Page 56 of When Sisters Collide
Nik’s jaw stayed firm. “I won’t let you sacrifice yourself when we both know I’m the one who should pay for my crimes.” He held out his hand to the North Wind.
Leukos caught his arm in a desperate grip. “Don’t be an idiot!” he snapped, panic clawing up his throat. “He will bind your soul!”
“Better mine than yours,” Nik shot back. “You’re the Prince of Megara, heir to the throne. As the son of a Silver Shield, it’s my duty to protect you, no matter the cost. You can’t lead the rebellion without your Gift. Our people need you.” His voice dropped, raw with conviction. “The Omega will need you.”
Leukos’ pulse thundered, anger dissolving into fear. But before he could protest, Nik pulled free and stepped forward, defiant.
“Gift him all the magic he needs to lead the rebellion and defeat the Emperor,” he said, voice ringing clear in the cold. “And when the Emperor falls—then, and only then—take my soul as payment.”
The North Wind’s eyes gleamed with predatory delight. His pale hand stretched forward, veins of purplish blue snaking up his arm like frozen lightning. But before he could grasp it, Nik pulled back slightly, a wry smile curving his lips.
“One more thing,” he said, almost casually. “Can you undo the betrothal to Charis?”
Leukos blinked. The question was so absurd that for a heartbeat, he almost laughed. Instead, something bitter curledin his chest. Even now, Nik was still thinking of him, still trying to protect him.
The god sneered. “Their parents swore a vow before the Achaean Twelve. There might be a way if the Sea God were willing. But that old fool favours the match. There’s nothing I can do against him.”
Nik winked at Leukos, mischief glinting in his eyes. “Worth a try.”
Then his face contorted in agony as the North Wind clasped his right hand. A brilliant, ice-blue light erupted between them, flooding the cave. Leukos shielded his eyes. When it dimmed, a new Mark traced intricate swirls across Nik’s forearm, binding him to the god’s will.
“I want a sacrifice. Something fit for the patron god of Megara’s prince,” the North Wind said, voice heavy with decree. “Only then will your magic return. Enough to rival any Silver Shield or Achaean hero.” His gaze lingered on Nik, a sinister smile curling his lips. “I’ll see you again soon.”
In the next instant, he was gone.
Leukos stood frozen, his eyes locked on the Mark seared into Nik’s skin, a brutal reminder of the fate that now awaited him.
Guilt rooted deep, cold as the frost clinging to the cave walls. He had come seeking power to win a war, but Nik had paid the price with his soul.
And Leukos didn’t know how to live with that weight.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ALENA
The descent from the mountain was as treacherous as Alena had feared—ice-slick paths, hidden gullies, each step threatening to snap an ankle or worse.
But unlike the gruelling ascent, the way down allowed her thoughts to drift. The Maiden’s revelation about Katell looped through her mind, refusing to loosen its grip.
Kallinos is not her father.
And yet, they shared the same mother—the Rebel Queen, Andrasta. That much had been confirmed by the Westerners, Brennus and Alcaros, when they’d met last summer.
So if Kallinos wasn’t Katell’s father… then who was?
By nightfall, she and Phoebe reached the same cave they’d used before, sheltered from the wind by a heavy stone outcrop. Once the fire was lit and a pot of lentils simmered over it, Alena curled her arms around her knees, staring into the flames.
Across from her, Phoebe sat swathed in furs, her lone eye narrowing. “All right, that’s enough moping,” she said flatly. “Spit it out.”
Alena shifted against the cold rock, tucking her hands deeper into her cloak. “What?”
“The thing that’s been bothering you,” Phoebe pressed. “You’ve been quiet since we left and you haven’t pestered me with a single question about the past.”
“I—” Alena faltered. She had been withdrawn all day, consumed by her thoughts. Then Phoebe’s words sank in, and she blinked, caught off guard by the veiled jab. Did she really ask that many questions? “I didn’t mean to annoy you.”
Phoebe waved her off and rummaged in her satchel, pulling out a piece of flatbread. “You don’t. Now talk. What’s gnawing at you?”
Alena bit her lip, releasing a long, shaky breath. “The Maiden… she said Kallinos wasn’t Katell’s father.”
