Page 103 of The Stolen Kingdom

“You fought Queen Kenna?” Melvian’s voice cut through with disbelief.

Maris sighed heavily and leaned her head back against the chair. She closed her eyes, too tired to meet their gazes. “I did.”

The silence in the room was broken by the soft cries of the baby boy. Isen and Melvian stared at Maris as though she were a ghost—someone who shouldn’t be there, breathing and alive.

Melvian shifted to the edge of the bed, carefully handing the baby girl to Isen before waving at Cai to assist her. The young man hesitated, his eyes flicking toward Isen. A subtle nod from the new father was all he needed. With a steady arm around Melvian’s waist, Cai helped her stand.

“Water alone won’t keep her standing for long,” Melvian murmured, wincing as she lowered herself onto the seat beside Maris. She extended a hand, gesturing toward a small box resting on top of the drawers. “Cai, grab the bandages and wraps.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Cai’s response as he moved to retrieve the supplies.

Maris raised a hand to dismiss her best friend’s worry, but Melvian slapped it lightly before she could utter a word.

“This is my chance to train another Asclepius worshiper,” Melvian said. “Let me work.”

Maris caught the playful glint in her friend’s eyes and couldn’t help but return the smile. When Cai returned with the box, he opened it and followed Melvian’s instructions carefully. His hands were clumsy as he cleaned and wrapped Maris’s arm and shoulder. Meanwhile, Isen stood silently, his expression unreadable as he cradled his newborn twins.

Maris clenched her jaw to keep from crying out, the tight pull of the bandages stinging against her wounds. Her ragged breathing betrayed the pain she tried to mask, but sherefused to stop Cai’s efforts. Once he was done, she let out a shaky exhale before turning her gaze to Isen.

“We have to leave now,” she said, her tone resolute despite the rawness in her voice.

Isen shook his head immediately. “We can’t! Melvian—”

“We must. I want to believe Kenna and her soldiers had a change of heart, but I don’t think they all did. We don’t know if they’ll come back, and we can’t risk staying here.”

“Maris—”

“Isen, please listen—”

“We can’t just move. Melvian just gave birth. You are injured.”

“I can move just fine. I just need a little help.”

Isen clicked his tongue. “And what about the babies?”

“They have an overprotective father and a mother that would literally give their life for them,” Melvian said, leaning over Maris and tying the wrap tighter, fixing what Cai had done. “We can go.”

“There’s already a wagon prepared for all of you, Captain Hurley,” Cai added from the doorway, standing at attention. “Just give the word, and I’ll help you get loaded up.”

Isen rolled his eyes at Cai before turning his gaze back on Maris. She met his stare with a shrug, unfazed. “You’re the only one who doesn’t want to leave.”

“I am not against leaving. I am against leaving now in your condition,” Isen said.

“Nothing a couple of water-skins can’t fix.”

Isen inhaled and looked down at the two sleeping babies in his arms. “Are we safer out there?”

“No,” Maris whispered. “We’re not safe anywhere until Valda is back in power. But if we leave for the formations now, we can give ourselves a better chance. We can protect each other—for longer—if we make it to the Sea Kingdom.”

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint rustling of Melvian adjusting her tunic as Cai helped her back to bed. Isen lowered his head, his face contorting with an inner battle only Melvian knew about. After a couple of tense seconds, he looked at his mate and then at his twins before nodding.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

23

It was already evening. The moon lit up the pathway for Maris and the escaping Sealians. They left in time to make it to the abandoned village, hours away from their destination. She had decided it would be wise for everyone to rest up before traveling the last miles to the formations. The people who lived there had long since left.

Melvian hadn’t stopped complaining the entire ride. She moaned about her aching body and how much she hated lying on the wagon’s hard floor. She insisted she could ride a horse just fine, but once Isen got serious, she decided that curling up with her babies in the wagon wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

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