by Alicia Fabel
“You’re sure no one will be able to tell what I am?”
“I’m sure. Only magic wielders are that sensitive. In Nibiru that’s the wizards, but they don’t leave their gilded city.” Addamas snorted to himself. “If kargadan could sense magic, they’d see right through each other’s glamour. Then what would be the point of making themselves appear to look like living Adonises?”
“Does that mean all the guys can make themselves look crazy-hot?
“Bingo. And under their sexy magical wrappings, their teeth could be rotting from their mouths, or they could be covered in fleas.” Vera could tell Addamas was thoroughly enjoying her growing alarm, but he wasn’t lying either.
Note to self: Don’t go kissing any sexy men while in Nibiru. “Anything else I should know so I don’t get run out of Unicorntown before I’ve sprouted my own sparkly horn?”
“Kuwari will guide you through all the social expectations and etiquettes. They know you’re an outsider, which means you’ll have some leeway to be a little odd. As long as you listen to Kuwari and do what he says, you’ll be fine.” Addamas gave her a look that clearly said he doubted she was capable of that.
“I can listen.” Vera straightened the headscarf Addamas had given her. It would take some getting used to.
“Sure you can. But you very rarely do it.”
“Yes well, I need his help, so I’ll be an obedient little grasshopper.” Vera fidgeted with her sleeves to keep from messing with the scarf. She didn’t want to dislodge it. If her hair lit up, that would be harder to explain than demon eyes. “By the way, how’d you convince them to let me crash their party?”
“Kuwari told the marduk that you’re a kargadan half-breed and requested you be allowed to become his apprentice. He’s getting old and no one in the herd has an affinity for healing. Apparently, they are desperate enough to take in a half-breed. Plus, their female population is half the size of the male population. You being a girl, even a half-breed one, helped.”
“Fabulous. So you’re saying they want me for my lady bits.” Vera sighed. “It’s going to be like high school all over again.”
“I’ll be back in three days to get you. Don’t get distracted by all the hunks. You don’t have time for that.”
“Hardy har.” Vera rolled her eyes.
“Seriously though, try not to get in trouble,” Addamas said. “I like my current relationship with Kale. Where he’s not trying to hunt me down and take off my head. If something happens to you, that peace will end like...” He snapped his fingers.
“Why exactly did he hate you?”
“We didn’t see eye to eye on realm segregation. His job is to keep them safely separated. I spent all my time mixing things up.”
“Why’d you stop?”
“Things changed. People got hurt,” he said heavily. “I had to rethink my policies.”
“You have policies?”
“The only time I help someone get out of their realm is if they’ll die by staying.”
“Like criminals?” Vera teased.
Addamas gave a slight smile but said, “People like my mother. More often than not, carrying a half-breed is fatal for the mother. It doesn’t stop half-breeds from happening, obviously.” Addamas gestured at himself. “We’re just rare.”
“Why’d she think that leaving Acadia would save you?”
“There have always been rumors that beyond the meadow is a realm where half-breeds can survive birth.”
“Earth,” Vera concluded.
“Yes, although most people don’t realize that’s the case. Regardless, many will kill themselves chasing after the rumor. Like my mom did.” Addamas stretched his neck as if he was trying to dislodge his personal history.
“So when you grew up, you started smuggling people. Mothers and then anyone else who could pay enough,” guessed Vera.
“A satyr has to eat,” Addamas said with a crooked smile.
“I’m sorry for what happened to your mother, but I’m glad you’re here.”
“She could’ve saved herself, but she chose to save me instead. Made it all the way to the meadow before her body gave out.”
“You were born in the meadow?”
“That’s the secret to my special sauce. I don’t technically belong to any realm, so the world lets me go anywhere I want. But don’t tell people. Kale would not be happy having to deliver any more babies.”
“He delivered you?” Vera could not picture that at all.
“And then he buried my mom while I screamed bloody murder. Fortunately, Kuwari happened by. At that point, he had no idea what I’d be capable of, but he knew the satyr clans wouldn’t want me so he took me with him to his home in Nibiru.”
