The Enemy's Triumph Read online

  “Yes. He was assigned to me the first day, and he died…about twenty years later,” she explained, finishing that small piece of the timeline that was her life.

  “His grandparents could have been alive to see free Andinna.”

  That caught her off guard. She had never thought about it. Maybe because she never really remembered free Andinna. Taken as a very young child, she only had fragments and pieces of a single day of her life before Shadra and the Empire.

  “Luykas, are you saying, he could have heard stories and…”

  “The propaganda about Andinna started long before the War, but we were too stupid to see it. But humans and other races who lived along the Dragon Spine were less susceptible to it. We didn’t see it because those near us were still our friends, still our trading partners.” Luykas shrugged. “My best guess? He saw you. He saw an Andinna child thrown into hell and knew the injustice of it. He’d probably heard of free Andinna before meeting you and knew something was very wrong. You became friends with him. He knew he would leave you one day, and so he tried to sway those who came after him, and he succeeded. The great injustice done to you has now been corrected, with the help of his most recent successor.”

  “Dave,” she whispered. “I wondered why he would give everything to help me the way he did.”

  “He was inducted into what seems like an order of humans willing to give up everything to help you escape. We just never knew there were people looking out for you like that. Trevan became our contact in Elliar, not any of the humans, probably because of the life span issue.” Luykas did little circles with his thumb on her skin. “I wish we had found you sooner.”

  “You found me at the right time,” she promised.

  “A thousand years—”

  “The fact you found me at all makes it the right time,” she whispered, stopping them. She turned to stand against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. “I hate feeling that pain. Thank you for coming to me.”

  He leaned down and captured her lips.

  They stood alone on a cobblestone street, embracing. She felt like he was home, just as much as Bryn and Matesh, even though he was her newest husband. Officially, anyway. He had belonged to her longer than either of them had wanted to realize.

  “Let’s go home. It’s been a really long day, and I’m still mad at Alchan,” she said, pulling away with a sigh. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t let me kill them on the pier.”

  Luykas chuckled. “He was in a difficult position. He can’t just take your word for it and let you cut down potential rivals from the pits. The other gladiators would have seen it as you abusing the power you finally have. He was protecting you as much as he was protecting his own public perception. And the Company’s. He doesn’t want us seen as butchers who don’t understand the terrible things our people have gone through when we do understand. Between you and the other slaves we’ve seen escape, we understand quite well.”

  “I know but—”

  “We’re going to investigate, and we’re going to call aside the ones we know are trouble. They’ll be dealt with. Alchan made that very clear.”

  “He did, I just wanted—”

  “He already promised you the right to cut heads off,” Luykas huffed. “Mave, he’s the king, but he can’t pass judgment without appearing to be fair. If we started killing those gladiators on the pier, the entire lot of them would have turned against us, and even with them half-starved, a lot of Andinna could have died.”

  “Would it have been different if he were female? A queen?”

  “Yes. Then his judgment wouldn’t be contestable. People wouldn’t like it, but they wouldn’t have even considered challenging him. Alchan can be challenged, though. He’s a very dominant bedru, thanks to the royal bloodline, but he’s not undefeatable. I can dominate him on a good day.” His thumb was still doing those circle things, and she found them a little distracting. Using her free hand, she paused the thumb.

  “Who is Kenav?” she asked softly, thinking of that gladiator. Seventy-Two—she finally had a name to the face.

  “Who is he to you?”

  “Answer me,” she ordered, looking up at his gold eyes.

  “Alchan’s cousin through his mother’s side,” Luykas answered softly. “The son of a noble house, now probably the leader of said noble house. He was one of the four Andinna in charge of the western front of our forces during the War. Alchan and I grew up with him. Alchan, more so than me. Once I moved to Anden, they drifted apart. Kenav couldn’t keep up with two royal sons, one bedru, and one nearly there. Now, who is he to you?”

