by Alicia Fabel
“You make salt? You don’t just take it like the baby’s doing?”
“We make it,” confirmed Greeny.
“If things get too salty, they sing up a storm to dilute it,” added Nisaba. Her breathing was shallow, but her pain seemed to have let up for the moment.
“Sounds like you two are a great match,” Vera teased. Her kargadan friend had basically fallen for her own kryptonite.
“It’s also why the Tempestarii tried to destroy us,” added Greeny. “We have the ability to shift the weather, which they draw their power from.”
“What is going on here?” Kuwari burst into the room, breathing heavily. Ishtar was right behind him. Vera hadn’t even noticed that the woman had slipped away.
“We’re trying to figure out a way to save Nisaba and their baby,” answered Vera.
“No.” The word left Kuwari on a defeated breath. He looked between Nisaba and the demas, then he squared his shoulders. “I can save her.”
“Do it,” said Greeny. “Save them.”
Kuwari came forward and laid a hand on Nisaba’s lower stomach.
As his horn formed, Kale’s eyes narrowed. “How will you save her?”
“I just need to strengthen her blood,” answered Kuwari.
“That’s a lie,” Vera said.
Kale knocked the healer away, and Vera rushed to Nisaba’s side.
“Something’s wrong.” Nisaba arched her back. “Something’s wrong!”
“Help her,” cried Ishtar.
“Vera, your eyes are silver,” Kale said.
Vera released Nisaba’s arm and backed away. But my siphon’s gone. Only it wasn’t gone, just missing. A quick survey of her void and Vera felt its hunger amping up again. She hadn’t even noticed it was back.
“I didn’t mean to.” She frantically sifted through her kargadan magic, looking for the part that didn’t fit—for the piece that belonged to Nisaba. But it all felt the same. “I’ll give some of mine.” Vera tore off a piece of magic and pushed it toward Nisaba.
“Vera, don’t,” Kale warned, but she’d already done it.
Nisaba screamed in agony.
“What did you do?” Greeny was on his feet in front of Vera.
Kale grabbed Kuwari, who was trying to edge closer, and pinned him against the wall with a fist.
“I accidentally took some of her magic,” said Vera. “I gave her some of mine to replace it, though.”
“What are you talking about?” yelled Ishtar.
Vera turned to Kale, feeling herself falling apart. I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.
“She can’t tolerate your magic,” said Kale.
“I didn’t know that.” Vera was quickly dissolving into tears.
“I know,” Kale said gently. “You need to find it and take it back. Quickly.”
Vera began scanning Nisaba for her chunk of magic. Silvery kargadan magic swirled slowly inside the kargadan, as if it were coated in syrup. A pulsing blip of green broke up the silver, where the tiny life struggled to live. Every time it pulsed, Nisaba writhed. Vera hurried on until she found her magic. It was coiling around Nisaba’s, trying to carve out a place for itself and causing damage. Vera tugged at the desperate magic. It answered her call immediately, racing toward her, a scared lost puppy finally found. As soon as it left Nisaba, the kargadan woman stopped screaming but did not completely relax.
“I’m sorry,” Vera rushed. “I didn’t mean to take your magic.”
“You didn’t,” assured Nisaba.
“Yes, I did.” Vera started to babble. “That’s why my eyes turned silver. But I didn’t mean to, and I can’t find it. So, I thought I could just give you some of mine. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t take anything,” repeated Nisaba. “If you’d tried to take my magic, I would have fought you.”
“Really?” Vera frowned. “But kargadan aren’t sensitives. And my eyes.”
“We can’t sense magic, but our magic is part of us. Like a limb. We know if someone tries to take it. And silver eyes happens to all kargadan healers when they sense a mortal threat.”
“I thought silver meant glamour.” Vera was confused.
“Only sensitives can see glamour silver,” explained Kuwari. “Everyone can see healer silver. But the threat to your life is not yet mortal,” Kuwari said to Nisaba. “It will be soon if you do not let me help.” He struggled a moment to free himself, but the Guardian did not release him.