“And your sister?”
“She was my adopted sister—Kuwari’s daughter. Her mom died soon after she was born. She was only five years older, but always trying to mother me. Her and Kuwari were probably the only people in the world who’d take in a deformed satyr and love it as their own flesh and blood.”
“Deformed is a harsh description of a baby without horns.”
“Yeah well, any half-breed who looks different is ostracized. If not killed outright. Which also cuts down the numbers of mixed births.”
“And the rest you rescue.”
“Whenever I find them. Like I said, it doesn’t happen a lot anymore.”
“It doesn’t seem like segregation has helped any of the realms thrive,” Vera observed.
“No, but as the realms closed off more and more, intolerance for outsiders grew. It’s every realm for themselves now, and no one wants to change that.”
“You’d think the common struggle would bring them closer.” Vera stepped toward the path. “Out of curiosity, if I accidentally call someone a unicorn, will that be bad?”
“Monumentally. Unicorn is a term only used on Earth. They’d know exactly where you’re really from. Kargadan are no friendlier to siphons than the rest of the world.
“Where do they think I’m from?”
“Summartir.”
“Ah. I’m a witchy unicorn half-breed. Hopefully, I’ve learned enough about witches to be convincing.”
“Kuwari’s the only one who’s ever actually met a witch, and you don’t have to convince him. He knows what you really are.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“It’s why he decided to let you come. He’s curious about how strong your kargadan side is. He was talking about how an infusion of outside blood might help strengthen the bloodlines or something like that. The rest of the herd would never agree to taint the bloodlines, but I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to reverse-engineer your blood or something.”
“Taint? That’s lovely. I’m not going to like these people am I?”
“They’re not so bad. They did take me in, and once you unleash your inner kargadan, you’ll be one of them.”
“You know, being a kargadan sounds a lot more badass than a unicorn.”
Addamas laughed. “You are not wrong, girly.”
Vera and Addamas stepped onto the path. The landscape blurred as they cut through one realm into another. It took a few steps for Vera to feel steady on the path. It was like stepping onto a moving walkway. A few minutes later, they emerged into Nibiru. Again, Vera had to regain her balance.
They stood on a bluff, overlooking sun-kissed sandy plains, which extended as far as Vera could see. Snaking across the scrub-dotted landscape was a river, edged by a copse of trees. A slash of green among the endless swath of gold sand. Addamas gently turned Vera around to face the opposite direction. An entire city of stone and clay huts lay before her, arranged along a precise grid of dirt streets. Many had smoke flowing from the chimneys, despite the very warm day and sunshine beating down on her neck.
“That’s Kuwari’s hut.” Addamas pointed at the huge hut near the edge of the village. Most blocks held four homes. Kuwari’s took up an entire block of its own. Addamas tugged her toward the sprawling hut, glancing around
. “Better go before the wrong person notices me.”
“Who’s the wrong person?”
“Everyone.”
Kuwari opened the door and ushered them in before Addamas even knocked. The walls were thick and the inside was surprisingly cool. And dark. It took a moment for Vera’s eyes to adjust. Kuwari studied her with dark eyes above a pointed nose. He was not much taller than her. His dark skin contrasted sharply against his oiled white beard, and a coil of cloth was wrapped around his head. He was a handsome man. Vera wondered if that was what he actually looked like.
“She doesn’t look very scary for a siphon.”
Vera startled at the man’s blunt assessment.
Kuwari smiled ruefully. “Forgive me for speaking as if you are not standing here in front of me.”
“It’s okay,” Vera assured.
“Well, that’s good because it will happen a lot. Addamas says you are not good at enduring what you perceive as rudeness. Or at keeping your opinion to yourself.”
“No, I’m not,” Vera admitted. “But I’ve been told I’m a great actress when I need to be. And that’s what I plan to be for the next three days.”
“Three days?” asked Kuwari. “That’s all we have?”
