by Eboni Dunbar
Aaliyah knelt down in front of Mercy’s chair. “I wish you’d say that.”
Mercy took a long deep breath in and then a long slow breath out. She repeated it twice more. Her voice cracked. “I want you.”Aaliyah didn’t hesitate, she surged forward, pressing her mouth to Mercy’s, seeking purchase there and finding it. Aaliyah licked into Mercy’s mouth and Mercy moaned in answer, allowing Aaliyah to overtake her.
Aaliyah stood, lifting Mercy up, and leading them mostly blindly to the bed. She spared half a thought for the open door but then Mercy moaned again and she didn’t care. She heaved Mercy onto the bed. When Mercy’s robe fell open, Aaliyah pulled away to look at the smooth brown skin that had been exposed, running her fingers down Mercy’s sternum. The bone mage shivered. Aaliyah pushed the robe the rest of the way down Mercy’s shoulders, baring all her skin to the cool air and making little bumps crop up on her skin.
Aaliyah worshiped every inch of her.
The ride back to Titus took four days, Akil’s lack of travel over the years slowing their progress. The two guards and the archer were all skilled soldiers and they seemed to take the slow progress in stride. For Aaliyah, it only built up her anxiety.
Seventeen days since Aaliyah’s return from the southern lands and she couldn’t feel any more different than the last time she’d been standing at the bend in the road, waiting for the city to come into view. She wore old armor, a remnant from Akil’s days in the military. The leather was studded with onyx, which made it stronger but also heavier than Aaliyah’s usual armor. In the distance, the high walls still stood strong, and plumes of black smoke drifted into the sky. She couldn’t see what was burning but she could smell the acrid scent.
Akil leaned against a tree nearby. His own armor was heavier then he was used to, though Aaliyah thought Galavera’s jade wrapped leather was hardly a great burden. Jade wasn’t particularly strong but it warded off magic use. The King had no shortage of worried glances but her father would have none of his fussing; he had been a warrior too in his day and he wanted to be respected as such. It was strange but she liked the two of them together. For all she would have preferred to have a father that raised her, she could see that the love between Omar and Akil would not be thwarted by anyone.
“General,” King Omar said as he climbed down from his horse to stand beside her. “Do you wish to send a scout?”
Aaliyah looked at Helima, the other woman’s eyes focused in the direction of the capital. “Helima.”
Helima turned her attention to Aaliyah, but it was only with her eyes. Aaliyah could see what she was thinking of, as though Jalil stood right in front of them. “General?”
“Change clothes and get into the city. Find out what you can,” Aaliyah said.
“Shouldn’t I go, General?” Sherrod asked, and by all accounts he was right. He was the lowest ranking officer present in her service.
“Helima’s going,” Aaliyah said. “Wait,” Mercy said. “Look.” They turned back to the road and someone was coming around the bend at a run. As they watched, one boulder then two flew through the sky from beyond the wall in an attempt to hit the runner. Aaliyah looked at Sherrod and he nodded, taking his horse at a gallop to reach them. Sherrod closed the distance and pulled the runner up onto the back of his horse in one smooth fluid movement.
“Is that a uniform?” King Omar said. “A soldier,” Mercy said. “Seems likely,” Aaliyah said. “Helima, change anyway. Just in case whoever this is isn’t helpful.”
Helima disappeared into the roadside brush without another word. Sherrod slowed his horse and helped the young woman down. Aaliyah recognized the private. It felt like months since Aaliyah had seen her that morning in the bunk and she had looked young and bright eyed. The girl’s green eyes had lost some of their luster and her red hair was dull. Her skin was covered in bruises and cuts. She grabbed Aaliyah’s arm and tried to smile. She collapsed to her knees and tried to catch her breath. Aaliyah helped Sherrod move her beneath Akil’s shady tree. Mercy brought water and the private began to drink.
“I knew you’d be back, General. You wouldn’t leave us to the stone bitch.” She flinched as Akil adjusted her right arm; it was at least dislocated.
“Never that. Tell me your name, Private?”
