Текст книги "Scars of his warth"

Автор книги: Zoey Ellis

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CHAPTER NINETEEN

The next day began the same.

After she’d drank her tmae juice and practiced her combat sequences, Meiro dressed her and encouraged her to drink the potent gold liquid she called kkermo. Then Prillu took her to meet Akoro and his council in the strategy room.

Today he wore his hair back and braided into one long tail again. Without his hair framing his face, his jaw seemed sharper, his eyes even darker and his body thicker. Naya’s skin tightened, heat flushing over her and lifting her center with a fierce rush. None of it was true. It was just their true mate connection that made him always seem so savagely beautiful, but the attraction cut through her, brutal and deep. He was also wearing more layers of leather than yesterday, leaning into a style that was more warrior than regal king. The result was breathtaking. But it didn’t matter. That mouth and those hands were never touching her again.

Naya dragged her eyes from him and breathed deeply, focusing instead on the table between them as she walked to stand opposite him. Calm, considered, and careful.

As she approached the table, he pointed to a piece of parchment. "Is this correct?"

Naya leaned over to look at it. It was a hierarchy of the Lox army. At the top was her father, Emperor Drocco. Directly underneath him, her uncle, Commander Torin. Then were all the generals that ruled over the various countries and territories of the Lox Empire. Then their second-in-command’s, and then the massive army which was written down as five thousand soldiers.

"The structure is correct," Naya said. "But the amount of soldiers isn't."

"How many do you have?" Nrommo asked.

“Twenty-five thousand."

“That’s impossible,” he said immediately. “That many cannot fit in the palace. It is said by all official channels that the army live in the palace.”

“They used to all live in the palace.” She lifted her gaze to his. “They grew.”

“Where are they if they’re not in the palace?” Nrommo asked.

“All over the empire. They are in every country.” She watched the council murmur thoughts to each other in their own language. She understood now why they needed to take someone who would give them information. While they knew a reasonable amount about the Known Lands and the Lox Empire, their knowledge about specific security measures was old. Papa and Uncle Torin had kept it that way, despite the exasperation about their carefulness by almost everyone. Uncle Torin had specifically moved the army around through deployment and restructuring so they were never gathered all together at the same time. No one would know how many there were… unless they were told.

Naya turned to Akoro, whose eyes she could feel on her. “You said you had more soldiers than my father’s army⁠—“

“He does,” Nrommo interrupted, his eyes dark with pride and annoyance. “Do not assume that because your army is bigger than expected, that our army is unable to overwhelm them.”

Naya angled toward him. He already knew what she was going to say and he was already irritated by it. Good. This Alpha was emotional enough to give her information without realizing it.

“Our warriors are five times the size of your tiny Lox, Omega. It will be easy to subdue⁠—“

“Nrommo.”

Nrommo’s words died at the utterance of his name from Akoro’s mouth.

“Out,” Akoro ordered. “All of you.”

They started moving toward the door but Prillu and Nrommo moved toward him.

“I request to stay, zmola,” Prillu said, her head bowed. “I believe I can⁠—“

“No.”

“I should be present if there is any discussion about the army, zmola,” Nrommo said. “I think I should stay to⁠—“

“No.”

Prillu bowed and turned on her heel to the door. Nrommo’s mouth tightened and he glanced at Naya, anger embedded in his face. For a moment, Naya thought he was going to say something more, but he blazed out of the room.

Akoro leaned over the table, looking at the hierarchy of the Lox army and Naya watched him closely. He seemed to be a completely different person from the Alpha who kept coming to her cart in the desert. Although he had intimidated her and pushed her to the ground yesterday, today he was solely focused on his invasion. That would make things much easier for her.

"Your father values his army more than any other defensive or attack strategy or method, doesn't he?" he finally asked.

Naya considered his words for a long moment.

"Doesn't he?" Akoro repeated forcefully, straightening to his full height.

"He is very proud of his army, yes."

"Why?"

"They were the first army of their kind in the Known Lands."

"What are these Known Lands?"

Naya frowned. “I thought you knew.”

“It doesn’t matter what I know.”

Sighing, she gestured to the three land masses. "These three continents."

"So they are known to you, yet you didn’t name them with any real significance?" he said, crossing his arms.

Naya shrugged, a tiny detail of something he said sat on the edge of her awareness. "The three lands used to be at odds with each other. There’s never been a chance to have a collective name until now."

"Explain."

