The Skyfall Era Trilogy: Books 1-3

by Matt Larkin

  Malin tossed papers back on the table. “Run away? I’ve tried that. Won’t get us anywhere.”

  “I was trying to help.”

  “Well, you’re not helping,” he said. “Flippant suggestions about abandoning all I’ve worked for are not a help.”

  Pohaci narrowed her eyes. “All we’ve worked for, Malin.”

  Malin grunted.

  “Is that it? You don’t need me anymore?”

  He spun on her. “I never said that. You’re a very useful ally. One of my best.”

  “Useful?” She scowled. “Useful. Very well, Malin. I’m yours to use. I can never repay the debt I owe you.”

  Malin leaned over the table. “I don’t have time for this.” The damn girl could see he was busy. He had to prepare for tonight’s elections. Given the chance, he’d see her represent the Buaya Jadian.

  But he didn’t have time to figure her out.

  After a stiff bow, Pohaci left him alone in his house, stalking out into the night.

  Between the Fifth War and the civil war among the Lunars, it was hard to know which lords of which Houses still lived, beyond the ones in Bukit. But if he declared the council without including the other Houses, it could stir up more unrest.

  Malin cracked his neck and tried to ease the tension in his shoulders. Reports should have come from the Astral Temple this morning. The last thing he needed was more trouble there. He had at most a phase before he had to meet the Moon Scions and settle the fate of the Lunar Empire. Not enough time to deal with the Temple.

  And what in Rangda’s name was that racket outside? He tried to focus on the papers, at least until the scent of smoke reached him, stung his sinuses. Smoke from his house. Malin growled, rushed out onto his porch. His roof was on fire.

  Moon Scions stood about, torches and weapons in hand. “You had your chance to listen to us, Malin,” Gantangan said. “We can’t let you make good on those threats. Not at any cost.”

  Malin had liked this house. He ripped open his baju. “Very stupid to do this at night.”

  They seemed confident the six of them could take him. Malin felt the tiger spirit surge up through him as he changed. Refreshing pain as his muscles shifted position. Glorious fur sprouted across his body. As the tiger, he kicked away his sarong.

  Malin circled his attackers. His bravado must have set them on edge. Good. In this state, it was harder to control the influence of the tiger spirit on his mind. Malin no longer cared. Let the beast take him.

  He drew his Potency Blessing and leapt on Mahesa’s father. Bore him down and clenched his jaws around the Moon Scion’s throat and bit down until the man’s thrashing stopped. The others rushed him.

  Malin released his victim, dug his claws through the man’s chest as he leapt away. The Moon Scion did not rise.

  A woman lunged at him with a keris. He took the blow on his foreleg. His claws disemboweled her.

  A third cracked his back leg with a toyak. Malin drew his Blessing harder to blot out the pain. It didn’t matter. With his natural healing augmented by the Amrita, he seemed able to recover from broken bones in a phase.

  He leapt onto another Moon Scion and raked his claws along the man. The Moon Scion fell, screaming, clutching his ravaged face and chest.

  The last three tried to run. Malin closed the distance to the first in an instant. Brought the man down in the street and sunk his teeth into the man’s throat. When the Moon Scion had gone still, Malin dashed off after the two last traitors.

  The man made it to the cliffs.

  “Please. I surrender.”

  Malin tore him down, then moved on to the final one. She didn’t plead for her life. He took a lash from her ekor pari across the face before he killed her.

  He walked back to Bukit naked and bloody. The night market crowd had gathered to collect the bodies. They stared at him.

  He couldn’t miss their revulsion or horror.

  His house was well ablaze by now. He snatched his sarong off the porch. Everything he owned burned.

  Damned Moon Scions.

  So now he’d lost all his possessions and most of his allies. Malin had launched a civil war among the Lunar Empire. The revolution he’d started had grown beyond him. If he didn’t put an end to this, the Lunar Empire would join the Solar Empire in oblivion. If it wasn’t already too late.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN

  They’d reach Swarnadvipa before long. The thought of killing Malin had soured her stomach. She had to conjure up images of her dead father to steel her resolve. Of course, she hadn’t seen the body. They said Malin had performed all the funeral services for her father to guide his soul back to the Wheel of Life.

