The Exodus

by Ali Winters

  Nivian couldn’t tell if Cami heard her or not. She hadn’t stopped, hadn’t even paused, just kept walking as if she alone couldn’t see the two ancients moving to the center square.

  Am I missing something? Nivian thought. Camira headed straight for Yeva and Silas, walking in the open space, yet neither of them acknowledged her presence. Nivian moved to follow, her body taking action of its own accord. Kain wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back.

  She met his gaze, concern written in the depths of his forest green eyes. But it couldn’t stop her. She owed Cami too much already. She wouldn’t let what happened last time happen again.

  Without a word, she pulled away from his hold and ran into the open before he could tug her back into hiding. She rushed to Camira’s side and yanked on her arm. Nivian’s eyes darted between her friend and Yeva, silently begging Gaia to keep them hidden as they stood, exposed.

  “What are you doing? Hide before she sees us,” Nivian pleaded.

  Camira’s smile morphed into a sneer as she jerked her arm away and stepped back. “You really are stupid, aren’t you?”

  Nivian reeled back as if she’d been struck. The venom in her tone stung.

  “I can’t believe you followed me here. Did you honestly think that turning into a simpering fool would make up for what you’ve done?”

  “No, I—Cami, please.” Tears pricked at Nivian’s eyes, blurring her vision.

  “You are so naïve, Nivian! All of you! You ignored everything right in front of your faces. You deserve everything that happens now.”

  “What are you talking about?” Nivian stepped forward, reaching out.

  “You left me when I needed you most!”

  “I’m so sorry, Cami, I never meant to. There was too much—”

  “Spare me your useless apologies, they mean nothing. You’ve always had everything, but you never appreciated any of it. You started this feud between the Hunters and us. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for you!”

  “What?” Nivian shook her head. “No, that’s not true!”

  “You gave the Hunter’s chalice to Silas. What did you think was going to happen?” Camira waved her arms around.

  “I never knew there was a Hunter’s chalice.”

  “Don’t shake your head at me!” Camira laughed a high-pitched sound that held no humor.

  “It’s about time. Gaia, you are slow,” Yeva’s melodic voice carried, interrupting them.

  Nivian recoiled, her heel caught on rubble, and she lost her balance. Kain’s arms caught her before she hit the ground.

  “I don’t understand,” Nivian mumbled. “Cami?”

  But the Reaper was already walking toward Yeva who stood staring up at them, her eyes burning into Nivian as Silas kneeled at her feet with his hands clasped in front of his body, his head bowed with blond hair spilling in front of his face.

  Camira paused as she neared them, her head whipping around to stare hungrily at the five humans. “Oh goody, a snack.”

  A sickening smile formed on Camira’s thin lips, her eyes wide with the absence of the personality Nivian once knew. This Reaper no longer held any part of her friend. She was a shell, an empty being whose body had been confiscated by something truly evil.

  Nivian blinked and Camira was upon the humans, their life threads exposed.

  “No…” Nivian choked out, “No!”

  She was reaping them. Nivian ran forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she sprinted. She had to reach them. Had to stop it.

  Camira’s blade swung, slicing the first thread. With movements that seemed all too practiced, Camira gathered the life force and pulled it into herself.

  Nivian cried out as pain shot through her skull and the roar of blood in her ears deafened her. She hit the ground, the air knocked out of her lungs. She pushed through, forcing her body to continue. Horrified, she watched as Camira raised her scythe once more.

  A black figure appeared between her and Camira. Nivian blinked as the new Reaper let loose a blast of dark power, knocking Camira off her feet. Nivian stared up at the Reaper who saved the remaining mortals, a large smile forming on her face.

  “Blythe?” Nivian asked. Hope sprung up, warming her heart. Others knew where they were — they were coming to help!

  “Looks like I made it just in time.” She took two steps, her hand held out toward Nivian. Confusion replaced the smile. Her body crumpled to the ground as she tried to take one more step.

