Starburner

by Claire Luana

  “How long have you been in this cave, Tamar?” Rika asked.

  Tamar considered, scrunching up her face as she skipped in front of Rika. “One passing of the moon?”

  “A month?” Rika blanched. “That’s a long time.”

  “I am very sick of tana root,” Tamar said.

  “I don’t blame you.” Rika chuckled. She couldn’t help it, being around the girl lifted her spirits. How could she be so delightful when her father was such a brute? “What are you looking forward to eating the most when you get out of here?”

  “Laklaks!” Tamar’s eyes rolled back in her head as she pantomimed the ecstasy of eating whatever it was.

  “That sounds like a duck call,” Rika said.

  “They are these little green cakes.” Tamar sighed. “My auntie makes the best. They are so good right out of the fire. You can try them after we defeat the leeches!”

  “I’d like that,” Rika said, shoving down her guilt. Tamar was a sweet kid, but she couldn’t stay here just to keep from hurting the girl’s feelings.

  “What do you want to eat when we defeat the leeches?”

  Rika’s heartstrings twanged. “In my homeland, there are these little round pastries called honey cakes. They are gooey and flaky—you can’t eat one without getting it all over yourself. I’d like one of those.”

  “That sounds good! I’ll have one of those too.”

  Rika smoothed the hair on Tamar’s head. “It’s a date.”

  Tamar stilled and she looked up to see Bahti standing at the door of the cave, his red eyes glowing reproachfully. His arms were crossed, and in one massive fist, he held a gleaming hammer the size of Rika’s head. His totem. “Tamar, what did I tell you?”

  “Yes, Father,” Tamar whined, looking sidelong at Rika. “Bye!” Then the girl scampered down the tunnel, quick as a shadow.

  Rika squared her shoulders, facing off against the big man. She refused to be intimidated. She was here to help him. “Bahti.” She nodded at him and shouldered by him into the meeting room.

  The other gods and goddesses were already waiting, together with Cayono, who polished the short knife that he kept in his belt. “Good morning,” she said coolly before going to stand beside Sarnak at the far end of the table from Vikal. She needed as much distance between them as possible.

  Vikal looked at her intently for a moment, as if trying to communicate something with his eyes. She turned to Sarnak. “How did you sleep?”

  “Huh?” Sarnak said, raising a bushy eyebrow. “Would have slept better with some wine. Time to get out of this cave.”

  Vikal cleared his throat. “Sarnak and Rika met with Rika’s past selves yesterday, and as we can all see, her third eye is open. She is ready to enlist the aid of the stars in defeating the leeches. Right, Rika?”

  “Correct.” She nodded curtly.

  “The plan is simple,” Vikal said. “We sneak into the palace by way of the hidden stairs. Ajij will control the tides to get us in. We locate Rika’s totem, staying out of sight for as long as we can. Each of the soul-eaters are connected to the queen, and each of the human thralls are connected to the leech that turned them. Therefore, once we encounter anyone, they will know we are there.”

  “I can keep the humans out of our way,” Kemala said. “But I will not be able to help with the leeches.”

  Vikal continued. “Once we retrieve Rika’s totem, we will help her eradicate the soul-eaters from the island. Hopefully they will come to us—drawn by our attack.”

  “Can starlight over there handle this?” Bahti asked.

  “My name is Rika,” she snapped. “And in case you forgot, I’m the only one who can save your sorry asses. And if you want me to keep helping you, you could treat me with a little bit of respect. Just one grain of rice’s worth.” She held her fingers together.

  “That is a scary little bark, but if we are betting everything on your newfound power, we need to know you are ready. I would not send a newborn foal into battle as a war-horse, and I cannot help but think this is what we are doing.”

  Kemala recovered first, laying a hand on Bahti’s shoulder. “Rika does not have to prove herself. If Vikal and Sarnak vouch for her, that is enough.”

