I’d been at Heraklion for over six months before I had been able to flag down the first Illyrian ship to take a message home. Those first few months had been hellish. I had been forced to fight Mageia after Mageia to survive. Most of them had been so intent on taking the medallion from around my neck there was no chance for them to figure out I wasn’t their enemy.
Finally, I’d convinced the first Mageian to join our cause, and things had exploded from there. Over the last two yearsI had spearheaded the recruitment of Mageians to our cause through the Machi arena. In that time, we had recruited almost five hundred Mageia to the Illyrian banner. That was more Mageians than Illyria would have birthed on its own in a hundred years.
“I think I’m just going to head back to bed,” Kat’s voice cut through my reverie. “It sounds like you two have a lot to catch up on.”
Before I could stop him, he had slipped past us and through the door to the sleeping area.
“Great timing, as usual, Betts,” I sighed as I watched him slip down the corridor.
“Sorry, not sorry,” she quipped. “He is cute though. Maybe you’ll get to spend time with him on the trip home.”
“I’m not going back,” I growled, turning away from her.
I felt a light hand on my shoulder.
“Ri wouldn’t want you to put yourself in exile, Hel,” she said, her voice low. “You did nothing wrong.”
Betts had been at sea when the attack occurred. She was the only member of Ri’s family who had survived.
“I didn’t do anything right, either Betts. If I had, your brother would be alive,” I snapped.
She shook her head at me.
“There was nothing you could have done. The investigation cleared you of any wrongdoing. There were other Somas present who weren’t in the middle of their Bonding ceremony,” she said angrily. “It was their job to protect the camp, not yours.”
Betts could say what she wanted, but I knew the truth deep in my bones. It was my fault that Ri was dead.
“Anyways, orders are orders, and Polemos has orderedyouback to the mainland,” she said, stabbing a finger into my chest.
“Why the fuck would Polemos want me back?”
Polemos was a Mageia who had joined us as a refugee about ten years back and had enjoyed a meteoric rise through our ranks. His background was shrouded in mystery: some said he was a descendant of one of our ancient bloodlines. Some claimed he was the child of a goddess and an Illyrian (his name means “War” after all). Others claimed he was just a military prodigy. Regardless, he had led us to our few victories in recent years and had been named the Minister of War the year before.
Polemos had been the second-in-command of the first ship I flagged down and had arranged transport for the Mageia I recruited in Heraklion. He and others back home were working to match them to Somas and get them trained.
TheChrysaliswas Betts’ ship. She had stayed behind on this last voyage because she claimed I was spending too much time alone. The fact I preferred it that way didn’t seem to matter to her. Sisters, even adopted ones, are a pain in the ass.
“No clue,” she said. “I just have my orders to bring you and any Mageia we can gather back to Illyria. We’re getting so close, Hel!” She squealed and jumped on her tiptoes to place a kiss on my cheek. “Last time I was in Nymphaeum, almost half of the Mageia you rescued had matched with a Soma! Thanks to you, we have a fighting chance.”
I rolled my eyes, but I felt my heart warm. The idea that I had finally done something for my people helped ease the ache of Ri’s loss.
As much as anything could, I thought, my eyes lingering on the now-empty corridor and the fierce Mageian I was having a hard time getting out of my head.
Chapter 16
Kat
By the time I made it back to the room Hel had given us, I was shaking. I fell into the bed across from V and closed my eyes. I could still feel Hel’s hand stroking over mine. The feel of it, the look in his eyes, had made my pulse race.
I shifted uncomfortably as thoughts of the Illyrian caused my cock to twitch. I tossed and turned for a while, trying to forget the look in his eyes when he had called me out on my lies. Finally, I decided maybe another shower was in order. I moved to the bathing room and leaned against the sink. The feeling of Hel’s fingers stroking over my hands would not leave me. I closed my eyes, picturing his face, scarred but beautiful, his smile, even the sadness in his eyes causing a haunting beauty when we had asked about breaking a Bond.
My hand dropped of its own volition to my rapidly filling cock. I almost moaned aloud as I squeezed its rapidly filling length through the sweatpants. Imagining for a moment that the touch was Hel’s almost made come on the spot.
I tugged at the damn knot of the pants and dropped them to the ground, my fingers tightening desperately over my length. My thumb swirled and stroked over the tip, Hel’s silver eyes burning in my head. My breath came more and more quickly, the thought of kissing those gorgeous lips, letting myhand trail down his chest, to stroke over the front of his pants. Before I knew it, I was spilling into my hand, the gasping sound of my own groans echoing in the empty bathing room.Fuck. Awareness came flooding back to me, reminding me of where I was. V was right outside, hopefully still asleep.
There was very little privacy in the Legion, of course. It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard him a few times over the years, so it was entirely possible my brother had heard me before at some point in the middle of the night in my own bed, but it wasn’t something either of us were comfortable doing around each other. Especially after the Calling.
I peeked out the door to see him asleep in his bed, snoring slightly. I was instantly thankful V was such a sound sleeper. Relieved, in more ways than one, I cleaned up and headed back to bed, sure that sleep would escape me.
