“Because it’s what they expect, and they have people all over the walls to shoot Andinna down.” He slammed his ankles into the horse’s side, holding a lead for her horse. “We’re going hard until we hit the trees. From there, we hit the river and meet up with a boat where everyone has been waiting.”
They were off and Mave looked back at the city of Elliar, her home, her hell for a thousand years. Guards were pouring out now, but they were far behind. The white walls towered over the world around the city.
She watched it disappear as they moved.
She was free.
21
Zayden
The damn Champion didn’t know how to ride a fucking horse. Zayden thought this mission couldn’t get more shitty, but the Champion couldn’t fly, she couldn’t ride, and she was the oddest female he’d ever encountered in his life.
Why can’t females just be normal? Why do I always have to deal with weird females?
He needed to think on it later, since they were still running, but she was right next to him, the horse she rode keeping up with his easily. The forest, where they could slow down, was drawing closer by the minute. They needed to get into the trees, which would help them lose the soldiers. The boat wasn’t far from there.
He had the time to devote to considering the female his damned son called big sister. If she had gotten Rain to like her, Zayden knew she was going to infuriate him. His son was carefree and loving, something he appreciated, since the boy got it from his mother, but Zayden didn’t trust anyone as far as he could throw them.
Zayden glanced at her. It was too dark to see her clear feminine Andinna features now, or her silver-blue eyes, but he knew they were there. Luykas and Alchan were going to curse the damn Skies. She really was Maevana Lorren, daughter of their once-great General.
That hadn’t been something he was expecting. He wondered how Rainev and Matesh had taken it when they met her. Did they know? He was certain he taught his son their entire history, but there were some things that had to be seen to be believed. Maevana Lorren, Champion of the Colosseum, was one of them.
Mave. That’s what they called her. He would need to make sure she hadn’t been hiding her identity from them. I won’t tolerate someone lying to my son.
“We’re here,” he called back. They had spent a long time trampling through farm lands and the trees were now right in front of them. He slowed his horse, and the one she rode also responded, going from a full gallop to a steady trot. “We just need to get to the river now. Then we’ll be on our way out of Elliar.”
“But…we are out of Elliar,” she said, pointing back to the city on the horizon.
“We’re out of the city of Elliar, not the province. We’re a long way off from being out of the Empire, too. Freedom is beyond the borders, so don’t start feeling secure yet. We’re not out of the woods yet,” he bit out, glaring at her. Was she stupid? Daft?
“She’s never left the city, Zayden. Don’t be an ass.” Matesh had the balls to growl at him as he rode up next to her. Zayden raised his hands in a non-threatening way. He hadn’t expected Matesh to jump to her side every time he spoke to the female.
Considering how Zayden had found those two in the pits, he figured there was some explaining to do all around.
“I…uh.” She looked away, her eyes going to Rain, like she was looking for some sort of backup, reassurance.
His son just smiled at her and he gritted his teeth, trying to ignore his boy’s crooked nose. “We’re getting out of this hellish Empire. Don’t worry, illo amyr.”
“Okay, illi bodyr,” she whispered.
“So that’s how it is,” Zayden mumbled, looking away. He kept them moving forward until they were covered by the trees. Once inside the dark forest, he dismounted to give his horse a break. She began to follow his lead but he stopped her, holding up a hand. “Stay mounted, just in case. I didn’t see any soldiers following us, but we’ll be riding all night to get to the river if we want to be on schedule. There’s a chance they might catch up. A high chance.”
“Yes sir,” she replied with zero emotion. He glared at her and resisted the urge to slap the back of her head like he would do to Rainev. He wasn’t fucking old enough to be a sir.
Then he felt like the ass Matesh always called him. She was a slave. He could see the collar. All three of them were wearing the vile things that blocked their magic.
“Oto ildan.” Matesh rode next to him then dismounted as well. They walked silently for a moment until he got the question he knew was coming. “Have something on your mind?”
