Riwenne & the Bionic Witches

by Kristen S. Walker

  Once we’d changed back into our casual clothes, we went outside to grab food. Deryt joined us at one of the street carts. We ordered all the food we could carry and took it with us to a nearby park. Amena found an empty spot on the grass to sit and we dug in at last.

  I was still riding high on adrenaline from the show. “That was so amazing,” I gushed around a mouthful of grilled peppers. “You should have seen us, Deryt. Amena took the lead with just enough magic to keep us together, and the crowd loved it.”

  Deryt shot a measuring look at Amena. “You’re still using magic in your shows?” He shook his head. “That’s a huge risk. Your manager got the legal charges against you dropped, but that won’t stop the enemy from attacking you if they sense what you’re doing.”

  Amena lifted her chin. “Not as much magic as I usually have. And they only attacked me the one time,” she said.

  Janera put her arm around Amena’s shoulders. “I didn’t even notice the magic, what with the crowd screaming at us the whole time. I don’t think the enemy has the same level of sensitivity that Riwenne does.”

  I ducked my head, feeling embarrassed. I hadn’t meant to call out Amena for doing something wrong.

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Deryt protested.

  Tika hopped onto his shoulder. “That’s why you were supposed to be keeping an eye on our enemy. What did Pomavar do during the concert? Did he react at all?”

  Deryt frowned. “He was too busy talking to his eager customers. From what I heard, it sounds like he’s staying in town for a while. He was telling people to meet with him at one of Chysa’s temples for more information. Lots of engineers and business executives see potential in the bloodstones.”

  “That’s horrible,” Kyra said with a shudder. “Will he tell them truth? That the bloodstones need human sacrifices to work?”

  Deryt shrugged. “Who knows how much he’ll say. I need a closer look at his operation. Maybe I can sneak out tonight and find the workshop or wherever he’s making these things.”

  I looked up at the sky. It was still light out, but downtown would be lit up as soon as the sun went down. “It’s got to be harder to sneak around here, even late at night, with so many people staying awake.”

  “He knows what he’s doing,” Amena said. She turned to Deryt. “I could go with you.”

  “Always have someone to watch your back,” he said. They both nodded, like he was repeating an adage.

  Vilqa leaned forward. “What about the rest of us? I want to learn how to be a spy!”

  Amena waved a chicken skewer at us. “You all should get some rest tonight. We’ve got a big day tomorrow, with a rehearsal on the big stage and then the concert.”

  I felt torn. I wanted to know more about what Pomavar was up to, but I knew I wasn’t as good as Amena and Deryt at sneaking around. I needed a good night’s sleep before our next performance.

  And everyone agreed with Deryt’s plan. We got a big pile of desserts from the street carts and took them back to the hotel. After stuffing myself with food and taking a long soak in the bathtub, I had no problem falling asleep long before the two spies would sneak out.

  The next morning, Amena and Deryt told us they had learned nothing new about Pomavar’s plans. With the festival going on overnight, many of the booths in the exhibition hall had stayed open. According to them, Pomavar worked late and turned the job over to another engineer from Lyndamon’s Ministry of R&D, then returned to his own hotel room to sleep. There was no sign of a workshop. They didn’t want to risk breaking into the temple, so they’d come back empty-handed.

  It was frustrating but there didn’t seem to be anything we could have done differently. Deryt promised to spend the rest of the day keeping an eye on Pomavar while we went to the concert. We wished him luck and said goodbye.

  Bymonten had arranged for a larger venue called The Rose Petal Amphitheater, an open-air stage in a field that could hold thousands of people. We rode the train out so we could rehearse on location. Seeing how large the space was, I could only imagine how big the audience would be later that day. But that wasn’t the only thing that made me nervous.

  “It’s too easy for the enemy to ambush us here,” Tika said when we were alone on break, echoing my own fears. “There’s nothing to stop an airship from flying overhead and dropping bombs. I don’t know any protection magic strong enough to save you from an air raid.”

