by SGD Singh
“I… thank you. But I don’t—”
Lexi slapped her on the back, and Jax stumbled forward. “Just point and shoot, Civilian. Easy-peasy.”
Lexi turned to Asha and Aquila, and they joined Uma’s conversation.
Jax studied the giant revolver.
“I don’t know if you realize this,” Kelakha whispered, his eyes dancing, “but Lexi has never given away one of her weapons. Ever. She loves them the way most people love their children.”
“So… this is like…”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “It’s huge. Try not let anything happen to that. I can carry it if—”
Jax slapped his hand. “Back off, Yeti-boy,” she said with a laugh. Apparently holding a gun made Jax say things she wouldn’t normally say. “I can manage. Just… tell me how to use the damn thing.”
Kelakha gazed at her for a long moment, and Jax felt her heart begin to pound.
He leaned close, smiling, and said, “Ji.”
Chapter 38
It was just like Asha to befriend a fucking Vampire. Lexi shook her head as they followed his dark figure down the winding hallways. The bloodsucker had an infuriatingly perfect ass. She was glad his back was to her, though, because looking at his flawless face made Lexi want to stake him so badly, her palms itched.
The sound of yowling animals and screeching agony distracted her as it grew steadily louder. The group ascended a narrow staircase of crumbling stone, and the noise rose to a deafening roar. Lexi found herself standing at the edge of a balcony in need of repair, and as the castle opened up to the night, she felt her skin crawl at the sight below them.
“This is the main, uh, gathering area,” said the Vampire, stating the obvious.
Staying in the shadow of the stone railing, Lexi looked down at what could only be described as an arena. The room was circular, surrounded by pillars that resembled giant candles of melting black wax that rose toward the open, bruised and bleeding sky.
At the center of a seething crowd was a platform covered in blood, two Baksakha stood over slabs of stone. They were more terrifying in reality than their pictures. Even at a distance she could see their fiery eyes shining as their clawed hands moved beneath unhinged grins. They were… Lexi didn’t want to think about what they were doing to the screaming creatures on the tables, unidentifiable under their hideous wounds.
Blue-white lights hung in orbs from clawed metal beams, illuminating the gory scene. The arena was filled to capacity, with a teeming, pushing, and screaming sea of Underworlders, every eye focused on the platforms. As one of the things on the platform screamed with renewed agony, the crowd broke into unmistakable applause, and Lexi fought to keep her last meal down. Creatures writhed and crawled across every inch of the floor like blood-soaked maggots feeding on a corpse, and Lexi shuddered with the sensation of something with too many legs crawling along her own spine.
“A plan would be good right about now,” she hissed at Asha as they reconvened behind the stone.
Asha nodded, her eyes like steel, and ordered the Vampire to stand watch behind a pillar. She motioned everyone else to gather around her, and they all crouched against the crumbling stone. Lexi notice Jax looked pale but calm, and she wondered what else the civilian had witnessed in the last day.
“Our Seer is there,” Asha pointed one heavily-ringed hand to the castle’s eastern tower. “He is our number one priority, understood? If anything happens to him, our realm is lost. Everyone, everyone, is screwed. Now, according to Sid, there’s no way to get there without going through this banquet hall.”
“Oh, is that what that is,” said Ursala. “I thought it was an Underworlder sports stadium.”
“Right?” Ariella said. “Only, instead of basketball or football they play—”
“Or baseball,” said Sid, glancing back from his post by the railing. “I liked baseball.”
Everyone but Uma and Chakori, who sat leaning against the wall, apparently asleep, turned to him, and the Vampire frowned. “What?”
Ariella said, “So… they are watching a… sport down there?”
Sid looked at them as if he was just now realizing how ignorant they were. “They’re playing Pinnatin-Kinnacush.”
When no one responded, he said, “Basically, it’s like this, man. Whoever can torture their victim the longest, but still, like, keep them alive? Wins. Also, more points for innovative style and… stuff.”
Asha shook her head as if to clear it, and asked what Lexi knew she would ask. “Who picks the lucky torturees?”
