She pressed her elmis tight to her torso to block the dark angry waves of emotion that rolled out from them. "I am doing what I must to save Libysha and the worlds. I haven't joined the Paras. I would never betray Libysha!"
"You will betray us," Vorec said, pointing at her with the parchments. "You are a traitor in the making if you are not one already, girl. Whether by your own fault or through the conjuring of the fates, what difference does it make? You went to them because you miss them. You have returned to us because you could not kill your husband and his family. So you hide among us, knowing he will seek you out, and we will pay in blood for your inabilities and your weakness."
Kepsalon's jaw was set so tight it looked near to breaking. "Is this how you speak to the Third Nalenth, you treacherous Awdawm? There is far more at play here than you yet realize." Crossing forward, he snatched the parchments from Vorec's hand and glanced at them. His face twisted, rage lighting his eyes. "These are falsities!"
Amelia tried to peek at the parchments, but she only glimpsed streaks of pale flesh and paint as Kepsalon snapped them down from sight.
"The Truth Bringers have revealed the inevitable course." Vorec pointed at Amelia again, his finger skewered at her heart. "This woman will cause the end of our nation, the strengthening of our enemy, and a loss of lives in the thousands for this nation alone. Not the least of which is the death of a man she supposedly loves. You've used those feelings to prey upon him and twist him into supporting you, pinchat."
"Get her out of here! The Paras could arrive at any moment," a woman shouted from the back.
"This is a Machat stronghold." Kepsalon folded the parchments end over end, creasing them with sharp grips down the side. "The Machat decide who is welcome in this place and who is not. Not you! Take any stance against us, and you and your children will be cast out into the night to face the wrath of the Paras."
"It's for you to decide?" Vorec gave a cold chuckle, glancing at the gathered Awdawms. "Just as it's for you to decide what snippets of the future we are allowed to see? Do you know what we could have done if we had known that the Paras were going to attack? Do you know how many died in that massacre?" He tightened his fist. "We decide our own fate. You do not have the right to withhold information from us."
"Then you do it without our aid," Kepsalon said. He thrust the folded parchments into his jerkin. "The Third Nalenth and the whole of creation is our priority, not—"
"Listen to this old Machat!" Vorec shouted, turning back toward the assembled mob. "He would have you believe that what they are doing is for the good of all. But has that saved your children, your homes, your livelihood?"
The crowd had grown larger. All appeared to share the same mindset as they shouted in agreement with Vorec.
It hurt to breathe. Nialan stayed on Amelia's right, her grip tight on Amelia's arm. Even with her wrist elmis hidden, her forehead elmis took in much of the sensation. Their tension, anger, and fear radiated toward her like rolling waves. Their shouts increased, growing bolder and fiercer by the minute. She could run, or…
"Listen to me!" Amelia stepped past Kepsalon and in front of Vorec. The crowd once more became silent as if startled. Amelia fixed her gaze on the elder commander. "I came back to New Istador to learn how to be a Neyeb and to learn how best to respond to prevent—"
"Don't lie to me, pinchat!" Vorec bellowed. He towered over her, disdain filling his grey eyes. "I have seen your future. The Truth Bringers revealed it all! Not some garbled pile of what might be and what could be. They took us into the chambers of the elders. They revealed to us what will come about. You say you have no love for Naatos and his brothers. But you have played with hearts and minds from the minute you returned to this world. You may fool these Machat into thinking you are simply undecided. You may even fool yourself. But we are not so easily fooled. You have not nor, have you ever intended to advantage your people in any way."
"That isn't right!" Shon shouted from the back of the crowd.
Amelia's heart thudded to a different beat when she saw him.
Flushed, wide-eyed, and staggering, Shon pushed his way through the growing throng. "Amelia is the Third Nalenth. Her duty is not just to one nation, not even ours. It is to all of creation. Bartering for Libysha's protection while leaving the rest of the worlds to burn, condemned to slavery and destruction would violate her calling."
Vorec gave Shon a dismissive glance. "You disappoint me, Shon. The Truth Bringers showed me your death. A death that comes simply because of your association with this woman."