  Camira stood behind her, the scythe in her hand completing its swing. The black glittering light of the Reapers life thread hovered in the air, severed from its vessel. Nivian grabbed at her head, pulling her hair as a wave of dizziness swarmed over her. The world disappeared, swallowed by an eternal black hole, its gravity stretching her out to impossible lengths. Crushing her. Breaking her.

  A small pinhole of light broke through, blinding in its intensity. Camira pulled the life force into herself and threw her head back with laughter.

  The day she had pizza with Kain, the zoo, the hallway on the way to Kain’s apartment, the missing Reapers… Jack. It was the same feeling, amplified a million times over.

  It was Camira. She had revealed herself right before Nivian’s eyes, yet she was too blind to see. All those times the world turned upside-down and threatened to swallow her whole—it had been Camira.

  The pain cleared, returning her vision. “You?” she gasped. “You’re the one responsible for all the missing Reapers?” Nivian shouted and forced herself to stand, ignoring how her powers had been nearly drained from her, ignoring how it seemed to take forever for them to return.

  Camira stalked toward her, her face inches away when she spoke. “You’re just now figuring this out? It seems I’ve been giving you too much credit. I really thought you’d get it when I’d reaped that annoying Hunter back in the tunnel.”

  With a guttural scream, Azira threw her power at Camira as tears streamed down her face. Camira raised her hand, a blast of dark energy exploding forth, blocking it. Another flick of her wrist and another blast, she struck Azira in the chest, sending her through the air. Her back collided against a pillar as her skull hit with a sickening crack and her body slumped to the ground.

  “Az…” Nivian heard Kain yelled as he ran toward her.

  Nivian backed away, shaking her head. She couldn’t understand how Camira had turned into this. Her anger was justified, but not to this extent. She should have talked to her or Caspian. Everything Cami had done was wrong. Nothing more of her remained than a broken force wreaking havoc on the balance in ways that should have been impossible. It explained the shifts that were so different from anything else ever known.

  The crazed Reaper turned away, her wild eyes falling back to the humans. Kain’s hand wrapped around her forearm, pulling her away. Nivian wasn’t sure when he’d moved from Azira’s side back to hers, but his fingers gripped her arm as if her life depended on it, and maybe it did.

  “Cami,” Nivian started. She wanted to bring her friend back from the brink she had fallen over; she had to try, even if it proved hopeless. “Don’t do this, it’s not too late. You can stop it.”

  As the words fell from her lips, Camira’s steps faltered. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder. Pure hatred smeared across her face as she stared unblinking. Flicking her hands to her sides, Camira let the dark energy gather in her palms, and a faint yellow-green color tinged the swirling wisps of her black of her Reaper powers. Nivian startled at the aggressive gesture and took an involuntary step back.

  “Cami…” Swallowing hard, Nivian let her own powers form crystals in her hands.

  Beside her, Kain let his Hunter’s power take shape. The pure energy in his hands crackled, drawing Nivian’s attention. She looked down to see bright clear crystals forming. When had his powers grown so strong?

  She opened her mouth to speak. Camira let out a sharp laugh and ran toward them. Nivian’s reaction lagged. The surprise of Kain’s power, th
e shock of Camira’s transformation, it was all too much to process in the short amount of time since they’d entered the center of the ancient city.

  Too late, Nivian raised her hands poised and ready to defend herself. The power of Camira’s attack hit her, sending her sprawling. Her back arched as the energy lingered, running over her body in waves, electrifying every inch of her.

  “Stop!” Kain yelled throwing up his hands. Shards flew forward with a burst of energy like the wind from an explosion. Camira’s body jerked as she hit an invisible wall and her body floated upward, hovering in the air.

  Nivian groaned and looked up to see Camira floating. The electricity of the hit fading and she pushed herself up onto her elbows.

  “Put me down!” Camira shrieked with her arms pinned to her sides. The life threads of the humans snapped back into their bodies and they collapsed, unconscious. Camira struggled against her invisible bonds as she continued to grunt and yell.

  “You will never jeopardize the balance again,” Kain promised as he took slow, deliberate steps toward her. One hand in the air, continuing to hold her in place, his other held out before him as a large crystal took the shape of a jagged spear. He reared back his arm.