  “He’s right,” Rika said. Kemala turned in surprise. As much as it bothered her to have Bahti question her control in front of everyone, she needed to know too. It was one thing to use her powers in the dark spaces of her mind, under the watchful eye of her past self. It was another to do so in the heat of the moment, with the glowing eyes of the soul-eaters bearing down upon her. She needed to know she was up to the task. Rika opened her third eye, steeling herself against the nauseating wave of threads and connections that bloomed into view. Each of the gods were surrounded with them—tethering them to each other, to things invisible beyond the walls of the cave. Kemala’s dark threads were intricately tied to each of them, and as Rika examined the shimmering ebony thread that tied the goddess into her, she got the feeling that Kemala could see her, really see her. She flicked her attention beyond Kemala, following a familiar silver filament. She traced along it, letting her consciousness flow through the bedrock of the mountain into the clear night sky above. Cygna, she thought, tugging gently on the thread. I need you.

  The tether connecting her to Cygna vibrated, trilling like a bell as the stars shuddered in the sky, beginning to fall towards her. She willed Cygna to travel through the opening far above Sarnak’s chamber, through the strange concoction of tunnels that filtered the light deep below. Cygna’s speed astounded her.

  When Rika opened her eyes, silver light was already blooming in the hallway, speeding towards them. And then Cygna was in the cave with them, soaring above their heads in a sweeping arc, coming to rest on the table between them. A grin stretched across her face. It had worked much better than last time, when she had accidentally destroyed their boat and dumped them into the ocean. When she saw Vikal’s matching grin, her smile faltered. She looked away.

  “This is Cygna, the night sparrow,” Rika said, and with a flurry of his wings, Cygna alit and landed on her shoulder, illuminating the side of her face in silver light. “It’s a constellation.”

  “What is it going to do, fan the soul-eaters to death? Peck them?” Bahti set his giant hammer on the table with a heavy thunk.

  “It’s more powerful than it looks,” Vikal said. “That little thing blew our ship into slivers.”

  “Pardon me for not destroying the whole cave and announcing our presence to the leeches,” Rika said.

  “It is remarkable,” Cayono said, his face childlike with awe. He held a hand out and the little constellation flitted over to him, landing on his outstretched index finger. He laughed in disbelief. “What wondrous magic!”

  Rika’s fondness for Cayono increased dramatically.

  “This…constellation…” Ajij said. “It can kill a soul-eater?”

  “I believe so,” Rika said. “When I killed the other ones, I used the light of individual stars. But the constellations should be even more powerful. Concentrated.” She looked to Sarnak, who nodded.

  “This is my theory…” Sarnak said. “The leeches are from the stars. Travelers on the star-paths that connect our world to others. The power and might of the forces of this world cannot touch them because they are different in nature. But Rika’s power draws on the power of other worlds—stars—planets. She is a traveler on the star-paths too, though it was her spirit that took the journey, not this current incarnation. Because their power is drawn from the same source, she can defeat them.”

  Sarnak’s explanation rang true in her heart. Liliam had spoken of the star-paths, had explained that the heavens formed a doorway, a connection to another world. Could they connect to Kitina? Take her home?

  “I believe Rika has sufficiently proven herself,” Vikal said, looking pointedly at Bahti.

  Bahti grunted, which seemed to be as much of an agreement as they would get.

  Rika released Cygna’s thread
, gently ushering the little creature back towards the stars. I’ll be seeing you soon, she thought.

  Vikal continued. “We’ll take a small party. Cayono has six other warriors who will come with us. One will stay with each of us. We need to travel quickly and quietly to make it through the jungle undetected. I think this is the best way.”

  “So there will be thirteen. An unlucky number,” Ajij said.

  “This is untrue. There will be twelve,” Sarnak said. “I am not to come.”

  “What?” Vikal said. “What do you mean?”

  “Someone needs to stay to guard the Nuans. If all of you brave foolish gods get yourself killed, the people will fall into chaos. They need a leader. This is my task.”

  Vikal’s cheeks reddened. Hadn’t thought of that, had you? Rika thought with satisfaction. Not perfect after all.

  “Very well,” Vikal nodded. “We leave at dusk.”

