by Emily Wilson
The ghosts surrounding her knock Zinna off her feet and send Jasestros flying back, but both regroup as Neginah calls more to her side. Over and over they come in droves until Jasestros produces a wall of water so thick that Azrian can’t see past it anymore. He hopes it will be enough, but it quickly becomes clear that the dead don't care about waterfalls and they're overwhelmed again within seconds.
Azrian surges forward with Dawnreaper clenched tightly at his side. He doesn't have a clue what Cettia expects him to do with a single sword against an army of ghosts, but right now, his focus is on figuring out what caused Neginah to switch sides. “Neginah! Stop!” he yells, but all she does is send a group of ghosts his way, too. On instinct, he raises Dawnreaper as a shield and swears under his breath as it actually makes contact. He swings the blade with no finesse, but it clears a path in front of him until he's standing before Zinna and Jase.
“Hold the line!” he yells back, then grips the hilt with both hands. Neginah’s eyes are glossy and her face slack as she runs straight at him — no weapon, no army following her, she just charges like she doesn't care if she lives or dies — but Azrian can't kill her, not when none of this makes sense and Hanigen’s screaming at him not to hurt her. But he knows he has to do something, knows he can’t just let her hurt people, so he lifts Dawnreaper as high as he can and slams the pommel down on her head to knock her out. There's not much he can do as her body slumps but pray that he didn't kill her, but Jase’s voice yelling “Guara!” at him has him abandoning Neginah and whipping around to find the Cogitare.
He expects to see her in danger or injured, but instead, he sees her features twisted in rage as she focuses on Aleon — Aleon, who has both of his hands wrapped around his own throat and is slowly turning shades no one’s skin should ever be.
Not all is as it seems. Neginah. Guara. Aleon. The meeting... Exus. It clicks in his mind like the truth has been sitting there all along, and now he knows exactly what Cettia meant. Friends are enemies well hidden by rank, and if Exus is as bad as Kato seems to think, Guara would've known. He knows how badly this could go if he's unsuccessful, but he’d heard the star that never fails to guide him home — there is no one else. With a scared, determined scream, he charges Guara from the side and draws her attention away from Aleon. It isn't enough; Aleon is still doing his best to strangle himself to death, and Azrian realizes there's only one thing that can be done. He chokes on the apology that tries to work its way out of his mouth and slides Dawnreaper home.
It's easily the most disgusting thing he's ever felt. Bile rises to fill the space that apology left as the light leaves Guara’s eyes. But pulling the sword back out of her gut is even worse. The sound, the smell, the resistance he feels even with the sword’s unnaturally sharp edge — it's worse than anything he could've tried to prepare himself for. He looks down at the lifeless Cogitare and then at the blade that took her life. Dawnreaper glows gold as the blood disappears, and Azrian swallows as he watches yet another strange symbol appear on the blade. Suddenly, those are starting to make more sense, too.
Aleon gasps and falls to his knees as her hold on him is broken and Azrian nearly follows. Relief and fear bubble up until his tears are spilling freely, but he wipes them quickly from his eyes — his job isn't done yet. The night air around them is rife with sweat and the tang of blood, but the dust from the fallen rocks and light from the various powers are making it hard to see.
He hears a gut-wrenching scream and runs blindly toward it, struggling to keep Dawnreaper steady and his Videre light from fading out entirely. It's already flickering and waning more and more as his will to continue diminishes, but it stays with him nonetheless. Azrian knows he’s at the end, he's got almost nothing left to give, and the sight of Jasestros shaking his mother’s limp body takes everything else out of him.
Even from a distance, he can see the gash across Zinna’s throat. It looks deep enough that no Sana would be able to heal her, not even Alstro if he were still alive. He stumbles closer, searching for Tague in the darkness, or really anyone else that can come help Jasestros, but his eyes fall only on a growing army of Venandi — and on Cal.
