by CJ Embers
“It’s late. I will speak with them tomorrow.”
As he gave me a nod and turned to leave, I added, “Oh, and next time do not disturb me after dusk. If there is no emergency, it can wait.”
“Of course, ma’am. Goodnight.”
When the door closed, I sighed and turned back to Helis. After a few moments of silence, I said I was tired. The deity was engulfed in a swirl of black smoke. When it cleared, he was gone.
Even though me saying I was tired wasn’t a lie, I also wanted him gone because him standing there, silently staring at me, made me feel… weird. But not in a bad way.
I buried my face in the pillow. Please don’t start falling for a deity… Please don’t start falling for your god…
Realizing I might have an inkling of something sparking within me made me feel incredibly awkward. Deities were… well, deities. I highly doubted they had desires like mortals did, and even if they did, why would I ever think that Helis would want me and not a female god? I was human, and they were pathetic in comparison.
I haven’t even seen him without his helmet, I chastised myself. Maybe he’s really ugly. Honestly, I probably only have a teeny crush because he’s powerful and mysterious. I probably wouldn’t even like him once that mystery went away.
I sat up and crawled to the end of the bed, where Kain was lying on the rug below. “Why do you never growl when Helis shows up, huh? You growl at other people when they just look at me wrong, but Helis can arrive in some mysterious black aura and you don’t make a peep?”
My wolf wagged his tail a few times and rolled onto his side.
I chuckled. “Do you like him, too? Do you have some sort of wolf sense that tells you he’s a good guy? Hmm, well if he’s not a misogynist, that would be nice. I’ll take your judgement into consideration, Kain.”
With another chuckle, I said goodnight and went back to the other side of the bed.
When I finally managed to fall asleep, my sleep was filled with a dream of Helis. In it, he was bare of armour, and yet I still couldn’t make out what he looked like. His form was obscured with dark, swirling fog. When the god leaned over me, his cold fingers trailed tantalizingly down my side, and I woke with a start to bright light shining through the window.
I felt flushed, and I jumped out of bed to distract myself from the dream, muttering under my breath that I had issues. As I got ready for the day, I desperately hoped the deity could not read my mind or see my dreams. Now, I was glad Helis didn’t show himself very often. If he appeared now, I would probably keel over from embarrassment.
Kain must’ve taken my jitteriness as me being hyper, because he pranced around the room excitedly as I moved about. When I was done, I went to the kitchen to get breakfast. As I was walking there, Kain zoomed past me down the hallway and I burst out laughing.
Because the Tehji were not around to serve me anymore, I had to get my own food. The fridge was full, and I saw a thawing chunk of steak inside, which I gave to my wolf. After grabbing some food for myself, I sat down on one end of the table.
As I was eating, eyes cast down, I thought I saw a dark shape sitting on the other side of the long table, and my head snapped up. I saw nothing.
“Helis?”
When he didn’t respond or appear, I sighed and gave my head a shake. I needed to be without distractions when speaking to the village again.
After our meal, Kain and I went to the throne room to speak with a guard. When we got there, I immediately noticed that work on removing the two extra thrones was already underway.
To one of the guards, I said, “I was told last night that a villager wanted to speak with me.”
“Yes, she said she would be here later today to request another audience with you.”
I gave the man a nod, then asked if he knew if Oren was up yet.
“I haven’t seen him this morning yet.”
“Can you show me to his room?”
The guard complied and led me down a series of hallways until we came to a room. The man gave me a nod and stood off to the side.
I knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Oren called.
I opened the door to see a room that looked just as beautiful as mine, but smaller. My second in command was in the process of getting dressed in his guard armour.
“You should be dressed in more becoming attire of your position,” I said.
He looked at me in surprise. “That’s true, but shouldn’t I also be armoured to protect you in case I need to?”
“I’ll speak to Rorik to request some armour that will set you apart. For now, I am protected just fine by the guards.”
The man started undoing his breastplate, and as I watched, I thought of how if the Tehji were still in charge and it was the other way around, the woman would be reprimanded for getting undressed in front of a man who wasn’t planning on breeding her.
He placed the armour on the floor and slipped out of his shirt. I couldn’t help but let my eyes travel over his well-defined body. When he glanced at me, my gaze snapped to his. If he noticed I was checking him out, he didn’t let on.
I left his room to let him continue getting ready, telling him I would wait for him in the throne room.
When he arrived, he was garbed in familiar red robes. He gave me a look of confusion. “I can see the disgust in your face. Don’t like these either?”
“They’re more suiting to your position, but that particular style and colour make me particularly angry.”
“I understand.”
“You know what, never mind— go change back into your guard armour. I don’t want to be looking at those robes constantly, reminding me of the Tehji.”
When he returned, we walked outside and stopped at the top of the stairs. The horizon was bathed in gorgeous pink and orange tones, and the warm breeze stirred my silk dress. Looking out over the village… my village… I felt powerful.
I wanted to be fair in my judgements against Shekri. I didn’t want to let my anger overcome doing what was right.
I told one of the guards to sound the horn, then down the lengthy stairs the three of us went. On the way to the stage, someone came up to me. To my surprise, it was Enari.