“You got captured by the Empire with my son. You got thrown into the fucking Colosseum as slave gladiators. You became friends with a myth. You all got into trouble and we had to rescue you on one of the worst nights possible because of it. Now we need to get out of the entire Empire.” Zayden growled to his friend. “Yeah, I have a lot on my mind.”
“What does oto ildan mean?” she whispered. Zayden snapped his gaze back to her. She was talking to Rain.
“Old friend. Oto is old, ildan is friend. Young is oti, just for the future.” Rain was just as quiet answering her.
Zayden frowned. She didn’t know Andena? Her accent was Elvasi, more specifically the one of Elliar, city-folk. They had a crisp way of speaking that the Andinna never had. She over-enunciated the ‘t,’ which was supposed to be quick. She instead made it bigger, in a way.
“So you are not just illi bodyr, but oti bodyr?” she asked, frowning herself. Zayden saw her concentrate, confused as she tried to put the words together.
“Younger and older are different from young and old. Younger is otin, and older is oton. So I’m your otin bodyr and you are my oton amyr. I like big and little better, more endearing.”
Zayden checked out at that point. She didn’t know Andena at all. He was stunned by it.
“So, who all is waiting for us?” Matesh asked, also ignoring the quiet conversation between Mave and Rain.
“Luykas and Alchan, since those two wouldn’t miss this shit for the world. I told them I was coming for my boy with or without the Company and they laughed at me. They already had a plan.” Zayden snorted. The co-leaders of the Ivory Shadows were known to love a bad plan, but they were also known to be loyal to the core. Zayden knew from experience how deep that loyalty to their men ran. He’d been one of theirs since the War ended. “From there…your old fart uncle-”
“Leshaun agreed to this?” Matesh sounded surprised and Zayden looked at him like he was stupid too. Did all of them lose what little intelligence they had in the city?
Why did I rescue them again? They’re all addled.
“I’m a father, you fucking moron, and he might as well be your father. You’re the last family he has. He was right next to me, telling Luykas and Alchan we were doing this. Now, let me fucking finish.”
“Okay,” Matesh mumbled. “Fatherhood has made you cranky these last couple of centuries.”
“Well, Rainev is my son, not my funny little brother or nephew. I don’t find his antics cute like the rest of you. They just give me a fucking heart attack.” Zayden glared at Matesh. “Like this last one.”
“The capture wasn’t his fault. He’d been following orders. He couldn’t get out in time when the patrol changed their route. And I told you I would protect him through anything, so I have.”
“I know,” Zayden snapped. “But damn, seeing you both hauled off was painful, Matesh. We couldn’t find a good time to strike, then it was too fucking late.”
“Keep telling me who is waiting for us. We’ll revisit this topic where ears can’t hear us.” Matesh nodded at Rain and Mave, who had gone silent. Zayden growled over at them. Rain had the balls to roll his eyes back at him. Mave just looked down at her hands. He hated that. She was in slave mode still, or at least too uncomfortable with her place in the group to speak her mind.
“Varon and Nevyn came. Those two didn’t like it, but they came. Brynec is along for the ride, but you know
him. We only left Kian.”
“His wife,” Matesh guessed softly.
“Aye. None of us wanted to leave her with only two husbands. She loves her idiot mercenary, but rescue missions in Elliar were not what she signed up for. If he got hurt doing this, she’d throw his ass out. None of us wanted that.” Zayden sighed. “He’s probably worried sick. We’ve been in the damn Empire for weeks now. Probably just a few days less than you.”
“How did you get a guard and human servant to help?”
“The guard has been a contact we didn’t know we had for centuries. One of Leshaun’s little secrets he’s been keeping. Old fart has people everywhere, even if he doesn’t use them unless he absolutely has to. The human we got in touch with through Trevan.” Zayden glanced back, towards Elliar. He couldn’t see it anymore, the thick forest blocking his view. “Poor bastards. We’d been hoping to get them out, but you and Rain were the top priorities.”
“I have faith in Dave, but Trevan…He’ll be executed, if he wasn’t killed in that alley.” Matesh sighed as well. “Anything you have questions about?”