Naya took a breath. "The Southern Isles keep to themselves and never used to engage at all with the other two. The Lox Empire and the Land of Eiros used to be enemies, even before my father took over.”

"Why?"

"It was a historic feud between the two lands. The people of the Lands of Eiros are very deceptive and the rulers were never honorable or honest. They used to steal people and treasures from the Eastern Lands for their own wealth."

Akoro’s face contorted in annoyance. "And they let them?"

"The Eiros rulers were powerful and very skilled in magic and the Eastern Lands had no unified army. When my father came into power, things worsened until war broke out.”

"How does this one hide?" He pointed to the Southern Isles.

"They use magic to manipulate what sailors can see when they are approaching."

"All of these lands are separated by water?" he asked. "Even though there are seas between the regions?”

"Yes. They are continents."

"Continent?"

Naya nodded. "It’s an enormous mass of land," she explained. "Usually it is too big for one entity to rule efficiently or effectively so it’s broken into smaller regions or countries."

"And yet each of these are ruled by one entity," he said. "Is that right?"

Naya nodded. “They are now. But it took a long while for them to get to that point, and it doesn't mean that there weren’t people who successfully fought or rebelled against being ruled. If you take over this continent…”

She let her voice trail off, aware that she was offering advice he didn’t ask for.

Akoro tilted his head, a brow arched. “Yes?”

“It is challenging to rule land this size,” she said, “especially by force. A lot of your resources will be needed just to keep your people alive.”

He made another noise at the back of his throat, looking between the landmasses.

“Are you…” Naya tried to formulate her question without making it a question. “One of the other lands might be easier to conquer than mine.” She hated even saying it, but she had a responsibility to explore all opportunities to protect her Land above the others. “The Lands of Eiros in particular have a history of more turmoil⁠—“

“No. I want yours.”

“It will be harder to conquer.”

“Good.” Akoro turned to her. “I must conquer a strong land for my people. And yours is the strongest.”

Naya blinked, surprised that he’d answered and with such conviction. What could she say to that?

He rounded the table, his gaze hardening on her.

"I want to know more about your father's military strategies," he said. “His ‘techniques,’ as you call them.”

Naya hummed out her response, trying not to smile. So his pride was still bruised.

"How did your father conquer those Lands? It’s too big for him to have taken it at once, especially with such a small army at the beginning. So how was he able to defeat the previous king without getting destroyed in the process?"

"He recruited many Alphas to join his army," Naya said, looking over at the Lox Empire map. "They came from all over the Lands. Many convinced members of their families and friends, acquaintances, people from their districts and home villages that my father would be a better leader and that he would unite the regions, and return the Land to what it should have been if Omegas had been treated well. There was always someone who was supportive of what he was trying to do in every city and village.”

Akoro grunted. No doubt, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. "So that means he had a strategy."

Naya finally glanced up at him. "He did."

He handed her one of the strange quill-like wooden writing instruments and pointed to a wooden slab on the corner of the table. "Tell me what he did. You can write on this tablet." He pressed the quill into the slab and swished his wrist. The tip left a dark mark on it. He held it out again to Naya. “Write it down.”

Naya frowned at him, taking it slowly. That meant they could read and write in the Common Tongue. “I just told you. He appealed to what his people needed, especially Alphas. It’s not very complicated to write down.”

“How did he organize them? How and when did they strike?”

“He traveled around the Lands to speak to Alphas, and then set up training camps. It went from there.”

Akoro lifted his head, looking down at her through narrow, cold eyes. He was clearly inconvenienced by her answer, but that was the truth. If he wanted more detail, he needed to ask for specifics.

Akoro exhaled and leaned on the table, his large hands spreading wide. “Maybe the King of Ashens wasn't a real threat,” he said watching her. “Maybe his army was unskilled, and maybe he wasn't present across the entire Lands like your father’s army is. You already told me it is difficult to unite these Lands, maybe the King of Ashens hadn't done it in any significant way that would have made it difficult for your father."

Heat crept up Naya’s neck and she glared back at him. "The King of Ashens had the Lands in an iron grip. He had thousands upon thousands of men dedicated to him, not just soldiers, but merchants and spies, wealthy Alphas he had placed strategically across the countries to give him information. He would kill anyone who was even a potential threat, and not in an honorable way, but through poison and strange accidents and disappearances. He had Talent-crafters who tortured people for fun. Nothing escaped his notice. My father had to train a whole army and plan his siege using secrecy, careful misdirection, and the trust of his men, under the watchful eye of a cruel man who valued knowledge and information. He spied on everyone across the Known Lands. Knowledge was his power."

