by Lizzy Ford
He didn’t speak and didn’t disappear.
Before I reached my bedroom, I could smell the invigorating scent of coffee. The minute I entered, I spotted the mugs of goodness on the table near the window – along with another statue of Mismatch.
Cerberus settled down to wait. I began drinking coffee, determined to outsmart Cleon some way.
Chapter Ten: Silent Queen
I awoke with a jolt and clutched desperately at the space around me, seeking a handhold as the vehicle tumbled out of control. My surroundings spun, and I was unable to focus on any one thing or understand the feedback my senses were sending me.
“Ssshhhh!” someone hissed.
Hands pressed me back while the night sky spun sickeningly overhead.
You’re safe.
I struggled and then went still, sucking in deep breaths and trying to focus. The ground beneath me was solid and warm and most importantly – stable. I was no longer in the truck, no longer rolling through the forest with glass shards pelting my skin and my neck being whipped every which way.
For a split second, I was back in the car again. I tensed, and the same hands pushed me back to the ground. The sensations abated, and I lay still, breathing heavily in the otherwise quiet night. Stars stretched overhead as far as I could see, unencumbered by trees. I strained to identify where we were. The forest around our compound was thick, and trees had surrounded the road we’d been on when the truck blew up.
But no trees were close to us. Twisting my head to see what was beyond my immediate surroundings, I realized we were in a stadium, near one sideline, in the shadow of the seats nearest us. The moon was high and to the east, appearing to rest at the top of the stadium wall.
“We got away, but they might still be close by. We have to be quiet.” Kyros was hunched over me.
I was bruised and sore. The pain I’d experienced in the vehicle was gone, and I quickly evaluated my physical condition before sitting up. I inched away from him and rested my back against the wall of the stadium.
Kyros-Paeon appeared every bit as beat up as I felt. My clothing was shredded and bloodied, and my hair tangled and matted. With trembling fingers, I touched my face and neck then my right side, recalling the puncture from the car.
You cured me! I said, glaring at him.
“Of course. It’s what we do.” Kyros was in charge. His brown eyes were twinkling as he glanced at me before looking out again over the large field.
No god – even one who heals – can be trusted. He will turn on you, Kyros.
“Look, lady,” he returned with some exasperation. “I get that you have an issue with gods. But Paeon saved you and your ...” He motioned to my stomach.
My breath caught, and I tensed.
Kyros rolled his eyes. “He says I wasn’t supposed to mention the fact you’re pregnant. But he saved all our lives and you should respect him for that. He didn’t have to do it.”
He did it because he wants something. I owe him nothing for helping me and if you tell anyone – ever – about my child, I will kill you myself. I returned icily.
“Considering that was your plan anyway, I’m not exactly threatened by the latest reminder you plan to murder me at some point,” Kyros returned. “Just … relax. Okay? You can be pissed at Paeon and me – or both of us – when we’re safe.”
If I had a knife …
“As a reminder, I can hear your thoughts,” Kyros said.
To Hades with a knife. If I weren’t so sore, I’d kill him with my bare hands.
He sighed, as if he really, truly didn’t know how terrible the gods could be. I wished I could convey the knowledge to him somehow. No human deserved what suffering Paeon was likely to inflict upon Kyros before this was over.
“You’re welcome,” Kyros murmured. “Did you know it’s a girl?”
Some of my anger melted, and I rested a hand on my lower abdomen. A girl would make for five queens in a row, assuming we both survived the next few months.
I didn’t know, I answered. She’s healthy? The bomb didn’t hurt her?
“They both are healthy. You’re carrying twin girls.”
Twins. I had never heard of anyone in the Bloodline birthing twins. How was it possible, when only one could rule? Would they both bear the curse, if I couldn’t rid the Bloodline of it during my rule?
Restless to continue my war, I wiped my face and sat up straight, testing my body. Where are we?
“Oh, about twenty kilometers from where we were supposed to be,” Kyros said with a snort.
You carried me twenty kilometers?
“Yeah. I played football in college. You’re pretty light.” He flashed a smile. “And Paeon can instantly heal any exhaustion, strains or muscle fatigue I feel. We make a good team.”
I pursed my lips. He already understood, without a shred of doubt, what I thought of his team.
What of Herakles and the others in our van? I asked.
“Those with us didn’t make it. We wouldn’t have made it, if not for Paeon. I don’t know anything about Herakles’ condition. When we got out of the car, all we could think about was helping you and getting as far from our attackers as possible.”
So there were attackers, not just a bomb.
“Yeah.” Kyros frowned. “SISA and military.”
I wanted to believe Lantos would never send his people after me with the intention of hurting me, but I didn’t know him as well as I once thought I did. He was a lesson about not trusting anyone – a very painful one. Anyone posing a threat to his or Cleon’s plans was likely to be killed, no matter what emotional attachments were once believed to be present.
It was my fault for falling in love anyway. I knew better. My duty always preceded any personal interest. A queen could never let her heart lead, when it was her shrewd mind preserving the Bloodline and the family’s elevated position in the world.
Did Theodocia make it back inside the wall? I asked.
