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Theron’s jaw tightened, but his voice remained even. “Yes, he’ll be joining us, and I want all of you to be kind to him. Zerek will take him under his wing.”
Her gaze, steely and unwavering, met Theron’s. “Do you trust him?”
A heavy pause swirled between them. “Not yet. But I believe he could prove valuable. Time will tell.”
Teodosija’s deep amber eyes, which had been lingering on the horizon, shifted onto me, her voice like rich velvet tinged with ice. “What does your surname mean, Kael?”
Surprised, I managed a shrug. “I don’t know.” That was the truth. So much of my life had been shrouded in mystery, ones only recently being unraveled.
Teodosija’s elegant fingers played along the intricate hilt of her dagger as she said, “The soldiers seemed to think it carried weight. Importance.”
Theron stepped closer, his protective instincts no doubt flaring. “It’s because she’s from a royal Sálfar line. The Helekians are legends in the stories we grew up with. To see one in the flesh? It’s nothing short of shocking.”
Raenisa’s copper eyes widened, her usually steady voice tinged with surprise. “Atar’s anvil. A Helekian?” She eyed me up and down and I felt strangely exposed, despite the amount of times she’s seen me in far less clothing. “I figured she was from one of the Lesser Houses. The emperors hit the Royal Houses hard. Wiped them off the map.”
The weight of their gazes, the mix of awe and expectation caused a flush to creep up my neck. “I don’t know about any of that. Only what Xadrian told me.”
Roza snorted. “Of course. He wanted to make sure you two weren’t related before he tried to get you into bed.”
Theron growled low, his hand tightening on my hip.
Teodosija stared me down. “Has this been your plan all along? To exploit the rebellion to regain your throne?”
A strange roaring filled my ears, indignation flooding my veins.
“How dare—“
But before I could finish, Haemir’s sharp voice sliced between us.
“That’s enough, Teodosija.” He stepped in front of me, shielding me as he’d done since I was a child. Anytime someone’s gaze had lingered on me too long in the mines or the line for water tokens, he’d been there, protecting me. And even though he was upset with me now, he still wouldn’t let anyone else hurt me. “Kael thought she was a Remnant until only a few weeks ago. Your accusations are ridiculous.”
Stepping up to his side, I met Teodosija’s challenging glare. “I didn’t know anything about my lineage until Xadrian told me when we were in the desert.” I took a step closer, my voice roughening. “And my dedication to the rebellion stretches far beyond the sands of Cavantha. Can you say the same?”
The tension grew thicker, her hawklike eyes locked on mine. Haemir stepped in, breaking our stare. “Enough. This isn’t the time.”
Without another word, Teodosija spun on her heel and walked away, her exit leaving an uneasy silence in its wake.
Haemir sighed. “This friction between the two of you will cause problems if we’re not careful. We need unity now more than ever.” His gaze moved from me to Theron, a silent exchange happening between them.
Haemir squeezed my shoulder, the gesture a balm to my tattered nerves.
“I’ll go speak with her,” he said before turning and following in Teodosija’s wake.
I blew out a breath, trying to ignore the hurt that he chose to talk to her rather than me.“What’s our next move?”
Theron shot me a crooked grin, his eyes soft. “Now, I’ll take you to bed.”
Raenisa cleared her throat. “We’re still here.” She jerked her chin at Roza.”We want to hear what our plans are too, and they better not include your bedroom.”
He laughed, a booming sound that reminded me why Raenisa was his best friend.
“We march on Athain,” he declared. “With the Niothe behind us, the odds have shifted in our favor. We’ll retake Athain.” His hand reached out, fingers grazing my lower back. “We still have work ahead of us. Armies crumble without a stable supply chain. We need to ensure our men are fed, armed, and ready. Our true challenge is not just in fighting, but in managing the logistics.”
Raenisa groaned. “You know I hate that shit.”
“That’s why I’ll handle it. Tell the men that we’ll leave in two days. That will be enough time for us to prepare. Bring them in from the desert. The arena has plenty of space and so does the city. Be careful and keep them away from the rebels. We don’t want any accidents.”
She saluted and left, heading toward the encampment with Roza trailing behind her. I watched the Sirin Remnant, wondering why she’d want to risk going into the army. I almost called out to her, but she was with Raenisa. She’d be safe. And I was dead on my feet.
