by Alicia Fabel
“I was hungry,” Nisaba explained.
“Oh.” Ishtar looked taken aback. “Come. You need to eat.” Ishtar ushered the couple out of the room toward the kitchen.
“So, I was a sacrifice you were willing to make,” Vera said, returning Kuwari’s attention to their conversation.
“Yes,” Kuwari admitted. “But it was more than that. To answer Kale’s question, I received an anonymous package a year ago. It contained metal from the ice fields of Saguenay, a vial of poison, and a letter of instruction. The letter explained that a girl would come to me, a girl who was part kargadan. It said that if I did three things, that girl would save my people. At first, I thought it was a joke, but the letter told me about other things that would happen too. Everything it said would happen, did happen. So we made preparations. Then Addamas showed up asking if you could come to Nibiru for my help.”
“What were the three things?” asked Kale.
“I had to prevent my son from stealing her away.” Kuwari ticked the items off on his fingers. “I could not help Vera connect with her kargadan magic, she had to discover it in her own time.”
“That’s why you kept making me meditate?” Vera’s nose flared with irritation.
Kuwari winced. “In a way, I was trying to help. I thought if you could calm your mind, you’d learn to connect to it sooner on your own.”
“And the last thing?” prompted Kale.
“The vial of poison. To give to the Guardian on the first day of the mate challenge.”
“Milktooth poison in my eitr.”
“From that, I knew there would be a challenge, meaning a kargadan would claim her, so I convinced the prince to do an experiment. It’s not like our people had much to lose. Hutran volunteered his services, and I facilitated a connection when the time came.”
“Word to the wise, I’m not fond of being the subject of experiments,” Vera said, throwing Kale a pointed look. “You said you know what I am. What am I?”
“I’ve traveled over nearly every inch of the world looking for answers to save my people. I always came up empty-handed until my travels took me to the meadow the night Addamas was born. He turned out to be the answer I’d been seeking.”
“What has that got to do with me?” asked Vera impatiently.
“I never found what I was looking for, but I did find snippets of information about a certain being everywhere I went. Whispers, bits of myths. For the most part, all completely forgotten. The legends tell about a kingdom that no one remembers, and it certainly does not exist today. However, since you are here, I suspect it once did. Beings called Kirin inhabited that kingdom. They were not any one species, but rather a balance of all people, and able to harness the magic of all kinds equally. They could discern truth from lie, and wherever they traveled, luck traveled with them. From what I can tell, siphons did not exist until Kirin disappeared.”
“Kale?” Vera asked, probably wondering what he knew of this creature. The answer was nothing. He’d never heard of them. He shook his head.
“They were crowned with fire and cried tears that shimmered with ice,” said Kuwari.
“But how am I one of those?”
“I assume you are equal parts of every creature in the world. You have a drop of all magic.”
“What about my siphon abilities?”
“Yes, that does bring up a new conundrum. What is your siphon like?”
“It’s an empty void that craves magic. Except, I guess my void isn’t empty anymore. Not since my kargadan and demas emerged. Although my kargadan is back behind one of those doors right now because the demas keeps picking on it.”
“Doors? How many doors do you have lining your void?”
“A lot,” Vera said. “You think there’s a different magic behind each one?”
“If I had to guess, yes.”
“How do I open them?”
“The same way you opened the kargadan and demas doors, I assume,” said Kuwari.
“That sounds fun,” Vera said dryly. “I just have to travel the world looking for beings who will introduce me to the magic we share but won’t kill me…or marry me off against my will.”
“I hope you like to travel,” Kuwari said, ignoring her jab.
“I think I’ll stick with the kargadan and demas,” said Vera. “Kale only has two doors in his void. Two sounds like plenty to me.”
Kale’s heart stopped.
Kuwari looked at him with speculation. “You saw those doors?”
“Yeah,” Vera drawled, looking between the two men. “What?”
“The Guardian is a siphon,” mused Kuwari.
“I used to be,” said Kale.