  So be it. She’d do the same for him. She had to hold on to her rage. If she let it go, after ordering all those people executed … Chandi had killed before. Somehow, ordering so many to die was different. Her stomach wouldn’t settle.

  What would Naresh think? She’d chided him for even considering such slaughter.

  She climbed the poop deck to stand beside Bendurana. The Queen of the South Sea made good time, though Loro Kidul no longer helped it along. Perhaps she saved her strength. Either way, the wind favored them.

  Naresh was right. She never should have given Malin the Amrita. And Chandra, why had she left him like that? Had she let her anger cost her something she couldn’t replace? No. Never. He’d forgive her. He had to.

  He had to.

  “Ah, Chandi,” Ben said, “your fans have arrived.” He pointed to another ship on an intercept course.

  “Should we evade them?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “With Loro on our side? If they mean us harm I pray for their souls.”

  The spirit holding Landorundun stood at the bow, watching the horizon.

  The other dhow drew up alongside them. It made no aggressive move, so Chandi hurried to the rail.

  She almost tripped over her feet when she saw the woman on the opposite ship. “Ratna? Is that you?”

  Her cousin turned to face her, her eyes cold. “Chandi.” Ratna’s smile made the hair on Chandi’s neck rise. Her cousin leaned on the rail, flashing her teeth.

  “Ratna.” Chandi waved her over. “Please. I’ve missed you, cousin.”

  Ratna snickered. “The host wishes to speak.” A shudder ran through her, and then another. Ratna looked up, gasped. “Chandi! I made a mistake, you don’t know—”

  Ratna shuddered again, then laughed. Her cousin rocked with laughter, grinning. For a moment, her eyes glowed.

  Chandi tried to speak, but couldn’t find words.

  Loro Kidul was beside her then. “That is not your cousin.”

  Chandi reached toward her cousin. “Ratna? Can you hear me?” She glanced at Loro, whose face had turned dark as the stormy sea, then back at Ratna. It was impossible … Not her, too. “Fight it, Ratna. I know you’re in there. Come to me and we’ll drive out whatever’s inside you.”

  Ratna’s laugh tickled Chandi’s spine like ice.

  “There’s only one help for her,” Loro Kidul said. The woman Sun Strode onto the opposite ship.

  “Stop!” Chandi shouted as Loro Kidul thrust her keris at Ratna.

  Ratna flicked her wrist and the keris hurtled out of Loro Kidul’s hand. The Queen Strode away, back to their ship. Ratna flicked her wrist again and the dhow leapt like a Fire-Lance had struck it.

  The deck exploded where Loro Kidul appeared. Splinters shot in all directions. Water and debris rained down around them as Chandi and the crew dove to the deck. One unlucky crewman wasn’t fast enough. A two-foot plank rammed through his torso and hurled him from the ship.

  “Landi!” Ben shouted, running to the rail.

  The blast must have thrown Landorundun off the ship, too.

  The sky turned dark over them. Lightning flashed and thunder roared.

  Chandi pulled herself to her feet. “Ratna, stop!”

  A crewman shot a gandewa at her cousin. Ratna twisted aside from the arrow an
d raised her hand to the sky. A bolt of lightning screeched down onto the crewman. The crash ripped all sound from Chandi’s ears and the force of the impact sent her flying, falling.

  Sinking. Saltwater filled her mouth and lungs. She reflexively gasped for air, the water burning her insides. Which way was up? The waters swirled around her, spun her about.

  Strong arms wrapped around her ribs and pulled her toward the surface. Water spewed from her lungs as her rescuer squeezed. Coughing, she just caught sight of Loro—a mermaid again—before she dove back under the waves.

  The wild seas tossed her into the hull. The impact dazed her, but only for a moment. She drew her Blessings to shift her gravity to the hull and ran up it.

  Chandi hefted herself up over the gunwale, and rose to her feet. Her cousin stood a few feet away, smiling at her. This wasn’t the Queen of the South Sea.

  “Ratna!”

  “Ratna is gone,” the spirit said.

  Chandi started for her, then the seas jerked. Lances of water shot out and pummeled Ratna and her crew. Loro rose atop a geyser and landed back on the Queen of the South Sea.