  Nivian’s gaze followed him as he was thrown backward through the air, rolling as he hit the ground. The crystal shattered, breaking into infinite pieces. He twitched, then stilled. Camira dropped to the ground and Nivian looked toward Yeva.

  With the revelation of who Camira had become, Nivian had forgotten about the ancients. Yeva stood, white-hot energy in one hand, the fingers of her other tangled in Silas’s hair, holding his head back.

  He was still on his knees. The only sign of fighting against her hold was the tension of his closed fists. The rest of him was bent to her will. If Silas didn’t fight against her, what hope did the rest of them have?

  “Camira, you are not to touch another one of those humans,” Yeva commanded. Her cold emerald eyes narrowed in on Nivian. “Let go of your power or I will destroy Silas before you can use it.”

  “You wouldn’t dare! That would destroy everything—including you,” Nivian called her bluff.

  “Do you think I care? It would be no different from the torture I have already endured.”

  Nivian dropped her hands, unwilling to take the chance of pushing the ancient too far. Her words might have been nothing more than an attempt to intimidate and manipulate her, but to risk it would mean to risk everything.

  Satisfied, Yeva turned away. “My dearest Camira, have you brought me the final piece?” Yeva asked ignoring Nivian once more. The dismissal made it clear that she did not consider Nivian to be a threat.

  “I have.”

  “Then come, bring it to me.” Yeva stepped forward, releasing the orb of energy and Silas. He fell forward, catching himself just before his face connected with stone.

  Camira reached within her cloak as she walked, and produced a golden chalice with emeralds inlayed upon the cup. “And what of the power you promised me?” she asked, stopping just out of reach.

  Sparks ignited within Yeva’s eyes, not matching the tranquility of her face. “You will receive nothing less than what you have earned,” Yeva’s honeyed voice assured.

  Bending down on one knee, Camira made a show of presenting it to Yeva.

  “The Hunter’s chalice?” Silas croaked out as his gray eyes accused Camira of betrayal.

  Camira snapped her attention to him. “Once again, I am stuck cleaning up after Nivian and righting her wrongs,” Camira seethed. “She ruined everything. This is all her fault.”

  “Nivian is not responsible for anything. She was not yet a Reaper when this began.”

  “Then how did you get the chalice? Nivian was a Hunter once, and you made her bring it to you.”

  “She was not around when I took the chalice. It was necessary.”

  “Stop covering for her!” Camira was shrieking. “You and Caspian—she has you two wrapped around her little finger! You’re both spineless!” Her eyes wild with anger, the umber color seemed to have taken on a sickening, greenish hue.

  Nivian backed up, moving slowly to avoid drawing attention to herself. Kneeling next to Kain, she ran her hands over his head and face, checking for injuries as her eyes remained locked on the two unlikely allies.

  Kain groaned under her touch, stirring as he regained consciousness.

  “Where is Jack, why is he not here?” Yeva asked, looking around.

  Nivian helped Kain sit up and pulled him closer.

  “Jack? He was in on this, too?” Kain murmured. Nivian frowned down at him. They had all been betrayed, not once, but twice. How had they not seen it? It did, however, explain how Cami and Jack seemed to know each other.

  Rising to her feet, Camira huffed. “He almost blew my cover. It’s a wonder he made it as far as he did.”

  Yeva’s expression froze as she turned her face to the Reaper before her. “Was?” The single word was gentle, but Nivian could feel the anger buried beneath the sweetness of her tone.

  “Jack,” Camira confessed with an exaggerated sigh, “had a little accident. There was nothing anyone could do to save him. I was forced to end his suffering.” Her voice filled with mock regret as she spoke.

  “I had wanted to keep him.” The calm exterior Yeva had worried Nivian and sent a chill down her spine.

  “Don’t worry about it. You have your cup. And he wasn’t even that competent. He couldn’t even follow us here without causing problems.”

