Page 30 of The Brothers Bane

“Why aren’t we trying to stop it? If Fate’s the real danger, why are we bothering with the Titans at all?”

Alcides gives me a helpless look while Campe stares pointedly off in the distance, her jaw clenched and her gaze glassy. Her voice is tight when she turns back to me and answers.

“Because you can’t fight Fate, Nemea. We all know this. Vesh knows this. I think Chaos is the only one in denial. But dangerous or not, the one thing we all agree on is that we want you and will face whatever perils are in our path if it means we get to keep you.”

“Two days isn’t much time.” Alcides gives a resigned shake of his head.

“It will have to be enough. We will both stay with her every second until it is time to go,” Campe says. Scanning down his large frame, she says, “Hurry and dress. We have no time to waste.”

Campe’s order cuts through the air, her tone leaving no room for debate. She watches Alcides with eyes like emerald daggers, making it clear who she believes is in charge.

Alcides meets her gaze without flinching, his broad shoulders set firm and unyielding. “It was my idea to bring her here,” he grumbles, pulling on his clothes with deliberate slowness, a silent challenge to Campe’s authority.

Their standoff crackles with tension, two forces of nature colliding, with me caught in the middle.

“I appreciate both of you wanting to protect me,” I interject, trying to smooth things over. “But arguing isn’t helping anyone.”

Campe’s gaze flicks to me, assessing, then softens ever-so slightly. “Fine,” she concedes, though her voice still carries the weight of command. “Let’s move.”

We exit the cave and trek toward Alcides’ quarters, tucked away on the outskirts of the compound behind the brewery. The scent of fermenting grain and hops is sharp in the air. I sense Campe’s disapproval as we approach; it’s as if she can taste the isolation of his lodgings on her tongue.

“They keep you out here to keep you away from the women,” she observes dryly, a hint of mockery in her tone.

Alcides just shrugs. “It suits me fine.”

“It’s not as protected as I would like, but it will have to do for tonight. I’ll see about an alternative in the morning.”

The one-room cottage is modest, but cozy—a small fireplace crackles with warmth, though it’s a relatively mild night, and there’s a sturdy table with a couple of chairs. But it’s the bed that draws my attention; large and inviting with plush blankets piled high.

Campe surveys the space with a critical eye before turning to us. “Nemea needs rest, uninterrupted. We will both stand guard.”

“We could take shifts,” Alcides suggests, clearly not keen on spending the night on his feet.

“No shifts,” Campe insists firmly. “She needs us both alert at all times.”

Alcides opens his mouth to argue but catches my look and lets out a resigned sigh instead.

“Fine,” he says grudgingly. “But I’m keeping watch outside.”

Campe nods once in approval, then turns to me. “Sleep, Nemea.”

I climb into bed, feeling like a child being tucked in by overbearing parents. It’s ridiculous—I’ve experienced more in the last few days than most do in a lifetime—yet here I am being coddled like I might break at any moment.

As I settle under the covers, I hear them begin their silent vigil—one inside by the door and one just beyond it. The weight of their presence is both comforting and suffocating.

I close my eyes and try to ignore their silent battle for dominance. Tomorrow is another day of training, another day closer to whatever fate awaits us all. For now, I need to rest—for them and for myself. But sleep doesn’t come easy with two gods standing guard over me, each filled with enough power and stubbornness to shake the very earth we stand on.

15

Campe

Isettle against the wall in one corner by the door, the spot with the best vantage of the entire room and all its windows. My mind feels heavy with the echoes of the day and the expectations levied on my shoulders. Nemea sleeps, her breath steady but restless, her aura pulsing faintly with the colors of someone dreaming. The dim light from the fire casts shadows that dance on the walls, flickering like the doubts in my mind.

I am struggling to find pleasure in my newfound freedom, but my past feels like chains around my soul. Once a prisoner in Tartarus, now its guardian, freedom has been a distant memory, blurred by millennia of duty and battle scars. My loyalty to Vesh and his cause keeps me anchored, but there’s a gnawing desire within me—something raw and personal. Something I didn’t believe could be mine.

Nemea.

She stirs in her sleep, and that first vision of her and Alcides in that cave slips into my mind. My view was filtered through Vesh’s eyes, but the sensory memory is etched into my psyche. Their scents mingled, their bodies entwined. Vesh seemed as stunned as I felt, unable to emerge from the shadows until they finished making love.

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