“Omolara, General.”
“You’ve served me well. You deserve a promotion.” Aaliyah smiled. The tears the young woman had been fighting fell down her cheeks and Aaliyah pulled her into her chest. She sobbed for a few minutes before she pulled back.
“I don’t deserve anything, General. We couldn’t stop her from hurting people,” Omolara said.
“Tell me what’s been going on.”
“You felt the quake?” she asked. “We did.”
“She sealed the city. She’s raised a hundred men high wall around the perimeter. She keeps mages on the towers to maintain it and to attack anyone who tries to go over.” She closed her eyes for a moment before beginning again. “Most of the people were starving already, it’s getting worse. There have been a lot of casualties, General. People trying to escape. Everyone’s afraid of her.”
“Who’s still loyal to her?” Sherrod said. “Mostly the upper level mages. The strongest ones think if the Queen squashes you then they’ll have a place of honor in her kingdom. When she heard you’d fled to Galavera, she figured you’d be back with support. And if she defeats even the smallest contingent from Galavera...”
Helima cursed. “She’ll spin as having defeated one of the great remaining powers.”
“How did you get out, Omolara?” Mercy asked. “A few of the rebel mages are anxious. They knew you’d be back soon. They thought it was better to have a soldier as an ally,” Omolara said. “Most of the soldiers have been taken into custody by the mages. Locked up in the Palace.”
“And the Queen?” Aaliyah asked. Mercy put her hand on her shoulder.
“She’s just sitting on the throne all the time, giving orders and destroying things. They say she’s torn down near every wall of the palace. Doesn’t care who gets hurt by the rubble either. But she never leaves that throne. She’s waiting, I think.”
“Waiting for what?” Akil asked.
“For the General. They have strict orders on the wall, you’re to go to her.” Omolara took a deep breath. “She gets to kill you.”
Aaliyah moved away from the group. She shouldn’t be surprised. She shouldn’t at all. Perhaps if she were in Odessa’s shoes, she might want her dead too. But it wasn’t true. No matter what, she couldn’t want Odessa dead. Mercy wrapped her arms around her and she let herself be held a moment before putting her war face on. She turned back to where Omolara lay, being bandaged by Akil and Sherrod.
“Mercy, send a man to get Blue and any men from the ‘Ville who are willing to fight.” Aaliyah said. She turned to the King where he’d tucked himself beside Akil. “Your highness, I need your archer.”
The message she sent over was simple: Lower the wall and allow them in, no harm would come to those who did
not stand against her. She didn’t honestly expect for Odessa to comply. But it was a courtesy she gave every place she was about to conquer. One last opportunity to set their swords aside and avoid a battle.
Some of the corner boys joined them on the road, but Blue wasn’t among them. If Mercy was bothered she hid it well. She rode beside Aaliyah, flexing her fingers. Aaliyah could feel the sizzle of magic around her.
Omar was clearly anxious about the message. He looked from Aaliyah to where the wall would be when they rounded the bend and back again so many times he was going to get a neck ache. Aaliyah didn’t care. They were doing it her way. She allowed them until the sun was high in the sky overhead and then she rallied the troops. She didn’t want to kill anyone if she didn’t have to.
They took the curve in the road and Aaliyah saw Titus again with new eyes. The wall now obscured everything but the ver
y tops of the spires of the palace and the tiny figures of the mages on the wall. Aaliyah called a halt when they were near enough to the wall that she could be heard. The archer, who was also an air mage, stepped forward to amplify her voice.
“People of Titus, my name is General Aaliyah. You know me. I am a daughter of your streets. I have no desire to harm the people of my city,” she called out. The mages on the wall began to move toward the center, drawn by her voice. “I have returned here to the home of my heart to bring you peace. The peace I promised five years ago. Food for all people. Homes for all people. A leader who cares for each of you, whose concern is
your well-being. You would honor me by choosing me. But if you will not choose me, I will still fight for you. Allow me to end this pain. Allow me to remove the tyrant from your midst. Lay down your arms, lower the wall and I will protect you from one who will not.”