Suddenly, she realized what she’d said and her stomach dropped. That’s exactly what Akoro was doing, gathering knowledge and power, beyond what he would have on the battlefield.

"But did the king have any soldiers?" he asked.

Naya swallowed, unable to get the bitterness from her throat. She knew she was there to give him information but there was a bigger picture. It wasn't just about brute force, which was her father's preferred way, it was also about understanding how the people would react. Akoro had already been spying on them, gathering information about everything that they could see and hear from the outside. But she was their real tool, to learn how the culture worked, understand the people and what they might do in a panic, if there would be any other resistance to their siege. She was the key to bringing down her own empire. “What do you mean?” she asked, weakly.

"I want to know if the King of Ashens had trained soldiers? Or poorly trained Alphas who were overcome by your father’s equally weak army.”

"The Lox were never poorly trained,” she said, a little too sharply. "Their training was meticulously conducted over years."

Akoro straightened, curiosity in his eyes. “Your father spent years planning this overthrow?”

"Yes. And the King of Ashens had many skilled soldiers. They weren’t trained in the type of combat my father had been trained in, but strong men with good skill and rigorous training. They were still defeated."

Akoro lifted his chin, his dark eyes roaming over her defensive stance, the corner of his mouth curling up. “You are proud of your Lox.”

Naya didn’t answer this time. What did he expect? This was the army she was going to command one day. Her father’s greatest achievement. They weren’t fucking weak.

Akoro was silent for a moment, staring down at the empty wooden tablet. "So your opinion is that it was your father’s combat skills and strategy that helped him to win the war and rule successfully?"

Naya nodded, not pointing out that he’d asked two different questions. Her father had definitely leaned into that when he first took over the Empire, but her mother’s influence had made him so much more. She’d never offer that information to Akoro. From now on, she had to control her temper and wait. He needed to ask for every piece of power he wanted from her.

He got up from his seat. "Then you will explain to me his combat style.” He walked to the door and Naya frowned, getting up and following him. He led her out of the room and took a sharp left down some steps and into a large, flat rooftop space surrounded by a wall that was about waist high on Akoro.

The city spread out before them, but he didn’t give her a chance to indulge the view. Along one side of the rooftop stood multiple stands holding a variety of weapons, from swords and spears to other weapons she didn't recognize.

Akoro led her into the space and then called to his guard, speaking quickly and quietly in the harsh language she was beginning to get used to hearing. The guard left and Akoro headed to the weapon stand. “If he trained his whole army in secret, then he must have a method for teaching it quickly and accurately."

Naya watched him bewildered.

He picked up various strange weapons from the stand, turning them over before putting them back. "You said your training is mostly with blades." He threw the question over his shoulder, moving farther down the weapon stand.

"Yes…."

He turned to face her. In each hand he held thick, wooden rods, both different lengths but much shorter than the average spear. "Which is closer to the average length of the dagger that you are trained in?”

Naya pointed to the shorter one.

He threw it to her and grabbed another one for himself. "You will show me your father’s combat using these training bars," he said, striding the center of the roof.

"I showed you in the desert,” Naya said, reluctant to even mention that event. She followed him to the center of the roof. “I don’t know what more I can demonstrate.”

He turned and planted his feet wide, slightly bent, with one side of his body angled away from her. "I want to learn how your father fights, how his army fights. Start."

Naya lifted the wooden rod, weighing it in her hand, feeling the size of it. It was slightly too wide for her grip, but she could make it work. His request was odd though. She peered up at him. "I started training with my father from before I could walk. This isn't something I can teach you in a morning. It takes time and dedication and practice."

“You assume too much.” His voice was hard. “You know nothing of our combat training, how we fight or our philosophies on the battlefield. You don't need to teach me to fight. I want to know how your father taught his men, how they prioritize what they do when they fight in battle.”

"I don't need to fight you for that," Naya said, dropping her arm back down to her side. "For battle, his training is a simple concept, it’s just not that easy to do."

Akoro straightened. "Tell me."

"There are certain points in the body, called vital points, if hit or stabbed will fatally wound or disable someone," Naya said. "The priority for the strongest, fastest warriors is to hit one of these areas, disarm the opponent, and move onto the next. But since dying soldiers can still cause harm, another warrior will prioritize killing those fallen opponents. That way, more people were injured or dying than fighting back."

Akoro nodded slowly, his mind working behind those intense, dark eyes. "Interesting strategy.”

