The Last Faoii

by Tahani Nelson

  The king’s face had lost its smile, but Kaiya saw it lurking in his features. He straightened in his high-backed throne, and his voice rang through the court.

  “You dare accuse the king of such things! Get her out of my sight! She is a traitor like the rest of them!”

  Kaiya could not repress her rage. She leapt at the monster king, knowing as she did that it was futile. Her hands hooked like claws, and she sailed through the air with a grace that would not have been possible in a heavier breastplate. Her battle cry was sharp and piercing, and she thought for just a moment that she saw fear in the king’s eyes. But it was quickly replaced with humor.

  Kaiya heard the click before she felt anything. She had no time to react before a crossbow bolt sprouted just above her hip, buried in the exposed leather below her breastplate. Her momentum carried her to the king, but he was already up, grabbing her by her outstretched wrists. Time slowed as Kaiya stared into the familiar pale eyes of Croeli-Thinir. They were colored with glee.

  Kaiya wanted to tear those eyes out of the stolen skull they had settled in. But there was no time. The false king swung her quickly, and, as a farmer throws a bag of grain onto a loft, Kaiya flew across the hall with unnatural force. She thought she heard laughter and a bell as she landed heavily on her uninjured hip.

  “Croeli-Thinir!” she screamed, trying to scramble back to her feet as men in plate armor surrounded her with glinting long spears. She tried to push past but was beaten down. “You have to let me go! The king is taken!” But her cries went unheeded and were then cut short as a booted foot pounded into her stomach, doubling her over.

  The bell and laughter were sounding again, but there were words there too. “Take her to the dungeon. I will deal with her personally.” There was a pause before the voice continued, “Oh, and do be careful. She is the last, after all.” Kaiya could only glare and pull against her captors as the laughter took control again.

  *~*

  Croeli-Thinir growled as he clutched his head in pain and anger. How dare Lucius defy him? He was completing the work of gods, and some insignificant, mortal king felt he held enough power to disobey orders? Now pretty little Kaiya not only knew that the monarchy was not her ally, but was to be thrown into a cell, and for what? So that a single man could satisfy his most base desires and flaunt his power over the last of the women that had refused his reign? Imbecile!

  But . . . this could work. Kaiya was resourceful. She could adapt. She wasn’t even aware of how strong her bloodline was. And there were other resources in those cells. Ones that Thinir could still use to his advantage, even if not in the way he had originally intended. Kaiya was alone and frightened. Surely she would take whatever help she could, regardless of the source.

  This could still work. Even if Kaiya could not escape the prison, even if she did not use his gifts to her . . . he could still succeed with his original plan. Most of the country was his already. Those few that still opposed him would come of their own accord.

  Until then, he would continue the war god’s work. His control must be complete.

  And there was a sad little king that needed to be punished.

  8

  Kaiya said nothing as her hands were bound and she was lifted forcefully to her feet. She kept her head down and tried to think through the humiliation of having fallen into a trap like this.

  There were not very many twists and turns through the long hallways, and some part of Kaiya knew she should be paying attention to their route. But the Faoii could only focus on her hatred and listen to the sound of booted feet as spear tips prodded her breastplate at random. Even with her head down and her eyes misted in a red haze, Kaiya refused to let the spears affect her stride. She never faltered in her step, never stumbled or fell out of sequence with her captors. Until suddenly, the ground wasn’t there anymore.

  Kaiya tumbled down the stairs she had not noticed in front of her, trying to catch herself with arms that had been bound behind her back. She fell six or seven steps before she could catch herself in a crouch, using her legs to steady herself and stop the disconcerting spill. The men above her laughed and jeered, their comments reverberating against the stone walls. Stubbornly, Kaiya straightened her legs and rebalanced herself, turning with a determined stride until she was facing downward.

  This time, Kaiya started the descent more carefully, angry at herself. She should have realized where she was. The air was chilled here and smelled of mildew. It was obvious that this pas- sage led underground, and she should have been able to sense it before reaching the first step. Disgusted, she finished the descent with a grace that quickly quieted the men behind her. The last few stone steps rang out under her booted heel.

  The men were not gentle as they stripped her of her breastplate and leathers, tearing through her armor and casually discarding knives and tools as they found them. There was a sharp pain as someone ripped off her jerkin, and Kaiya looked down to where the crossbow bolt had struck her. She was pleased that the leather had stopped all but the very tip of the shaft, and the wound was minor. It was only after both sets of armor had been stripped that the men paused, looking over the plain cloth tunic that Kaiya wore underneath everything else. It was well worn and threadbare, and the dust-colored cloth contrasted with her mocha-colored flesh. Kaiya squared her shoulders and eyed the men, waiting. The sound of dripping water echoed through the cavern.

  Without warning, one of the guards behind Kaiya suddenly lunged forward, wrapping his arms around her torso. She convulsed as she felt him poke against her lower back, and threw the back of her head forcefully into his wide smile. The soldier roared with pain, and Kaiya felt something warm and sticky splatter the back of her head. She straightened again as the other men looked between her and the wounded man. She stared back.