“He doesn’t have a void anymore,” Vera volunteered. “It’s been filled…with other magic…Guardian magic.” Vera twinged from the lie.
Kale didn’t call her on it, though. The healer didn’t need to know that Kale was actually an unnatural.
“If all siphons have magics that are locked away, what do you think would happen if their magics were released?” Vera wondered out loud.
“They wouldn’t be siphon anymore,” said Kuwari.
“So, they’d be half-breeds,” Vera concluded.
“Half-breeds can only use the dominant magic they inherited from their parents. I would not be surprised if a siphon could use multiple magics, like you.”
“Too bad the siphon hunger doesn’t go away once the magic is unlocked,” Vera said
“Perhaps it does go away,” Kuwari suggested. “Maybe not, but maybe it does.”
“Nope. My siphon’s still there.”
“You haven’t opened all the doors yet,” Kale pointed out. “Maybe it still craves what is locked away.”
“My thought exactly,” said Kuwari.
“Awesome.” Vera let her head fall back against the wall, dejected. “So I better get used to it then, huh?”
“Or get a bigger passport,” said Kale.
“I don’t have a passport,” she replied.
“If you want my opinion, I don’t think your situation is as dire as you believe,” Kuwari said.
“Your opinion doesn’t rank very high with me after the last couple of days.” Vera raised her head high enough to glower at the healer.
“Out of curiosity, what do you mean by that?” Kale asked Kuwari anyway, earning a fiery, blue-eyed scowl. One day I’d love to show her how that look affects me. It is not in any way she’d imagine.
“Because I don’t think she’s siphoning,” Kuwari answered, capturing Kale’s full attention again. “I think she’s unintentionally waking up her own magic when she touches someone powerful.”
“There’s a problem with that theory,” argued Vera. “If I’d woken my demon and morph, I think I’d notice them tearing around my void right now.”
“Your kargadan didn’t come out and stay out at first, though, right?” asked Nisaba, standing just inside the room with a handful of dried fruit.
“Huh. True. As soon as you let go, it ran away the first couple times.”
“Maybe Kuwari is right, and your magic is peeking out to investigate when it senses like magic. Until someone introduces you to it.”
“Maybe, but it seems like a big risk for anyone around me if you are all wrong,” Vera said.
“Look at you, you’re not siphoning anyone, even though we’re all sitting here right beside you,” pointed out Kuwari.
“Maybe my siphon is tired of demas and kargadan and doesn’t want to nibble on those cookies anymore. What if it decided it wants another cookie? Like, a…a Frankenstein cookie?”
“Now you’re just being difficult,” Kale told her. “And Frankenstein isn’t real.”
“Dracula?”
“No.”
“Guardian,” Kuwari interrupted. “When you were a siphon, did you or anyone you know ever siphon someone accidentally?”
“Accidentally? Sometimes. If the hunger got to be too much to control, it would happen. But never without that person k
nowing what was happening. A siphon knows when they're siphoning.”
“Oh,” Vera seemed to be contemplating that.
“I thought your situation was different because you weren’t a normal siphon,” Kale said. “I thought it must be different for you.” Kale was sure he saw her eyes shine. Duat, I’ve made her cry again. Except a smile began to bloom on her lips.
“Do you know how much of a relief that is? I was terrified I’d drain someone without even knowing it.” Her smile continued to grow. “That also means the world doesn’t need to be afraid of humans. All we have to do is help people unlock their magic and buh-bye siphons.” She was almost shaking with excitement.
Ishtar took up moaning again. “She’s human?”
“Obviously not,” Vera said, unsealing her new gills to prove it—and then wheezed. “I can’t be the only Kirin on earth, either.”
“From what I understand, there are a lot of humans. How could you possibly help so many?” asked Kuwari.
“I can’t.” Vera dimmed. “But I can help some. As many as possible.”
“Why bother?” piped up Ishtar. “They are stuck in that magicless pit. Why not leave them be. The world is better off.”