Shon reached Amelia and stood beside her to face the ominous crowd. "If I die, it will be for the reasons I became an Ayamin in the first place. Protecting the people I love and protecting our freedom and our future."
A warmth flowed from Shon, a calming presence. Amelia wanted to tuck her hand in his and rest her cheek against his shoulder. She sensed no wavering in his resolve, though there was an odd marbling of the sensation as if other emotions or fears were twisted in amongst the calm. Guilt rose within her as she watched him. He deserved so much better than her and the future he would have if Naatos had anything to do with it. She noticed Kepsalon studying him as well. Did Kepsalon feel guilty as he should, or would he insist that Shon's broken heart was a natural consequence of her protection?
Vorec shook his head as he met Shon's gaze. "How far have you fallen, Shon?" Vorec said, contempt dripping from his words. "I expected better of you. You might have been someone who made a great difference."
Shon's jaw tightened beneath his close-cut beard. "You are the one who has fallen, sir. I thought we Ayamin vowed to protect more than simply our nation and our royals. I am confused. Are we not all prepared to sacrifice our lives in service to Elonumato, the Tue-Rah, the king and his family, our fellow Ayamin, and then Libysha?"
"You are too conflicted to be a valid advocate." Vorec said. "Intervention requires a neutral individual vouch for the Third Nalenth. You are unqualified." Vorec motioned for Shon to move. "Now stand aside or face the consequences."
Shon lifted his chin, his eyes narrowing. "I do not abandon those I protect."
"He's as guilty as the rest of them!" another voice called out. "He might as well be a Vawtrian!"
"Shon." Amelia reached for him but then pulled back, not certain if touching him would enrage Naatos. "Don't. It's all right. I can handle this."
Shon looked to her, his eyes soft for a moment. That deep and beautiful blue that comforted her like a quiet sea at dawn was all the stronger and clearer now. "I will never abandon you, Amelia," he said. "Even if I did not love you, I swore to protect you, and I will keep my vow. No matter what it costs me."
"I had hoped your idealism would wear off, Shon," Vorec said. "The real world is much harsher than the one you hope for." Vorec studied his bloodied knuckles. "As you haven't learned to check that, I doubt you have learned to protect your pressure points either." He punched Shon in the left underside of the jaw.
With a groan, Shon collapsed, his eyes rolling back in their sockets.
"Shon!" Amelia exclaimed, dropping beside him. She rolled him onto his back as Kepsalon and the Machat struggled to shush the roaring and cheering crowd. Red formed along the side of Shon's mouth, the underside of his jaw swelling. "Shon, are you all right?"
"This is taking too long!" someone shouted from the middle of the crowd. "Get that pinchat out of here before they attack!"
"Throw her friends out too!" screamed another.
The crowd roared with agreement. Chaos erupted.
The Libyshans and Ayamin surged forward, seizing Amelia, Shon, Kepsalon, Nialan, and the other Machat. A woman struck Amelia in the face. Amelia lashed back at her, punching her in the throat and kicking another attacker in the solar plexus. She writhed and struggled, biting the hands of the aggressors.
"Just kill her and get it over with," one of the villagers said. He seized Amelia's hair with his massive scarred hand and jerked her head back, exposing her throat. A knife
glinted in the edge of Amelia's vision.
"A curse upon any who kills the Third Nalenth!" Kepsalon shouted, but his voice was devoured among the dozens of others.
The man's grip on Amelia's head did not loosen. Amelia struggled to pull free, but she could barely move her head. The cold poured from her mind and out through her body, destroying the fear and forming a protective shell over her. The emotions and thoughts of the Libyshans flowed over her like a stream. She was not going to die. Not here.
Though it strained the muscles of her neck, Amelia twisted her head until she looked at the man who held the knife. She stared directly at him, focusing hard but not sliding into the deep mindreading. "Let me go."
The man's pupils dilated. His grip on the knife faltered as his arm lowered. "I…"
"Kill her now before they reach us!" a woman screamed.
In the back of Amelia's mind, the woman from her nightmares spoke into her thoughts, mocking her. "You weren't ready, little girl. You never will be. Today you die."
No, Amelia thought. I won't.