  KEMALA PAUSED BEFORE Rika as the gods filed out of the meeting room. “There is something I would like to show you, if you have time.” Kemala up close was even more frightening than Bahti, her eyes like pools of liquid black, her beauty almost stifling to behold.

  Rika managed a nod.

  “Follow me.”

  Rika trailed Kemala through the tunnels back into the Gathering Hall. The jubilee of yesterday’s feast and merriment had dimmed—hungry, gaunt expressions followed the two goddess’s passage through the low light of the cavern.

  Kemala led Rika into a tunnel tucked against the far wall—no more than a sliver of an opening between a cluster of glistening stalagmites. She wanted to ask where they were going, but her nervousness in Kemala’s presence stilled her tongue. What did the goddess want with her?

  The tunnel ran downhill, twisting and turning until Rika was hopelessly lost. A sheen of sweat beaded on Rika’s brow. It was getting warm. Hot even. The smell of sulphur tickled her nose. The tunnel took a final turn and opened into a long, low-slung cavern arching gracefully over a steaming pool. “A hot spring?” Rika asked in surprise. “Why did you want to show me this?”

  Kemala was already unwrapping the black sash around her waist. “It is a Nuan tradition to consecrate ourselves before battle with a ritual bath. And it affords us a good opportunity to talk. For me to know your heart, and you to know mine.”

  Know her heart? Kemala had hardly glanced her way since Rika had woken up from her injuries, and now the woman wanted to talk? Rika bit her lip. She was nervous to be alone with this strange goddess, but the water looked inviting, and she did feel disgusting from living in a cave and sleeping on a hard bit of ground. Kemala was completely naked now, but for her jewel-encrusted necklace, her caramel body lithe and muscular as she slipped through the steam into the water. Kemala seemed to sense her hesitation, though if she sensed its cause, she tactfully ignored it. “These are healing waters. They will speed your recovery as well.”

  Rika let out a little sigh and began to unwrap her sash. She stepped into the water and yelped, jumping back. “It’s scalding!” She eyed Kemala with amazement. The woman was now covered up to her chin, her dark hair floating on the surface.

  “You adjust.”

  Slowly, Rika inched into the water, taking her final step with a little gasp. It felt divine; the coiling warmth was almost enough to banish the insistent pangs of hunger. Rika untangled her hair from its knot and sighed. “Who else knows about this place?”

  “A few of the women. They found it when exploring and told Bahti, as he is the god of the mountain. They have stayed away, believing it is his holy place.”

  Rika couldn’t disguise a twist of her mouth. She had half a mind to get out right now, rather than float in Bahti’s holy place.

  Kemala laughed, a throaty sound that echoed through the cavern. “He deserves that. He has been unkind to you since your arrival.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “I wanted, in part, to clear the air between us. To explain. Sarnak has told you of my gifts, yes?”

  “He said you were the goddess of dark spaces. Human emotion.”

  “Indeed. I can sense human emotion, and I can also manipulate them. These are not gifts I use lightly,” Kemala said quickly when she saw the look of disbelief on Rika’s face. “But the disharmony between you and my husband is strong. It is my duty to soothe what I can.”

  “It’s not my fault,” Rika said. “He seems to object to the fact that I exist. I can’t help that.”

  “Bahti still grieves over the death of his sister, Sarya.”

  “Vikal’s wife.”

  “Yes. They were twins. The night of their birth there was a star-fall unlike any the island had ever seen. There were those who said it heralded the arrival of two gods.”

  “Sarya was a goddess, too?” Rika wrinkled her brow in confusion. The water was cutting through the aches in her muscles, leaving her almost drunk with relaxation.

  “No. But they thought she was. Wanted her to be. They thought she was the goddess of bright light. And when Vikal and Sarya began to fall in love, it seemed confirmation of this fact.”

  “Because the god of green things and the goddess of bright light—”

  “Are destined for each other. According to the cosmic order, anyway. But Sarya’s powers never manifested. When it became clear that she was not divine, Bahti cautioned Vikal not to marry her, as he thought it could endanger her. Put her at odds with the fates.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If Vikal was fated for another, and Sarya was married to Vikal, then the universe would find a way to…eliminate her.”