“Yeah-”
“Increase the search radius! We need to find the Empress’ slaves!”
“Fuck,” Zayden snapped under his breath. “Everyone mount back up and get ready to fucking run. We need to pick up the pace and get away from them.”
“They fucking snuck up on us,” Matesh whispered.
Zayden didn’t disagree. They had. He hadn’t heard them, and he should have.
He and Matesh were back in their saddles in a heartbeat. The female was smart enough to hold her own reins, and wait, instead of panicking. She could have, and the horse would have bolted. Rainev, to Zayden’s pride, stayed completely cool. Good boy.
“Sir, I think there’s someone else out here! Tracks here!”
“Damn the Skies,” Matesh growled.
“We need to hurry,” she cut in. “I’m not losing my wings.”
“Yeah, we’re moving,” Zayden snapped at her. She now bared her teeth at him. He was impressed with the size of her canines. A lot of slaves in Elliar were unfortunate enough to have them filed down. “Now she gets a bite to her.”
“She has a pretty nasty bite when you push her,” Matesh warned him. Zayden would have to see it to believe it. So far she’d been a mix of timid and detached from the rest of them. Soft-spoken, even though he could hear a bit of steel, like the possessiveness she’d shown in the city with the human. But she seemed vulnerable and unsure.
They were moving now, quickly. It would only be a matter of time till the soldiers caught up. He wanted to get the horses moving faster than a trot, but he didn’t know the terrain well enough. A broken horse now would be the death of them.
The soldiers didn’t have the same fear. He looked back and saw one of them.
“I see them,” a soldier yelled.
“MOVE!” he roared, slamming his heels into the horse. He didn’t have time to worry about its wellbeing, which would shame him later. It took off underneath him. He had to give the pointed-ear Elvasi one thing: they bred damn fine horses. Probably compensating for their lack of wings.
“CAPTURE THOSE SLAVES!”
He pulled his sword, just in case, as they ran. He saw that his son and friend did as well. She didn’t, holding on for her life. He didn’t like how pale she was on top of the mare he’d given her. She wasn’t doing poorly, but her inexperience on horseback was obvious.
“I want their fucking horns for my wall,” a soldier yelled. Zayden saw the one yelling the taunt pushing ahead of his unit.
“Take him out, my boy!” he yelled at his son. Rain pulled one of his daggers and turned at the waist. Zayden watched the dagger fly and slam into the chest of the soldier, who sank to the ground, causing the horse to freak and rear up. It slowed down all the others, who had to get around the dead fool. “Good job!”
“Learned from the best,” Rain reminded him, a laugh in his voice.
“Yeah? Who?” Zayden wanted the right answer to come from his boy’s mouth.
“Varon!” Rainev was laughing harder now.
“You little shit,” Zayden growled. It only made Matesh laugh as well as they continued to tear through the forest, pursued by soldiers who wanted their body parts.
I’m going to tan his hide for that later, if we’re alive. Or I’ll do it in hell. Prick.
“They’re gaining on us!” Mave yelled out, fear in every word. He looked at her, wondering how the scared female was the Champion of the Colosseum for a moment. Sure, she had taken out a guard or two on their way out of the city, but he wasn’t seeing that warrior now.
“We need to turn and fight or we’ll break the horses and be run the fuck over,” Matesh said, pulling on his reins to slow down.
“They outnumber us!” Zayden snarled, turning his horse to see his fucking friend dismount. Skies damn him.
“I agree with him,” she said quickly, jumping off the mare before he even stopped it. He frowned at her and then looked at his son, who was stopping as well.
No one ever listens to me. It’s always like this. I’m put in charge of something and they all do whatever the fuck they want anyway.
“Fuck. Get to cover!” He jumped off his gelding and dove into some bushes. Rainev and Matesh followed his lead, but she didn’t. “What are you doing?”
“I’ve never fought with cover before or on horseback, but I do know how to fight on the ground against horses.” She bared her teeth in a vicious satisfaction. “This, I can do.”