There had been no wall the day she had killed the king but she had given a similar speech in Odessa’s name. There had been people who had sat down, who had cheered her coming. There had been people who had fought, most of them had died. She waited now, her horse anxious, his ears flicking back and forth. She missed Hassim.
The ground rumbled and shifted, lurching the group forward.
It shifted again and sent them backward. Aaliyah sighed and whistled.
Arrows soared through the sky hitting mage after mage assembled on the wall. They took off running but Galavera’s archers were marksmen. Mages fell and fell so until the wall exploded in a spray of rock dust. Aaliyah whistled again and the army moved forward.
The streets were silent as they marched through. The only people on the street had no homes and they kept their heads bowed and their eyes down. A few mages from the wall sat beside the large hole, their faces pressed to the ground in obeisance. As Aaliyah crossed the threshold of the city, the murmurs began.
“Bless you.”
“Gods bless.”
“May the gods protect you.”
Tears shone in Aaliyah’s eyes as she moved through the city unchallenged. She could see the faces in windows, their lips moving furiously in what seemed to be silent prayer. The city was choosing her.
“Stop there, General!”
Aaliyah returned her gaze to the road ahead. Rakheem stood in her path. He was flanked by a water mage, in deep blue robes and a bone mage, in stark white. Rakheem smiled as rocks swirled over his head, ready to hurtle at them at any moment.
“We don’t need to do this. There will be a place for you here, all of you.” Aaliyah said. Beside her, Mercy tensed. Sherrod drew fire into his hand.
“We don’t want to live in your kingdom. We like this one just fine,” he shouted. Aaliyah nodded and readied her spear.
“Mercy, Sherrod,” Aaliyah said.
The stone mage charged her, rock and dust swirling, he tore a piece of house free from it’s fitting and threw it at her. She knocked it aside, conscious of those around her. Sherrod took off after the water mage, throwing balls of flame at their heels. Merc’s fingers danced as she tore the bone mages limbs open. The mage screamed in agony with each elegant flick . Helima moved quickly, getting people out of the way. Aaliyah let the stone mage attack, let him throw rock after rock, let them grow in size. She simply deflected and defended, waiting patiently for the hubris she knew would come.
When he attempted to heave up the whole house front, to throw the entire solid wall at her, she found her in. Aaliyah thrust forward and dropped to one knee, using the weight of the armor to propel her. She disemboweled him with her spear,
watching as his entrails formed a pile at his feet. The house front fell, shattering into many pieces of rubble.
“Helima?” Aaliyah caught her breath.
“No deaths besides the mages. A few injuries,” she answered. “I’ll see to them,” Sherrod said, wiping his hands on his pants.
The water mage laid still along the edge of the road. Aaliyah nodded. Mercy sauntered over. Aaliyah could no longer see the palace bone mage and she said a silent prayer for his soul.
“This is the strangest invasion I have ever seen,” Omar said. “I could have stayed home.”
“Well, you’ve never seen the Champion of Titus invade,”
Helima said. “Remind me to tell you about when we took Aquis.”
Aaliyah smiled as she returned her attention to the Palace ahead of her. Omar was right, though. They walked through the remainder of the city unchallenged, amidst hundreds of blessings murmured by the people. When they reached the inner wall of the Palace, Aaliyah stopped, horrified at what she saw.
Hanging from the wall was Blue’s body, his arms tied behind his back, his legs tied together. Aaliyah cut the rope that held him to the wall and Helima caught him. Mercy tore Blue’s body from Helima’s arms, sobbing.
Aaliyah and Helima looked at each other. Aaliyah knew exactly what she was thinking.”Find him Hel,” Aaliyah whispered. Helima took off into the palace.
Aaliyah redirected her attention, wrapping an arm around Mercy’s shoulders.”She killed him,” Mercy said, tears streaming down her face, cradling Blue’s still body. “She killed him.”