“We don’t know,” Kyros replied. “Sorry. We’ve been concerned with keeping you alive and out of the hands of the uniforms.”
Deep inside, a part of me softened when I realized what Kyros had gone through to protect me despite how I treated him and Paeon at camp. Was it possible to distrust the god and admire the human, even if they were trapped in the same body?
Thank you. The words were difficult to admit.
“You’re welcome. You can put a knife in our back when we get to camp, if it’ll make you feel better.”
I settled another cold look on Kyros, who smiled in return. I will look you in the eye when I do it, I assured him. I’m not a coward.
“I know,” he said. “Do you feel well enough to leave the stadium?”
I stood in the shadows of the box seats of the stadium. My body was healed, aside from the occasional bruise and lingering muscle stiffness. Considering what I’d been through, I was in near-perfect shape. It was hard not to feel grateful when my children and I were not only alive but healthy hours after surviving an explosion.
I’m fine, I replied.
Kyros stood and handed me a bottle of water. “The only thing Paeon can’t do is rehydrate me. We figured that out the hard way a few weeks ago.” He laughed. “That was rough.”
Something about this human tugged at the tension that was always curled at the base of my belly. I wanted to do something that I never did ever. I wanted to let my guard drop a little when he was around. His informal manner would never survive court or the political scene of DC. Easygoing and friendly, Kyros often rubbed me the wrong way, because he didn’t seem to understand how serious our circumstances were or what was at stake. Like Herakles, he was trusting and soft inside, which was a recipe for being killed.
Was he a genuinely nice guy, or was he an absolute idiot? The line between the two was blurred with him.
“I may be a Virginia farm boy, but I’m not stupid,” he said. “I understand what’s at stake. I guess I just have a different perspective than you do.”
Displeased with his ability to read my mind, I narrowed my eyes at him and then struck off down the field, towards one of stairwells leading out of the field and into the stadium.
“Do you know where we’re going?” he asked, trailing.
Yes. I glanced at the night sky to orient myself. Herakles had taught me to navigate by the stars as soon as we established camp. He was always preparing everyone around him for the worst-case scenario. For once, I was grateful for his attention to what sometimes seemed to be the smallest, most mundane details I didn’t usually concern myself with.
I needed him to be okay, not just for myself, but also for the sake of my war. Herakles belonged at my side, the human, compassionate face of the battle against the gods. I liked him. I didn’t want him wrenched out of my world as everyone else always seemed to be.
Kyros said nothing, and I led us into the stadium, through the silent hallways winding around it that once housed restrooms and eateries, and out into the quiet night. We paused at the edge of the expansive parking lot.
Do you sense anything? I asked, lingering in the shadows of the stadium.
“Now you believe me,” he replied.
Twice was enough to prove the point – even to me – that he had an ability I didn’t think he should.
“Feels good,” he said after a moment. “I’m pretty sure we lost them about a kilometer from the stadium.”
I strode into the parking lot. He drew abreast of me, and I gave him a sidelong glance. Built like a linebacker, Kyros carried himself with upbeat confidence and walked with a gait that bordered on a swagger. His dark eyes were bright and alert.
Skeptical after a lifetime where I was taught I could trust Theodocia and Tommy, and no one else, I found it hard to believe he was a good person. Good people with no hidden agendas didn’t belong in this game, in the control of a god, in this world at all. Survival depended upon ruthlessness and strategy, and in general, good people were not known to possess these traits.
“Every once in a while, you think something nice, and I start to thank you. Then you think something really offensive, and I’m left wondering why I would ever consider thanking you at all when I know what’s coming,” he said quietly. “Good people can be survivors, too, and gods can be genuinely benevolent. Not everyone is out to get you or to betray you.”
Anger lit my blood. He was aware of Lantos or at least, that someone I trusted had recently turned on me. He had to be since I thought about Lantos more when Kyros-Paeon was around than when they weren’t. It struck me then that the timing of my Lantos thoughts made little sense, given the son of a Titan was just as likely to be an enemy of Paeon as I was.
Why, then, did I always think of Lantos when I was near Kyros?
“We better pick up the pace.” Kyros-Paeon’s gaze was to the north and the abandoned cityscape in that direction. “And find cover.”
I didn’t need a second warning and jogged towards the forest hedging the parking lot dead ahead of us. Kyros kept pace with me easily. We reached it and ducked into the shadows of the trees, just as headlights appeared from the northern side of the parking lot. A caravan of armored, military vehicles drove close to the stadium and stopped.
How do you do that? I asked, sinking deeper into the forest.
“I’m not sure.” Kyros sounded puzzled. “Paeon says he can’t do it on his own, and I know I can’t. There’s something in our chemistry.”
If you tell me one more time that you make a good team, one of us will not make it back to camp.
Kyros chuckled. “I’m just happy you listened. I definitely don’t want to be blown up again.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes in the darkness of the forest. A familiar form emerged from one of the vehicles, and fury warmed me from the inside out.
I told Theodocia he should have been killed long ago, I said at the sight of Niko.
“It can’t be easy for her to kill her baby-daddy,” Kyros replied.
