Page 96 of Elex

We all routinely met with Betts to prepare for the trip through the mountains to the location where we’d be able to meet up with theChrysalis.

“It’s about a day long hike through the tunnels,” Betts told me over a map she spread out on the kitchen counter.

“We might need to go slower with some of the injured we have,” I said, studying the map.

“We’ve dealt with that before,” she said, sipping her drink. “We usually have the Air Mageia take turns carrying them on stretchers. When the Air Mageia get too tired, we can have others physically carry them.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, nibbling at a piece of toast and sipping on the hot, bitter drink Hel called coffee.

“It looks like there are some stopping points here, here and here,” V said, pointing at some junctions on the map.

Betts nodded.

“We have way points set up so that when it’s time to go, we don’t have to carry a ton of supplies with us. Each camp will have its own stock of supplies.”

“Who handles the resupply?” V asked.

“My ship makes several trips here a year,” Betts answered. “My crew resupplies each way point when we arrive. That way Hel can focus on finding any Mageia that remain.”

“Speaking of, Hel was looking for you,” V said.

“Good for him,” I said, turning away from the knowing looks that passed between my brother and Betts. These two were altogether too much trouble together.

“C’mon, Kat! Why are you being such an ass to him?” he demanded.

I shrugged, refusing to answer. Since the night Hel had kissed me so gently something in me had felt… brittle. As if I were a dam that was moments away from breaking. I couldn’t give this man the chance to break through the armor that protected me. Protected all of us. Though what it protected me from, I couldn’t say for sure.

“Maybe… Maybe you should give him a chance?” V chewed on his lip nervously.

“A chance?” I demanded, looking at my brother angrily. “A chance to do fucking what? Betray us? I think we’re already giving him enough ammunition on that front,” I said, gesturing wildly to the Mageia milling around.

Betts flushed at my comment, and I instantly regretted it. Hel had done nothing to earn my ire.

“Why are you so pissed? He’s been nothing but kind to us. I think you should give him the chance to—to get to know you,”V continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “To know who you really are, Elex.”

A visceral shiver went through me as he used my old name.

“Don’t call me that,” I said automatically.

“Why not?” V demanded. “It’s your name, and we aren’t in the Legion anymore.”

“It hasn’t been my name for a long time,” I said.

My brother grabbed my arm, but I spun and pulled away.

“This is a new beginning, Kat,” his voice was pleading, wanting me to understand. “For all of us. We don’t have to be who the Elusians wanted us to be. We can reclaim who we were, before they enslaved us.”

“I haven’t seen you jumping up and down and declaring yourself Prince Lucius Alexus the First,” I snapped bitterly.

It was V’s turn to flush, his eyes burning.

“I neverwantedto be a prince,” he hissed. “And I don’t think princes would fit in Illyrian society, anyway. But I wouldn’t mind being called Luke again.”

“That’s the difference between us,adelfos,” I said. “For me, Elex is dead. He died with Erix on that river.”

I heard V sigh as I stalked away.Luke. He wants me to call him Luke again. How did I just know this was going to fuck with me?

We estimated that theChrysaliswas two days out when Hel showed up to the morning strategy session over breakfast. He had mostly avoided the small meetings, too busy with his patients or managing the influx of Mageia. Luke, Betts and I frequently met in the mornings to plan the day, send out search parties, assign chores, and make plans for training. We had been making fewer and fewer searches as we accounted for the majority of the Mageia.