover those plans, and plans to cover those plans. He would never leave Sage open. She’ll be so heavily guarded, you won’t be able to breathe in her direction without a blade to your throat.”
“Then, why the ruse?” William asked. “The whole point is to retrieve Sage.”
Understanding dawned. “Because we’ll coax him out into the open. For the first time in years, he’ll be out of his fortress. He’ll be vulnerable. Vulnerability means mistakes.”
“We will never be able to get to her if she’s locked away. We may not be able to get to Sage at the negotiations, but afterward…” Lilja eyes held a predatory gleam, “she’ll be coming home.”
Tehl fought a shiver at the bloodthirsty expression on the captain’s face. Once again, he was happy she was on their side. She’d make a formidable enemy.
“So, we plan an assault for after the negotiations?” Sam asked, a faraway look in his eyes.
“Yes, but we also plan for one before and during,” Rafe interjected. “If he’s as brilliant as Lilja says, we need to have a backup plan and expect the unexpected.”
“Indeed…”
a deep voice said from behind Tehl.
The men around the table stilled, and then, in a flurry of movement, all stood and bowed. A heavy hand landed on Tehl’s shoulder and gave a squeeze. “Always expect those who act treacherously to be treacherous.”
Tehl peered up at his father, shocked at his presence. It had been years since his father visited the war room. “My king,” he said respectfully, and began to stand. The hand on his shoulder tightened and pushed him back down into the chair.
“This seat is yours, Tehl,” his father murmured. “I won’t take it from you. You have earned it.”
He blinked as he sank back into his chair, sifting through his emotions: pride, dread, and relief—mostly relief. It was reassuring to have his father by his side. Gav stood from his chair and pushed it over to the king. Tehl’s father smiled and patted Gavriel on the back before sitting. His white-blond eyebrows lowered over his blue eyes as he took in the group.
“So, what is being done to get my daughter back?”
There was a beat of silence before Sam, Zachael, and Jeren began explaining their plan. Tehl sat back in his chair and watched his father as the plan was laid out before him. The king rubbed at his chin after the explanation finished. He let out a long sigh. “Two months? That’s the best we can do?”
Zachael’s face screwed up. “I wish we could get our men together sooner, but we’ll have to collect the Guard from all over Aermia, gather weapons and supplies.” The combat master shook his head. “That will take time.”
“I understand. Thank you, Zachael, for your service.” The king scanned the group once more. “Thank you. You’ve all been fine advisors to my son. Those of you who are new, welcome.”
It still awed Tehl how his father could command people and bolster them. He smiled at the king, then addressed the group: “Start planning our assault. I would like to go over it tomorrow afternoon. Thank you, and good day.”
At his dismissal, his advisors began to remove themselves from the room.
“Captain Femi, would you please stay?” the king called over the thumping of booted feet against stone.
Lilja glanced at the king in surprise, and then to Tehl. He offered a slight shrug and eyed his father with curiosity. What did he want with the captain?
The king stood as Lilja glided to his side, Hayjen following behind. To Tehl’s shock, his father bowed low and kissed the captain’s hand. “My lady, I’m honored to host you in my household. It’s been a long time since the Sirenidae have graced these hallways.
Lilja’s eyes pinched. She yanked her hand from the king’s grasp and Hayjen pulled several daggers out. Tehl shot out of his seat and in front of his father. “What do you think you’re doing, Hayjen?”
“Protecting my own,” the big man growled.
Sam and Gav circled, letting their presence be known.
Tehl’s eyes snapped to his father and back to Lilja and Hayjen, tension filling the room. “What in the blazes is going on?”
His father responded without looking from Lilja. “Her kind are very rare and are to be treasured. The fact that she’s Sage’s guardian is beyond special.”
“Sirenidae?” Tehl repeated. “You’re not making any sense.”
“Your mum used to tell you tales of them.”
“Some say they were real at one time,” Sam said from his left.
“They are real, Samuel. Your mother has Sirenidae family.”
Tehl’s eyes rounded. Just when he thought his father was sane. Tehl shook his head in disappointment, then scrutinized the man and woman in front of him. He didn’t miss how, throughout it all, Hayjen and Lilja kept backing away from them. “Everyone needs to calm down. Obviously, there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“There’s been no misunderstanding, son.” His father moved past him and held a hand out with a dagger resting on his palm. Tehl shot a look at Sam. Where did he keep getting blades?
His brother shrugged and crowded in closer.
His jaw dropped in shock when his father knelt and held the dagger out to Lilja. “My family and I mean you no harm. I did not unveil your secret to all the council, just to my family. My wife made sure I knew the original stories, not the propaganda that Scythia began spreading years ago. You’re welcome in my home, not for what you can offer, but for the service you’ve done my family already. We are in your debt.”
