The City of Zirdai

by Maria V. Snyder

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. His voice sounded young and vulnerable. But then he pulled away and with clear annoyance asked, “Can you tell them that I know the city better than anyone else?”

  “I’ll agree you know the city well,” she said. “But I won’t go so far as to say better than anyone.”

  He made a disgusted noise and flopped back to his cushion.

  “Strategy session?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Ximen said.

  Gurice gestured to the empty seat. “Sit down before you fall down. Mojag, go tell someone to fetch her something to eat and drink.”

  “Hey. I’m a magic wielder now, and—”

  “Are still the youngest and the fastest. Go now so you don’t miss anything.”

  Shyla hid her smile as Mojag rushed from the room. Folding her legs under her, she sank gratefully into the square of softness. The short walk from Rendor’s office had drained most of her strength. He shot her a concerned look, but she gave him an I’m fine shake of her head. No doubt food and water would revive her. She hoped.

  “How long was I asleep?” she asked. She had lost all track of time since her capture.

  Rendor frowned. “About three hundred angles. Zhek ordered that no one disturb you.”

  No wonder she was starving. “He’s here?”

  “Everyone’s here,” Gurice said. “Good thing we have the entire level at our disposal to house everyone. We have recovering prisoners, Invisible Swords, and all the guards. Once they learned that nothing is going to change with the new regime, well besides no more torture, killings, and corruption, they were happy to work for us.”

  “Not all are here,” Rendor corrected. “About four dozen are in the city on patrol. And those that relished carrying out the prince’s bloody orders have been arrested.”

  Ah. “And how is the prince enjoying his new accommodations?”

  “He’s not.”

  She shared a smirk with Rendor. Then she considered Gurice’s report. “Did you release all the prisoners?”

  “No. We freed the Invisible Swords and the vagrants, but we need to go through the prince’s records about the rest. We don’t want to free a dangerous criminal by mistake.”

  Smart. “How many Invisible Swords survived?”

  “Twenty-three!” Then she grudgingly admitted, “I guess Jayden did save lives.”

  “Where are they?”

  “In the empty rooms of the guards’ quarters,” Rendor said. “Timin’s been taking care of them.”

  “Where are the guards’ quarters?” she asked.

  “Their quarters are in the southwestern section of the prince’s level right above the prince’s special rooms.”

  “What else did I miss?”

  “Mojag just reported that the rumors about the priestess preparing for an attack are hot. His words not mine,” Ximen said. “We might not have as much time to get ready as we’d thought.”

  “How soon?”

  “Four, maybe five sun jumps at most.” Ximen picked up one of the torques and waved it in the air. “What we really need to know is how you countered this. Assuming that’s what happened. Timin was sketchy on the details. Did you wield magic?”

  She explained what happened. “Once I realized the symbol on their torques didn’t match our new symbol, it no longer blocked my magic.”

  “All you need is faith that it’ll work?” Gurice asked. “That seems, no offense, too easy.”

  “At first, it did seem too easy. But think about it. When we swore our loyalty to the Invisible Sword, we sketched the symbol onto our bodies with magic. They’re connected. And even though the torques no longer worked when we swore with the new symbol, we thought they did and didn’t even try to use our magic. It was only when I was utterly desperate that I realized this.” She shuddered at the memory. Glancing at Rendor, she asked, “Did you know what was going on in the throne room when you arrived or was that an amazing coincidence?”

  “A bit of both,” he said. “I had intel that the prince was going to try to wake The Eyes during that sun jump, but I didn’t know the exact time. I had to guess based on the activity around the throne room.”

  Mojag returned with a servant in tow. The woman placed a tray down in front of her. Shyla stared at the meal in wonder until the spicy ginger aroma of roasted gamelu meat caused her stomach to roar. It was the first time she’d had real food in sun jumps. A glass of that pure clear water accompanied the feast. She’d groan in pleasure, but her mouth was full.

  Ximen tapped his finger on the torque. “The good news is we can all bypass the protection.”

  “We can?” Mojag asked.

  Gurice updated her brother on what he’d missed. “As long as the symbol remains the same. If they find out the new symbol, we’re screwed.”

  “Good thing we uncovered Jayden’s treachery before this discovery,” Ximen said.

  A heavy silence filled the room. Shyla glanced at Mojag. The boy wrapped his arms around his chest. Hanif’s words about a person’s ability to change repeated in her mind. Perhaps it was worth the effort to revisit Jayden’s soul. And that reminded her.

  “How long has it been since he…” She gestured with her fork, unable to say it.

  “Sixteen sun jumps since we locked him up,” Ximen said.

  He had plenty of supplies left. That also meant she’d been taken prisoner fourteen sun jumps ago.

  “We do need to worry about the deacons who can wield magic.” Gurice picked up one of the platinum necklaces. “These can protect our people and some of the guards, but not all. Do we have any intel on how many deacons have power?”

  “I originally thought there weren’t that many,” Shyla said. “But they’ve had time to find more.” She considered the new wielders in the Invisible Sword and if they were ready to fight. “How do you think the priestess is going to attack?” she asked Rendor.

