by SGD Singh
“It is already done, Jodha. Done, understand?” She spread her arms wide. “And the most beautiful part? All you and your pathetic friends have to do is… nothing.”
“You said I could join you.” If Asha couldn’t kill her, she could at least get her explain herself. “Now you’re saying I do nothing?”
Get the Witch monologuing, and figure a way out of here before Aquila arrives and gets himself killed.
“The world already has peace,” Ranya said, returning to her chair. “Except for one thing.”
“Let me guess.” Asha sat on the edge of the bed, still unwilling to leave the Seer’s side. “Humans?”
Ranya bowed her head. “Just so. You see, I’ve travelled through more realms than any other being. I’ve met the Vazin, the Satya-realm humans, even the Däanav of Patala. And I have come to a conclusion, one that happens to agree beautifully with our Prophecy. It’s the humanoids destroying everything. It’s the greed-infested humanoid every time.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake, here we go again.
Asha forced herself not to roll her eyes as her mind spun uselessly at escape options. She wasn’t taking the Seer anywhere as long as Ranya was present.
“So… you’ve come up with a way to liberate the masses from the evil humanoid infestation.”
“That’s right. Very good, Sandhu.” Ranya leaned back, smiling. “See, you had your Prophecy, and we Witches had ours.” She indicated the seven girls surrounding them and they spent few seconds smirking at each other.
“While yours focused on propaganda, ours focused on the simple truth that the future can be so much more than the past. The realms can be cleansed. United. All that was required, all that was demanded of those who cared to serve the truth, was to wait for the only humanoid who could stop it. And then eliminate him.”
“But it’s not just the oppressors you wish to stop,” said Asha. “It’s all humans. How can you possibly justify that?”
Suck the life out of all seven Witches, stab Ranya enough to slow her down, make a portal home. That’s doable. Sort of.
“Because you are incapable of change. Sure, you talk as if you’ve become exalted, decided to be loving and caring. But your actions never change, do they? You destroy and consume. That’s what you do. That’s all you do.”
“People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe.”
Ranya narrowed her eyes. “The Buddha again?”
“Andy Rooney.”
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“No,” Asha smiled. “But you are.”
Ranya tilted her head. “How so?”
“It’s the same old shit since the beginning of recorded time,” Asha said. “Attempting to wipe out everyone you think isn’t doing, dressing, believing, eating, reading, saying just what you think they should. Trust me. It never ends well for mass-murdering tyrants.”
“Not this time. This is destiny.”
“It always is, isn’t it?”
Ranya smiled, standing. “You smug bitch. You think being a member of The Guard makes you superior to the rest of us, don’t you? As if believing that you kill for righteousness gives you some sort of moral superiority. As if any of you know what it means to possess real courage. You think you know the meaning of sacrifice? You know nothing of sacrifice!” Ranya’s eyes blazed with an insane rage. “It’s laughable, really. You’ve never suffered a single day of your entire indulged and pampered lives.”
The Witch laughed then, looking around the room. “It’s going to be so much fun seeing how superior you are after one day of hunger, one moment of actual hardship. The moment you realize just how insignificant your pathetic life is, the moment you turn into the monster you think the rest of us are… It will be truly delicious to witness.”
Asha kept her gaze on the Witch’s dark eye.
Ranya pointed one clawed finger. “You need to listen to what I’m telling you, Sandhu. You. Have. Lost. I will show you. It’s already done.”
Asha was suddenly too exhausted to feel the fear she knew she should at the thought that Ranya’s plan was already set in motion. All she could see was Aquila’s sister, so broken and twisted with hatred it made Asha sick with grief, and in that moment she felt as if her heart would break.
She couldn’t stomach the idea of playing her game any longer.
“You are so blind you really don’t see it, do you?”
Ranya waved a clawed hand dismissively, but Asha continued. “I’m talking about good. I’m talking about humanity’s ability to love, to dream, to sacrifice, to serve. These things are not as easy to eliminate as you think.”