“Unless you want the Guardian showing up in the middle of the village, that’s all we can do,” said Addamas
“He doesn’t know she’s here?”
“Not exactly,” Addamas said.
“Not at all,” Vera amended.
“Well, we shall see what we can do with three days.” Kuwari waved a hand for them to sit. The table he indicated was not far off the ground. Colorful cushions were laid around it. “Let me get you something to drink.”
“Have any alohra nectar?” asked Addamas.
“Yes, I keep some around for when you decide to come visit your father,” Kuwari replied pointedly.
“You know I can’t come often.”
“One of these days I want to meet that girl who makes your eyes light up,” said Kuwari. “Before you make me a grandfather.”
Vera looked at Addamas curiously. The satyr made a great show of swirling a finger beside his head. She wondered if Kuwari knew something about Addamas that she did not.
“Are you presenting Vera to the village tonight?” asked Addamas.
“In the morning. They agreed it would be best to allow her today to gain her bearings after her harrowing trip through a path with you.”
“They know Addamas brought me?”
“The prince and marduk know. They agreed so long as he doesn’t draw attention to himself. The rest of the village will be left to believe that you traveled with an escort from the world-gate. They’ll never know Addamas is here.” Kuwari took a swig from the bottle before recapping it and bringing their tumblers to the table.
Vera sniffed the wine. It was white with swirls of gold and smelled like honey. Addamas took a huge swig and hummed with delight. Vera sipped while Kuwari watched her carefully. It was tart and sweet with hints of something tropical. Vera took a deeper swallow.
Kuwari looked satisfied. “You like it?”
“It’s delicious. I’ve never seen white wine before, though,” Vera admitted.
Addamas snatched the drink from her hand. “What were you thinking?” he demanded of Kuwari.
Kuwari shrugged, unmoved. “I was thinking I wanted to be sure she is, in fact, part kargadan before I lead her in front of the village tomorrow to present her as such.”
“If we’d been wrong about her kargadan blood, she’d be dead right now,” Addamas said.
Vera’s stomach flopped.
“But she’s not.” Kuwari took the tumbler from Addamas and gave it back to her. “I think she’d appreciate her drink back.”
Vera stared into the glass like her drink had turned rancid. “What is this, again?”
“Eitr,” answered Kuwari. “Only Kargadan can stomach it.”
“It’s poison,” said Addamas.
“You are being dramatic.” Kuwari sat on a cushion and folded his legs. “She is fine. If it has not affected her yet, it will not.”
Vera set the tumbler on the table anyway.
“It will be served everywhere we go,” Kuwari added. “She might as well have tried it now.”
Addamas drained his cup in a swig. “Any other tests you want to run?”
“Plenty, but they can wait.”
“I know that’s part of the deal with my coming here,” Vera began. “I get training, and you get to run tests to figure out how my kargadan mojo survived long enough to be passed down to me. And I’m cool with that.” Vera hesitated. “How much blood are we talking about, exactly?”
“Would you like to see my lab?” offered Kuwari. “I can explain what the next three days will be like.”
“That’d be great.”
If the walls of his lab were splattered with red and full of rusty equipment, Vera was hitchhiking back to Earth.
Kuwari was awesome. His lab took up the back half of his home. There were also rooms for seeing patients. He’d laughed good-naturedly when Vera verified that there would be no exploratory surgeries on the agenda. Then he’d drawn a tiny jar of blood and swabbed the inside of her cheek, saying that was probably all he’d need.
After, they’d all sat on the floor to play a popular kargadan game called shagai. It was played with small bones. A game that involved tossing around bones sounded majorly cringe-worthy, but it was actually a lot of fun—once she’d learned all the rules. At first, she’d barely gotten to play because she couldn’t remember which hand did what and kept losing her turn. Soon enough, though, she and Addamas were pretty evenly matched. Kuwari excused himself from the game to make dinner. He stirred a pot of something that smelled spicy, over a fire pit he’d revealed beneath a panel in the center of the stone table. Vera had even gotten the nerve to drink the rest of her eitr. Poison or not, it was yummy.
