Crave To Conquer (Myth of Omega, #1)(51)

***

The market in the southern part of Ashens city square was busier than she’d ever seen it.

Cailyn navigated straight toward one of the stalls, exhausted from her extensive use of magic and from the physical exertion. She’d had to keep the layer maintained the whole way through the forest—she couldn’t afford to leave any clues about where she had gone and the forest floor was too wild for her to step on with her bare feet anyway. After not using the Talent for so long, the considerable use had made her almost incapable of thinking. On top of that, she hadn’t actually walked any reasonable distance during the time Drocco had kept her imprisoned; every muscle screamed out for relief.

“Cailyn, what happened?” Dana, an aged market trader came into view, her neat blond hair swept up in a bun.

Cailyn smiled at her, relieved. She stopped, swaying on her feet. “Good to see you again, Dana. It’s been a tricky mission.”

Dana took her elbow and led her to one of her private booths for clients who wanted to browse goods privately, picking up a pair of sandals and a thick robe on the way.

“I need to speak to the Mothers,” Cailyn murmured.

“In time,” Dana replied, settling her down onto a thick rug. “You’re severely depleted and you smell of…” She hesitated, almost as though she didn’t believe what she was about to say.

“I can’t wait,” Cailyn said. “Please heal me enough to do the spell.”

Dana frowned, her wrinkled eyes sweeping over Cailyn. “What the hell happened?”

Cailyn shook her head. “You know I can’t tell anyone but the Mothers.”

“You reek of Alpha semen,” Dana said sharply. “If you have been discovered—”

“I need to speak with the Mothers,” Cailyn snapped. “The longer I wait, the worse it will be!”

Dana clamped her mouth shut and moved to stand behind Cailyn, placing her hands on either side of her head.

Cailyn sighed as a cool relief filtered into her brain. As the relief expanded she began to feel stronger, and soon her exhaustion had almost disappeared.

Dana removed her hands. “Do you need help making the portal?”

Cailyn shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine, thank you, Dana.”

Dana nodded, her blue eyes resting on Cailyn for a long moment before she moved to the mouth of the booth. “Take as long as you need.”

Cailyn poured some water from the jug on the table and drank the whole glass before settling back on the rug. She always checked in with the Mothers through a mind portal in Dana’s booths when she was in Ashens, but she had no doubt missed a number of check-in times. She didn’t know how long it had been—she hadn’t even asked Dana—but her break in Ricsford wouldn’t have taken so long.

She stilled her body and mind, breathing steadily until her breathing slowed and her heart rate had lowered. Drawing on magic, she created a bubble with a location spell that was aided by the modified magic in the walls of Dana’s booth. She directed it into her mind and called out to the Mothers. It took longer than normal for them to respond, which wasn’t surprising since they weren’t expecting her.

Finally, she felt the pull in her mind and found herself in the familiar briefing room in the Omega Compound. The five white-robed Mothers sat around the curved table, their faces full of varying expressions of concern. She knew they were looking at her mental projection, just as the room was a projection to her, but it felt real in her mind.

“What has happened, Cailyn? Why have you been out of touch for so long?” asked Mother Naysa, the Omega on the far right. “Have you heard the news about an Omega in the Palace?”

“Did you manage to see anything while you were there?” Mother Freya asked. “None of our people have been able to confirm if it’s true.”

Cailyn took a breath, gathering her thoughts for a moment, and then began to tell them what had happened.

The Mothers were much older Omegas, all of whom had been extensively trained as spies and worked for most of their lives protecting Omegas and the Omega Compound. They didn’t leave the Compound now, but ran it successfully for years. Only one of them, Mother Azia had been there at the start of the growth of the Omega Compound. She had been instrumental in the gathering of Omegas in the Eastern Lands and was at least over one hundred and twenty years old. She sat in the middle of the five and rarely spoke, but was most certainly the wisest and the most ruthless. Either side of her were the two auburn twins, Mothers Freya and Fern, and on either side of them Mothers Naysa and Orlee.

As Cailyn arrived at the point of her captivity, three of the Mothers rose from their chairs, horror on their faces.

“Does he know about us?” Mother Freya asked sharply, interrupting.

“Yes,” Cailyn said quietly. “He knows that Omegas have chosen to remove themselves from society because of the brutality of Alphas.”

They stared at her, the silence lengthening.

“What else did you say?” Mother Orlee asked.

“That’s all he knows,” Cailyn insisted. “He doesn’t know where you are or anything else about how we navigate the Lands.” She continued to explain what had happened and when she finished, the Mothers looked a little calmer and thoughtful. The three that stood, sat back down.

“How did he prevent you from using the Talent?” Mother Naysa asked.