  “Seventy-Two. He was a ringleader of the pits and active in my torment. He and I never fought. He wasn’t stupid enough to cross that line, but he orchestrated a beat down on Mat and Rain early on in their slavery. He worked with other gladiators to kill me that day, kill Mat, and…” She didn’t finish, realizing she didn’t have real proof about his involvement with Rain. “I don’t know how involved. He probably just wanted all three of us dead. He was never…that kind of monster. Not that I saw.” It was a bitter pill to swallow, admitting that to Luykas, but it didn’t change the picture of pure rage on her husband’s face. “Don’t. I’ll talk to Alchan about it another time. I never even knew his name, but Alchan did, so that made me curious.”

  “I’ll keep this between us until you talk to Alchan.”

  “Thank you. Maybe he and I can forge a new relationship of working together for the rebellion. That’s what Alchan hopes, and that’s what I’m going to do. I don’t run scared anymore, and what happened down there, at the end of the day, was Shadra’s fault.” She had to keep that belief close, remind herself of it at every opportunity.

  If I forget who the real villain is, I’ll end up becoming the monster they always claimed I was. Alchan was right. I can’t just kill them because I heard things. The ones who tried to hurt Rain and I are dead. That’s the best I can do.

  For now.

  When they made it onto their street, Mave saw others entering from the far end of the small street. Raising an eyebrow, the gladiators forgotten, she watched as Rain led Dave, Trevan, and the pretty mutt to the home next door to her own. She stopped at her door, knowing Luykas was also watching. Rain glanced up and seemed happy to see her.

  “Hey, Mave! Do you mind if you have neighbors?”

  Through her bond with Luykas, there came a flash of humor and a touch of worry. He thought this was both funny and concerning, something she had to agree with.

  “If Dave’s going to be my assistant, it’s for the best,” she answered, trying not to make it seem like a big deal. Then she walked in, letting Luykas follow her. He had to catch the door before she closed it on his face.

  “Finally, someone is back!” Zayden growled, hobbling out of the kitchen. “I’ve been waiting here for hours, wondering if anyone was going to tell me what the fuck was going on.”

  “Oh, Rain said something happened,” Luykas muttered. “Zayden, I need to ask a simple question.”

  “Yes, I’m a fucking idiot. I’ve been told. Repeatedly. Now, someone—”

  “They’re all here, for the most part. Two ships were lost at sea, one of them housing most of the females and young. Many of them were recovered from the sea by the other ships, but it seems there was an attack by the Elvasi as the Andinna tried to skirt around Ellantia,” Luykas explained fast. Mave had sat through all of that. There was so much that went right today, and so much that was continuing to go wrong like that attack. “Alchan and I are taking care of it. Nevyn, Varon, and Kian are handling the gladiators and putting them in homes away from everyone else for the night. Mat and Bryn are helping some other unit leaders with other males. The female warriors are helping the females and the children. Mave and I are off until tomorrow. Now, about you being a fucking idiot—”

  “I made food. Come eat it,” Zayden said, cutting Luykas back off.

  Mave shook her head when Luykas looked down at her, exasperated.


  “Rain and I already gave him an earful. Whether you want to or not is your decision, but I’m not getting into it again,” she said in a final tone. “I’m going to eat this food he obviously made for us because he was bored and feeling guilty for injuring himself even further, then the freed Andinna got here.”

  “And he’s stuck here and couldn’t help,” Luykas said, sighing.

  “Exactly.”

  “I heard that!” Zayden shouted from the kitchen.

  “GOOD!” she roared back, growling as she stomped into the kitchen. A bowl was shoved at her, revealing Zayden had made a hearty stew. She didn’t realize she had been gone long enough for him to whip something like it up. Normally, a stew had to sit on the fire for half the day or more. “Have you been doing this since the moment Rain and I left?”

  “Yes.” He looked up from the pot he was hovering over, glaring. He was feisty today, and Mave decided she’d had enough of bad attitudes.