  “If I was going to target her people, I’d send small units to ambush all the clusters of deacons in the city at the same time. Also, at that time, I’d lead a bigger unit to her level and fight my way in.”

  “You’ve given this some thought,” Ximen said.

  “The prince hated her and we brainstormed different strategies. That one had the biggest chance of success with the least amount of expected losses. I’d expect the priestess will use a very similar plan. If she strikes with surprise, speed, and intensity, it will be hard for us to counter and she’d have the advantage.”

  “That means the guards throughout the city might be attacked at any time,” Gurice said. “Do we need to double them?”

  Good question. If they did, that would alert the priestess. “We can assign Invisible Swords to guard the guards. They can blend in with the citizens and not tip the priestess off.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Rendor said.

  “And I think we should do what Rendor suggested and put together small units and attack at the same time,” Shyla said.

  Everyone nodded in agreement. Shyla assigned them each tasks.

  Mojag hopped to his feet. “I’ll keep watch on the deacons. If they so much as twitch in our direction, I’ll let you know.”

  “All right. Be careful.”

  Mojag scoffed. “It was easy before, but now that I can wield magic, it’s—”

  “Don’t boast,” Rendor said. “You’ll tempt the Sun Goddess to teach you a lesson.”

  Shyla waited for Mojag to make a snarky comment. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully before dashing away.

  Shyla lumbered to her feet. Rendor grabbed her elbow to steady her. How did the big man move so fast?

  “Perhaps you should—”

  “Introduce myself to the guards and staff? Good idea,” she said. Shyla wanted to ensure everyone was loyal so there wouldn’t be any traitors surprising them later.

  A grumpy rumble rolled from his throat.

  “When’s the last time you slept?” she asked.

  No answer.

  “That�
��s what I thought. How about we make a deal? I won’t exhaust myself if you don’t. We can meet back in your office to rest together.”

  “Rest?”

  “Eventually.”

  He laughed.

  Shyla walked around the prince’s complex, stopping everyone she encountered to say hello and to thank them. Only a small amount of her energy was needed to assess their intentions. A few remained anxious about the prince’s capture, but she sensed it was more fear of the unknown than any hostility toward her and the Invisible Swords. Two of the guards tried to hide their anger, which stirred suspicion. For them, she used extra power to dig for the reason. Both were loyal to Yates and hoped for an opportunity to rescue him. Shyla noted their names to give to Rendor.

  When the air around her seemed to thicken and drag on her body, she figured she’d reached her limit. She returned to Rendor’s office. Disappointed that the sleeping cushion was empty, she kicked off her boots and crawled under the fur.

  Sometime later, warmth invaded her uneasy dreams and a solid presence pulled her close. She sighed and melted against him. Her worries soothed.

  She woke wrapped in his arms with her head on his bare chest. Taking a moment to breathe in his scent and listen to the steady rhythm of his heart, she kept still. Then she ran a hand over the muscles of his stomach. His heartbeat increased its pace. So did hers as she explored the hard planes, her fingers dipping toward his waist.

  Shyla lifted her head and met his gaze.

  “I hope we never stop meeting like this,” he said, then he kissed her.

  Heat spread throughout her body as she deepened it, drinking in the taste of him. He groaned and his hands snaked underneath her tunic, resting on her back. His touch burned her skin. They kissed until breathless.

  When they broke apart, Shyla sat up and plucked at her tunic. It chafed on her overly sensitive skin. She wanted it off.

  Rendor took her hands in his, stilling them. His expression was a combination of desire and concern. “We can take it slow.”

  “Remember when you said I didn’t know everything? Before you kissed me that first time?”

  Confusion flashed on his face, but he nodded.

  “Then afterwards you said that kiss was just the beginning.”

  “You have a very good memory.”

  “I do.”

  “Do you also have a point?” he teased.

  “I do.” She smiled. “You were right. I don’t know everything and I want to learn what comes after a kiss like that.”

  Fire ignited in his gaze as he pulled her close and kissed her again, sending pulses of desire straight to her core.

  “I think…” he breathed. “That your education…will be extensive.” His lips brushed her neck. “And require…multiple sessions.” Rendor nibbled on her earlobe.

  She gasped, surprised by the intense spike of passion that speared her.

  “You’ve much to…learn.” He pulled off her tunic and drew her close.

  Shyla’s breasts brushed against his chest. Shivers raced along her skin. “Teach me.”

  Rendor taught her how a touch could make her heart race and her body tremble. But most of all, with his words and actions, he showed her why the joining together of two people was called making love.

  Much later, Shyla lay entangled with Rendor. She watched his chest expand and contract with each breath as he slept. The powerful and stubborn man had shown incredible gentleness. She suppressed the desire to wake him up for another lesson. He needed to rest. So did she, but her body hummed with the aftereffects of pleasure. Eventually, she drifted into a light sleep.

  A loud roar woke them as a rumbling vibration shook the floor. Rendor and Shyla exchanged a horrified look.

  Everyone living in an underground city knew and dreaded that combination of sounds.

  It meant a gas explosion, followed by a cave-in.