Naya got the idea that he didn't particularly like hearing what she was saying, but why would he? He knew now how the Lox army would fight, but it wasn't a strategy that could be easily circumvented.

“But battle is messy and frantic,” he said. “It isn’t neat enough for a two part strike like that. Men do not stand around waiting to be fatally stabbed.”

“True,” Naya agreed. “But if you know your terrain and your enemy, if you’ve honed your instincts and pay attention, if you’ve planned careful for everything you can plan for, it works.”

Akoro held her gaze, allowing silence to stretch between them. "Show me the vital points," he said finally.

Naya pointed to the nine areas, from her temples to the top of her foot.

“Some of them are very difficult to get to," Akoro said.

She nodded. "Yes, but every warrior has been trained to reach those points.”

Akoro was silent for a long moment, stepping forward slowly. His rich scent followed him, swallowing her as he towered over her, his long plait over one shoulder. "How did you get me to the ground so quickly in the desert?" His voice was a deep, rich rumble of sin.

Naya blinked her gaze away, her mouth tightening as she tried to not to let him affect her. "I paid attention to your fighting style. It's not anything that my father wouldn't teach."

"Explain."

"Each opponent has their own strengths and weaknesses," she explained. "They have certain trained behaviors and preferences."

His eyes flared. "What did you notice about me that led you to believe you could topple me?"

Naya glanced up at him, refusing to step back, but annoyed she had to endure the sense that he was all around her because he was so close. "Your footwork is weak," she said. "You’re not agile when you fight. You resist moving your weight quickly. So that means you use your weight in a specific way. I was able to anticipate and exploit that to get you off balance."

As she spoke Akoro's face tightened and contorted. But he said nothing, probably because she was right.

For the first time since her capture, a sense of satisfaction spread through her. She forced herself not to smile. No doubt he would punish her if she did. Still, she couldn’t resist adding, “That’s not unusual for an Alpha. Many of the Alphas I spar with, who are new to my father’s style, have to be trained out of relying on their bulk.”

A snarl graced his lip before his turned and repositioned his feet, raising his wooden bar.

"Strike me on one of my vital points," he snarled.

Naya eyed him. After what happened last time she absolutely didn’t want to fight him. But he probably wouldn’t let her refuse this challenge and they won’t be having sex on these rooftop grounds. "All right." She positioned her feet wide and raised her bar. "But I must tell you, I am at a disadvantage in this clothing. If you really want me to fight the way my father intended, I can’t be wearing skirts and dresses."

Akoro charged at her, and they began to fight.

They fought just as wildly as the last time, but it felt like there was more at stake this time. Every corded muscle in Akoro's body tensed with aggression and seemed fueled by the motivation to disprove what she’d said.

It seeped out into his scent, heavy, and somewhat acrid—aggression blended with his usual Alpha dominance and tinged with a hint of something heady, but Naya tried not to suck it into her lungs as she moved.

The harsh scent of Alpha aggression wasn't uncommon. She’d sparred with many Alphas who wanted to prove themselves against the emperor's celebrated daughter. She didn't let those emotions or their accompanying odors get in the way of her focus. But Akoro’s scent called to every quivering nerve that had been awakened by him. She wanted to smother herself with his tantalizing fragrance.

Her foot slipped and she fell. Curling herself in, she rolled and got up, blocking a strike Akoro had lunged forward to make, the clatter of their wooden sticks cracking across the grounds.

She blinked up at him and then darted away. Arousal. That delicious thick arousal was in his scent again. She didn't have time to think about it because he charged at her again. Naya fought back but she was distracted. Her reactions were too slow, her mind scattered. She needed to focus.

Breathing deeply, she forced Akoro into her favorite sequence, sinking into the focus that allowed her to be wild, vicious, and precise with her skill. Her mind returned to the cool numbness that she used in her morning sequences, and immediately her precision improved. She drove Akoro back with a series of furiously quick strikes, and finally the end of her rod drove into his knee.

He roared as she spun away, and his wooden rod brushed along her torso. She darted back and slammed her rod down on the nerve in the middle of his forearm. His hand spasmed and he dropped his stick.

Naya spun away and stopped. They stared at each other, both panting.

Grasps and exclaims came from across the roof but she barely heard them.

Akoro's eyes were wild. "If that had been a blade, I would have cut you," he bellowed, pointing to his rod.

"Yes, but it wouldn’t be fatal," Naya said, gasping for breath. She pointed to the ground with her rod. “Whereas if mine had been real, you’d be bleeding out right here, and another warrior would come along to slit your throat.”