“The Emperor, of course.” Sid shrugged, turning back to the arena. “His Royal Highness Emperor Shunyata Chandranath himself. Lord of the Void. King of the Moon. Hunter of the Warped—creatures he first creates with his weapons.”
“Lord of the Void?” said Uma, opening one eye. “Seriously?”
“That’s only what he’s called to his face,” said Sid. “The names he’s called behind his back aren’t as reverent. Some are pretty hilarious, actually, but I don’t think they’d translate well in any Satya realm language.”
Sid made a noise that sounded to Lexi like a tiger trying to hiss and grunt, and the ancient Werewolf Dolph laughed silently. He mumbled something to Ylva in what sounded like Korean, and she smiled, turning to Sid. “Royal Moldy Balls of Cowardice? Yeah, you’re right. Something gets lost in translation.”
“Can we move on?” said Chakori without opening her eyes. “Or would you rather join the festivities?”
Sid looked at her like she was stupid. “The betting’s already started.”
Asha waved her hands. “Let’s focus, people. Sid, you too. If you can.”
Sid gave her a salute and turned back to watch the crowd below.
“Our second priority is getting the Sisters out. Alive. Ylva? I need you and Dolph to go find them. We’ll wait here.” Ylva nodded and spoke to Dolph.
The Werewolves transformed into two oversized black sort-of-wolves with iridescent fur, and vanished down the corridor on silent paws, blending effortlessly with the crowd below.
“Dinesh.” Asha was using her Commander voice. “You will remain invisible until The Guard secure the nuns. Do not engage in combat. Is that clear?”
Dinesh hesitated, but nodded.
“Once you have the sisters,” Asha met each person’s eyes in turn before fixing Dinesh with a stern no-room-for-argument glare. “Dinesh will take everyone back to Central Headquarters.”
Lexi opened her mouth to protest, but Aquila had beat her to it.
Asha raised a hand. “I need you to guard Jax during the fight and bring her back safely.” Her eyes were beginning to glow. “No. I won’t allow you or anyone to face Ranya again. It’s beyond dangerous—it’s unthinkable.”
Uma spoke. “So you plan on taking on this Witch alone?” Her eyes opened, meeting Asha’s glare. “That didn’t work so well the last time, if I recall. And that was before she’d become Queen of the Underworld.” She closed her eyes again. “I’m against this plan.”
Aquila looked more dangerous than Lexi had ever seen him, and she couldn’t decide whether to fight with her best friend or defend her.
Asha’s eyes glowed brighter.
“I’m not asking any of you to like the plan. I’m giving you an order. Ranya can’t hurt me—”
“Since when?” Aquila said out loud. “She had you in a cage no more than twenty minutes ago. We know this is all part of some sick game of hers, and now you want us to just, what? Just leave you here?”
“She wouldn’t have killed me. Our Talents are connected, somehow. She can’t kill me, and I… can’t kill her. But she can kill all of you, and she would, just for fun.” Asha held up the Seer’s rosary. “I know where he is. I know he’s alone. I can get to him with minimum loss of life, Underworlder and otherwise.”
Lexi felt hysterical laughter threatening to escape her. “Oh, that’s what this is about?” She kept her voice down with considerable effort. “Keeping as many Underworlders
as possible alive? Keeping Ranya alive? Of course. We wouldn’t want to spoil their little game of pin cushion, would we? Tell me that isn’t what the fuck this is about. Please.”
“No,” Asha said. “That is not what this is about. This is about getting our Seer back. Saving the person who is destined to save our entire realm. But please, you’re welcome to break up the game and cause a bloodbath if you think that will help us achieve that.”
Lexi wouldn’t back down. “I fail to see how risking your life, as well as this Savior’s, by going in there with no backup will help achieve that.”
Ursala leaned forward. “I gotta say, Asha, I agree with Lexi on this. Life-sucking abilities or no, you can’t expect us to just leave you alone down here. I mean, for fuck’s sake, why the hell did you bring any of us with you in the first place?”
“A Seer’s ability…” Lexi and Ursala both joined in, “is not an exact science.” Asha glared at them. “Whatever happened was meant to happen. To get us to this point. This moment, right now.” She turned to Dinesh, dismissing their concern. “Take them all back, as soon as you get the nuns out.”