  Come at me, then.

  Kaiya felt the dam break moments before they moved. She tried to prepare for it, but without her arms, she was only able to kick two others down before the rest were on top of her, and without balance she was only able to bite at their fingers, ears, or arms as they pushed her down to the floor. She felt the hard stone against her back and smelled moldy hay, but ignored it as she continued to fend off her attackers, determined to fight with everything she had.

  When someone pulled up her tunic and forcefully tried to spread her thighs, Kaiya could not hold back her battle cry as she brutally rammed her knee upward. There was a choked shout followed by the sound of someone vomiting. Kaiya smiled as she lashed out again.

  Kaiya wasn’t sure how many cries of pain she had elicited before a sharp metal point pricked her neck. She froze, eyeing the iron spear in silence. At its end, a man stared down a bloodied nose to glare at her with dark eyes.

  “Now, you just lie still, Faoii-witch,” he growled, pressing the blade against her jugular. “The king wants you alive, and alive you’ll be. But I will cut out your eyes and break both your legs first if that’s what it takes. Now, you just lie there for a minute until we can grab our wounded. Then you get your disease-laden body into that cell. Do you understand?” Kaiya glared and resisted trying to swallow against the pressure on her throat. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, straightened as much as she was able, and gave a single nod, ignoring the spear and the resulting bead of blood as it pricked her. The guard stared at her, and she read distrust and uncertainty in his features. After a moment, however, he seemed satisfied and pulled back his spear. She heard scrambling and a few pained groans as the other men made their way back to the stairwell.

  Kaiya didn’t move until the bloodied man finally motioned her toward an open cell a few strides away. She scowled up at him and pulled at her bound wrists, which were quickly going numb under the weight of her back. It took the man a second to understand, and when he finally realized what was wrong, he let out a cackling laugh.

  “Not so big now, are you, witch?” He lowered the spear and reached forward to pull Kaiya up by the tunic. Kaiya couldn’t keep the smirk out of her eyes as she curled
her legs under her and pushed herself up forcefully by the strength of her calves, ramming her skull into the guard’s already-broken nose. He stumbled back, screaming in agony. Kaiya straightened as best she could and used what little maneuverability she had in her hands to pull down the back of her tunic. Then, with slow, measured steps, she walked to the open cell. The guard glared at her from the other side of the room, holding his face with one hand and his spear in the other. Kaiya lifted her chin.

  “You may close the door now, soldier.” Her voice was stern with the full authority and power of the Faoii. Slowly, the soldier crept toward the cell, then swung it shut with unnecessary force and slammed the bolt into place with a resounding clang. Still eyeing Kaiya, he backed away before turning and rushing up the stairs.

  For a long time the only sounds were dripping water and the ghostly whistle of air drifting through the prison. Kaiya fidgeted with the ropes at her wrists but could not break them despite her struggles. With a frustrated exhale, she gave up, stamping her foot in irritation. The force of it bruised her bare heel.

  The gloom of the prison was dingy and grey, and the barred window in Kaiya’s door only offered her a glimpse of the cell directly across from hers and a ray of pale, flickering firelight. There was no evidence that any guards remained in the cata- combs. They’d probably all escaped to the sanctuary at the top of the stairs.

  Kaiya stood silently, listening to the quiet plop-plop of dripping water somewhere nearby. But there was . . . something else, too. She perked her ears and lifted her head again, trying to glimpse more of the underground chamber.

  “Who’s there?” she called out. She heard a soft exhale, then silence again.

  “Who’s there?” Kaiya’s voice was more forceful this time.

  No reply.

  “Answer me!” Kaiya kicked the iron door in front of her, using her heel rather than her toes, and the action gave a resounding thump that accented her command. The bruise that had already formed there protested under this continued abuse, and she hissed in pain. Something shifted in the shadows of the cell across the pathway.

  “There is no need to shout, Faoii. I can hear you.” A man materialized out of the darkness. Tall and thin, with sharp, angular features, he held her gaze with pale blue eyes through his own barred door. Kaiya straightened, clenching her teeth.

  The man’s dark features were familiar to her, and she hated them with everything she was.

  “You . . . you Croeli bastard! I’ll kill you!” She gnashed her teeth and pulled even tighter at her bonds, angry that the man she was seeing was not quite the man she wanted to be screaming at. Though not exact, he looked so much like Thinir. He had to be a relative of some sort. And in her mind, that made him just as responsible as his kin.

  “You look like him! You son of a bitch! You’re one of them!” It was a long moment before the other prisoner responded.

  “You’re speaking of Thinir, aren’t you? Be careful what you say. I don’t look any more like him than you do, Faoii.” The reply was soft and even. Kaiya’s blood seethed.

  “How dare you?” she screamed. The figure slipped back into the shadows. “How dare you?”