But the voice repeated itself over and over like the beat of a song that could not be forgotten. Blackness closed along the edges of Amelia's vision, spiraling in and drawing her back into some dark corner of her mind.
The jagged silver blade lifted again, nearing her throat.
"Stop!" a man shouted. It echoed through the chamber.
The blackness receded, and Amelia's awareness snapped back. At the end of the chamber stood dozens of other Ayamin and a swiftly growing group of Machat warriors armed with short bows, javelins, and darts. Matthu was at the front alongside a man who looked quite familiar. The man leaned heavily upon a crutch. Bandages were wrapped around his chest, waist, and arms. His head had been shaved, and bruising covered his neck and face. But those eyes were familiar. Traol.
"I vouch for the Third Nalenth." Traol lifted his hand wearily to several of the other Ayamin. "She is no traitor, and she won't betray us. She risked herself in Polfradon to protect and save my life and as many of the others as she could. Those of us whom the Paras used in their barbaric training. We were to be fed to the spiders though we were alive. Those spiders could have devoured her as easily as us, and the Para was furious with her. He threatened to punish her grievously. The fact that he can heal her only means he can make her suffer more."
Murmurs of disbelief and annoyance rippled through the crowd. Amelia felt her attackers' grips loosen.
Traol continued, his brow furrowed. "This is the one whom Elonumato has chosen to stop the Paras. But we will not do that by murdering her because we are afraid of what she may yet do. Elder commander, sir, you are an honorable man, but you will dishonor yourself if you harm the Third Nalenth and those who choose to defend her."
Vorec's voice came from behind Amelia. "Traol, you are wounded—"
"Yes, wounded but alive, thanks to that woman," Traol said.
Matthu stepped up onto the ledge of the staircase. "Many of the Ayamin side with us, sir. Particularly when we tell them everything. And the Machat won't side with you. Besides, have you even thought about what Naatos would do if he found out you killed his wife? It won't go well for Libysha. Sure, killing Amelia might fix some things, in your opinion. Maybe it will keep Naatos from getting stronger, but…he's still pretty strong, and he's got his brothers and a lot of shapeshifting. So it seems like it's just going to make him mad. Which means this will be an even worse bloodbath."
"You dare to speak, pup?" Vorec scoffed. "You've barely earned the blue of your uniform. If this woman does not do as she is required, then it is better for the sake of all Libysha that she dies. We will destroy the Tue-Rah, and then we will find a way to kill the Paras. If she can kill them, so can we."
That statement did not provoke such a friendly response from the crowd. Though a few cheered, most mumbled. Some of the younger Machat laughed derisively.
"What matters most is that at the end of the day, we are the ones who choose our fate," Vorec continued. "So the Third Nalenth can do as we say, or she can die."
Amelia jerked free from her captors. Her neck ached. She still felt their fingers pinching into her arms and legs and head. The cold had faded, leaving the stale rush of emotions and the new burgeoning ones to press upon her mind. She thrust forward, using her shoulders and elbows to force her way through the crowd until she reached Vorec once again. "I am the Third Nalenth and the princess of Libysha. You may be the Elder Commander of the Ayamin, but you are beneath me in authority, and you will take orders from me, Vorec."
Vorec laughed. "I think not."
"Well, killing me is a bad idea. I'm fairly certain it would still count as treason given that I haven't been disowned, and I actually haven't betrayed anyone. So why don't we simplify this?" Amelia ground the words out, drawing herself up as large as she could as she could without appearing ridiculous. "You hate me so much, then fight me. I challenge you. Fight me here. Fight me now. If you win, then I will follow your orders. If I win, then you will follow your Ayamin required duty and do as I say. I came back here to learn to be a Neyeb and learn to stop Naatos, so I guess I'll count you as practice."
Vorec set his arms akimbo. He scanned her before shaking his head, contempt apparent in the curve of his mouth. "With or without weapons?"
"Keep your weapons." Amelia cracked her knuckles. Though fear and unease stirred at the back of her mind, she focused on that cold bead in her mind. The one that had been letting her fight so well. She eyed Vorec as the Libyshans and Machat drew back, giving them more room. "You'll need every advantage you've got."