  Amena shook her head. “It’s too public. They could explain the attack at my last concert as a terrorist plot, but that was just a few machines. If imperial army ships bombed this many innocent civilians, people would be in an uproar.”

  I shivered. I always hated the thought of innocents getting hurt by the empire, and the more people there were around us, the harder it was to protect everyone. I couldn’t go through with the concert if it put the audience at risk.

  Janera cleared her throat. “They wouldn’t say it was terrorist airships? The rebels don’t have any ships?”

  “Just ours,” Amena said.

  I raised my hand. “Could Deryt bring our ship and keep it around, like, just in case the enemy attacks?”

  “Too conspicuous,” Tika said.

  Amena sighed. “The best thing we can do is keep on alert and hope Deryt sees if Pomavar tries to make a move. Otherwise, let’s focus on getting through this.”

  Despite our worries, nothing happened during the performance. Amena’s magic kept us on the beat during the dances and the audience loved every song.

  As time went on and I began to feel confident that no enemy attack was coming, I added a little magic of my own. For each song Amena had written about a deity, I called on that god or goddess just enough to feel their invisible presence at the show. The energy of the crowd rose in answer. Maybe they would remember this after and it could influence their beliefs.

  This was riskiest when we got to “Maiden of Light.” With an uncanny knack for timing, Amena struck the first chords on her guitar just as the full moon appeared over the horizon. The solo spotlight onstage made Amena look like she was ringed by moonlight. Watching from backstage, I whispered my own prayer to Quilla, and my moonstone glowed faintly in response.

  I looked again. Amena’s inner light was shining bright as day. All around the audience, I saw tiny sparks of light from so many people. She had inspired their faith. I wished the others could see it.

  The best part was the encore with “Road to Freedom.” Everyone sang along with the chorus. We pumped our fists in the air and the audience followed us as we sang the rebellion’s motto:

  In Freedom I was born, in Freedom I will live.

  This road is lonely, but I’ll keep on running.

  When we took our final bow, I felt drained but triumphant.

  “That was quite the show, honey,” Bymonten said backstage. “We sold out, and I daresay there was enough interest for a second show here. Maybe when we release a recording of your newest songs. Or would you like to go on a tour, to make up for those shows we had to cancel after the unfortunate incident?”

  We turned and stared at Amena. No one had thought about what would happen after this. Our only direction from Quilla had been to spread the truth about her, but did a few pop songs do enough to change people’s beliefs about the gods?

  Amena was our leader, but she looked at me. “Um, I don’t know. Riwenne, what do you think?”

  I could see the surprise in Bymonten’s face as he turned to me. “I—I think people like you here,” I stammered out. “And if you released a record, they could put the new songs on the radio, right? Where even more people could hear them?”

  Amena bobbed her head. “Good point. Is there a suitable recording studio?”

  Bymonten smiled. “But of course.” He scribbled on his clipboard. “I’ll begin making the arrangements. For now, go back to your hotel and get some rest.”

  I felt energized despite the long performance. I wanted to celebrate somehow. Didn’t pop stars meet with their fans s
ometimes after concerts?

  But Tika was giving me a look which said we needed to talk, and I knew she was right. We had to discuss our next move and see if Deryt had learned anything else about Pomavar. The hotel was like our temporary base of operations, so it was time to return.

  23

  Warning

  The penthouse door was standing open.

  Amena was the first one to notice it as she stepped out of the elevator. “That’s odd,” she said, tilting her head to one side. “Deryt must be back already.”

  We stepped through the open door and stopped in the foyer. All the lights were on in the rooms, and both of the patio doors were open, letting a cold wind tear right through the whole penthouse.

  In the center of the dining room table, a knife was driven deep into the wood, pinning down a sheet of paper.

  Without a word, Amena signaled us to spread out in each direction. We tiptoed to check the rooms for intruders.

  I kept one hand on the moonstone but didn’t call on its power just yet. I crept into the single bedroom, all of my senses on alert, but I saw no more signs of disturbance. When I finished at the bathroom door and came face-to-face with Kyra, I jumped a little.

