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Kassandra leaned over Zephyr’s neck, trying to pierce the screen of darkness ahead of her. She urged him into a trot, pushing as fast as she dared. The moon remained shrouded in clouds, both a blessing and a curse. A blessing when the long shadows of the city walls provided a nice cover for sneaking out of Greta’s tent to the horses, but now a curse. She was on the road, and seeing more than a few feet in front of her was difficult.

The trickiest part of her escape was stealing Zephyr. First, she’d had to snag a bridle, then sneak past the men near the horses to put it on him. Luckily, many Myrdinians remained inside Argos, leaving fewer men in camp. All she could hope for was that the Myrdinians would expect her to be on foot and limit their search. By the time they discovered Zephyr gone, she’d have a strong head start.

How quickly could she get to Eretria? Two days? More? She’d stuffed a little food and a water pouch into a saddle bag, but it wouldn’t last long.

She patted Zephyr’s neck. “A few more hours, then we will find a good place to stop. I know you need a rest.” They needed a place far off the road, with water and grass.

However, when dawn blushed the road with a faint pink hue, she pushed him on, wanting more distance between her and the Myrdinian camp. She hadn’t slept much the past few nights, and weariness seemed to have settled in her bones, but she kept pushing.

As the light increased, the thicket of forest along either side of the road was less of an imposing black wall. A narrow path, possibly a game trail, opened a small passage between two trees off to the right, and light glistened off something beyond. “Come on, boy.” She patted his neck. “Looks like water.”

She was right. A small spring burbled into a gentle pool of water under the cover of a copse of pines. It was the perfect place to stop, and she tied Zephyr so he could drink and graze. “Is this the perfect place to rest, though?” The road wasn’t far away, and if she could see the water through the trees, others might, too.

Other than her trip to the temple and the trek with the Myrdinians, she hadn’t traveled much and certainly never on her own. “What’s safe? What isn’t?”

Zephyr flicked an ear but otherwise continued eating grass. She scanned the clearing. “Greta would like this place. Lots of wild oregano and valerian root.” A cool breeze rustled the branches, and she shivered. They both needed to rest if they were going to push on later. Pulling her cloak around her, she settled with her back against a tree.

“Well, the gods work in mysterious ways.”

Kassandra jolted awake. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was. The day had grown dark, and a steady rain dripped off the trees onto her. How long had she slept?

She scrambled to her feet.

Soldiers dressed in black and gold flooded the clearing. The one in front walked closer and grabbed Zephyr’s bridle. The stallion’s ears shot back, and he snapped at the man’s arm. He laughed. “This horse never did like me.”

Kassandra’s mouth dropped open. She knew that voice. “Harl?”

He slid his helm off, revealing his fair hair. “Sister. It’s been a while.” He eyed her. “I can say you’ve looked better.” His face was a little more weathered than she remembered, with lines around his arrogant mouth and pale eyes. “The gods smile on you, bringing you back to your people.” He waved his hand. “You’re home now. Safe.”

She stood frozen. “It’s really you. You survived the fall of Sarda City.”

“Of course.” His lips twisted into a grimace. “I left when the city was about to fall.”

“But ...” Their home. He’d abandoned it and their people. “Didn’t the city need you?”

His gaze grew icy. “They need me alive more. Alive I can gather an army to take it back.” They’d never been close, and she couldn’t say she had much affection for him, but right now, all she felt was repulsed. She shouldn’t feel that way. He was her kin, her only kin. But how could he turn his back on their people and flee?

He peered around. “How did you get here? Did Ambrose help you? Where is he?”

“Ambrose?” What was he talking about? “You’re in communication with Ambrose?”

He turned away. “Check the area. She can’t be alone.” He pointed at the spring. “Water the horses, we’ll stay here tonight.”

A soldier, a head shorter than her brother, stepped to his side. In a low, deep voice, he said, “We should head back, my lord.”

“No, you see how the gods smile on me. Instead of having to charge into Argos to snatch my sister, she’s here, ready to meet me.”

“You were coming to get me in Argos? How did you know I was there?” It seemed incredulous. Her brother detested her, she couldn’t imagine him trying to fight his way into Argos to get to her, but maybe all this time, he really had cared for her in his own way.

