I could feel the deep ache within him as he explained the meaning behind the insult. For a moment I saw red and would have fought my way out of the vehicle to tear the woman’s hair out, but Hel grabbed my hand.
“It’s okay,” he said stoically. “I’ve heard worse.”
“Doesn’t mean you should have to put up with that shit,” I growled.
“Kat, please…” he said, reverting to my Legion name. I could literally feel how upset he was. He didn’t want me to take it any further.
“Okay, but if she makes another comment like that, I will freeze her mouth shut,” I said.
That brought a little more life back into his silver eyes.
“I think I’d like to see that,” he said before placing a gentle kiss on my lips.
The city was a true wonder. It was crowded, yes, but remarkably clean. In Alexandria the streets were mostly dirt except for the main cobblestone thoroughfares. When it rained the dirt streets became an impassable sludge that reduced all transport to a crawl. Unless you were an elite who had an Air Mageia slave who could fly you where you wanted to go, of course. Me, bitter? Nah…
The streets of Nymphaeum were straight, cleanly marked, and made of some kind of concrete that shown white in the morning sun.
As crowded as the place was, filled with people and vehicles traveling to and fro, it was also dotted with parks and green spaces. We passed children playing under the watchful eye of parents or older siblings.
“Don’t they have training or school?” I asked.
“It’s a rest day,” Hel said as I looked at him. “Two days of every seven are days when most people are scheduled off work. Unless you work in food service or retail, then you might have other days off during the week.”
Rest days. We’d never had rest days growing up. Every day was a day we were expected to be working for our masters or learning to use our powers to kill for them. The idea was completely foreign to me.
“There’s a restaurant I want to take you to,” Hel said as we traveled. “I met the owner after I completed my Soma training. He and his wife come from Nova Roma, and they make the most amazing pasta dishes I’ve ever had in my life.”
I couldn’t hold back a small smile. It was still so strange to me that I suddenly had someone who wanted to share their entire life with me. Even more weirdly, I found that I wanted to share things with him, too.
“I’d like that.”
Hel smiled like I had given him the best gift in the world. I slid my hand over his and squeezed it gently. I knew he was still stinging at Beatrice’s insults but was doing his best to ignore it for my sake.
Chapter 6
Luke
I watched my brother, Helios and Allard follow Beatrice as she led them away to something that looked sort of like a metal box on wheels. She kept glaring daggers at Helios, but he seemed to be ignoring her. As I watched them recede my heart clenched. I had to remind myself that Elex could take care of himself, and so could Helios. Hell, Allard alone could take on anyone we’d seen so far. Reassured, I turned back to Betts who started leading the group through double doors.
We followed Betts through a maze of hallways until finally stopping outside a pair of double doors where a short, stout woman stepped up beside Betts. Above the doors was a placard that read “Pavilion Auditorium”.
“Okay folks, this is where I leave you for the moment,” Betts announced to us, her voice echoing in the empty hall. “I leave you in the very capable hands of Lottie Galanis. Lottie is the Administrator for the Diasothike Pavilion. If you need anything, Lottie will help you with it.”
I thought Lottie’s face plain at first, but then she smiled at our ragtag group and it lit up the room.
“Hello, everyone! As Betts said, I am the Administrator for the Diasothike Pavilion. Following the Touchpoint I will be getting everyone set up with living accommodations, clothing, supplies, and everything you need to help you get familiar with Illyrian society. We are so happy to welcome you here. We need the help of every able-bodied Mageian in upcoming battles.”
“What if we don’t want to fight?” A voice from the back called.
Lottie turned her attention to the speaker.
“While we are desperately in need of Mageians who are willing to fight with us, we wouldneverforce you to do anythingagainst your will. We arenotAlexandria. You are free to make your own decisions. If you choose not to fight, we could use your help in many areas. We can offer you training in a trade of your choice. If you would rather leave us completely, we will be more than happy to help you find your way and provide any resources we can to start your new life.”
The crowd shifted uncomfortably. We weren’t used to being able to make our own decisions.
“Can you tell us more about this Touchpoint?” I heard Deliah, one of the Fire Mageia ask.
“It’s very simple,” Lottie said, smiling. “We will have you all up on the stage. We ask that you hold your hand out like this,” she said, demonstrating by holding her arm straight out from her side.