  Ratna only laughed and started walking toward Landi. “Yes, little spirit, tell them who I am.”

  Boards and debris flew from the waters and ripped off both ships, forming a bridge in the air between the two dhows.

  Landi stood beside Ben, human again, tying her sarong. “Queen of the Underworld.”

  Chandi started for her cousin again. Ratna turned and blew her a kiss. And then one of the dead crewmen grabbed Chandi’s foot.

  The corpse—it had to be with the neck broken back like that—rose, holding her leg with one hand and reaching for her shoulder with another.

  “Nirrti, please, release us,” Ben shouted, clutching to Loro’s arm.

  Ratna laughed again and trod across the hovering bridge. “In these lands, it’s Rangda, Serendibian.”

  Chandi balked. Rangda? As in … Rangda Demon Queen? She shook herself. Blessings drawn, she elbowed the corpse in the face. It spun around, its skull issuing a sickening crack, but didn’t release her leg. Chandi stomped on its wrist twice before it let her go.

  Rangda stopped in the middle of the bridge and raised one hand, then let it fall like a hammer. The Queen of the South Sea’s mast ruptured, shot down through the deck, through the hull itself. A geyser of seawater erupted from beneath it. “I’ll enjoy watching you all die.”

  Sweet Chandra.

  The blast knocked Ben and Landi to the deck and tossed many other crewmen over the side.

  Rangda glanced over her shoulder as Chandi ran for her. “Back for you later, cousin.”

  Chandi leapt onto the bridge and dashed at Rangda. Her cousin turned to face her, grinning, and shrugged. Seawater drenched the planks and boards, making her every step slip.

  As Chandi neared the Demon Queen, she let herself slide right off the edge of the bridge and shifted her gravity to the underside. Chandra let this work. She held it just long enough to continue her slide, then flipped back around to topside behind Rangda.

  She scissored her legs together and sent Rangda tumbling to the boards. The bridge began to crumble beneath them.

  Chandi did a back handspring to right herself, bouncing off the falling boards, then another to land on the Queen of the South Sea. It was sinking fast.

  She ran to Ben and Loro. Ben had a piece of plank through his leg. Loro leaned in and kissed him while she pulled it out.

  As Chandi knelt beside her, Loro grabbed her hand. “Save him.”

  “Landi?” Was it her?

  She nodded once. “We’re both here. And we have to stop this.”

  Rangda stood on a board, levitating in the air, then stepped off onto the Queen of the South Sea. Her laughter rippled through Chandi’s mind like the screech of bats.

  And then Landi was standing beside Rangda. The Demon Queen swung at her. Landi ducked and slammed her palm into Rangda’s face. Twice more, she pounded Rangda, before the Demon Queen slumped.

  Then her backhand caught Landi across the face and sent her flying into the wall of the poop deck. Wood splintered from the impact.

  Chandi pulled a toyak and hurled it at Ratna. The club spun end-over-end to her face, then stopped in midair. It hovered a moment, then launched back at her. Chandi dove to the deck as the weapon Malin had given her flew out to sea.

  Landi rose, blood pouring from her nose and mouth, and stumbled forward. “Save my husband, Chandi.”

  “No! Stop!”

  Ben reached for her, but she Strode right up to Rangda. The instant they collided, she Strode again, carrying the Demon Queen back to the other ship.

  Ben stumbled to the rail, Chandi on his heels.

  Rangda pounded into Landi, her blows reducing the Guardswoman’s face to a bloody mess. The woman stumbled, but Rangda caught her by the throat, lifting her up with one hand. Landi struggled, kicking her, punching her arms and face. Rangda reeled under Landi’s blows, but continued to squeeze.

  “They’re not for you.” Loro’s voice, Landi’s voice, seemed to echo up from the depths. The waves rose with it, pulling the ships apart.

  Landi’s body stopped struggling, but still the waves surged higher. Something seemed to flow down through Landorundun and gush into the sea.

  Then that power exploded.

  An emong rose between the two ships, hurtling the remains of the Queen of the South Sea away as the wave crashed down upon Rangda’s ship.