  Kyra shook her head. “Clear,” she called.

  “Clear,” echoed Janera from the master bedroom, and a moment later, Vilqa said the same in the third bedroom.

  “All clear,” Amena confirmed from the living room.

  We gathered back in the middle. Janera locked the patio doors while Vilqa secured the front. For a long moment, everyone stared at the knife, not wanting to touch it.

  Finally, Amena wrapped a cloth napkin around the knife’s handle and wrenched it free. “We might get evidence off this,” she said as she set it down. She also used the cloth to avoid touching the paper as she slid it across the table to get a closer look.

  “Beware,” the note began in large, ominous letters. “Your activities have already been noticed by the enemy. Stop using our symbols before you bring their retribution down on all of us.” There was no signature, but a five-pointed star, drawn in coppery ink, told us where it had come from.

  Janera dropped into a chair and let out a heavy sigh. “I guess we’ve contacted the local cell.”

  “I don’t understand what these rebels actually do,” I grumbled. “Every time we make any progress, they complain we’re putting them in danger. But the empire says that anything bad is caused by the rebels, so they’re getting blamed even if they ‘keep to the fringes.’ Why not just go in guns blazing?”

  Amena shot me a warning look. “The empire wouldn’t tell you about any of their actual losses against the rebels.” She waved her hand at our group. “And how well did it go when we went for the direct assault?”

  “We destroyed their factory.” I smacked a fist into my other palm for emphasis. “I haven’t seen any more mechanical beasts since then, have you? Except for losing Nexita, I think it was our most successful attack.” I held up a finger. “And if I knew where Pomavar was making these creepy fake limbs, I’d attack them again. Stop them before they turn more people into these bionic witches.”

  Vilqa let out a cheer. “Yeah, let’s take the fight to them!”

  The lock on the front door rattled, and everyone whirled toward it.

  Deryt stopped in the doorway when he saw us standing in fighting positions. “Whoa, did something happen at the concert?”

  Kyra shook her head. “The concert went off without a hitch, but you’d better come see this.” She gestured to the note on the table.

  Deryt scowled as he examined the note and listened to our description of how we found it. “I know who sent this,” he said when we’d finished. “I don’t know why he didn’t just come to me. Leaving a threatening note in our rooms is too melodramatic.”

  “Is this from your contact in the province?” Amena asked.

  Deryt nodded. “The one I sent all my reports to, Eberet. He’s the first person I asked for help when we left Lyndamon, but he never responded.” He sighed. “I guess I could try to track him down for an in-person conversation, but I can’t do that and follow Pomavar at the same time.”

  Vilqa perked up. “Did you find out anything new about that creep? We were just saying we need to go punch someone.”

  Amena and Deryt both turned and snapped, “No.”

  Vilqa pointed at me. “It was her idea.”

  I folded my arms and dropped onto the couch in a pout. “What I said was we should stop Pomavar’s nefarious plan. We need to find out what the plan is first. Then punch him.”

  “Okay, let’s slow down,” Deryt said, holding up his hands in the air. “Pomavar is asleep in his hotel room, which is why I came back to get some rest. I found out he’s meeting hopeful buyers at the biggest temple to Chysa, which is Irdemar. They’re all going to be there for the dawn ceremony tomorrow.”

  Oh no. The last thing I wanted to do was get up before dawn and go back to one of Chysa’s temples.

  “Then we’ll be there at dawn,” Amena said. “Keep an eye on him while you find your contact.”

  I lifted my head. “When you say ‘we,’ how many are you thinking? Because if all five of us show up together, we might stand out.”

  Amena looked over at Deryt. “Do you want to take anyone with you?”

  “He doesn’t know anyone else,” Deryt said.

  Uqra hopped onto Deryt’s shoulder. “Eberet knows me. I might persuade him.”

  Tika piped up. “Then the rest of you will disguise yourselves and we’ll go to the temple. Maybe we’ll split up the group to be less conspicuous, but I want everyone there in case there’s an opportunity to strike back.”