  Yeva opened her mouth, pausing for half a second longer than what felt natural. “Thank you Camira, you have done your job well.” She stepped forward. “It is time you received your reward. Life as it should be would never have been possible without your valiant efforts and hard work.”

  Camira closed the distance and allowed Yeva to place a hand upon her head, caressing her hair. The serene smile on her face dropped, leaving her face a blank mask.

  Beads of sweat formed on Camira’s forehead as she looked into Yeva’s eyes. Instantly, she was still, frozen in place. Color drained from her body until she was a dry, dull gray from head to foot. She had become a brittle statue.

  Nivian gripped Kain’s arm, helping him to sit. She watched on in horror as Camira morphed into molded ash.

  An unnatural wind kicked up and swirled around them. A small crack formed in Camira’s lifeless body. The fracture widened, spider-webbing out across every inch of her as the gale swirled. It kicked up dirt that pelted Nivian’s face. She lifted her hand, shielding her eyes from the debris and saw pieces chip away, weakening Camira’s form until she disappeared in a large cloud of dust, quickly vanishing on a wind that existed only to claim her. The gale died, leaving a deafening quiet in its wake.

  “You—you destroyed her,” Nivian said, pushing up to stand on shaking legs, she stared at the empty space Camira had occupied moments before.

  Yeva turned sharply. “No! I have merely taken back the gift of life. Every particle of her being is aware of itself and will remain aware until the end of time.”

  “But she wasn’t alive…” Nivian insisted. “You have no power over Reapers.”

  “It’s not just mortal life I have control over, but your abomination of an existence as well. How else do you think my Hunters gained the power to track you down and exterminate you like the vermin you are?”

  A look of horror crossed the faces of all who witnessed the cruel act. Camira would forever be tormented with awareness, never to live or cease existing.

  “Yeva, stop this madness at once,” Silas spoke loudly, his voice as commanding as ever though he still lacked the strength to stand.

  Sneering, Yeva swung her arm, hitting him in the face with the back of her hand. His head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, but quickly turned to face her again. A mark already prominent on his pale skin.

  What did she do to him? Nivian searched his face, not understanding why he wasn’t stopping her.

  “Now with that un
pleasant matter out of the way…” Yeva trailed off as she turned her back on them, walking past where the mortals still lay unconscious and into the doorway of one of the few buildings that remained standing.

  SILAS

  Clutching his fists, Silas remained on his knees, preserving his powers for just the right moment. He’d underestimated the power the shield had to protect him against the ability of Yeva’s realm to drain him. The runes he clasped, dug into his palms, their opposing magics burned hot, eager to perform the duty for which they were created.

  One chance. It was all he had, and he would make it count. Any retaliation to stop her would risk too much.

  Moments later, Yeva returned with the Reaper’s chalice and an hourglass in her hands. Golden sands turned black as they slowly trickled through the neck of the glass.

  Yeva walked to the center of the square, ignoring the presence of those around her. Silas faced her, but let his gaze wander around the area. Kain had returned to Nivian’s side, his hand clasping hers.

  Silas flicked his hand, drawing her attention. Nivian frowned as she met his gaze. A twist of his wrists was all he could chance, hoping it would be enough. He counted on Nivian to understand his message. Her head tilted and she took a step forward, stilling when he frowned.

  Yeva kneeled, her hands moved swiftly and gracefully as she placed the hourglass before her and a chalice on either side.

  The wooden hourglass, the sand… It was impossible—a myth, a legend, nothing more. Yeva couldn’t mean to reverse the Sands of Time; they were unmovable, steady in their fall. As time passed, so did the grains. He thought back to how he’d oft wished that he could reverse time and do things differently. But those had only been dreams, desires that lived in the deepest recesses of his heart. Nothing more. To attempt a time reversal would have unforeseen consequences.

  He had wanted only to change their story, not the fate of the world. The earth had its own destiny to live out, and as much sorrow and regret that his and Yeva’s had, it too must follow its natural path. Now as he waited in this forsaken city, kneeling before her, he realized how foolish he’d been to consider changing the course of their history. It is only in hindsight that knowledge is gained.