He ignored her questions. “I want dinner, and I want to sleep.” He sounded like a petulant child about to stomp his foot, exactly as he had while arguing with his tutors.

A few of the men around her brother peeled away from the group and began unloading their horses, but the shorter man remained in place. “Ambrose’s message said the Omega was with the Myrdinians. If he sneaked her out of their camp, then they’ll notice she’s gone and pursue. We need to head back to the Dorians as soon as possible.”

Ambrose told her brother she was in Argos, and he must have done immediately after he’d seen her at the fountain. He was still working with the Sardi and must have pigeons set up for communication with them.

And her brother was living with the Dorians.

Instead of feeling a bubble of hope that the Sardi still had allies and might be able to rally in this war, a stone lodged in her stomach. “The Dorians? You’re working with the Dorians?”

Her brother snarled. “Quiet. Speak when spoken to.”

Her face heated. He’d said something similar to her many times growing up, telling her Alphas didn’t care what an Omega had to say, only what they could do on their back. She’d never listened back then and wasn’t about to now. “I thought the Dorians didn’t have anything to do with the rest of Anatolia?”

Her brother went to his horse, loosening its pack and sliding it to the ground. He gestured toward the shorter man. “Take care of this. And you,” —he pointed at her— “make our dinner.”

Her brother was just as demanding and difficult as she remembered, but she wouldn’t get any information if she argued with him. She bowed her head. “Of course, I’d be happy to take care of you.”

He grunted.

Five Sardi soldiers sauntered back into the clearing, smiling at each other. One tossed a sword onto the ground in front of her brother. “We found an Alpha lurking in the woods near here. Most likely her traveling companion. He fought well, but we knocked him out. Gave him a good beating and tied him up by the horses.”

Kassandra gasped. “I told you I traveled alone. You attacked an innocent man.”

The same Sardi sneered at her. “Why would an innocent man be searching the woods?”

Her brother sniffed. “I told you she didn’t escape on her own. Is he a Myrdinian?”

One of the soldiers shook his head. “Doubtful. He wore no armor.”

It couldn’t be Lodan, he always wore his golden armor.

“Argosian?”

“His clothes are plain. He looks like a poor farmer, so he must be a Myrdinian.” The guard laughed. “They’ve ransacked cities and are still too stupid to wear anything but rags.”

“What are you going to do with this man?” she asked.

“You worry about dinner.” Her brother gave her his back and walked away.

One of the Sardi men dumped a hunk of dried meat and some bread at her feet, as well as a large pot. She hauled it all to the fire, where her brother sat polishing his sword. She laid the meat out, then lifted the pot into her arms. Her brother didn’t even glance her way as she walked to the spring.

The Sardi had tethered their horses near Zephyr, a few paces along the edge of the spring. She filled the pot with water, then started plucking oregano from the shore, slowly winding closer and closer to the horses.

The faint trickle of light from the fire revealed a large man lying on his side. The Sardi had tossed him partially in the water, with a burlap bag over his head. His clothes were muddy and torn, and she could see the size of him the closer she got. Only one Alpha was this large.

She bit back a cry and ran forward, tearing away his hood with one yank.

It was Lodan, blood streaming down his face from a gash to his forehead. He lay on his right side, his hands bound behind his back and his ankles tied together. “What are you doing here?” she hissed. She examined the rest of him. Everywhere looked bloodied and bruised.

“Looking for you.” The words came out garbled.

“How badly did they hurt you? Can you move?”

His gaze raked over her face. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.” She touched his head, and he winced. “Where’s your armor? Your sword?” Seeing him injured made her stomach churn. Seeing him tied made her want to claw at everyone around her until he was free. The irony didn’t pass her by. He had no issue tying her up, but she couldn’t tolerate it when it was him.

“You left.” He stopped, panting for breath. “I didn’t stop to put on my armor.”

She stiffened. “I left for a good reason.”

“I didn’t—” He grunted and tried to move, struggling to free himself. “I didn’t want you marched through Argos.” He sagged back onto his side.

She stood. “We both know that isn’t true.”

“Old plan.” He grimaced, but his gaze locked on hers. “Plan changed. Xander didn’t know.”

Could that be true?