Lilja’s unusual magenta eyes locked in on the king kneeling before her. She was quiet a moment before she plucked the dagger from his hand and handed it to Hayjen. “Friends should never bow to one another,” she said softly, helping his father up.
“Are we at peace?” his father asked, equally soft.
“We are.” Warmth filled her eyes when the king kissed her hand once again.
“Is no one going to explain the Sirenidae comment? Or the family part?” Sam demanded.
Tehl crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “Who are you, Lilja?”
A laugh bubbled out of the woman. “I’m many things: captain, pirate, survivor, guardian, wife, aunt, friend, lover, ally, Aermian, and…Sirenidae.”
“What does it mean to be Sirenidae?” Gav asked, silent up until now.
“It means I’m different from you, yet your eyes mark you as my family.”
Gav’s jaw dropped.
Tehl ignored his cousin and took a step closer. “Different how?”
She pulled in a breath, releasing it once Hayjen placed his large hands on her shoulders. “I grew up in the fifth kingdom.”
“Fifth kingdom? The underwater kingdom of legends?” Sam asked.
“Indeed.”
“How…?” Tehl blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. “You’re telling me the myths are real?” He eyed the woman. The stories painted Sirenidae as bloodthirsty, dangerous people.
Lilja observed his expression before answering. “Some myths are real, even the bloodier ones, but as a whole, Sirenidae are not killers.”
“You look so…” Tehl drew out, looking for the right word.
“Aermian?” she supplied.
“Normal.”
Sam sniggered. “That wasn’t rude…”
Heat crept into Tehl’s cheeks. “I meant that she looks like a woman.”
Lilja’s eyes filled with mirth. “Am I not a woman?”
“That’s not…” He heaved out a sigh and ran a hand through his inky locks. “I always imagined the Sirenidae as something akin to fish.”
There was a beat of silence before Lilja threw her head back and let loose a husky chuckle. “You have a way with words, my lord.”
He rubbed the back on his neck, embarrassed. “That’s what my family is always telling me.” He blinked, a thought occurring to him. “Does Sage know?”
“Yes,” Hayjen answered.
Tehl scoffed. “Of course she bloody well knew. Nothing escapes that woman.”
“She’s a smart one,” Sam muttered, plopping into a chair. “This is my question: how were they caught unaware?” Sam glanced at them. “Sorry for changing the subject, but I can’t figure it out. Garreth is one of the best Elite I know, and Sage, well, her sneaking and self-defense skills are excellent. How did Rhys surprise them?” Frustration tinged his brother’s voice.
Lilja propped a hip against the table. “I believe I can shed light on this as well. The Scythians are enemies like you’ve never faced before.”
“You’ve said that,” his father said. “What makes them so different? We vanquished them before.”
“That was before they were flawless.”
“They’ve always strived for perfection,” Gav reasoned.
“True, so are you saying now they’ve accomplished it?” Sam asked skeptically.
“Not in the truest sense, but in the ways that mattered most to them. Unparalleled beauty and an exceptional thinking ability are two.”
“Beauty is hardly dangerous,” Tehl said.
“It is when used the right way,” Sam said.
“Your brother’
s right, but there are more deadly qualities. Enhanced hearing, increased speed, and inhuman strength.”
“That seems impossible,” said Gav.
Tehl glanced at his cousin. “So did the annihilation of the Nagalians, and the existence of the Sirenidae.”
Sam quirked a brow. “Are you so quick to believe in this madness? You who never believes in anything but logic?”
Tehl tipped his chin at Lilja. “She’s all the proof I need. Her story does not conflict with any of my knowledge. It makes sense the Scythians would be enhanced. They’ve had hundreds of years to do God-knows-what to their people.”
“How did they accomplish such a thing?” his father asked.
“Science.”
Tehl wrinkled his nose at Hayjen. “That’s dangerous.”
Lilja shrugged. “It’s only dangerous in how it’s used. They’ve discovered and manipulated different essences from their jungles, the ocean, and from the red caves of Nagali. If used the right way, the plants could heal many in the kingdoms.”
“I don’t want any of that here,” Tehl barked.
“That’s your prerogative as crown prince. But I would like to leave you with this thought: would you let your people suffer because of your own prejudice?”
He blinked. When she put it like that, it made him feel like the villain. “We’ve done just fine until now.”
Lilja cast a glance at his father and he followed her gaze. The king stared at the floor with his shoulders slumped.
“Have you?” Her question was soft.
Anger burned in his chest at her cruel question. “That was a low blow.”