Ranya began to smile, clicking her nails together, and Asha felt her heart break a little more. “You’re so infested with hatred you’re blind to the wonder, the beauty of humanity that is all around you. And I’m sorry for you, Ranya. I’m sorry for your suffering.”
Ranya’s smile vanished in an instant, and the room crackled with her mounting fury. Asha remembered too late that if there was one thing the Witch detested more than anything, it was compassion. Kindness had become like violence; a revolting onslaught against her.
Thinking about what Ranya must have suffered to warrant that kind of reaction to sympathy made Asha’s own temper flare. These Underworlders had come into their homes and destroyed the innocent, spreading hate and violence like a festering sore across humanity.
The Witch took one menacing step toward her, but Asha stepped forward too, and Ranya hesitated.
“It won’t work.” Asha felt her eyes begin to glow. “I’m warning you, Ranya, because no one else will. Try to wipe out humans, and it will only make us stronger. You will unite millions with the infinite capacity for strength, millions who will always find joy and happiness no matter what horrors you bring to break their spirit. People you will never understand.”
Asha took another step forward. “People you will be very sorry to underestimate.”
And another. “One thing I promise you. We will not go quietly. And you will die.”
They faced each other silently as the Witches surrounding them glanced at each other in confusion, no doubt wondering why their mistress didn’t simply kill the disrespectful Guard.
Ranya shook with rage, and Asha knew the Witch was struggling against the same urge to lash out that Asha herself had felt, weighing the pros and cons against trying to kill her.
Asha closed her eyes and let her chin drop to her chest. Ranya was long past reasoning with. She put aside thought of what Ranya might have been if the Asura hadn’t taken her all those years ago, what she could’ve had in another, better life.
Okay, now or never.
The seven Witches fell to the floor, twitching, and Ranya shrieked as one of Asha’s knives went through her palm to lodge in her cheek.
Within seconds, the wound was healed.
Asha tried to use the Witch’s life-force to overpower her, but instead felt herself thrown across the room, the air leaving her lungs as she landed hard on her back. The Witch’s roar of fury filled the room, vibrating off the metal walls and ringing in her ears.
When she opened her eyes, Ranya towered over her, composed and smiling, as if she had already forgotten her fallen sisters. “This room is not a room,” she said.
Asha thought she could almost see Ranya’s one good eye gleaming.
She leaned closer. “You cannot create a portal here. And there is no escape.”
She straightened, raising her clawed hands, and all at once the walls began to disappear, replaced by open air between velvet-covered pillars.
Asha sucked in a breath as she looked around. There was nothing but reddish water as far as her eyes could see in every direction. Something rolled out of the water, giant and serpentine, plunging beneath the surface with a splash a moment later.
“My God,” Asha breathed. “What have you done?”
Ranya spread her arms wide, grinning. “Welcome to Vitala, I
nfernal Guard slave.”
Chapter 46
It may have been because he was separated again from Lexi, or because he wasn’t completely over the effects of the Upperworlder drug. Either way, Nidhan’s dream was vivid.
The blindfold against his eyes felt real, tickling his lashes.
Lexi’s voice spoke from his right, her arm guiding him forward.
“You’re whining again,” she said.
“I’m not whining.” He turned his head toward her voice. “I’m simply protesting your system. You blindfold people, subject them to surprise-challenges, try to force your laundry-duty on them if they fail, and you cheat. Yeah, I said it. You cheat.”
“I do not cheat.” Lexi’s voice was right next to his ear. “I’m graciously giving you the opportunity for a rematch, and you’re whining like a little girl.”
Asha’s spoke from behind him. “What if I win? Do I get to name a penalty for both of you?”
“No,” Nidhan said. “What is that smell? Grass, dirt… manure?”
“Okay, just shut up.” Lexi’s hands were on his chest, stopping him. “Time to take off the blindfold.”
