Isika was on her feet, and in the back of her mind she noticed that her wounds were not bothering her like before. The garden was healing her. Her circlet blazed and she held out the staff. The fire birds swirled up in one long column above her, reaching so high she couldn’t see where they stopped. She took a step toward her father and the birds came with her. The sound of Keerza hoofbeats was stronger and stronger in her mind.
We are coming, they told her. We are coming.
“That is a lie,” Isika said to her father.
He laughed without kindness or mirth. “It is not a lie. And under it all, my dear firstborn daughter, are the strands of betrayal which will eventually be your downfall. You cannot heal this pain. You cannot undo the betrayal magic that took your grandmother, that followed you to the Worker village where you betrayed your sister by not going to the sea in her place. None of it can be undone. It is permanent and will cast you down eventually. Even if you manage to leave here, even if you manage to become queen.” He sneered the word at her. “You will never escape this betrayal magic. And Aria can never leave this city alive again.”
She stood there, enraged, and looked for Keethior above her.
Brother, let me see with your eyes, she asked him, and in a moment she was flying, free from the pain of her wounds, free from the heaviness of her father’s words, in the mind of the Othra. Above all, seeing all. She saw the captives running with Abbas and Enfa and the others. They were leaving the city, going through the underground tunnels. She saw herself, lit by the staff’s light.
She came back to her own eyes. She needed time to think, but there was no time.
The Keerza came closer and the garden made Isika stronger. The fire birds gave long, low calls, and Isika held the staff high with her good arm. All eyes were on her. She looked down to see that she was ablaze, cool flames flickering from her arms and legs.
“That is enough of that kind of talk,” she said calmly, and she drove the staff down so that it stabbed into the earth of the garden. It flared with blazing light and suddenly, the city was on fire. King Ikajo fell to his knees and threw his arms over his head. Isika sensed the flames of the birds, purifying, seeking poison and destroying it. Walls toppled and disintegrated. People cried out in surprise and fear.
And then she was alone. She looked around, wondering where everyone had gone. The circlet was cool on her forehead. Then Isika sighed with relief to see Nenyi striding through the garden toward her, taller than any tree. But the look on his face was infinitely sorrowful and she shrank from him. She didn’t want to hear what he would say.
“You have to leave Aria here,” he said. He stood beside her with skin like the night sky, filled with stars.
“Never,” she said. “I would rather die.”
“She will be the one to die, if you take her from here.”
“Isn’t there a way around this poison? How can it be that I must leave my sister here to die?”
“Do you believe him? Do you believe that betrayal magic can never be undone?”
“No! If it is so, we are tied to the evil that has betrayed each one of us, back through the long line of our ancestors. My grandmother, yes, but what about every small betrayal before that? I will not be tied to the evil that was done to those who came before me!”
“He is right, though, little one.”
“How can you say that?” Isika fell and lay with her face against the earth. Nenyi stooped and picked her up as though she was a small child, holding her against his heart.
“If there is a way, you will be the one to find it,” he told her. “But you won’t find it today, and that is the truth. I’m sorry, daughter. It will take more time than we have right now. And you are badly wounded by a betraying sword. You must get back to Azariyah. You will feel the pain of your wounds as soon as you leave this garden. Entrust Aria to me. Leave her here.”
Tears streamed down Isika’s face. “How can I know he won’t hurt her?”
Nenyi looked down at her. His face was fierce.
“Isn’t she my daughter too? Do you think you can take care of her, with all your fumbling ways?”
It feels as though you haven’t cared for her well, she told him.
“Oh, but my daughter, you don’t know anything of this fierce fire, or how it will change Aria into the brightest morning. Go soon. Go now. Leave her here and don’t imagine that you are her protector. You have your own work to do. No one got the prophecy quite right. It’s like this:
* * *
Two sisters, a boat and a road
Hearts broken, lies and shame
Grip of evil grip of pain
Whisperer and warrior
One will die for the other’s gain
The world opens
Whisperer and warrior
One lies dead, the other in pain
Out of the night comes the way
The land cries out, the Shaper turns
One will die for the other’s gain.”
* * *
“What does it mean? Can you tell me what it means?”
Nenyi shook his head sadly. “You need to figure it out. This is your question: What does it mean that you are whisperer and warrior, and how will you sever the strands of betrayal poison?”
* * *
Nenyi disappeared. Isika found herself sitting with Jabari, Benayeem, Gavi, Olumi, and Aria in the garden. The land was quiet, a herd of Keerza grazed, the horses and guards were gone, and her father was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 35
When Isika opened her eyes, Jabari could see the slight shimmery look that meant she had visited with Nenyi. He felt the strong longing he always had when this happened. The longing to protect her and the longing to be like her. Jabari had served Nenyi all his life and he wanted to meet the Shaper. He wondered if Isika knew how lucky she was. And then he saw the fear in her eyes and he moved to sit closer to her, tentatively putting an arm around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment, then sat up and reached her hands out to Aria.
“You have to stay here,” she said, her voice breaking.