  She went to sit at her table, thinking that dealing with Zayden could be for later or tomorrow. Or her males could handle him.

  The stew counts for something. It’s his idea of an apology. I think. Considering his general grumpy behavior and how much he cooks for my household, it makes a lot of sense if I look at it that way.

  She started eating slowly, watching as Luykas glared back at Zayden but took his bowl of stew. They ate in silence until they heard the front door open. Mave looked up, her seat giving her a view of the hall from the front door. Mat and Bryn came into view, kicking off their boots and putting them to the side.

  Seeing that, Mave finally kicked off her own boots and pushed them at Luykas, who smirked, his bad mood with Zayden gone. He reached down and picked up her boots and went to take his own off as well before Matesh got onto everyone.

  Matesh watched with a smirk, but she saw the moment his eyes found Zayden in the kitchen.

  “What the hell?”

  Well, looks like Zayden is going to get it from everyone today.

  “I know,” Zayden growled. “I’ve been chewed out by your female and my son already. Luykas tried to start, as well. I don’t need another reminder of my own stupidity.”

  “Okay.” Mat raised his hands and shook his head in disappointment. “You have food? I’m starving.”

  Zayden held out a bowl, then prepared another one for quiet Bryn. Both of her males sat down and started to eat, but Mave kept watching Zayden.

  “Did you eat already?” she asked, curious. He could sit and eat with them, and he knew it. They had all made it clear. He normally did, but now, maybe due to the day everyone had, he wasn’t moving from his spot.

  “I was wondering if Rain would come in. I heard him call for you,” Zayden said softly.

  “He’s probably helping our new neighbors settle in. Mat, Bryn, ah, those three are moving in next door. Dave has offered to be my assistant and help me keep a work schedule and get to places on time.”

  Mat chuckled. “Good. I’m glad he’s around again. Will that be okay with you?”

  “Yeah. I’ll tell you more later.” In bed, with you and Bryn only focused on me.

  She didn’t need to say that second half, both of them nodding, understanding she either didn’t want to say in front of Zayden or just wasn’t in the mood to rehash the day yet.

  “Since it would be good exercise, you could go get him,” Luykas pointed out. “Or just check to see if he’s still over there. He might have run back to Alchan. It’s going to be a busy night for those two.”

  “That’s right,” Zayden said with a sigh, making a bowl of stew for himself. “It will be, won’t it?” He found a seat and looked at everyone around the table. “I’m sorry for hurting myself. I was just…feeling winter fever this morning, and I don’t know what got into me.”

  Mave was taken aback. Never before had Zayden turned on a dime so quickly.

  “I know this means I could be staying with you longer, and I do want to get out of your space once I’m healed, especially since Bryn has been back for months and now Luykas, you live here—”

  “You don’t have to leave,” she said, cutting him off before he decided to shove his tail further into his mouth. “Don’t…it’s not a problem.” She didn’t want him to leave.

  “Yeah, who would cook the best meals any of us have had in months if not for you?” Mat teased, grinning. “You did something stupid. Honestly, I would have lost all sense of self-control a week ago. I had my wings bound when I was in the Empire, and it was torture. I hated every second of it. We understand. Maybe next time, don’t launch yourself off the roof.”

  Zayden’s face turned red. He didn’t say anything, but that red face said a lot. There were a few reasons, but she was going to go with embarrassment. They all settled back into eating, dropping the entire discussion. He was done first, and put his bowl aside to be washed, then left the room, leaving Mave and her males looking at each other.

  “How bad was it?” Mat asked softly.

  “Zayden falling down from our roof? I thought he was dead,” she answered, sighing. “I found him up there and tried to convince him it wasn’t a good idea, but…”

  “But male pride can be a strong motivating factor.” Luykas chuckled dryly. “He’ll be back in the air before we know it if he doesn’t keep doing stuff like that.”

  “His healer recommended getting a sword back in his hand and working with him. I’m going to set aside my mornings to spar with him while you three get other work done.”

