Page 129 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

My chest squeezed.

We’d held hands before. Many times. But this was the first time we’d ever been allowed to do so outdoors for an extended period of time. And it felt…wonderful. And helped take my mind off of everything else that was happening.

An hour passed of us walking and talking hand in hand before we stopped in a clearing to eat lunch. Rhyan traveled around the perimeter, scouting for any signs of Lumerians or animals we should be worried about. After lunch, we picked up speed, walking at a brisk and brutal pace. The days were still short, and we were toeing the line of danger. By keeping our route off the main roads, we avoided being seen by Lumerians who could report us or tip off Imperator Hart to Rhyan’s whereabouts. Or tip off Imperator Kormac to mine. But the closer we got to nightfall in the wilderness, the more likely we were to be targeted by akadim.

Just when the sky had darkened enough for us to need a torch to see, Rhyan decided it was time to travel. Elyria was actually a very narrow country—nearly as wide as Bamaria but quite a short pass if traveling north—so we’d managed to cover an impressive distance even if we were nowhere near the Cretanyan border.

Rhyan pulled me into his arms and took a few deep breaths to prepare himself for the jump.

My feet lifted off the ground, and there was a sharp pain in my stomach like it was being tugged away from me. Then, with a sharp thud, my feet hit the ground. This time, I was ready for Rhyan, bracing myself to catch his weight and support him as he recovered from the jump.

Sweat beaded across his forehead, and his hair was full of curls as if he’d been sweating for hours. His cheeks were red with cold and exertion, but he was in better shape than he’d been the night before. All day, his injuries had been improving, the bruises fading. But traveling like this still took a toll on him. He wasn’t only feeling the effect of running a long distance in an inhumanly short period of time—he was also feeling the effort it’d taken to carry me along. He was strong, stronger than any other soturion in the Empire. But this, this was a lot. More than he should have had to carry.

“You’re doing okay?” he asked, always concerned with me first.

“I’m fine.” I tightened my hold on him, urging him to lean more into me, to let me support his weight. “How are you feeling?”

He took a deep breath, steadied himself on his feet, and stepped back from me, rubbing his hand over his chin. His eyes glazed over our new surroundings. “I’m not sure I like this plan.”

“Of what? Checking in by yourself?”

I started to scan, too. Taking in my first sight of Cretanya. We were on the edge of a small wood, through which torchlights and glowing amethysts blasted. Cretanya’s capital city of Thene was said to put Urtavia to shame—it had the most shops and markets and was famous for its dance clubs. I’d always wanted to come here, see the lights, and hear the music that was supposedly always playing in the city at all hours of the day. The constant flow of activity and endless streams of lights made it an unpopular place for akadim to come despite the dense population. The rest of the country was mainly woods and farmlands; much of Bamaria’s grain and vegetables were imported from here.

Even from behind the trees, I could hear the bustle of the city—battling musicians and the kind of loud chatter usually reserved in Urtavia for festivals. A wave of nostalgia washed through me. I’d never been here before, only read about it, but there was an energy to the city I could feel, even from this distance. It reminded me of another life. Another time. When things were simple, fun. It reminded me of Jules being alive. Nights laughing with her, running through the shops and restaurants. Dancing in the streets. She would have loved this city.

Rhyan took my hand and squeezed, leading me through the clearing.

We stepped through the remaining cluster of trees into a small park at the city’s edge. The inn was just beyond the park, across the street. Rhyan pointed it out. Ruled by Ka Zarine, the building was painted gold and featured a simple golden sun.

My hood fell over my face. Rhyan’s features were covered by shadows. There were people everywhere, people who didn’t know us, had never seen us before, and who likely hadn’t yet heard that the night before, the former Heir to the Arkasva and her apprentice had both vanished from Bamaria.

“I’ll be fine.” I moved my vadati stone from my waist to around my neck and tucked the chain safely under my soturion armor and Asherah’s chest plate. I tapped the golden stars. “I can call in an instant if I need you. And I have this.” I pulled out my dagger.

Rhyan frowned. “I’d feel better if you held your sword.”

“That’s not exactly subtle. We’re trying to avoid being noticed.”

“We’re trying to stay alive.”

“That, too,” I agreed. “Go. It’s only a few minutes, I’ll be fine.”

Taking a deep breath, Rhyan pulled his hood over his head then reached forward to tug mine more securely into place. “Okay. I’m going. Be careful. Stay alert. Promise me.” He leaned in to kiss me, hauled both bags over his shoulder, then headed for the building’s entrance.

I walked forward, not wanting to be too close to the trees. There were a few stragglers in the park, mostly couples taking romantic strolls through the city stopping to sit on the park benches.

“He took off with her.” There was a gruff voice behind me. “Lady Lyriana.”

I froze, dipping my chin and letting my hood fall past my forehead.

“Forsworn criminal. Poor girl. And her sisters taken by akadim?”

The first voice grunted. “I knew that whole Ka was cursed.”

Shit. Shit. Word had gotten to Cretanya. I gripped the hilt of the blade in my hand, tucked behind my cloak where no one could see it.

Edging closer to the Cretanyans, I peered at them beneath my hood. They seemed to be two off-duty soturi of Ka Zarine—both wore the golden sun sigil over their tunics. Off-duty, so they weren’t actively looking for me and Rhyan. But if they got wind of who I was—I was pretty sure they’d be on the job in an instant. I could only imagine the reward the Imperator would offer.

“Word is they’re traveling by foot, probably just reaching Elyria, assuming he’s taking her out of her country,” the first soturion continued.