“That’s what our father said. Or I could go . . . and let what happens happen,” Aria responded, her eyes on the ground.
“No, Aria, you would die.”
“Would that be worse than living as his puppet?”
Jabari shifted, angry because he couldn’t do anything about this. He had never felt so powerless. What are my powers, Shaper?
“Aria, you can’t say that,” he said, leaning forward. “If he kills you, he cuts off all the possible futures where you beat this and come back to be with us. We will find a way to set you free from his power. You need to trust us and trust Herrith.”
“I don’t want to be alone here,” she said, and she looked like the small girl she was when they had rescued her.
“I will never let you be alone here,” Gavi said.
“You can’t—” Jabari started, feeling a rush of hot anger and fear mixed with love.
“Yes, I must,” Gavi said, turning to give Jabari a look. Jabari sat back, swallowing the rest of his words. “The Shaper’s instructions to me have been clear. I will stay here with Aria.”
Aria gazed at Gavi with a small bit of hope alight on her face. Jabari crossed his arms on his knees and put his face down on them.
“What if he makes me declare war on you?” Aria whispered.
Jabari jerked his head up. “What makes you think he will do that?”
“Feelings I have about his plans. He will be very angry, Isika. He wants your power so badly. I am only bait. But I am bait that he has poisoned, and I can’t see clearly most of the time.” Her words ended on a sob.
“You can’t stay here!” Isika exclaimed again, and Jabari couldn’t bear the look on her face. She winced in pain and Jabari remembered with a start that she was wounded.
“Isika,” he said. “We need to get you to the Karee healer.”
“Yes, and then to Azariyah,” she said.
“The Shaper told me I wouldn’t be healed until I could be back in our lands.”
“What else did he tell you?” Ben asked, leaning forward eagerly.
“He said that he loves Aria more than we do, that he is taking care of her.”
Aria had a look on her face, a raw, untamed hope that made Jabari’s stomach turn over.
“We’ll see,” was all she said.
“We must go,” Isika said to her sister. “But sister, hold onto these moments of clarity. You need to fight to be free of him. Gavi will help you, and Herrith. And this garden.”
She shook her head. “I do not know where the king is or what has happened to him. If he has been hurt he will be very angry. He will tighten his power around me.”
“We will find a way to heal this,” Ben said. “There is a way.”
“I don’t understand why Nenyi hasn’t shown us yet,” Gavi said.
“Nenyi said that this goes back farther than any of us knows,” Isika said gently. “That we need to find a way to sever ourselves from the betrayal magic of the past.”
* * *
They carefully made their way to Mara’s house. As soon as they left the garden, Isika’s face turned gray and she slumped against Jabari until he was half carrying her. The cats walked on either side of them, pressing against Isika’s sides. It helped to keep her upright, but Jabari nearly tripped over them several times, cursing the cats under his breath while Isika smiled a wan smile.
The city was empty of people, the streets dusty and still smelling faintly of smoke. Jabari was surprised to find the city still standing after seeing the fire Isika had called down, but Mara told them it had not been a physical fire, but a fire that destroyed poison from the Great Waste.
“I imagine that many people feel themselves quite empty right now,” she told them as they came in, bustling to find bandages for Isika, “after a cleansing like that.”
Jabari laid Isika gently on the cushions in the corner and the old woman brought warm water and bandages, needle, and thread. Jabari felt his stomach drop at the sight of the crude tools. Gavi’s healing skills weren’t up to the job, especially so far from Azariyah. The cats moved against the walls to make space. Jabari bent his face close to Isika’s while the old woman sewed her up, whispering and humming to her as she breathed deeply. Isika bit her lips hard at the pain, and after Mara made a dozen stitches, she fainted. Jabari kissed her forehead gently.
“I don’t know how we’re going to get her home,” he said.
No one responded. He looked up. Gavi, Ben, and Aria were staring at him.
“What?” he said.
“When did that start?” Gavi asked.
“When did what start? Nothing ‘started.’” I’m just taking care of my sister.”
To his surprise, Aria burst out laughing. “That’s my sister,” she said. “Mine and Benayeem’s. She’s definitely not yours.”
Jabari turned away to hide his smile.
“Have you heard anything about the king?” he asked the old woman, who had a faint smile on her face as well. She shook her head, but just then, there was a knock at the door. Herrith’s knock.
“Oh, thank the Shaper,” Mara said, hurrying toward the door. She opened it and Herrith stumbled in, looking spent.
He leaned against a wall, breathing heavily, his face gray. “What have you children done?” he said, when he had recovered his breath. “The king is in bed, the palace is in an uproar, and somehow, every one of our captives has escaped. Not to mention our heir.” He turned to Aria and held out his hands. She stood and went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He tucked her under his chin and held her close.
* * *
There were many assurances as they parted. Herrith would look after Gavi and Aria, and so would Mara and the other members of the Circle. Jabari and Ben would make sure Isika got home safely. Assurances didn’t stop the tears, but they all felt a bit better.
Once Isika revived from her stitches, Jabari knew they had no time to lose. She didn’t want to leave Aria, but he acted quickly anyway.