  The wave flung the Queen of the South Sea like a toy. It lilted so far Chandi was sure it would capsize. Her feet skidded and slipped across the near-vertical deck. She snatched the rigging as she fell. Ben flew by her. Chandi grabbed his arm, drew her Potency Blessing to support them both. Agony shot through her shoulder as Ben’s weight almost yanked it out of its socket.

  The sea washed over them, blinded her.

  Chandra save us, she prayed.

  CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT

  Running Pohaci off had been foolish. Malin had caught her scent from time to time, but she hadn’t come into his presence in the last two days. But Malin had too many problems to track her down right now.

  Problems like the Moon Scion before him. The man didn’t tremble, but Malin could smell his fear.

  “I’m not going to bite you,” he said.

  The Moon Scion bowed. “Of course not. It’s just that the others, they refused to come.”

  Malin scowled. He’d demanded the lords of the remaining Houses attend him. Precious little remained of his alliance. Damn Moon Scions crumbled as soon as they weren’t the ones in control.

  “Everyone knows about how you … disposed of your last advisors. No one wants to take up their roles. There’s rumor a new Moon Scion may win their loyalty.”

  Malin grabbed the man by the baju. “Those men betrayed me. Don’t repeat their mistake. Get out there, and bring me the Moon Scions.”

  For a moment, the man’s eyes flashed. Fear must have won out. The man nodded.

  Malin slumped when the Moon Scion left. This was it then. He’d lost them. All his allies had turned on him. With their common enemy gone, now they’d grasp for their own power.

  Malin kicked his table. A fool to think he could hold these people together. The Solars all but gone, Rahu and Ketu gone. And now the Lunar Empire would dissolve right back into civil war.

  His people were free now. Easier to just leave. Wander the rainforest. Let it all go. The spirit within growled. It tried to creep up through his veins, rising behind his eyes.

  So easy to let it. Let it take him. Run the wilds, hunt and kill. Destroy those who had wronged him one after another. Be free.

  Malin rose, stalked from the house he’d taken from a dead Moon Scion. Too big a place for him, a palace really. All these affectations of civilization were posturing. Men could live in houses three times the size they needed. Prove themselves better, somehow.

  The night market held nothing to interest him tonight. He drifted from
stall to stall. Needed to find something to care about. Even fresh rendang failed to entice him.

  He missed Chandi. Even Ratna. Funny, he could see either of them walk up to him now. Forgive it all. Take the throne and save Swarnadvipa. He walked the path to the cliff where they used to watch the sea. Somehow, he’d lost both charges he’d sworn to protect. And what had it gained him?

  He’d cast aside his friendship with Bendurana for vengeance on Empu Baradah. Malin stared out over the sea, as the girls had done. Bendurana would be out there, somewhere. Once, Malin too had been a sailor.

  He’d cast aside Chandi and Ratna for vengeance on Rahu and Ketu. So easy to blame the tiger spirit inside him. Its never-ending lust for revenge.

  From the edge of the cliff he could see the beach, but not the wetlands. Maybe Pohaci was down there somewhere. His last friend, if he hadn’t forever driven her away. And she’d almost worshipped him since he saved her. Strange, now, to think her face used to remind him of Chandi. Now he could close his eyes and see Pohaci only as herself.

  If he walked the path down the cliff face, he could reach the wetlands. He wanted to take that path. Once he started down it, he knew he could see it through. Find her.

  So lost in thought, he didn’t hear the footsteps behind him until they drew near. “Malin.”

  Malin snarled at the interruption, turned to face the man. His chest tightened in surprise at the figure. “Mahesa?”

  The boy approached. The spirit in Malin recoiled in a way he’d never felt. But Mahesa’s walk had changed. More confident, an edge of danger. Good for him.

  “I didn’t think I’d see you again,” Malin said. “Have you come to join me? Is Ratna with you?”

  Malin could use all the allies he could find. And if Mahesa brought Ratna back with him, even better. Malin would give a lot to put their past behind them, to be family. The girl just needed to accept he was no longer a servant.

  Mahesa tapped one finger against his lip. “I’ve come to take what’s mine, tiger.” He dropped into a fighting stance.

  A crowd had gathered on the path to Bukit. To watch a duel.