“Oh yeah, the world is doing so well without us in it.” Vera rolled her eyes at Ishtar.
“Actually, Ishtar, if a kargadan mates with a human, I believe the offspring would inherit generations of strengthened blood from all the intermingling humans are fond of, but still be kargadan.”
“Yeah, well, for the most part, humans aren’t interested in becoming baby incubators, so just take that thought right out of your head, Kuwari,” Vera said with a warning tone.
“The laws of the Unraveling won’t allow it anyway,” Kale assured her. “I’d execute any who tried to enact a plan that involved trafficking humans for mating.”
“That’s not what I was suggesting,” sputtered Kuwari. “I know I have not proven myself an honorable kargadan, but I would never support such a thing.”
“Plenty of beings would have no problem with it, since humans are nothing more than insects to them. So let’s not go blabbing your genius idea to the world,” Vera told him.
“You’re right. Although it is too bad our kinds could not learn to coexist. Hutran explained what you call a foreign exchange program. Something like that might not be a bad idea.”
Kale raised an incredulous brow at Vera. What in the stars has the girl started now? She had that look she got when she knew she’d put her foot in her mouth. It was more familiar to him than he wished.
“Maybe someday it would be possible,” said Vera carefully. “Baby steps. The first baby step is getting me back home.”
“There’s no magic there,” said Kuwari. “How do you hope to help your kind unless you awaken your own magics?”
“That’s a problem for another day.” She squeezed her eyes closed like she was getting a headache.
“Then we should all get what little rest we still can before the final challenge tomorrow,” said Kuwari.
“What?” Vera’s mouth fell open. “I thought this changed things.”
“You are still claimed,” said Kuwari. “Knowing the truth about you would only make Hutran fight harder to keep you.”
“But I’m not kargadan. I don’t have to follow your rules.”
“That’s the thing,” Kuwari replied. “You are kargadan. And demas. And for that matter, even part scorpion. You are everyone, and you are beholden to the laws of all your people. If you want to leave with the Guardian, Hutran cannot be pronounced your champion.”
“So now you hope I win?” asked Kale.
“Yes. I also hope Vera will one day think of our people more fondly than she does at the moment.”
“You’re hoping I visit and bring a friend or two who might want to stay and be protected by a beefy unicorn stud and have unicorn babies,” guessed Vera.
“I would not be opposed to that.” Kuwari didn’t flinch at her human term for kargadan.
“When will you tell Ashur and Enlil about Nisaba?” asked Kale.
“I will wait until after the challenge, and you are proclaimed Vera’s champion,” Kuwari said thoughtfully. “If I tell the tale sooner than that, I’m afraid the entire herd will step forward to challenge for Vera. You’d be fighting challenges for months.”
“Any idea what tomorrow’s challenge will be?” asked Kale.
“A fight,” Kuwari revealed.
“But not a fair one,” Kale guessed.
“Sorry.” Kuwari shook his head.
Stars help us all.
Vera woke well before the sun and couldn’t sleep so she decided to meditate. Yep, she decided to drink Kuwari’s Kool-Aid. Except meditating had turned into playing with her magic. The demas charged around her like a puppy on speed. Every once in a while, it lunged in and nipped at her playfully, but otherwise it stayed safely out of reach. After a while, Vera plopped down. The more she chased after it, the faster it went. As soon as she sat, it surged around her. Eventually, it stopped right in front of her, pulsing gently. She didn’t try to grab it. That would set it off on a chase again. Instead, she just sat there staring at it.
“Are you done yet?” she asked.
The demas inched forward, pausing regularly to make sure Vera wasn’t moving. It circled her twice then wound around her waist like a belt and settled there. She ran a finger across a section of it. The demas stiffened. She caressed it again. After a few times, it relaxed, but it also shifted so Vera couldn’t touch it so easily. Apparently, her demas was not one for being touched. A pale glow caught her attention. The swirling kargadan perched above, near its cubby, watching them cautiously. Vera sent it some affectionate vibes, and the kargadan shook, backing away bashfully. The demas must have noticed because it perked up.