  Rika blanched. Did they really think that was how their world worked? “That’s awful. But Sarnak said…he said you could choose…” Rika trailed off. He had told her that she could choose. Was that not the case? Was there some cosmic power out there that would force her to be with Vikal, even though he loved another?

  “I agree with Sarnak. Bahti has always been the most traditional among us. And the most pessimistic,” she added. “The man has many good qualities, but this tendency I have struggled to counteract.”

  Rika didn’t think she had seen many of these supposed good qualities but kept the thought to herself. “So…when Sarya died and then I appeared, Bahti saw this as confirmation of his worst fears?”

  “Essentially. In his heart, he does not blame you. He blames himself and he blames Vikal. It was they who allowed this to happen.”

  Rika considered this. “Vikal…does he blame himself?”

  “Vikal blames himself for the ills of the world. Including things he had no hand in, like the arrival of the soul-eaters. But yes, he sees Sarya’s death as his fault.”

  “He still loves her,” Rika said.

  Kemala nodded.

  Though Rika had known the answer, it still stung to hear the confirmation. And that made her angrier than ever. She didn’t want to be with a man who didn’t want her. She didn’t want to be anyone’s second choice. She knew these things, yet there was still a part of her that was drawn to him. Cords of silver thread tethering them together. Their past. But not their future. It couldn’t be. She would be in control of her own life, not some etheric power. “Would you and Bahti have chosen each other if it wasn’t your destiny?” Rika knew it was a personal question, but Kemala was her only resource on this subject. Well, and Sarnak, who was infuriatingly opaque.

  “Perhaps it made us consider each other when we might have passed each other by. But it did not dictate our choice or make us fall in love.”

  “I’ll be honest—you seem nothing alike.”

  Kemala smiled. “We are nothing alike, which is what makes us such great complements. He is the fire, and I am the cool breeze. A person wants both, needs both. Tamar is the perfect illustration of the balance of our opposite natures.”

  “She is very special,” Rika agreed. “But I don’t like the idea that something as important as whom I’m meant to be with is dictated for me. “

  “I found it to be a rel
ief in the end. Confirmation that what I desired on the inside was in fact what was best for me.”

  “I guess you lucked out. Your destined mate wasn’t in love with another woman.”

  “It is not so simple. Vikal is waging a great war within himself. I wish I could help him, but only he can decide what path his heart shall tread.”

  Rika wrinkled her forehead. “What is he deciding between?”

  “Sarya’s ghost. And you.”

  Her? Vikal had feelings for her? Rika met Kemala’s inscrutable gaze, trying to tamp down excitement that leaped within her. No, no, no, she told herself. “I thought you said you didn’t read people’s emotions without their permission.”

  “It doesn’t take a goddess of human emotion to see that he has feelings for you. And you for him. Even if you would prefer to deny them.”

  Rika lifted her hand from the water, watching the droplets plunk onto the surface. Kemala knew Vikal better than she did. Could she be speaking the truth? And if it was true, what did that mean for Rika? Did she want to be with Vikal if he wanted to be with her? True, he had fought with her and saved her from the soul-eaters not once, but twice. He had softened her with unexpected humor. He seemed an honorable ruler who had the unfailing devotion of his people, and he treated her with respect—like an equal. Then there was the fact that her body came alive at his simplest touch, that when she closed her eyes in the dark she saw the green of his eyes and the ripples of his muscular form and smelled the verdant scent of him. But…there were haunted memories that transformed him into the thrall—the man in black leather who had stabbed a moonburner through the heart. There was her father. And Yoshai. “I can’t think about Vikal right now,” Rika finally managed when she had thoroughly tied herself in knots. “Not until we defeat the soul-eaters. And my people are free.”

  “It is natural to compartmentalize in times of strife. It is not an unwise approach. But it will not serve you forever. He will need to decide. As will you.”