  “Speaking of work, I think I’m going to head out once I’m done eating. Mat and Bryn are here, so I think I should get back and help Alchan and Rain with the new arrivals.”

  She reached out and took his hand, pushing to him the gratitude she felt that he had been willing to drop everything to make sure she was okay. She was now, and she needed to catch Mat and Bryn up, anyway. Thinking of Bryn, she realized how quiet he was—unusually quiet.

  “Bryn, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” he answered, looking down at his bowl, focused on his food.

  “Please don’t do that.”

  There was a long silence at the table. She didn’t want to hear he was fine. He obviously wasn’t. So much had happened today, she was certain no one was truly fine.

  “Why does the Elvasi have to live next door?” he finally asked, looking over at her with hurt and no small amount of anger in his eyes.

  “Rain picked the house for them. Keeping those three together is the best idea, and if Dave is going to be working for me, then they have to be close. If they weren’t next door, they would be on this street.” She understood Rain’s reasoning behind the choice, which was why she didn’t argue with it.

  And it lets me keep them safe. If someone attacks them, I can get there quickly.

  “But he’s…” Bryn held his spoon with white knuckles.

  “Elvasi. He’s also a guard from the pits. He’s also the person who showed Zayden how to find Matesh and Rainev, which meant he led Zayden to me. He led us to get out of the pits. He drugged the other guards. He stayed back to fight while we kept running. He’s not our enemy.”

  I don’t really know what he is, but an enemy isn’t one of the options. Not now. Hopefully, not ever.

  If there was one person in that group she was avoiding, it was Trevan, the Elvasi. She just didn’t know what to do with him. She had wanted him here, but now that he was right next door, she was a little stuck. She didn’t really understand what he wanted, either, which didn’t help her predicament.

  “I know,” Bryn muttered. “I just don’t like it. He could come over here while we’re sleeping and—”

  “If he’s able to sneak into this house and into our room, then actually hurt one of us before we can react, then he’s the best assassin in the world and wouldn’t have been a grunt guard in the pits,” Mat said, cutting off her rogue husband. “There’s nothing to worry about. He won’t get past us to Mave if push comes to shove.”

  “And he’s frie
nds with a very close ally in Dave,” Luykas pointed out. “I like the idea of keeping Emerian close. So far, we’re the only two mutts who are half-Elvasi, and in the current emotional climate, it’s a dangerous thing to be.”

  “Where they won’t attack you, they will attack him,” Mave agreed. She kept her eyes on Bryn, staring at the worried summer-sky eyes. “It will be fine, Brynec. I’m more worried about the Andinna we’ve welcomed today than the Elvasi. Trevan never did anything to me. The only time I really remember him in the pits was the moment he let Rain and Mat pass through the gate to treat my injuries when I told him I didn’t want any visitors, which helped me in the end as he probably intended.”

  “I just need some time to get used to it, then,” Bryn conceded, looking away. “I can’t be his friend. I don’t think I ever could be.”

  “No one is asking you to do anything you don’t want to do,” she promised, her heart aching for him.

  He finished his stew and kissed her head as he passed to put the bowl aside. When he left the room, he didn’t tell them where he was going, but Mave had a guess.

  “Mat, you’ll help me with him?”

  “Yeah. He needs some reassurance.”

  Mave nodded slowly, staring at the entry to the dining room and kitchen where her male had just disappeared. Luykas kissed her before leaving as well, promising to be back before it was too late. It was already past dark, so she didn’t have much hope. Knowing Luykas and Alchan, they could easily be working close to dawn.

  She waited on Mat, and once he was done eating, they went off to give their rogue the attention he sorely needed.

  8

  Alchan

  “Let’s head home,” Alchan said, pushing away papers. “We can do this at my desk.”

  He wasn’t truly tired, but he was tired of being in the large government building. Rain was sitting at the large table, his blue eyes reflecting light from the fire, making it impossible for Alchan to look away. He flipped through papers slowly before looking up, confused.