Vera tried to keep the energetic mass distracted, but as soon as it confirmed the kargadan was out, it raced away. Before the demas reached it, the kargadan slipped behind its door and closed it. With a pitiful pulse, the demas waited for a minute. Then the lightening within slowed as it floated down to curl up in a corner beside the unresponsive world-thread. Vera got the impression that the demas was lonely. Could magic be lonely? She tried to comfort it, but it slithered away defiantly. It most definitely didn’t want her pity. I can take a hint.
Vera surfaced. It was dark, but the horizon was the faintest bit lighter. She wondered what other people did when one of their magics needed a friend but the other one wanted to be left alone. Then she remembered other people didn’t have that problem. Because other people only had one magic to contend with. Lucky me. Then again, people did have kids. That was the same thing, right? Esta seemed to know how to handle her boys. Maybe this is a good time for a visit to the abandoned neighborhoods. Before the village wakes up and my day has a chance to go to pot.
Vera wound a scarf around her hair and tiptoed to the window. She leaned out and nearly cried out in alarm at the form on the ground below—Kale. Vera peeked again to make sure. Sure enough, he was asleep outside her window. She wondered if he chose that spot to keep her in or others out. It wouldn’t keep her in if that was his plan. She headed for the front door. Here’s hoping Kuwari’s asleep and not laying across the front doorsteps.
The village was quiet, but there were signs of people stirring. Wisps of smoke floated up from the fire pits outside several homes. People were preparing food for the day before the sun rose and scorched the air. Soon, they’d be getting ready to watch the big fight. Vera was halfway down the road before it crossed her mind that approaching a clan of scorpions at this hour might not be her brightest idea. She debated turning back but in the end kept going. If the fight didn’t turn out well, she might not get another chance to talk to Esta. Or anyone. Plus, they couldn’t be crankier than Mimi in the morning. The soft sound of singing floated on the air just outside the hut where they were staying. That was encouraging. Maybe scorpions liked mornings. Freaks.
Vera fidgeted on the stairs w
hile the kargadan gathered in the square. The scorpions were there too, lingering in the back. Mostly to cheer her on, which warmed her heart while simultaneously unnerving the rest of the village. The crowd left plenty of space around the Tablilu clan. To make things extra fun, Vera waved cheerfully to Esta and her boys. Kuwari sighed beside her.
“There’re some rather attractive scorpions over there,” Vera said unnecessarily. “They might be enticed to help you mix up the gene pool if you’d all stop looking at them like they have the plague.”
“Our kinds don’t mix,” Kuwari replied.
“I have no idea why not. Look at them.” But oh, Kuwari was looking, throwing furtive glances at Esta. Vera grinned and elbowed the man. “I said look. Not undress her with your eyes. Have you no shame?”
“What are you talking about?” Kuwari blustered while turning ten shades of red. “As I’ve said, our people do not mix.”
“Why exactly is that?”
“For starters, they have poisonous barbs.”
“Kargadan can’t be poisoned,” Vera pointed out. “Sounds like the perfect pairing.”
“They are barely more than barbarians, who guard the gates of Kumurgi. That means they can, quite literally, open the gates of our Hell if they wanted to.”
“Umm.” Vera didn’t know that about the scorpions, but it made sense. They were probably as terrifying to the dead as they were the living. “That sounds like a really good reason to play nice and not look down your sparkly horns at them.”
“They sing.” Kuwari’s nose scrunched with disgust.
“Like the demas? Does their singing do something special?”
“No, of course not. They are just overly fond of music. While they stick to the drums here, they cannot help but sing.”
Vera patted his arm. “I don’t know them that well, but I think Esta would be able to contain herself with the right motivation.”
“Which one is Esta?”
“The woman you imagined naked a minute ago,” Vera said as the prince stepped forward to greet the crowd.
Kuwari snapped his mouth closed against his protest and scowled at her.