  Nineteen

  She and Rendor dressed quickly as another boom rattled hard enough to knock over the lantern. A third roar rocked the furniture and she staggered as the sand clock crashed to the floor. It had read angle three-twenty-five.

  “The explosions are not an accident but an attack,” Rendor said, strapping on his sword.

  It took her a moment to comprehend his words. “Do you really think the Heliacal Priestess would blow holes in her floor to get down to us? It’s—”

  “Effective. Come on.” Rendor headed out into the hall.

  A cloud of dust swirled in the trol light. Shyla’s boots crunched on grit. She scanned the ceiling, searching for cracks and possible falling debris. The priestess never liked being one level above the Water Prince. In this case, it was a tactical advantage.

  Another rumble shook the floor, this one louder than the others. The vibrations shot up her legs and she stumbled.

  Scorching hells. If she wasn’t so terrified, she’d be impressed. One way to live on the lowest level of Zirdai was to collapse the levels beneath you. “The explosions are coming from below us!”

  Rendor increased his pace.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “The priestess wants you. She probably thinks you’re near the Water Prince’s main living quarters.”

  “So?” She sucked in a mouthful of dust as a fifth deafening boom sounded close—too close. The resultant energy wave knocked her to the floor.

  Before she could react, Rendor yanked her up. “So she won’t destroy that area.”

  “Oh.”

  “Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand.

  They ran through the tunnels. Two more explosions shook their world and the floor seemed to be crumpling underneath her feet. A thick fog of dust dimmed the lights. Her eyes stung and teared. Breathing without coughing was impossible.

  A shock wave slammed into her, ripping her from Rendor, surrounding her with a cacophony of noise. Firm ground disappeared. Her stomach filled with the sickening sensation of falling. She dropped along with the chunks of the floor.

  Landing, she thought, is going to hurt.

  When she hit bottom, the darkness was instant.

  Consciousness came and went. Sensations pounded and dulled. Sounds echoed and died. Eventually, she woke fully. And, for a brief moment, she believed the solid presence beside her was Rendor.

  Then she remembered.

  Then she cursed her good memory as pain stabbed into every part of her body.

  She groaned. The noise bounced off hard surfaces, which seemed to surround her. Grit and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. After a moment to gather her energy, she assessed the damage to her body.

  Shyla was lying on her side. Rolling over to her back with another groan, she moved each body part from her toes up to her head. None of her bones were broken. A miracle. She explored with her fingers and found bleeding cuts, including a gash on the side of her head. Each discovery caused more pain.

  There was a ribbon of dim light shining through a crack above her on the left. As her vision adjusted to the semi-darkness, Shyla realized she was surrounded by large chunks of debris. Another miracle that she hadn’t been crushed. Although, if she was trapped, she would have exchanged a quick death for a slower one. Could she hope for a third miracle?

  She focused on the crack. That was probably the best direction for freedom. But what if she pushed on that hunk of rock and it caused the rest to collapse on her? Another unwelcome thought—that the entire area around her could settle further at any time—occurred to her. The mound of debris creaked and groaned as if in warning. She needed to move. Now.

  Shyla reached and grabbed the edge of the triangle-shaped piece of sandstone. Pushing it slowly, she slid it to the side, but was ready to stop if anything started to avalanche. The muscles in her arms ached as she increased the pressure. The crack widened bit by bit. She halted when the sound of tumbling rocks reached her.

  When nothing else happened, she continued. Eventually, she supported the stone’s weight as it cleared the surrounding debris. Nothi
ng else fell to cover that space. Not yet. By the time she pushed it all the way to the side, her tunic was soaked with sweat and a horrible headache throbbed.

  Carefully, she sat up and peeked out. She was at the top of a large pile of rubble. Thank the Sun Goddess. It appeared as if parts of level ninety-seven had collapsed down into level ninety-eight where the black cells and special rooms were located.

  Scanning the destruction, she spotted a number of trol lanterns that had survived, bits of broken furniture, shattered pieces of colorful tiles, twisted and mangled pipes spraying water, and—

  A body.

  It felt as if the entire city of Zirdai had just collapsed on top of her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t think as she stared at the unmoving and broken form. And from her jumbled thoughts, Gurice’s words sounded crystal clear: Everyone’s here…we have recovering prisoners, Invisible Swords, and all the guards. And Rendor, Hanif, Kaveri, Gurice, Mojag, and Ximen. They were all dead!

  A harsh cry escaped her lips and she dropped back into her hole. Curling into a tight ball of misery, she shook as the enormity of what had happened rolled through her. Shyla’s thoughts stuck on how could she? how could she? how could she? how could she?

  How could the priestess kill so many? How could she destroy an entire level? That thought stopped Shyla. A memory crept up from the turmoil—Rendor claiming the priestess would preserve certain areas. Then others sprang to life: Hanif and Kaveri had been in those areas, not all the guards were down here, and Invisible Swords had been sent into the city to provide backup.

  Shyla pulled in a deep breath. Not all was lost. There had to be survivors. And she was wasting time. Straightening, she carefully climbed from the space, keeping her weight as spread out as possible. Once she reached the top, she searched for a safe path through the rubble. Perhaps there was a way to get to a higher level.