She dipped her head in respect, then said, “I was hoping we could talk… privately.”
“Were you the one who came to the palace last night?”
“Yes. I apologize for disturbing you.”
Ignoring her apology, I said, “Whatever you want to say can be said here.”
My former friend glanced at Oren and the guard near me. “Okay, well… I just wanted to apologize for how I acted before.”
When she started, she couldn’t stop, and her words poured forth. “I— I was scared the Tehji would shun me if I spoke up. Then, it was decided you’d be branded as an Iuni, and it was even worse; no one’s ever stood up to the Tehji and won— at least before now— and I know I wouldn’t have made it out in the wilderness alone. You’re my best friend… You know I didn’t truly turn my back on you, right?”
I stepped close enough to lay a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes filled with hope, and she smiled.
Leaning closer, I said, “Was.”
Confusion crossed her face.
“I was your best friend.”
I saw the hope crash in her eyes and she shifted nervously as I moved back beside Oren and my wolf. She sputtered awkwardly for a few moments before I brushed past her to continue on my way to the stage. Anger was swirling inside of me despite my efforts to tamp it down. Once everyone had gathered, I began.
“There are many big changes coming to Shekri. Some were already put into action yesterday evening. With the Tehji no longer in charge, I am hoping this village will become a fairer place. A place where everyone has a voice. A choice.”
I met my mother’s gaze in the crowd. She had a light scowl on her face, and a smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
“My next change is to abolish the breeding customs. The ability to have c
hildren will no longer be restricted to the best of the best chosen by the Tehji. Anyone can have a child if they so wish, and with the person of their own choosing. Age restrictions still apply, of course.”
The crowd exchanged glances amongst each other.
“Directly related to that, the fathers must be present in their children’s lives. Gone are the days when the men would be allowed to have all the fun and not have to deal with the consequences of that fun.”
Many of the women looked happy and relieved.
“Now, regarding guards and the other jobs that were reserved for men. Women are now allowed to choose to pursue whichever job takes their interest. You will no longer be restricted to the few choices given to you by your former leaders.”
Some of the men appeared unhappy with my decision, but I ignored them.
“Related to that, women are now allowed to become Adepti.”
With those words, a chorus of protest broke out. With the Ascension Ceremony being such a precious tradition to Karua, I was not surprised there was dissention with the decision.
I stood in my place upon the stage quietly as many in the crowd continued to hurl arguments and insults at me. When they got tired of trying to get a reaction out of me, I continued.
“Do you not see yourselves? You’re arguing against the decision to let women Ascend at the first woman to Ascend. Clearly, the Trial god himself does not have an issue with women trying to become Adepti. Would you like to take up your issues with him?”
The arguers in the crowd grumbled.
“While I can understand that you’re upset that your traditions have been overturned and changed, women are equal and just as deserving to choices as men.”
“Lastly…” I took a deep breath. “Do you all remember the day Syida was taken? How her screams and the cries of her family shattered your very soul?” I paused and looked out at the crowd. “Well, I don’t know if that’s how any of you felt… I would suspect it wasn’t.”
“But that’s how I felt. Seeing her being ripped away from her family, her home, the life she knew, simply for wanting a choice… It tore me apart and I vowed to never forget her. Today, she comes back home. Women will never be shunned ever again.”
There was no arguing or angry expressions in the crowd this time. Everyone looked solemn and remained silent.
“That is all for now. I know these are big changes, and a lot of them, but I trust it will not take too long for you to get used to them.”
Climbing down from the stage with my two men beside me, I went to the jail to speak with the Tehji. When we got there, seeing them in cells was such a glorious sight that I had to force myself to keep a smile from my face.
Going up to the bars, I said, “I hope you’re faring well in here, Tehji. Now, tell me, where are the shunned kept?”
The two former leaders glanced between each other. Then, one said, “If you let us out, we will tell you.”
I chuckled. “You’re in no position to bargain. If you tell me, I won’t cut your throats. I think that’s a much better deal, don’t you?”
The men stayed silent.
I crossed my arms, tapping my fingers on my biceps. “Not answering would be unwise, Tehji, unless you don’t value your lives. You are not the only place I can get this information from. If your memories evade you, I will remind you that you got your guards to do your dirty work.”
“If you refuse to answer,” I continued, “I will slaughter you and still get the information I need. If, however, you decide to behave and comply, there can only be… positives… to that.” I pointedly glanced around their cell.
The former leaders exchanged glances again. With a sigh, one said, “Fine. The shunned are brought to a cave about five miles to the east.”
When he had given me a few more directions, we left the building. The moment we were outside, my second in command took a deep breath.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s just so nice to see the Tehji behind bars.”
A huff of laughter escaped my lungs. “Tell me about it. Come on, let’s go find this cave and bring Syida home.”
After recruiting two guards just in case, we went to the stable and grabbed four horses, then we were on our way. I didn’t know how Kain would do around horses, but he was well-behaved and quietly trotted alongside us. With knowing how close I was to righting such a huge wrong of the Tehji and making it right with Syida, the ride seemed to drag on.