I’d kill my children’s father in a heartbeat.
“You say that now, but what about when you see him again?”
Pain radiated through me, the kind with no physical source. I never wanted to see Lantos again. When I had the city under control, he was among the first people I’d send before a firing squad or have hanged or worse – send to the House. He had betrayed me worse than Niko ever did Theodocia, and he’d pay the price for it.
So why did the thought of him disappearing from the face of the planet – forever – hurt, when I had every right to end his life?
Thankfully, Kyros chose not to respond to these thoughts. As if sensing my pain, he was quiet. I watched Niko for a moment, vowing to send an assassin after him the first chance I had, and then stepped away from the edge of the cement. The only good to come out of Niko being here: if Theodocia were in danger, he would help her. Theodocia always doubted this about Niko, but I saw the way he looked at her, the few times all three of our paths crossed. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her anymore than he would his son. If she were in danger, or if she didn’t make it back to the wall, he would distract or bribe his men to give her a chance to escape, if not outright order his people to help her.
What would Lantos do, if he knew I was here?
He would let me die, if it suited his purpose.
If I let myself think about him, I would break down and cry, which was rare for me. Theodocia brought out the only drop of good existing in Niko, and I ... well, I brought out Lantos’ betrayal. What did that say about me?
We need to go. They won’t stop until they find me. I said to Kyros. I turned away from the scene before me and reinforced my emotional state with the reminder of what happened when I chose my heart over my duty. Resolve solidified inside me, and the pain withdrew without leaving completely. It lingered in the shadows of my mind, waiting for me to allow it to confuse me again, which I wasn’t going to do.
My path was set. I would fulfill my oath to free humanity or die in the process. There was no room for Lantos or emotion or doubt or torturing myself with thoughts of what might have been.
“We’ll stay ahead of them,” Kyros said.
Picking my path through the forest, I reached a sidewalk marking a running trail and began walking quickly down it, fueled by the anger in my blood.
“I know what you think of my opinion, but for the record, you’re amazing and strong,” Kyros said. “You’re also human. You’re too hard on yourself.”
I’m not a mere human. I am a queen who happens to be cursed by the gods. I will behave as required to fulfill my duties without any concern what you think about it.
He said nothing else.
I marched until my anger ebbed and was replaced by more tempered determination. My pace slowed then, and I became fully aware of my surroundings. Owls, crickets and other nocturnal animals were active in the woods hedging the sidewalk. The summer night smelled of trees. It was clear and breezy but humid enough that I was sweating after an hour of walking.
We passed a sign marking this trail as following an old railroad path, and I checked the sky again to ensure the trail was leading us in the direction we needed to go. Without a map or my cell phone, I couldn’t gauge our exact path. At some point, we were going to need assistance to find camp. I was confident I could get us to the general vicinity, thanks to Herakles’ basic survival lessons.
We walked for two to three hours in silence, without passing anyone, and with no sign of Niko following. At that point, Kyros spoke.
“Not to be a downer, but could we stop for a break? Healing as much as we have the past few hours drains Paeon and also me.”
I glanced up and noticed the dark circles around his eyes for the first time. I was torn briefly between pressing on to reach camp as soon as possible and stopping, because my companion requested it. Being tired was constant for me anymore, since I found out I was pregnant. I had a feeling if I said no, Kyros was too good-natured to object.
If it were only Paeon, I would continue, bu
t it wasn’t. The man beside me housing two spirits was at least half human, and he had risked his own life to protect mine.
Very well, I relented.
“We think there’s shelter that way.” He pointed.
I stepped aside to let him lead us in the direction he indicated. We left the path onto a dirt trail emptying out into the parking area of what was once probably a great estate, before the gods firebombed it five years prior.
Kyros made a sound of disappointment at the sight of the destroyed mansion and approached the garage, which was equally damaged.
“I guess it’s as good as we’ll find,” he said. “Wait here. I’ll see if I can find blankets or something.” He struck off towards the house.
I circled the garage and spotted an empty pool a short distance away. The quiet estate was situated on several acres of cleared land. A herd of deer grazed on the expansive lawn. My eyes fell to the jungle gym not far from the pool and then to the sole tree visible in the yard, close enough to the house to provide shade during summer picnics and far enough for its branches not to pose a threat if hit by lightning during a summer storm.
On a hunch, I approached the tree and spotted the wooden boards hammered into its trunk to create a ladder. I craned my neck back to see the tree house with satisfaction.
I would definitely feel less exposed up there than sleeping in the middle of a field. Testing the boards closest to me, I determined they were safe enough to support me and climbed the tree.
The tree house was empty, its interior small. Spider webs filled the open windows, and dust was thick on the floor. I entered and sat down in the middle, relaxing for the first time since leaving camp to meet Theodocia.
“Phoibe?” Kyros called. “I mean, Your Majesty?” This was followed by a sigh. “Well, how am I supposed to know protocol for dealing with royalty?”
I started to smile at the sound of him arguing with himself.
“Yes, I remember. We don’t want her pissed enough to murder us.”
Leaning out of the tree house, I summoned him telepathically.