Lexi reached for Asha’s arm. “What does that even mean, we don’t need you?”
Chakori opened her orange eyes and held up a hand.
“Asha is our Commander. If she says this is the plan, then this is the fucking plan. No more arguments.”
Uma mumbled something about the impossibility of arguing with Seers, but didn’t open her eyes.
Aquila turned to the crumbling wall of pocked-stone and Lexi had to look away from the pain in his eyes. “At least tell us you had some… vision.” His hand fluttered through the air in a helpless gesture. “Some guarantee. Tell me there’s a positive outcome to this… situation.”
Asha gripped his shoulder, and Aquila turned to her.
“I guarantee you will see me again,” she told him softly, and Aquila lowered his forehead until it rested on hers. They shared one of those mind-reading moments, the kind Lexi recognized as too intimate to share with the others, and she pushed the thought of Zaiden from her own mind with violent determination. “I’m going to bring our Seer home,” Asha said as she stepped back from Aquila so they could all hear. “That’s a promise.”
Ylva and Dolph returned then, their limbs stretching to become human once more as they entered the shadows, and everyone turned to them.
“Bad news and good news,” said Ylva. “The bad news is, the nuns are in the crop fields. The good news is,” and her eyes shone silver in the darkness as she grinned sharp teeth at them, “it looks like we’ll finally get that fight we’ve been waiting for.”
Chapter 39
Asha stepped into Sid’s shadow and watched the crowd below. A deafening roar filled the night, and he said without turning, “If you plan on getting through the crowd without being noticed, I’d suggest moving now.”
One of the Baksakha on the stage raised its arms in victory, and Asha turned before she had time to think about the remains on the table in front of the creature.
With a last, deep breath, she gave the signal to move out.
With one nod, Chakori and Uma pulled the camouflage fabric of their suits over their faces and, like silent shadows, followed the Werewolves into the darkness. Lexi held her gaze for a moment, then led Ursala, Kelakha, and Jax after them. The strange Upperworlder, Dinesh, took a step after them and vanished in a glimmer of gold.
Aquila looked at Asha, his eyes full of pain.
“What are you wai—”
Aquila’s arms were around her, pulling Asha into the shadows, out of Sid’s sight.
Don’t ask me to do this. I can’t leave you.
You can. I need you to go with them. If even one of those nuns dies, it will be more than our Seer can handle. I’ve seen it. He’s… extremely empathetic. And Jax… you—
Aquila kissed her then, the warmth of his lips flooding her mind with the memory of him, all of him, and Asha forgot where she was. She fought for breath as her knees melted, the hunger for his touch overwhelming her senses. She was blinded by pleasure as his hands lifted her from the crumbling stone, bringing her legs around him, pulling her closer. Not close enough. Never close enough.
Asha’s heart raced against his as she fought her wild emotions to bring herself back to reality, the screams of the Underworlders slamming back into focus like a chorus of animals at a slaughterhouse.
You have to… You have to go, Aquila.
He pressed against her, kissing her fiercely once more, and then Aquila was gone, the silhouette of a sparrow-hawk flying over the sea of Underworlders to join the others.
Sid led Asha in the opposite direction, following the curve of the crumbling balcony, to a set of stairs in the arena. She raised her hands to create a distraction.
And realized her graduation ring was missing.
“¡Ese desgraciado! Se llevo mi anillo.”
Sid tilted his head at her, impatient. “I don’t speak that language,” he said.
Asha ignored him. There is only one reason Aquila would take my ring. A rescue portal.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and moved behind the crowd. The Underworlders closest to them grew suddenly still, and Asha knew they had smelled her. Without breaking stride, she pulled the life from the Baksakha competitors on the distant platform. Her stomach clenched against their dark, clawing essence, the insatiable hunger for pain that poisoned their minds with a constant, unrelenting weight, never satisfied. She assumed they’d collapsed when the crowd paused, and then roared with rage. The distraction worked, and the attention all focused on the fallen champion, confusion giving way to angry indignation as the festivities came to a sudden, screeching halt.
Asha and Sid were already halfway to the tower doors, which looked like carved black glass, with trees and fruit intertwined in beautiful detail in curious and stark contrast to the balcony’s disrepair.