“Then she must have sensed that the baby’s life is in mortal danger,” choked Nisaba.
“It doesn’t work like that,” argued Kuwari. “Healers can only sense when a kargadan’s life is in peril. That baby is no kargadan.”
“I don’t think Vera is a normal kargadan.” Nisaba took a few pained breaths. “Can you feel the baby’s magic, Vera?”
“It’s crackling,” Vera said. “Is that normal?”
Greeny gave a cautious shrug. “I’m not sure what our magic looks like.”
“Can I look at yours?” she asked. “I won’t take any.”
“What does she mean by that?” demanded Ishtar, obviously not keeping up well.
The demas nodded. Vera tilted her head, searching until she found the lines of green spreading like veins through his body. They collected in webs around his neck.
“Your neck.” Vera realized she’d been reaching for the man. He tipped his head and his neck split. He had gills. They opened once and then sealed closed seamlessly.
“I cannot keep them open on land. I would suffocate.”
“The baby knows how to use them but not how to turn water into salt water?”
“Gills are part of our biology, like breathing. Making salt and calling up storms is magic.”
“How does a mother demas teach her baby?”
“The same way a kargadan teaches their child to sprout a horn,” said Nisaba.
“Like you taught me?”
“Kind of,” Nisaba answered. “I didn’t do a good job because it wasn’t my place to teach you, and then there wasn’t time. Here, I’ll show you now.” She waved Vera closer.
Nisaba pressed a thumb to her forehead. Kuwari’s protests grew louder. The magic inside Vera reared up. Nisaba guided Vera’s hand, like a mother showing their child how to pet a timid animal. Once Vera knew how to approach it, the magic responded, nestling into her like it never had before.
“All you have to do now is spend time with it and strengthen your bond. After that, it will do anything you want. Limited to kargadan abilities, of course.”
“That’s so simple,” Vera said, unsure whether to kiss Nisaba or kick Kuwari. “That’s how a demas teaches their baby to make salt?”
“The magic is different, but the concept is the same. Only our baby won’t be born,” said Nisaba with tear-filled eyes. “Her daddy won’t get a chance to teach her.”
“Can you teach without touching?” asked Vera.
“Some beings can. Like demons. They can mind-link, but we cannot.”
“I can mind link… I think.” Vera rooted around for the leftover demon magic. Thank the Lady. It’s still here. “But I’ve never touched demas magic. What if I show the baby the wrong way?”
No one said anything. They were too busy gaping at her.
“What?” Self-consciously, she felt for loose hair. Then she remembered. “My eyes went all demon-fabulous, didn’t they?”
“You’re a siphon,” said Greeny.
Vera bit her lip. I thought the cat was already out of the bag on that one.
“That’s why you thought you’d stolen Nisaba’s magic.” Then Greeny said the last thing she’d expected. “Take some of my magic. I’ll teach you how to use it.”
“Ishtar, take another step, and you’ll be on the floor under my boot,” Kale warned as the woman turned to run. Probably to alert some guards.
“Will it hurt you?” asked Vera.
“I don’t care,” he answered. “It won’t kill me.�
�
Vera found a tiny vein of green in the man’s hand and pulled. As it stretched toward her, something inside her void stirred. Not the world-thread, the demon, or the morph. Vera stopped pulling, letting the demas magic dangle between them. Her kargadan was retreating, flowing back into its little cubby.
“What’s wrong?” asked Kale.
“Something weird is going on. My kargadan is hiding, but I don’t know why… Wait, there’s something else.” Vera gasped and released Greeny’s magic, which flowed back to him. “Why is there demas magic inside me? And why is it chasing my kargadan?” Said kargadan created a new door and slammed it on the charging demas. Not unlike what Vera had done to Suzie a few times. The demas paced outside the barrier.
Greeny laid a hand on Vera’s arm. “You are a demas.”
“No, I’m a kargadan-siphon half-breed.”
“It seems you are a tri-breed,” said Greeny.
“That’s a thing?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of,” he replied. “Then again, I’ve never heard of a siphon half-breed either. But I felt you pulling my magic, and I’ve seen your horn.”