A knock on the door interrupted their game. Addamas slipped around the corner out of sight. Vera moved to follow, but Kuwari placed a hand on her shoulder, silently instructing her to stay.
Kuwari cracked open the door and bowed deeply from the waist. “My prince.” He stepped aside to allow the man to enter.
“Apologies, Healer,” began the prince. When he noticed Vera, he paused.
His skin coloration and height were similar to Kuwari’s, but his long black hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, and his face was clean-shaven. His eyes also flashed with an odd silver sheen. Vera held his gaze before remembering to drop her eyes. The feeling of his eyes on her made her want to hide in the folds of her headscarf.
“This is your apprentice?” asked the prince. His voice had a strange echo, like two voices speaking in cadence. One was deep velvety while the other was higher, like a pre-pubescent boy.
“This is her,” confirmed Kuwari. “She’s only just arrived and has not had a chance to eat and rest. It was a long trip.”
“I understand. Coming to an unknown land would be difficult for any woman. Fortunately, she is here now where we can protect her.”
Lady, save me from men who think I need their protection.
“I came to ask if you would check in on Nisaba tomorrow. She was not well enough for our evening plans.”
“Of course, but I’m sure it’s only jitters for your upcoming mating ceremony.”
“I agree, but I would like to be sure. If you say she is healthy, there will be no need to delay the ceremony until the next mating-moon.”
“It would be my pleasure.” Kuwari paused and then said carefully, “There is another matter I wish to discuss with you.”
“Would you like to walk with me? I have a meeting with my father, but we could discuss it on the way.”
“That would be wonderful.” Kuwari turned to Vera and said louder than necessary, “I will be back soon. Keep an eye on dinner. Do not go anywhere.”
Addamas waited until Kuwari and the prince were gone before coming out to stir the pot
. He was quiet as he worked.
“So does Prince Douchebag have a name?” she asked.
“I think that is his official name, actually.” Addamas smirked. “But some do call him Prince Ashur. He’s not bad for a kargadan, but hopefully, you won’t see him much. His father, Marduk Enlil is harsh but fair as well.” Addamas smelled the pot before taking a pinch of something red from a small clay bowl and adding it.
“You know how to cook?”
“You’ve seen me eat, right?” replied Addamas.
“Yeah, but it’s always been fast food and junk from the cupboard-of-miracles.”
“Kuwari taught me to cook so I would never go hungry. He only knows how because he’s been a bachelor for so long. It worked out because all that chemistry he loves crossed over into food. It’s all a science to him. Otherwise, it’s not something that the men in this village would do for themselves. Mothers, sisters, and mates prepare meals. So don’t expect a man other than Kuwari to cook for you while you’re here.”
“Aww, and here I was hoping to be wooed by a toad.” She stuck out her bottom lip. “As long as I’m not expected to cook. All I know how to make is spaghetti, scotcheroos, and scrambled eggs.”
“Lucky for you, you are not a potential mating candidate, what with your shocking hybrid genetics. So you’ve got no one to impress with your lack of domestic skills.”
“Yay for my first smidgen of good luck. Ever.” Vera sat down on a cushion to watch Addamas work his culinary magic. “Is that what it’s like here? Women trying to impress the right man?”
“It used to be. The last few generations, there haven’t been enough women to go around. Now, they’re basically matched with the strongest available male to improve their odds of reproducing.”
“Arranged marriages?”
“There’re no politics involved or money exchanged. It’s all about the best chances for survival of the species.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It is. But watching your people die out would be terrible too. Families of kargadan used to fill all these huts. Children ran amuck. By the time I was growing up here, a quarter of the huts were empty. There were only a few handfuls of youth to befriend. Of course, no one wanted to play with the goat-boy, even with the lack of options. Except my sister. Less than a couple of decades later and half the huts are empty. There are only six children in the village under the age of ten right now. Five boys and one girl. At this rate, there won’t be any more kargadan in a hundred years.” Addamas placed a bowl in front of Vera and ladled orange stew into it.