  I suppressed the urge to groan. Well, I said I wanted to do something. This was my chance.

  “I’m curious to look at the temple,” Kyra said. “Irdemar is centuries old, built before they founded the empire. We might learn something about the past in such a historical building.”

  Janera cleared her throat. “That’s good, but we also need to figure out our long-term plan. Are we staying here to spy on the enemy while Amena plays pop star?”

  Everyone turned to look at me again.

  “Um,” I said, coughing into my hand. “I guess so? I mean, one or two concerts won’t be enough to change people’s minds about Quilla. It seemed like tonight was the start of something, so if we think it’s the best path, we have to follow through. But if the rebels are demanding we stop, or if Pomavar’s planning something bad, they could get in our way.”

  Amena said, “So Quilla hasn’t told you anything else?”

  I started to shake my head, but then I remembered the presence I’d felt during the concert. “Not directly. But I could tell the show tonight was helping. Quilla was pleased when you sang her song.”

  Vilqa raised their hand. “I thought I felt Sawycha watching us during ‘Walking on the Shoreline.’”

  “Really?” Janera said, sounding excited. “Because I sensed Omer’s presence when we did ‘Candy Candy.’ That was one of my favorite parts.”

  Amena blushed and ducked her head, but her pride was obvious. “I was afraid that one sounded a little childish.”

  Janera laughed. “Yeah, but Omer loves kids. If the song becomes popular with children, I bet it would make him even happier.”

  Tika preened herself. “So it seems like Riwenne’s suggestion is paying off. We’ll stay here for now, but if the rebels or Pomavar get in our way, we can move on to somewhere else.”

  Everyone agreed, and Kyra even gave me an encouraging smile. Then we got ready for bed. Tomorrow would be another long day.

  Irdemar Temple was older than Lyndamon and most of Ruraqie, built from stone with elaborate decorations. The main sanctuary was a round, domed-roof building surrounded by rose gardens. The flowers were copied in the carvings all over the building.

  Inside, a stained glass rose window faced east, waiting for the first rays of dawn. Little shrines covered every available space alon
g the walls to display idols of gods and goddesses. I’d never seen so many of them in one place.

  The altar was in the middle of the room instead of facing east, under windows at the top of the dome. There were still two pedestals flanking the altar. One held an enormous statue of Chysa. The second was empty—but I could guess who should have been there.

  Benches were arranged in rings to face the center. We caught sight of Pomavar in the front row, looking smug and dapper in his R&D uniform. Kyra and I slipped into seats several rows behind him, while Janera positioned herself farther away but still in sight.

  There were pamphlets advertising the temple on every seat. I opened one and found a brief history of the temple. A schedule listed sun worship ceremonies at dawn, midday, and sunset. They’d also printed out the daily prayer. I guess if attendance wasn’t mandatory, not everyone learned the prayers.

  Amena couldn’t get away with coming in unnoticed. Fans recognized her the moment we’d stepped off the train, and they forced her to stop and sign an autograph every few steps. With Deryt gone, Vilqa acted as her bodyguard, keeping the crowd from mobbing her. When they made it inside, a senior priestess thanked her for attending and showed her to a seat in the front.

  The bells rang to begin the ceremony, and I looked around the room in surprise. Most of the seats were still empty. I glanced at Kyra and she shook her head. Warawa was right, most people didn’t bother to pray at all.

  The priestesses filed in, less than half the number there had been in Damon Temple, and most of them looked older. Only a handful of novices followed them. I guess it was encouraging that Chysa didn’t have such an iron grip on this town, but what did they believe in? Was there a separate temple to Linar, the god of invention, or a shrine to the god of coal? Or did they only believe in money?

  The high priestesses began their chant in Old Ursan, the ancient language. The head priestess, an old, white-haired woman, lifted her crystal into the first rays of the sun, creating a sunstone. But instead of offering it to a town official, she placed it into a metal box on the altar. She charged up only a few more, putting them all into the box, and locking it with a golden key.