A bark of laughter floated on the air behind her, and she stepped back. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Of course he didn’t listen, he thrashed against his bonds. “No. Untie me now. You aren’t safe.”

She put her hand on his arm, and he stilled. “And what are you going to do? There are at least thirty men over there, maybe more. They’ll kill you.”

“You’d get away first. That’s all that matters.”

Her heart did a funny flip. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have a plan. One where we both live. You need to trust me.”

He growled but stopped struggling. She wished she could loosen his bonds, but she’d already lingered near him too long.

She threaded back along the water’s edge, this time pulling up as much valerian root as she could find. When she reached the pot, she tossed it in, then dragged the pot back to the fire.

Adding the meat and bringing the stew to a boil, she watched her brother. He pulled a long, thin dagger from a holster at his ankle. Drawing out a small black pouch, he put on a leather glove. He dipped his fingers into the pouch and smeared a milky substance onto the blade.

“What are you doing?”

Her brother glared at her, and she expected to be yelled at for speaking to him, but he said, “This is hemlock. I keep this blade poisoned. It’s saved me a time or two.”

A poisoned blade.

Lodan had told her that Myrdinians believed in keeping honor in battle. A poisoned blade wasn’t honorable.

His gaze grew shrewd. “At least the Myrdinians didn’t kill you. All the better for me. The Dorians won’t meet with me without you, so if you were dead,” —he shrugged— “things would be more difficult for me.” He wiped more poison on his blade. “I considered finding an Omega who looked like you and lying, but the Dorians have traveled through Anatolia more than I expected. They may know your face.”

She dropped her head and stared at the boiling stew. So, he hadn’t come to Argos to rescue her because he was concerned about her. He needed her.

Oddly enough, she didn’t feel anything. Where her brother was concerned, she was empty inside. Everything Lodan said about the Sardi, the arrogance, the disdain for others, her brother showed in spades. Even as a child, he’d been cruel. To her and others. Keeping her voice soft and her neck bowed, she said, “Rather surprising that the Dorians would care about me.”

He pursed his lips. “Perhaps they don’t have many Omegas up in those shitty mountains.” It was the exact same expression he’d wear when she’d discover her toys broken and he swore to her he had nothing to do with it.

He’s lying. But what about? Did he know why the Dorians really wanted to see her?

His smile turned cold. “Ambrose’s letter said you were trussed up like a partridge in the center of Argos. What exactly have the Myrdinians been doing to you, dear sister?” He wrinkled his nose. “Well, we’ll keep that information from the Dorians. Let them think you’re still a virgin when I offer you to their leader.” He shook his head. “My sister with one of the Dorians. How the mighty blood of our line has been polluted. Then again, we’re only half-blood, I suppose it was to be expected. Father was going to marry you off to a non-Sardi because no decent Alphas would accept you.”

Gritting her teeth, she stirred the soup more vigorously. Picking valerian root was one of her first tasks for Greta. The same thing Greta gave her yesterday to calm her after her walk through Argos. The healer told her a few things about valerian root, most importantly to be careful with the amount. Too much could put someone into a dangerously deep sleep.

Eat up Harl.

Her plan to drug the Sardi into sleep was originally only to help Lodan escape. But now she knew Harl only wanted her as a pawn in this war, too, she wasn’t interested in remaining with him. Even if she hadn’t always wanted to listen, she had still heard what Cian, Lodan, and the other Myrdinians had to say about the Sardi, and it was possible that a lot of things she’d grown up with, things she’d been told were true, weren’t true at all.

While she hadn’t had a Chiron to help her figure the world out, she had read his lectures, especially his teachings about thinking critically, about thinking for herself, and not assuming that things she was told were true.

It all led to one thing.

She wasn’t staying with the Sardi. She would find her own way. A way that felt right.

It seemed to take forever for the meat to soften in the stew, and she kept glancing toward the water, knowing Lodan lay there uncomfortable and in pain. When she finally served the food, she pretended to eat but really poured hers onto the ground.

The valerian didn’t take long to kick in. The first to succumb was her brother, who ordered the others to take first patrol and crawled into his tent. While all became drowsy, not all had gorged on the stew like her brother and would sleep as soundly. Still, it was the best she could hope for.

Kassandra rose. She waited for the first patrol to reach the woods, then sprinted for Lodan.