He reached out to the horses. Where are you?
Stables, they told him.
You need to come here, Jabari said. Bring some of the Keerza. There is no time to be secretive and perhaps they can help her.
“Keethior,” he said aloud. “Do you know where the freed captives are? Is Eemia with them? We need their help to get Isika home.”
Jabari could almost see the struggle within the bird. Keethior most likely wanted to remind Jabari that he didn’t answer to him, but the Othra looked at Isika for a long moment and then spoke. Maybe he saw what Jabari saw. It would be impossible to get Isika home without help.
“Eemia is outside the city walls,” Keethior said. “I will tell her, and I will go and hurry the horses.” Herrith opened the door and the giant bird flew off.
“We need to go,” Jabari said. He felt prickling in his hands and feet. The king was asleep but couldn’t stay that way for long. They needed to be far from the city when he woke.
Jabari’s heart wrenched. He grabbed Gavi and pulled him into a long hug, then stepped back to look his brother in the face. Gavi’s blue eyes were calm, though sad.
“You are not from here,” Jabari told his brother. “No matter that you are rescued, no matter that I can’t ever really understand what that is like. You are Maweel, our own, through and through. Don’t let this place make you forget it.”
Gavi smiled and looked back at him very seriously.
“Thank you, brother,” he said softly. “That is true. But that is only half the truth. I am of another people as well, the unloved, the thrown away. The Shaper loves us in a different way, because of our need. I want to learn how to be with people like me. And I will always be half there and half with you.”
Jabari had so many things he wanted to say. How could Gavi separate himself this way, make himself other? He knew the questions weren’t for now. He looked back at Gavi.
“I share a heart with you,” he said, “so maybe I can try to be half there with you.”
Gavi grinned, and in that moment, all the past months and years fell away and they were just two boys running down the road together.
“Oh, Yab, I should have known you’d elbow your way into anything,” he told Jabari, then gave him another swift hug. “You need to go now. Isika is not doing well.”
Jabari jerked his head to where Isika was lying. Her eyes were closed but moving quickly. He felt a swooping panic in his gut.
When he opened the door, he found the horses and fourteen Keerza. The cats poured out with them and stood in all their brilliance, not bothering to mask themselves. Seas and skies!” he said. “We’d better get out of here before the king regains his senses.”
Gently, he woke Isika. She wept, but after she whispered in Aria’s ear and Gavi smoothed her hair with one hand, she tried to be brave, dashing tears away, though her mouth was set in an unhappy line.
He helped Isika onto Wind’s back, then asked the horse for permission to sit behind her.
Do you have her permission? The horse asked in reply.
He does, Isika said.
Then it’s fine with me. Someone needs to keep her from falling off. Though it could be her younger brother . . . . But while the horse was deliberating, Jabari was already swinging a leg over the horse behind Isika. She leaned back against him and he held the reins with one hand, tucking his other arm around her ribcage to keep her from falling off.
They went as quietly as they could. Jabari saw the cats and the Keerza using their powers, shimmering into sight and then out again. In the edges of his sight he also spotted transparent threads linking the Keerza to Isika.
What are those? he asked them.
We give her our strength, one of the Keerza replied.
Nevertheless, she was soon asleep in the saddle, her head bumping against Jabari’s shoulder. He wished he could make the journey more comfortable for her.
Soon the
y were in the tunnels leading out of the city, and after what felt like forever but was not nearly that long, they were out, blinking in the sudden light.
Keethior found them there.
This way, he said. Abbas is taking the captives to the Karee village and we must go that way also. Isika needs to see the healer.
I thought so too, but is that the right thing? Nenyi said she needs to get back to Maween, Jabari said.
She won’t make it, the bird said seriously, and Jabari heard the animals begin to panic. He looked down at Isika. Her face was turned in toward his neck, her eyelids fluttering. Her chest rose and fell shallowly, and her wound felt hot to the touch.
“Yes,” he said aloud so that Ben could hear. “The Karee village. Let’s see what this healer can do. But then we go home.”
Chapter 36
For Isika, the journey passed in a haze, with a few clear moments that she would always remember. Waking up with her head bouncing on Jabari’s shoulder. Camping at night, all four of the cats curled around her to keep her warm. The pain in her arm and leg that never left. Watching the Keerza run down a hillside, the sun flashing off their hides, the cats among them like sharp glints of silver. The long train of travelers, all of them tired and dirty, captives who walked the long miles back to the Karee camp. Isika wished she had the strength to talk to them. Occasionally, she caught sight of Abbas and his sister running ahead of the rest, the tall warriors gorgeous and strong.
Keethior refusing to stop bothering her.
Don’t sleep, young one. You’ve slept too much.
Be quiet, Keethior, I’m tired.
She needs to try to get healing from the earth. We won’t make it.
How can this poison be so strong? Isn’t she the World Whisperer? That was Jabari speaking. Isika smiled slightly. He had a nice voice, even in animal speech. She tried to tell him, but she couldn’t make her voice work.
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