* * *
The lineof people stretching out before us was massive. How many humans had Aelius rid himself of? Didn’t he use them for labor? How in Tartarus was he going to write off that many?
They all looked exhausted as we circled above them, trudging forward but slumped over. The soldiers beside them shined in their golden armor, leading them on, yet seemingly unsure of how to handle them.
They’d surely been using slaves without issue all their lives and didn’t know how to take them now being freed.
We landed before my border guards, who immediately bowed, even before I finished shifting back. Asteria bounded over to me, looking worried and pissed off in equal measure. Eryx cawed before swooping down, shifting midair, and landing on his feet beside us.
I rolled my eyes,every time, I swear.
“Don’t be jealous. I’m lighter on my feet than you,” he teased as he came up beside me, trying to bury his smile as he looked out at the line of humans approaching. Asteria snickered briefly before pressing her lips inward to stop herself.
I shook my head at them and approached the guards, waving for them to rise.
“My King.” Helio, the commander in charge of this border unit, greeted me. He had been stationed here for years. Having family in both Day and Night Kingdoms, my father had allowed him to take up his post here, and he’d more than proven his loyalty since then. His gratefulness for my father’s decision had never wavered.
“Helio.” I nodded in greeting. “This is my mate, Asteria.”
The man’s red eyes widened, and he immediately kneeled before her, his light blonde hair falling over his face slightly, and her own blue eyes flew open wide in response.
“Oh, that’s—that’s really not—” She turned those wide eyes to me in panic, and I had to bite down on my amused smile. As a human, she had stood toe-to-toe with me at our first meeting and held a knife to my throat, but she panicked over someone bowing to her.
Helio chuckled lightly before rising. “Forgive me, we’ve just been waiting for you for so long.”
Asteria tilted her head to the side, her confusion clear. I glanced at Eryx from the corner of my eye, and sure enough,I told you sowas written all over his face.
“What can you tell us about this?” I asked, redirecting the conversation. From the look Asteria shot me, I knew we would certainly be returning to it later. I tried not to wince.
Thankfully, Helio was much more willing to accommodate. “They began showing up in the last few hours. I met with Bellin, he’s helping the stragglers along now, but it seems there’s some issues in Day.”
I raised a brow, well aware of that fact, but unsure of the extent or any recent changes. “How so?”
“Apparently, Aelius gave Arien orders to send a unit to Dusk. He did so, but Aelius sent another behind them. Only before this one left, they rounded up about two hundred humans from Day, most from the outskirts of Avalon, but some from other cities, brought there under cover in advance to bolster the numbers,” Helio explained, a wrinkle in his brow the only indication of his discomfort.
He was currently dating a human woman, Mayrah, who lived nearby. He’d always taken his responsibility to the resistance seriously, but falling in love with a human had upped his commitment substantially.
“They tied them up and shoved them along.” He growled slightly. “When the cowardly soldiers Aelius sent reached the ones who had left earlier under Arien’s order, they attacked. Thankfully, Arien was flying above when it happened, and was able to turn the tide of the fight.”
Asteria straightened, no doubt hearing any news of her twin brother was conflicting for her. I was sure she was anxious to know more about him, and how he responded to this situation in particular.
“What happened?” She urged Helio, who smiled slightly at her.
“He killed the attackers and, according to Bellin, ordered that Aelius couldn’t know what happened to the soldiers and humans he’d sent. It would be better for them to essentially disappear. That way, he wouldn’t know Arien interfered or had any knowledge of his plans.”
Asteria looked disappointed at his explanation. I’m sure she’d hoped Arien felt similarly to us about human slavery, and I worried how she might react to meeting her family, knowing both actively kept slaves.
“Arien told him to free the humans and bring them here, where they’d be safe.” Helio finished, and my brow creased as I thought it over.
“You told Soren about what we’re doing with the humans, right?” I asked Asteria, who nodded, understanding growing on her face.
“You think he told Aurelia and Arien?” She countered, stumbling over their names just slightly, unsure how to refer to them.
“He must have. There’s no way Arien would have known they’d be safe here otherwise.” I thought it over and glanced at Asteria. “It’s likely Soren is acting as a spy of sorts, though one used for a very specific purpose. He likely reported everything about your interaction to them.”
She glared in the general direction of Day Kingdom, as if Soren might feel her glare from here. I wouldn’t put it past her; her rage was beautiful and volatile—and nothing if not explosive.
Chapter Nineteen