She was mad, he decided. As soldiers closed the distance, she unsheathed the two short swords he’d given her. Was she really going to face down mounted cavalry head on?
As the first one drew close, he watched the Champion at work. She was mad. And very good.
Now he understood.
The first soldier was crushed under the weight of his horse when she sliced through one of its front legs. The second got similar treatment as she kept her wings tucked to her back and spun to avoid being trampled. The third tried to shove a spear into her and he saw the steel meet, heard the clang. She didn’t kill his horse, but rather pulled the soldier down when his spear missed its mark. She killed him quickly, then used the horse to block arrows, moving out of its way as it fell dead under the onslaught.
He jumped in after that, yanking a soldier off his horse and killing him. He saw Rainev sneaking back and killing off the archers in the rear, with Matesh meeting him. They cut down the archers, who hadn’t thought about any of the Andinna going around the mounted cavalry in the front.
“Well, it seems I’m not needed!” a voice called out as Zayden killed the last soldier, who had been screaming for mercy. He looked up to see the source of the voice and grinned at the obscenely white wings.
Praise the damn Skies. Finally someone fucking rational is here.
“Luykas, I was wondering if you would get bored on the boat,” he called back.
“I was, but looks like the fun is already over.” The white Andinna walked closer and Zayden chuckled, reaching out to clasp elbows with him. “I’m glad to see you all got out.”
“Not all of us. The Elvasi stayed to fight the guards chasing us back in the city. The human played distraction so we could get through the wall.”
“So it wasn’t a clean mission, huh?” Luykas went from smiling to concerned in a heartbeat. “Any injuries for you all?”
“No, bodrya. We’re good!” Rainev called out.
Luykas’s face softened. “Well, he hasn’t changed during his time as a slave,” he muttered, a smile taking his face again.
“No. And he’s got a new fucking sibling. He’s collecting them now, I swear.”
“Who has he picked up now?”
“Maevana Lorren herself,” he answered, waving a hand at the female, who snarled loud enough to make him stiffen. There was the bite. That was all Andinna, and it made him pay attention to the female in a way he hadn’t yet. As a threat. After what he’d jus
t seen, a very serious threat. “What?”
Matesh and Rain were both coughing, like they needed Zayden to do something for them or her to say something, explain her anger.
“Don’t call me that,” she demanded. She wiped blood off her face, none of it her own.
He was inclined to follow the demand at the sight of her covered in the gore of her enemies. “Mave,” Zayden corrected himself. “The Champion of the Colosseum.”
“Not anymore,” she corrected him.
“Well, we can deal with all of that on the boat,” Luykas said slowly, carefully, looking at her with a concentration that Zayden was curious about. He wasn’t stupid enough to ask about it. They had plenty of time, once they were out of the Empire, to deal with the one they saved and hadn’t wanted to. They weren’t heroes. She was only saved since they needed to promise it to get his boy and friend out. “Let’s go. The boat isn’t far and if those were the hunting party…I think we should be fine taking it easy.”
“How is everyone?” he asked as they started walking again, grabbing their horses to lead them.
“We’ve been worried. You had to go in alone, and a lot of the guys wanted to follow you in when you didn’t get word back to us.” Luykas nodded back to Mave, Matesh, and Rain. “Plus, they want their guys back too. Leshaun has been a pain since I pulled him out of the Capital for the games. You know that.”
“The city was crowded, like we knew it would be. Can’t exactly walk out and send you a note when all the Andinna there are slaves.” Zayden snorted, shaking his head. “Plus, Leshaun is always a pain.”
“He’s an older male who remembers things we can only read about. Matesh is the last in his line. He’s got reason to be a cranky old man when it comes to Mat,” Luykas reminded him. Zayden felt he was just saying this to Mat. “Mave, come up here. I want a look at you.”
“She really is-” Zayden wanted to warn him, but Luykas waved a hand.
“I know. I don’t think anyone in Elliar would be lying about a female with her name.”
And you never bothered to tell anyone you thought the myth was real? Of course not.
The Gladiator's Downfall Page 25