Nidhan opened his eyes and stared. The three most beautifully majestic horses to ever exist in the history of the universe stood in front of him. One was all black, one black with white feet and forehead, and one a dark reddish-black with white lower legs and hooves. A bored groom held the reins for all three; otherwise, there was no one in sight.
Nidhan managed to take his eyes off them long enough to look at his surroundings.
“We’re at the Happy Valley Race Course.” He turned to her. “Again.”
One of the horses snorted.
“You can’t just keep repeating humiliating challenges for your own sick entertainment.”
“As you can see,” Lexi said, “these are very different horses from the thoroughbreds of last week. I had Stevens arrange it, but he tells me this is highly illegal at this track. Or practically any other track.”
Asha fluttered a hand around and said in a British accent, “Highly illegal indeed. What will Miss Hewitt do next? Something simply shocking, we can be sure. Details at eleven.”
Lexi punched Asha in the arm. “These are Shire horses, obviously. Over seventeen hands. That one there with the white stockings and blaze is nearly nineteen hands, and the bay is eighteen two.”
“Good God! Eighteen two handed stockings and blaze! You don’t say.” Nidhan rolled his eyes. “English, Lexi. I’m from a village in Punjab, remember? Is any of this even relevant to the challenge, or are you just having fun showing off?”
“What I’m saying is…” Lexi gestured at the horses. They looked bored. “These beauties are pretty fucking huge, plus they’re friendly and calm, so you shouldn’t have anything to whine about once I kick your ass again.”
“Like last time,” Asha added.
“I’ll even give you first pick of horse, so you can’t accuse me of cheating.”
Nidhan turned in a circle, taking in the race course. A few lights were shining in the towering apartment buildings on one side, and the glow from the city was the only light on the track. The stands stood completely dark, and Nidhan was once again impressed with Lexi’s ability to get anything she wanted.
What’s that? Take over the largest racetrack in Hong Kong in the middle of the night with horses no one has ever even heard of? Sure! No problem, Miss Hewitt. Let us know if you need anything else.
“Where did you get the horses anyway?”
Lexi smiled, crossing her arms. “That’s a very Asha thing to ask. Why are you stalling?”
“There are some very serious horse-fanatics around here,” Asha told him. “Actually, around everywhere. Apparently horses are irresistible once you get to know them.”
Nidhan turned back to the three horses. The black one raised its head and watched him with kind, all-knowing eyes. Its long mane billowed gracefully along its powerful shoulder, then draped back down to nearly touch the grass. Its coat shone like black silk in the night.
“Now that I believe,” Nidhan said.
The horse pawed the grass with one dinner-plate sized hoof that was covered in more wavy hair. It looked as if it belonged in a medieval fairytale.
“I don’t know if you’re aware,” Asha told Lexi, “but the Shire population is still considered to be at critical levels by both the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.”
“Yes, thank you, Asha, I was, in fact, aware. We aren’t going to kill them. We’re going to race them. We’re supporting all things Shire right now, okay? Happy?”
“I choose this one,” Nidhan said, holding a hand under the black horse’s nose. It blew warm air onto his skin with its velvet nose, as if it expected food, then looked bored again after finding nothing but hand.
“Asha?” Lexi waved her forward.
“Oh no,” Asha said. “You choose next. I insist.”
Lexi raised an eyebrow.
“The disaster at the Spaghetti House last month is the last time you will accuse me of using my psychic powers to win challenges.”
“Fine,” Lexi moved forward, placing a hand on the brownish-red horse’s forehead and making cooing noises at it. An apple appeared in her hand, and she fed it to the horse, who then looked slightly less bored. “I choose the bay.”
Lexi said something to the man holding the horses, and he took their bridles off before walking to the edge of the track and leaning against the outer rail, he took his cellphone out and began texting, or playing a game. Nidhan hoped it was something engrossing enough to allow for one less witness to his second attempt at riding a horse.
“C’mon, Nidhan,” Lexi said, leaping onto her horse and grinning down at him. “If your ancestors could see the look on your face right now, they’d be very disappointed.”