Akoro’s fists clenched, his whole body stiff his breath heavy.

Only then did Naya allow herself a small smile, but it disappeared when she realized they’d had an audience. His council had arrived at some point.

Nrommo stormed over and took the wooden rod from Naya. "My king," he said, clearly struggling to keep his voice even. "This was unwise."

Akoro ignored him, stepping toward Naya, that Alpha pride and curiosity deepening in his dark eyes.

Naya glared up at him, amusement in hers. She’d beaten him twice now—knocked him on his ass and had almost managed to kill him, and now disarmed him in front of his precious council. Who isn’t keeping up to their people’s standards now? She didn't back away as he came close, but stared up at him, defiance brightening her veins.

Akoro looked at Nrommo. “Why are you all here?” he said irritably. “I thought I dismissed you.”

Nrommo lifted his hands, as though in disbelief. “It’s lur ennen.”

Akoro grunted. Turning back to Naya he said, “This afternoon you will tell us all about you and your status. Everything. You may have lur ennen to think about all relevant information.”

“Have… what?”

He gestured to Prillu and made his way to the door.

All of the council regarded Naya curiously as they climbed the stairs back up to the battle room. All except the healer, who grinned at her as though he was delighted about what she’d done. She couldn't help but give him a small smile in response.

Prillu gestured to follow her down a different corridor from the rest of the group, and Naya followed. The sundial in the corridor read that quite a few hours had passed, so maybe this was their lunch time.

“Are you going to escort me to and from the battle room every day?" Naya asked as they arrived at her bedroom.

Prillu had been quiet on the way, and Naya could feel tension rolling off her.

Instead of answering, she said, "You will eat all your meals in your room.” She gestured to the door. "Meiro will bring them to you. You will eat alone. Lur ennen lasts two hours during the hottest part of the day. Meiro will bring you as much liquid as you require to rehydrate, whether it be water or tmae. No alcohol will be provided.” She spoke stiffly and formally, her back straight. “Traditionally, we eat first and then relax, sometimes nap. Parchment and ink can be provided if you wish to jot things down in preparation for returning to the zmola."

Naya stepped inside her room and turned to face her, both of either side of the doorway. "Thank you," she said carefully. "You seem upset with me."

Prillu said nothing for a long moment. "You are a prisoner here," she said finally, her voice cool. "If I have come across to you friendly in the past, that was simply my training. There are no diplomatic agreements that can be made between our cultures. That isn't what's happening here. I am not your ally or your friend or your way to find out about this land so you can betray us later.”

"I cannot betray you if I was never allied with you," Naya shot back. "I have made an agreement with your… zmola, and although I’ve had difficulty adjusting to my new position as your reluctant informant, I intend to protect my people as much as I can, and as long as I can."

Prillu inclined her head. "I'm glad to hear that. That still does not mean that we are on friendly terms."

"What has changed that?" Naya asked, her own voice becoming cooler. "Have you suddenly realized I’m not a pretty little princess but an actual warrior who can disarm a man?"

Prillu bristled instantly but said nothing.

Naya eyed her. "Surely that's not the first time you’ve seen him disarmed?"

Prillu inhaled sharply, her chest expanding as she shot Naya a dark look. "At the end of lur ennen, I will return for you.” She turned and stalked away.

Naya watched her go. Interesting. It couldn’t be possible they’d never seen Akoro disarmed. He was a good fighter, but no one experienced in battle hadn’t had their weapon fly out of their hand a few times. It had something to do with her being the one to do it.

One of the guards reached for the door and pulled it in, the lock activating as soon as it closed. Naya sighed and wandered into the room to find another tray of food left for her.

The tmae from this morning was still there and still cool, so she tipped it up and finished the liquid inside it. A portion of grilled meat had been served with a stew of onions and a type of legume. It smelled good, but Naya didn't have an appetite.

She sat by the lattice window under the balcony watching the city. As the hour passed, it slowed to a stop. Nothing moved in the streets, so there was nothing for her to look at. The heat in her room intensified—it was bearable, but definitely noticeable. If her room was generally cool, she couldn't imagine how hot it must be outside. Drowsiness seeped into her body and muddled her thoughts. She lay down on the bed to rest for a moment, only to find Meiro shaking her awake.

Meiro straightened her clothing, tutting at how wrinkled they’d become, and then handed her a small cup of the potent-smelling, gold liquid. By the time she stepped outside the door to meet Prillu, she felt refreshed.