  “Look to your own reflection, Faoii. You hate me because of my dark skin and light eyes, even when you are as dark as I am and have eyes like drops of pale jade?” Kaiya felt that she could almost break the ropes with just her rage. Who could dare compare her to the beastly Croeli so casually? She was about to scream her fury at the pretentious prisoner, but he continued, “The contrast is not a common trait, so I do not begrudge your assumption that I know of whom you speak. But don’t be so quick to throw rocks in a mirrored hallway.”

  Kaiya seethed. “I am Faoii. I’m not one of those murdering beasts! But you—!” There was a soft grunt as the other man presumably lowered himself to the ground of his cell. “You look just like that sorcerer. You’re one of them.” The sigh echoed again.

  “You know nothing of me, Faoii. Judge me as you wish; it is of no matter now. Though”—He paused, and Kaiya had to strain her ears to hear his soft finish— “though, it does sadden me to see you here.”

  Kaiya wanted to scream her frustration and hurt at the man, but she could not. Instead she only sank wearily to the floor, the adrenaline of her encounter with the guards and the fury of being so close to an adversary but unable to reach him sapping her strength. She shivered on the stone floor and twisted at the ropes that bound her hands behind her back. The man was right; it was rare to have pale eyes and dark skin. Had she ever met another person with those features? No. In all her life, she had never realized her own strangeness. Why hadn’t it occurred to her as soon as she had seen the Croeli sorcerer? It would have occurred to anyone.

  Had it occurred to Mollie?

  Mollie’s wide, unblinking eyes stared into Kaiya’s memory, and she could not help but try and use her Sight on the face floating there. Did she read betrayal? Was that last look of terror actually directed at her more than at the Croeli or death?

  Did she die thinking I was somehow associated with those monsters? Why else would I duck out of the way so she could fall?

  Kaiya didn’t realize she was crying until the sound of her own racking sobs pulled her from her stupor.

  “Stop it, Faoii,” the other prisoner was saying. “You are stronger than this.” Kaiya wondered how long he had been speaking to her. But his voice was gentle, and as much as she hated it, she felt comforted. She wiped her eyes against her shoulders and leaned back on her heels.

  “How do you know how strong I am?” She tried not to sniffle or let her voice shake. She failed. There was a gentle chuckle from across the corridor.

  “I know so much about you, Kaiya-Faoii. If only you knew . . .” It surprised Kaiya that she was more upset about the improper title than that a strange Croeli knew her name. Still, she could not help but bristle.

  “I am Faoii-Kaiya of the Monastery of the Eternal Blade. I have earned my title.” Her voice still trembled, but Kaiya realized that she was still somehow proud enough of her place in the world that she could demand respect, and that strengthened her. The soft chuckle sounded again.

  “Apologies, Faoii-Kaiya. I did not know of your ascension. That must have happened after last I saw you.”

  “What? Were you there? With them at the end?”

  The stranger was quiet for a long time before he spoke. “No. I was a . . . scout. I was sent to watch your monastery’s movements several years ago, and I . . .” His voice softened. Was that regret she heard? “I am always thorough.” Kaiya wasn’t sure whether he was even still speaking to her, his voice was so low. “I am not proud of it now, but I gathered as much information as I could and sent it to my superiors. That is why they knew of your weaknesses.” He paused, and Kaiya wanted to scream out in renewed rage and hatred, but something in his voice stopped her. There was shame in his words. Shame, regret, and pity.

  The prisoner released a breath as he moved restlessly. “I tried to save your people, Kai—Faoii-Kaiya. But I could not. I tried to warn the king, but Thinir had already claimed the heart of the nation as his own. Even I did not know that his influence had spread so far. My betrayal was dealt with accordingly.” Kaiya could almost see him gesturing around the prison. “But I did try.” As he finished, the silence became absolute again. Kaiya frowned.

  “Stand up, Croeli, and tell me all of that again. I want to see you say it.”

  “You mean you want to test your Sight on me.”

  “Yes.” Kaiya did not bother trying to lie. The chuckle was softer this time.

  “Well, at least you’re honest about it. It will be too dark in here to do you much good, though, Faoii.”

  “I don’t care. I want to see you say that you did not intentionally kill my people.” Kaiya used her legs to push herself into a standing position and stared out through the bars on her door. After a few moments, the Croeli appeared in his window. He moved his face as much into the light as he could before speaking.r />
  “I tried to save your people, Faoii-Kaiya. I was not able to, and I regret my actions that led to their fall.” Kaiya watched his face carefully. She saw no indication that he was trying to falsify his features, but she did catch something else. “It was never my intention to hurt you.”

  “You’re not lying. Or if you are, you’re better at false-facing than I am at using the Sight.” He turned to move away from the door again, but she stopped him. “No. I know you’re hiding something. There’s something you want to say. There’s a longing in your eyes. And fear.” The man said nothing, only held her gaze. Kaiya narrowed her eyes. “Keeping secrets won’t get me to trust you, Croeli.”