When we were about five miles east outside of Shekri, I followed the next bit of directions the former leaders had given me. It was about ten more minutes until I found the entrance to the cave. Just as the Tehji had said, it was hidden very well behind a grove of dead trees. The entrance itself was covered in thick vines. To the side, engraved on the stone read:
‘By the order of the Tehji, this cave is off limits. Disregarding this order will result in punishment.’
I pushed aside the vines and stepped inside. One of the guards took a torch from the wall and lit it, bathing the walls in orange. The farther we went, the heavier the air got; the lack of airflow made it musky and damp.
When the narrow tunnel started to open up, I took the torch from the guard and forged ahead, calling out Syida’s name. Only the echo of my own voice returned, and uncertainty skittered along my skin. Oren and I exchanged worried glances, and I silently prayed that she just simply couldn’t hear me.
My wolf quickened his pace, moving ahead of us. I called for him to stay close, but he ignored me and disappeared into the darkness. I pushed forward and went after him, hoping he was leading us to Syida and not just going off on his own.
I spotted his tail just as it disappeared around a bend in the cave, and when I turned the corner, I saw him by Syida. She was laying unmoving with her back against the stone, one arm shackled. I rushed up to her, dropping the torch on the ground.
“Syida?” I gently grasped her shoulders. “Syida, can you hear me?” Dread flooded me, making my skin clammy when the woman didn’t respond or move.
Oren reached forward and pressed two fingers underneath her jaw. After a pause, he said, “She’s alive, but it seems like barely. We need to get her out of here and to the doctor as soon as possible.”
I grabbed the torch and rushed to a different area, ordering the others to wait there. The Tehji had mentioned a key while they were giving directions, and when I found it, I ran back.
The unlocked shackle dropped to the ground with a clatter and we made it back outside swiftly. Now that we were outside in the sunlight, I could see just how sickly Syida looked. The woman was skin and bones and she was incredibly pale. She was filthy and her hair was both matted and thin, like some had fallen out.
Once she was secured to one of the guards on a horse, the rest of us mounted up and started making our way back to Shekri. The journey back seemed to take even longer, as every second was spent wondering if it would be Syida’s last.
Finally, the village came into view. As we passed the perimeter, I thanked the extra guard and dismissed him. We passed villagers, and each time they spotted Syida, horror crossed their faces at how sickly she was.
At the doctor’s, Oren went inside to inform him of the situation. After taking Syida off the guard’s horse, I dismissed him as well and went inside after Oren.
“Not now, Kain,” I said, pushing the door closed with my foot before he could come in.
I felt the woman stir in my arms and I looked down to see her eyes trying to open. The doctor showed me to a bed and I settled her down, gently propping her head up with a pillow.
I grasped her hand and moved a dirty lock of hair away from her face as the doctor prepared to examine her. “Syida, can you hear me?”
Moving to the other side of the bed so the doctor could check her over, I was about to speak to her again when I saw her lips move.
In the weakest of whispers, she said, “…Yes.”
Oren and I exchanged relieved glances an
d I shifted closer to the woman. “Syida, you’re free now. It’s a long story, but the Tehji of Shekri are no more. You’re home.”
Her thin fingers brushed against my own. “I’m… no longer… shh…?”
The woman’s voice trailed off and my stomach dropped. “Syida?”
She didn’t respond, and I looked up at the doctor to see worry in his eyes. He quickly checked her heartbeat, and when his gaze lifted to mine, I saw overwhelming grief.
“No!” I snarled. “Heal her!”
The doctor wasted no time in hooking Syida up to a machine that would shock her heart to try to get it pumping again. Oren tried to comfort me, but I jerked my arm away and focused my attention on Syida. My breath was stuck in my throat as I watched the first shock shoot through her body. Then another… and another.
The doctor tried one more time before straightening with a shake of his head. “I’m sorry, Kena… Her body was much too weak, and her organs…”
I broke down sobbing. “No, please no…”
The guilt and grief were overwhelming. We had been so incredibly close. If I had just gone to find her yesterday, as soon as I accepted the Tehji’s offer, maybe she would still be alive right now.
Oren gently lay a hand on my shoulder and I snapped, angrily brushing his arm away. All the pent-up rage of the Tehji and the patriarchy boiled over and I shoved a filing cabinet so hard it went flying, smashing into a wall with a ear-shattering crack of wood.
I was trembling so much I could barely stand, and with each breath, my lungs closed more until the oxygen could hardly claw from my throat.
Stumbling over to Syida’s body, I lay a shaking hand on her arm as tears poured down my face. “May we… May we see each other in the afterlife, Syida. I’m— I’m so sorry.”
Chapter 12
W ithout waiting for Oren, I headed straight for the palace with Kain. I was not in the right mind to talk to anyone, nor did I want to. The guilt of Syida’s death was tearing me to shreds and right now, I wanted to lock myself away from the world.
It was hours before the grief had subsided enough for me to leave my room. I was sitting at the top of the steps outside the palace, watching the villagers go about their day, when Oren sat down beside me.