Asha swung easily onto her mount and leaning to pat its neck, winking down at him.
There was absolutely nothing on the horses. No saddle, no bridle, no stirrups to help him climb up. Easy for shape shifting Jodha to leap six feet into the air. Nidhan, being Tvastar, was a man of metal, earth, and heavy, grounded things. They were cheating again.
He wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of having him point that out.
Nidhan scrambled onto the horse’s back as gracefully as he could, finally managing to get his leg over the horse on the third jump, ignoring Asha’s laugh.
His horse, at least, was surprisingly patient.
“You complained about the saddle last time,” Lexi called, shrugging.
“One question, Miss Equestrian Smarty-Pants. How the hell am I supposed to hold on?”
“Horses have no nerve endings in their manes,” Lexi told him as she sat straight, smirked adorably, and twisted a hand through her horses long hair. “See how much you’re learning?”
Nidhan copied her, taking a fist full of coarse mane in his right hand and leaving his left free.
“It’s all in the legs anyway,” Lexi said.
“So you keep saying,” Nidhan grumbled.
The three horses lined up. “Ready?” Lexi asked, grinning mischievously over her outstretched arm.
“No. Ready? Definitely not.” Nidhan frowned. “Shouldn’t there be a horn, or a gunshot or something?”
But before he even finished asking the question, Asha and Lexi slapped their horses’ hips at the same instant, the sound a crack in the night, and their horses set off at a reluctant trot, leaving Nidhan struggling to catch up, kicking his heels and hoping he wasn’t ripping out sections of the horse’s beautiful mane.
Finally his horse seemed to realize he wanted it to run, and it broke into a canter, easily passing Asha and Lexi. Nidhan laughed, waving at their startled faces, and both girls gave him the finger at the same time.
Just when he thought he might actually win the challenge, razor sharp claws dug into his shoulder, piercing his skin, and Nidhan turned to see a peregrine falcon inches from his face, gl
aring at him fiercely.
“What the hell?” he shouted. The horse stumbled then, and Nidhan felt himself lose his balance.
He was flying through the air, weightless for an endless second.
The ground hit him hard, knocking the air from his lungs with a grunt. Nidhan moved to stand, but the falcon was on his chest, digging talons into his shirt, his skin. With one piercing cry, the bird jumped forward and pecked at his neck. Nidhan cursed, swatting at feathers.
“What the—? Asha, what is wrong with you?”
Lexi peered down at him, her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe you still care you suck at riding.”
“What? Ow!”
“Nidhan.” Lexi leaned close, her eyes turning eagle-yellow. “You’re dreaming.”
“I’m… what?”
She slapped him then. Hard. “Wake UP!”
Nidhan opened his eyes with a gasp. He was lying on the floor of Central Headquarters’ meeting hall, his neck and shoulder screaming in cramped protest. His cheek still burned from Lexi’s slap, and Nidhan realized his face had been pressed to the cold stone, his arm twisted beneath him causing pins and needles along his neck.
And Lexi and Asha were still not back.
Nidhan sat up and began rubbing feeling back into his arm as he looked around. Zaiden and Satish sat against the wall at the top of the broad steps, so still they seemed like statues, and Nidhan wondered absently if Upperworlders could actually sleep like that.
Kai, Kenda, and Koko lay on the floor to his right, sleeping soundly on what looked like memory foam, under fluffy blankets in various bright colors. They had apparently planned their vigil for Lexi’s return much better than he had.
Nidhan stretched, then checked his watch. It had been eighteen hours since Lexi left. Was that longer or shorter in the Underworld? Shorter, he was pretty sure. Nidhan was too sleepy and hungry to figure it out. He reached into a pocket for a protein bar and that’s when he noticed the center of the floor didn’t really look like the floor anymore.
The wood shimmered, then seemed to explode with blinding light, and the next instant, the room was filled with people, most of them pale and thin shellshocked strangers. Nidhan saw Uma and Chakori and the Werewolves move amongst them.