At least ten Urnayu guards stood in front of the doors, their numerous round eyes fixed on the crowd of unstable revelers.
Breathing deeply, Asha felt the Baksakha life-force transform into neutral energy, filling her with raw power as she approached the Urnayu. She raised her hands again, and the spider-creatures fell one by one, and with a surge of renewed nausea her strength doubled, tripled.
Sid reached to help her, but Asha easily pushed the massive doors open, feeling the locks break with a satisfying shatter. Stepping up to the doorway, she looked back over the crowd. Three more Baksakha stood on the platform—past champions, she guessed—shouting something in their incomprehensible language, and the crowd quieted to hear them.
Asha raised her hand and took their lives just as Lexi passed, unnoticed, through the door beyond the crowd, the white tail feathers of a Norwegian eagle hawk a blur of light against the sea of darkness.
Chapter 40
“Take my hand,” Kelakha whispered, and Jax felt the warmth of his fingers engulf hers, his palm soft but for the calluses beneath his knuckles.
They followed the Werewolves from the arena and into the thick darkness, an ultraviolet light strapped to Ylva’s head the only indication she was there at all. Jax adjusted her own night-vision glasses, and tried to reassure herself she hadn’t gone blind.
The smell of decaying soil clung to her throat in the still-as-death air. The ground continued to slope down, and the only sound she heard was her own footsteps. Jax had always believed herself to be light on her feet, but then she’d met Kelakha and his companions. Walking with them made her feel as uncoordinated as a drunk rhino in heels. And as loud.
They walked for what felt like a century. Jax’s ears strained to make out any sound in the inky darkness, but the feel of Kelakha’s hand around hers and the moving light ahead were the only reassurances she had that she wasn’t alone.
She felt like an insect, buried alive and trapped inside an enormous coffin.
Suddenly three hands pressed back on her shoulders. Kelakha, Ursala, and Aquila—her pers
onal bodyguards—were telling her to stop, and Jax strained her eyes to see the faint purple-red glow below them in the distance.
Ylva and Dolph turned to the group, Ylva shining her light at each of them in turn. Jax looked at the warriors standing in a circle around her, awed by so much concentrated fighting power, suddenly weak with relief they had made it so far without losing a single life.
Then she thought of Asha, alone, and Jax’s heart sank. She refused to look at Aquila.
Ylva turned to Uma and Chakori. “It’s not pretty, okay? This is a crop of…”
She made a frustrated gesture toward the light in the distance, and Dolph said something in the local language that sounded like hissing gags.
“Let’s just call it Blood Lettuce and leave it at that,” Ylva finished. “I think you get the idea. Don’t touch it, don’t sniff it, and whatever you do, don’t eat it.”
“So the nuns are…” Lexi was searching the darkness with a look of fury Jax was glad wasn’t pointed at her.
“The nuns are…” Ylva cleared her throat. “Feeding the crop would be the most accurate description.”
Dolph grunted something and she nodded. “We will approach the Feeding and Processing Center, and disengage the nuns and everyone we can while the rest of you cover us.”
Ursala said, “Jax, obviously you stay out of harm’s way with Dinesh.”
Dinesh’s voice sounded from the empty space next to Lexi. “Understood.”
“Hold on a minute.” Lexi raised one hand. “How many humans are down here? These fields go for miles.”
Jax squinted into the darkness again. Even with her goggles, she could barely make out the light below them, and she couldn’t see anything at all about the field. Uma’s Jodha eyesight must be at least ten times that of her own.
Ylva said something to Dolph in Korean, then turned back to the group. “This crop runs under the castle and beyond. It’s large enough to send basic food and power supplies to the entire country. It used to be the poor could volunteer to be hooked up, which helped their families earn government relief, but mostly it has always been the place for those who broke the law or enraged the Emperor. Since the Witch-Goblin alliance, Dolph says the answer to your question is unknown, but quite a few humans are here.” Ylva shook her head. “I’m sorry, but there won’t be time to save all of them. Once we unhook the first person, an alarm will alert the Crop Lizards. Once you start killing them, Urnayu will flood this whole area.”