"This is ludicrous," someone said.
It was. But so was almost everything else she'd taken on. Vorec was almost a full foot taller than she, well skilled as a warrior, greatly experienced, and armed with swords and daggers. He also possessed quite a foul temper. And yet she knew she had to do this. More than that…she wanted to do this.
"You have no weapons." Vorec unfastened two of the dagger sheaths from his belt and handed them to a blue-and-brown clad woman. "It would be dishonorable for me to fight with them when you are without."
"So now you're concerned with honor?" Amelia lifted her chin. "After you maligned me, threatened me, claimed I was a traitor?"
One of the Ayamin stepped forward. He unsheathed his sword and offered it to her, carved pommel first, his head bowed.
Amelia waved it away. She didn't like swords as much as her knives and daggers. Besides, she preferred kickboxing and fist fighting. Even though Vorec was larger, she'd seen him fight before. He was excellent with a sword, and she was nowhere near as skilled. She needed to get under his skin, and what better way was there than this?
She pointed at him. "I am going to beat you, Vorec. And not only am I going to beat you, but I am going to beat you with nothing but my wits, my speed, and your weapons."
Vorec gave a slow nod. His grey eyes searched her, startled at her audacity and annoyed simultaneously. "As you wish."
Amelia shook out her arms and balled her fists. "Bring it."
The adrenaline rush that surged through her this time was quite distinct. It brought with it features of the cold during which she had killed the crudon and the quickness when she had attacked WroOth. She watched Vorec, her gaze focused intently for each hint and twitch of his hands, his feet, and his face. The only thing she couldn't do was kill him.
Elonumato, help me now, she prayed.
Vorec lifted his sword. "If you surrender and do as you are ordered, I will not harm you further."
"I'm sure you won't. You'll wait until I least expect it," Amelia said. "It's so much easier to attack people when they think you're on their side, isn't it?"
Vorec growled. He lunged at her, bringing the blade of his sword down. Amelia easily dodged to the right, but the slicing of the air warned her he did mean to kill her, no matter what he said. Oddly, that exhilarated her. Ducking around him, Amelia took in his stance and wounds all at once, then struck him and darted away.<
br />
Quickly catching himself, Vorec grimaced and attacked. Amelia slid to the side, stones scraping along her bare feet. She felt as if she was taking everything in. The cold spread more controllably now, not entirely overwhelming her mind. It sharpened her focus, almost allowing her to relax. She danced out of his way again, her movements light and quick.
"Are you going to fight, girl?" Vorec demanded. He readjusted his grip on the sword and lunged at her again.
Amelia ducked, dropped to the ground, and delivered a side-swiping kick, striking the back of his knee and then pivoting to strike him in the back as well. Unlike when she fought Naatos, there was no terrified tension. Nothing pulled at her mind. She loved it!
Vorec crashed forward.
Amelia sprang up and back, swiveling around. "Of course I am."
She no longer felt like herself at all, and it was glorious. This was what she was supposed to be. This was what she had wanted fighting Naatos to be like. When Vorec attacked again, she dodged him, spun behind him, and gave him several rapid punches in the kidneys and back. She barely felt the pain from her bloodied knuckles.
Vorec lunged about, swiping at her once more. Amelia ducked beneath his arm, dropped to the ground, and kicked out his leg again.
The adrenaline pounded in her ears. Strength rushed through her veins. The tips of her fingers and her elmis tingled. With each blow, she felt stronger and stronger.
Vorec pushed up from the ground, but she spun and kicked him in the head. She was off her mark a little, but a sense of satisfaction flooded her at the resounding thud of her heel striking his temple.
Vorec groaned, blood dripping from his mouth as he struggled to rise again. Seizing him by the shoulders, Amelia flung him on his back. She then pounced on him, unsheathed one of his daggers, and thrust the blade to his throat.
"If you ever come after me again or harm Shon or Matthu or Kepsalon or any of my friends, I will find a way to end you," she snarled. Her hands trembled from the adrenaline high, but she didn't let the metal nick his throat. "I give you my word as the Third Nalenth on that."
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