“Your scarf is glowing,” murmured Nisaba.
Vera threw a hand up and looked at Kale for verification.
“Bright enough to see through your scarf,” he confirmed.
“What is bright enough?” asked Kuwari.
“My hair,” Vera replied. “My hair is going wild because I’m freaking the freak out right now.”
“Everything will be okay,” assured Kale.
The heck it will.
“Let me see it,” said Kuwari, earning Kale’s hand tighter against his throat. “Please?”
What can it hurt at this point? She unwrapped the scarf, letting her flaming hair fall around her shoulders.
Kuwari’s mouth fell open. “What have I done?”
That got Kale’s attention. “Other than trying to trap her here? I’m interested in knowing that too.”
“I had no idea,” said Kuwari. “Or I wouldn’t have.”
Nisaba moaned.
Vera turned her attention back to Greeny. “Teach me how to use it.”
Greeny didn’t have to be told twice. He pressed a palm to Vera’s neck, and her demas reared up. It was more abrasive than kargadan magic. Greeny showed her how to approach it slowly, then back away and wait for the magic to come to her. When it did, Vera felt like she was choking. Greeny scolded the magic gently. Suddenly Vera could breathe again as the gills, which had split her neck, sealed closed. The demas twisted into a tight knot as Vera gasped for air, watching her with barely-suppressed amusement. It was waiting for her reaction. Greeny urged her to remain chill. She rolled her eyes and mentally stuck out her tongue at the mass of magic. The crackling green fog pulsed happily.
“Naughty stuff,” she observed to Greeny.
“Our kind enjoys a bit of mischief,” he admitted. “Can you show her now?”
Vera pulled the demon scrap from the pile again. Greeny flinched back. Yeah, yeah. The eye thing’s creepy.
His eyes flew open. You’re in my mind.
Whoops, sorry. Don’t know how to control this stuff.
Suddenly images popped into her head. Images of memories that did not belong to her. She was just about to get a peeping-tom show of Nisaba and Loverboy when the images went dark. Thank the Lady.
I’m grateful for your help, Greeny said. But I’d prefer you not in my head.
You and me both, buddy. Vera cringed. Sorry. That wasn’t meant for you. I…never mind. Vera quickly found the line and sliced it as Ferrox had taught her. Greeny breathed a sigh of relief right along with her. Now to link brains with an unborn baby.
She hesitated to place her hand on Nisaba’s stomach, but the woman took her hand and placed it over where the baby rested. Vera didn’t hear anything. No voice or thought. She followed the pulsing blip of green until she felt like she was suffocating. Just like when her gills had opened. Vera felt her neck with her free hand. No gills. Her demas watched warily from a corner of her void. If she wasn’t the one suffocating, it must be the baby. The water was choking her. Vera nudged the green blip. It grasped onto her like a chubby baby hand. Oh wow. That gave her all sorts of feels.
Hey there, sweetheart. We need to stop taking from mama so she can keep you cooking in here. The baby’s magic was near-feral with distress. Vera had to get it calm but had no clue how. To make things worse, the demon scrap was wearing thin. She needed to hurry.
Vera remembered the song of the scorpion girl in the distance. She summoned the lilting tune to her mind. Slowly the bit of coiled green relaxed, spreading out. There you go little one. Now don’t take your mama’s salt anymore, make it for yourself. Vera pictured the ocean water from Lemuria surrounding her as the demon magic gave out and the link severed. Vera wondered if she’d been able to do enough.
“She’s sleeping,” Greeny told her when she surfaced. His eyes shone with tears. “Her breathing evened out a few minutes ago.”
“Can I check her?” asked Kuwari. “I will not do anything to harm her or her baby. On the contrary, I will do everything to ensure they both live.”
“What about him?” Vera nodded at the demas.
“Him too,” Kuwari said. “That baby will need a father.”
“How are you going to manage that?” asked Greeny, understandably not believing a word of it. “Your people will never let me stay.”