Aaliyah looked up at the gate. There were others she recognized, people she could have guessed would support her. Including the mage who had freed her from the Dungeon
She couldn’t look at Blue’s face. He may have hated her but she wouldn’t have wanted this for him. “You don’t have to go in with me,” Aaliyah said.
“I want to see her when she dies. I want to burn the body,” Mercy whispered.
Aaliyah nodded. Akil came forward and took Blue gently from her arms. With great care he and a few soldiers placed him on horseback. Omar’s people took charge of the animal and the body. Aaliyah held out her hand and Mercy took it. She pulled her into a hug, holding her lover tight. She prayed for Jalil, for Helima the sister of her heart and for those who had lost their life because of her. When they released each other, Aaliyah turned her eyes back to the palace and said one final prayer for the woman she had once called sister but wasn’t sure she could anymore.
Aaliyah and Mercy entered Lockheart through the bone garden that Ko had shown her with Omar and Akil on their heels. Omar’s soldiers waited outside the walls. They were hard pressed about it, but they would not defy their King.
The castle halls, if they could still be called that, were littered with rubble. Those walls that remained were gauged and pockmarked, barely standing. Their steps thundered, the only thing louder the anxious trill of birds from the gardens, now flying freely amongst the ruins. Any forces Odessa might have been keeping close had abandoned her. Incongruous with the destruction around them rose the clean, soft scent of flowers, reminding Aaliyah of that first warm bath upon returning home, and Odessa’s skin on her skin. She dug her nails into her palm to keep herself focused.
They made their way to the throne room where Odessa waited. She wore a gold gown that cascaded to her feet, her crown high atop her head and her back straight. For all her Empire was crumbling, Odessa looked as beautiful as she had the night of her coronation. Like this was still her birthright, like she had been waiting for everyone else to realize it was what she deserved.
Once, the sight of her would have brought Aaliyah to her knees.
Now, it reminded Aaliyah of the Old King, seated on his Iron throne when they’d arrived, like a god untouched but for the coup around him. Odessa had buried his throne beneath the earth. Aaliyah wondered what would happen now.
“What took you so long?” Odessa asked with a smile on her face.
Mercy moved forward, but Aaliyah stopped her. She approached the throne on her own. Odessa stopped her with a stone wall that shot up and then receded.
“Right there is close enough. I know what you’re about, kingslayer,” Odessa said.
“You sound paranoid, O,” Mercy said, trying to com
pose herself. Odessa’s nostrils flared. She returned her attention to Aaliyah.
“Do you know there were people who told me that you would betray me? There were people who told me that you wanted the kingdom for yourself? But did I listen? No. I protected you, always,” Odessa said. “And this is how you repay me?”
Aaliyah clenched her fist, willing her anger into submission. “And where are those people now?”
The silence hung heavy between them. Odessa’s jaw clenched and she swallowed. She stood up, stepping down from her throne. She still looked like the King they’d killed, posturing and desperate.
“I see you decided to get involved in my affairs after all, Omar,” Odessa said.
“Only when it seemed you couldn’t handle them yourself,” King Omar said.
Odessa’s eyes flickered over Akil, her head tilting. “I’ll tell you what. You take Aaliyah and her merry band here into custody, and I will give you a piece of my empire. Your first kiss with Akil was in the Karden Isles, wasn’t it? You could have those. An excellent present after such a terrible adventure.”
“You’ll forgive me, Odessa, but you sound desperate,” Omar said.
“Thirsty even,” Akil said.
Odessa shrugged. “It was a kindness I was offering. A way out.”
“But I’ve seen your people, Odessa. They don’t want you,” Omar said. Odessa’s nostril’s flare again. “They want her.”
“Mages!” Odessa called. None answered her call. It hurt to watch Odessa realize just how alone she was.
“They aren’t coming,” Aaliyah said. “There is no one left.”
“My champion,” Odessa said looking at Aaliyah again. “End
this, love.”
“I intend to,” Aaliyah said. “Abdicate the throne and you can survive this night.”
“Like hell she will,” Mercy hissed.
“Abdicate the throne and you can go off on your own.
Perhaps Oxnar will take you,” she said.