He's holding his own with Six trapped in some sort of whirlpool. It's the first true sign of life that Azrian has seen from their side in what feels like hours, but just as he's forcing his feet to move closer, Syphon appears behind Cal. “Let go of him!” he screams, and the whirlpool instantly disappears. Azrian watches in horror as Six drops to the ground and Syphon snaps Cal’s neck with a crack that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
That's it. Azrian drops Dawnreaper and instead forces his Videre light to grow and grow until everything else around him disappears. There's no battle around him, no one that he loves dying in a useless fight — just silver, warm energy hugging him and making him whole again.
Kato's face appears through the glow and it's the most welcome sight he's ever seen, until he realizes that Kato — strong, diligent, unwavering Kato — is exactly as hopeless as he is. He helps Azrian to his feet and holds him as steady as he can as the Videre light fades once more and everything around them, everything they're up against becomes clear again. They lock eyes, and without words, Azrian knows what he's trying to say.
No matter what, they’re together. Win, lose... it doesn't matter. They started this fight together, and together is how they'll end it.
He squeezes Kato’s hand and bends down to pick Dawnreaper up as he takes a single, shaky breath. If this really is going to be the end for them, they’re taking Syphon with them... and as many of the other Venandi as they can, too.
“See you in the morning sun?” he asks Kato, offering him the ghost of a smile.
“The morning sun,” he responds, and together, they rejoin the fight.
It doesn't take long before Aleon, Ronan and Tague are falling in line next to them, and the reminder of those they have left helps Azrian fight through the screaming in his bones as Dawnreaper becomes heavier in his hands.
Just as he feels they're losing traction again and the momentum is shifting against them, a roar overhead loud enough to shake the broken mountain silences the rest of the battlefield. Azrian glances up to see Cindreg’s silhouette nearly eclipsing Cettia. “Is that—”
“Riley,” Kato says, his voice cracking with shock and relief. “Maybe not all is lost... not yet.”
Behind her, Azrian counts four additional dragons that circle the crest of the mountain while Cindreg makes herself at home on the ground. She snaps her mighty jaws at Syphon as Riley slides off her back, and Azrian lets himself be tugged forward by Kato until they're close enough to assist her.
This isn't over yet, Azrian thinks to himself. Not by a long shot.
RILEY'S SMILE FADES dramatically as her eyes rake over the scene before her. She undoubtedly feels the losses as heavily as Kato does, their empathy being just another thing they've always shared. “Shadows,” she whispers when her eyes land on Aleon, and Kato can see her physically relax at the sight of him.
She doesn't dwell. She turns back toward Syphon and sneers at the terror in his eyes. “I know you see them up there, Syphon.” Kato glances up at the winged beasts and shudders. “Stand down, or they will join us.”
Several members of the Venandi surrounding him disappear in groups, knowing they don't stand a chance. Syphon’s breathing becomes ragged as he screams at them all to stop — to stop being cowards, stop disappearing, stop abandoning him — but few listen. He rounds on Riley and Cindreg and screws up his face. “Fly away. Take your other dragons with you.”
Riley stalks forward with not one ounce of fear in her eyes as Kato and the others stay close. “Want to try that again? I've been a Cogitare longer than you, Syphon. How about you slap yourself.”
Smack!
The sound echoes around them as they all stare wide-eyed at the fact that he did exactly what she said to do. “See? And Cindreg only listens to me.”
Her cockiness is short-lived when Syphon sh
akes out of her hold and makes Six attack her. Fighting breaks out again, but when another whirlpool appears over Syphon's head it distracts them all. Jase releases it with a growl and to everyone's surprise, stones begin to fall like rain on Syphon's head. Tague makes sure the largest one hits home and knocks the inexperienced Cogitare to the floor.
As he lays there clutching his bleeding head, Kato realizes they’ll never again get this opportunity. He starts screaming as loudly as he can, and within seconds, everyone around him is doing the same. The few oscim that chose not to flee at the sight of the dragons join in, but it's the roar of the dragons above them that really makes the difference.