“You could go live with the Tablilu,” suggest Kale. “They are more opened-minded when it comes to intermingling.”
“Let us try here first,” said Kuwari. “There’s no water near the world-gate anyway. If it doesn't work out here, I’ll help you relocate, but I think it will. “
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” asked Greeny.
“She knows,” Kuwari said, pointing at Vera. “You can tell if I lie, can’t you?”
“Yes,” said Vera slowly. “How do you know that?”
“Because I know what you are.”
16
Kale sat heavily on a cushion in Ishtar’s living room. Vera sat beside him. Nisaba and the father-to-be were resting.
“What about the prince?” asked Ishtar. They’d been explaining to her what was going to happen in the coming days. It had taken some time before she’d stopped moaning in distress.
“He’ll need to be informed that Nisaba has a different groom,” suggested Kale.
“He will be angry.” Ishtar moaned.
Kale fantasized about knocking her out until Vera shifted. Her leg brushed his and all of a sudden, he couldn’t hear the woman anymore.
“Assuredly, but maybe not as angry as you imagine,” said Kuwari. “Your daughter’s baby may be how we save our people. It’s why I wanted Vera to stay.” He glanced at Vera. “Even doing things I am ashamed of to keep her here. I’m afraid I misunderstood some of my information.”
“How can a half-breed save our people?” asked Ishtar.
“I’d like to know what information you’re talking about,” added Kale.
“I will answer both of those questions as best I can. First, Ishtar’s question. You must understand that a pure’s blood is not as pure as they might believe. Before the world unraveled, half-breeds were fairly common. With the right mix of genetics, two half-breeds could even have a pure. Pure simply means that three-quarters of their genetics are from one species. The other quarter could be a mixture of anything. In fact, Nisaba must have some demas blood in her heritage, or else she would not be having a demas baby.”
“I think you’re losing her,” Vera told the healer. Ishtar’s eyes were wide and vacant.
Kuwari rocked his head side to side, considering his explanation. “Basically, there’s too much kargadan blood now, and not enough of the other. Without some mixture, our kind becomes weaker, not stronger. I realized this might be the case as Addamas grew. He is stronger than most satyrs, even though he doesn’t wear the horns which they use to measure their po
wer.”
“But can’t two half-breeds have a siphon?” asked Vera.
“Oh yes. That threat is the primary reason why intermingling has nearly died out across the world. If parents pass on an equal amount of opposing magics, the baby is born a siphon. Meaning that if you could somehow measure all the different magics a siphon’s parents passed on to them, the most prevalent magics would measure exactly the same. And so a siphon has no dominant magic. Whatever the dominant magic a person possesses, that is technically their species. The only way to know that a baby is a half-breed, that their dominant magic makes up less than three-quarters of their total magic, is by their tell. Some half-breeds you would never know. Others have more obvious tells.”
“Like no horns on a satyr,” said Vera.
“Yes, my son’s tell. Unfortunately, that one is difficult to hide. Although in reality, Addamas is superior to most satyrs. His mother’s blood filled in where the satyr blood fell short. And I expect the same from Nisaba’s baby.”
“But her baby will not be kargadan at all.”
“She is nearly half kargadan,” said Kuwari. “She just won’t look it. But should she mate with a kargadan, their children would be kargadan. Only stronger and more capable of producing a healthier generation than we have seen in the last few hundred years.”
“My daughter will not be mated to a kargadan unless she chooses,” announced Nisaba as she entered the room. Greeny was a step behind her, a supportive hand on her back and a determined look as well.
“I agree,” said Kuwari. “I’ve been against the champion method of selecting a mate for many years. Ever since Addamas was a teen and I realized the implications for half-bloods.”
Vera snorted. “Could’a fooled me.”
“Yes well, you are a half-breed. I thought if I could prove my theories about a half-breed kargadan and pure kargadan producing stronger offspring, my people would branch away from the champion methods. And perhaps begin accepting a little more variety into our community.”
“You should be in bed,” Ishtar told Nisaba before turning on Greeny. “Why did you let her out of bed?”