It's so loud even to his own ears that he can barely stand it, so when blood starts seeping from Syphon’s eyes, he knows exactly how much pain he must be in. Syph reaches out blindly for Talitha who is still trying to heal herself of her own grievous injuries, and the moment he takes her powers for his own is as clear as day.
Kato gasps loudly as his power returns to him, and it isn't until that exact moment that he realizes just how large the hole Syph left behind was. If it weren't for the excruciating noise around him he'd cry from relief as he becomes whole once more, but instead it cripples him and he grabs his ears and falls to his knees. “Azrian!”
His hands cup Kato’s to try and help, but it doesn't make much of a difference. Kato can hear him yelling for the others to stop, but he's nearly blacking out by the time the world around them goes quiet. He wipes the blood from his nose and stands as Azrian checks him over, but Riley yells that she needs help and Az shoves him forward.
Kato stumbles next to her and meets her gaze. Based on her face, his eyes are as they used to be. “Welcome back, nosey. Let's deal with these shadowheads.”
The word makes Kato almost smile as he nods and turns toward the enemy. Syph is still healing himself next to Talitha's now lifeless body, and Kato makes his way over there while Riley works on the others. This one is his responsibility. “Stop healing yourself,” Kato commands, his powers coursing through his veins for the first time in weeks as he takes over the siphon's mind. “You've lost, big brother... do you see the cost of your hatred?”
“Hatred?” Syphon spits blood onto the ground in front of him and huffs a sarcastic laugh. “You know nothing of my motivations.”
Riley nudges him as she commands the others to get to their feet and put their hands above their heads. “There will be time to argue with him later. We need to get them inside the mountain.” Cindreg roars forcefully enough to make Riley’s hair blow behind her, so she adds, “and get the ancient one a treat or two for not killing anyone.”
Not trusting his words, Kato simply commands Syphon to stand without them and ushers him along with the others toward the mountain.
They don't have much by way of a cell, but Riley and Kato work together to put them all to sleep as the few healthy Itinerae prepare to jump them all to Deadrun. It will take time to get them all there, but if everyone works together this should all be over and done with soon.
Some of them — like Syphon — fight a little harder to stay awake as the two Cogitare force them under, and Kato actually feels sadness as his eldest brother slumps over on the floor.
“Look at them all,” Kato says to Riley as the last of them fall asleep. “They were all ready to kill us only moments ago.”
“Of course they were. Syphon’s known almost nothing but violence since Melior brought him into this world. As for the rest of them... I don't know, Kato. Hatred is a powerful thing, especially when it's blind. I bet you most of them don't even know what they were fighting for today.” She stares at Syphon’s body and glances around to the others. “You did a good thing when you chose mercy. Sometimes I think that's the only thing that sets us apart.”
“I don’t want to be like them... there’s enough blood on my hands.” It isn’t something he’d normally say to Riley, but he’s so drained from everything it slips before he can stop it. Very few deaths should actually fall on his shoulders, but he bears them all the same. “I don’t want to be a killer, Ri.”
She studies him and reaches out to squeeze his arm. “You're not a killer. You're one of the best people I know, Kato. Leave these guys to me, I'll keep an eye on them. Your brothers and Azrian need you right now, and I think you need them too.”
He hugs her without warning and then pulls away, backpedaling toward the door. “Aleon will probably want to see you today. Put some time aside for him, Ri.” She nods with a smile that says she already planned to, and Kato turns on his heels to go back toward the one place he never wants to see again. As always, he takes it one step at a time... people need him.
16 The Brother
Gathering all the wood and brush to make a pyre is an eerily quiet affair. It feels almost like an insult to the fallen if they speak, so most communicate with head nods and gestures. So many are injured, but the few that lost their lives deserved so much more. They died in an unnecessary battle caused by hate — hate that Kato and Azrian have been trying to eliminate for the better part of a year.
This is why a Praediti prison should have happened decades ago. If anyone expected Praediti to change overnight, they were gravely mistaken, and the bodies scattered in front of them paid the ultimate price for their ignorance. It weighs heavy on Kato’s shoulders, so heavily he worries his legs will give out — but somehow, they keep moving. His boots continue to dig into the dirt as he stacks logs too big for some to lift.
The sweat pouring down his face is all he allows himself to physically feel, because if he focuses on anything else, his entire body will collapse. Some do. He sees them drop from the corner of his eye but doesn’t stop what he’s doing. He has a job to do, and if he can’t get this faeching wood to stay put he’ll fail at yet another thing. He truly doesn’t know if he’ll survive it.
Kato feels guilty for being a Cogitare again... to be whole while others are in pieces. Jasestros is still kneeling next to his mother’s body and Kato can feel every ounce of despair seeping from the man. He won’t let anyone near her except Tague who sits with him, just as silent as the rest of them.
For the first time, Kato realizes that isn’t sweat on his face... it’s tears — tears he didn’t even realize were falling. He has no idea when he began to cry, nor why, because losing Cal is a blow he hasn’t allowed himself to feel yet. He’ll drown in that pain later when he’s the one to return to Coldhallow empty-handed. When he’s the one who tells Callisto’s family that he gave his life for a peace that may never come. That he called on him and invited him to die in the Tizor Mountains. Kato has to shake those thoughts away before they consume him and repeats to himself that he will deal with that later. The metallic scent of blood fills all of his senses, making Kato doubt there will ever be a time where he doesn’t smell death. He adds it to his growing list of nightmares.
A voice snaps him out of his thoughts and when he turns to see Ronan touching his arm, it startles him. “What?”
The mournful look he returns makes him look older than he is. “They said it’s enough wood. It’s time to get the bo—” His eyes widen when he realizes he was about to say bodies.
“It’s okay, Rone.” Kato looks around, not wanting Ronan to have to see that part. “Can you go check on Teag? I’ll get you when it’s time.” He doesn’t miss the thankful look in Rone’s eyes as he nods and turns away, making Kato just a little lighter when it feels like he helped.
Someone walks over to offer Jase some help with Zinna and Kato almost feels bad for the guy when Jasestros snaps at him. Kato imagines he’d be the same if he ever had a mother, and he looks away when Jase lifts her to place her on the pyre.
He spots Azrian then, looking exhausted as he leans against a boulder, and Kato makes his way over to heal him — even if every second of that healing takes the last of his strength. It’s his turn to slump against the stone, his body nearly crashing to the ground before Azrian helps him stand straight again. “Sorry, Azzy. Just a
little tired.”
“I didn't need healing, Kato. Especially not if it was going to do this to you. You need to take care of yourself, too,” he says softly. “Talitha died from her injuries when she no longer had her powers to save her. Don't follow her lead.”
With a sigh, Kato agrees. He’s in no shape to argue as he struggles to pretend he has strength. “I won’t heal anyone else until I’ve rested.”
“Thank you. Peilar sent an avisim to Redhaven to bring every Sana in the city here. You won't be the only one soon, okay? This doesn't have to fall all on you.” Az leans in and places a gentle kiss on his cheek. “You were amazing today, Kato. Today... tonight? Yesterday? Stone it. Always. The whole time.”
Az finally brings a smile to his face and he pulls him in to hide in his neck. It smells like home — a place he longs for. “You were too, baby. You saved me.”
“I don't think anyone really saved anyone out there, Jellycrai.” He hugs him a little tighter like he's got some new nightmares of his own. “I think we all lost... but maybe that's the point of war. We fight until no one can remember what in the shadows they're doing.”
Maybe that’s the point of war. The words echo in Kato’s mind as he looks around them again. “You’re right. No one wins.” Jase stands there staring at the pyre with Tague, and Kato wishes there was a way to heal a broken heart.
“All we can do now is hope this is the end of it. Just... rest, Kato. I got this part, okay?” Az squeezes his hand and then walks away to go oversee the burning of the bodies, but Teagon hobbles over to Kato before he can follow.
“Thanks for the assist out there, bro. I thought I was gonna die until you showed up and closed off this faeching stump I now get to call a leg.”
