by T. Z. Leigh
“Are you serious? We can’t all fit in there.”
“April, shut up and get in!” Sam scolded.
“You three can’t even fit.”
Jamie let out a groan and pulled her in before the opening became too small for her to fit through. April almost bumped her head and cursed as the dumbwaiter spun slowly into darkness.
“Thanks, Jamie, you nearly took my head off.”
“Would you rather have stayed there?” she replied sarcastically.
“Better than being squashed in here.”
Zachery tutted. “April, seriously, just shut up.”
After a moment of restrained silence, April blurted out, “Fine, but no one better move their hands while we’re in here!”
Light slowly filled the space from below. It took Zachery by surprise to find that they were in a very, very small train station with only two track lines, a decrepit train sitting on each. One track ran to the left and was labelled Mezatica Territory. The other ran in the other direction, labelled Solkateen District.
“I don’t think we should go back to Mezatica; it’s too dangerous,” Sam told them.
In silent agreement, they all boarded the train travelling right. It was the smallest train Zachery had ever seen. It only had one carriage with a dashboard at the front for the controls and ten rows of seats with an aisle down the middle. He and Sam rushed to the front, trying to get the hunk of junk moving while April and Jamie took a seat.
A simultaneous cheer escaped them both when they saw a red light on the dashboard, and the train began to move. It ran very slow at first, then gradually picked up speed. They entered a tunnel and everything turned black, disorientating them. After a couple of minutes, they were thrown into daylight, causing them to shield their eyes from the bright sun. They were still very high up and the track ran along a bridge hundreds of feet in the air. The scenery was like a picturesque countryside that Zachery had only seen on a postcard, and he gazed out in awed silence.
“Oh...my...God!” April cried, then sat down quickly, putting her head between her knees.
“You’re afraid of heights?” Sam asked.
“No...but...how the hell can they run a rickety train...on a single track...on a thin bridge high up in the air? Do they want the passengers to die?”
She groaned and put her head down again, so Sam headed to the front empty seat.
“You don’t know how worried I was when we didn’t know where you were. What happened to you?” Zachery asked Jamie.
“I don’t wanna talk about it right now. I’ll tell you later,” she said. He put his arm around her as she leaned on him. “Right now, I just wanna relax with you and rest.”
She closed her eyes. Although Zachary had questions he wanted to ask her, he obliged and remained silent for the rest of the journey.
Chapter Seventeen
Entering the Solkateen District shocked their senses. There was a stark contrast between the warm and crisp spring air of the Shadateen Nation to the dry, searing heat of this new land. The ground had changed from beautiful fields and meadows to dense sand dunes within a minute. The area in between looked like a soft bark play area, separating the varying terrains.
The train still ran, though now close to the ground, and April hoped it was taking them somewhere safe. They had made attempts to slow down or stop the train altogether at various locations, but it was futile. It was taking them to a specific destination, and all they could do was wait.
So they endured the heat, grateful for the roof that sheltered them from the blazing sun, as the train ran on flat, dry earth with nothing to see for miles. However, when April stared out the window, she noticed skryts standing in clusters, peering at the train going past.
“Hey guys, you don’t think they’ll be a problem, do you?”
“Who?” Zachery asked.
“Them.”
She gestured with her finger to the onlookers some two hundred feet away and recoiled her hand, because the air outside the train was scorching.
“There’s no one there,” Zachery said.
A faint smile appeared on Jamie’s face but was quickly wiped off. April saw this and was in no mood to be riled up.
“I’m not hallucinating!” she shouted.
“I believe you, April, seriously,” Jamie admitted. “I know better than anyone how it feels to see things others haven’t.”
“I think by now, we should suspect anything. From what I remember, the Solkateen District is the land of illusionists. For all we know, everything we see might not even be real.”
Zachery’s words made April sweat even more than she was already because the thought was more than terrifying. Coming here might prove to be the most significant challenge yet, or the most dangerous.
In the direction they were headed, the skyline became dark. Getting closer, they realised a town was up ahead. Small buildings and market stalls with the hustle and bustle of the busiest city in the Sewasphere came into view. The train started to slow.
“It’s taking us to that town,” Sam said. “Let’s hope everyone there is friendly.”
They rode slowly past the colossal market filled with skryts dressed in long robes, with the males wearing turbans on their heads. Children ran around, playing while their parents shopped for a variety of goods. Most of them didn’t take any notice of the train going past, all too preoccupied with buying or selling what they had intended. The train came to a halt as they reached the end of the track.
“We could just stay here and wait till nightfall. Trust me, it’s sweltering out there…and I usually love tropical weather,” April said.
“Why don’t we just get out of here and try to find shade? It’ll only take a minute to get there. We can find shade under one of the big umbrellas.”
“What umbrellas, Jamie?” Sam asked.
“I saw them as we were going past. Huge umbrellas with skryts sitting underneath them, eating and stuff.”
“Well, it’s better than sitting here for hours,” Zachery agreed.
April hated the thought of it but nodded feebly. She took off her sweater, held it over her head and stood at the train door. Everyone else looked at her like she was weird and she rolled her eyes.
“This is what people do when it’s hot, didn’t you know that?”
Sam answered flatly. “Yeah, sure, April. Although now your arms might bake, since the shirt you’re wearing is sleeveless.”
“I’m fine, Sam.”
“Whatever,” he replied. “Everyone just run as fast as you can...except you, Jamie. We don’t wanna attract attention with your super speed. Go!”
They sprinted across the dry ground, but stopped after five seconds when the air unexpectedly became cool and fresh around them. It felt as if the temperature had dropped twenty degrees Celsius, so it was similar to a beautiful summer day back in Iver.
“What the hell? How did that happen?” April queried, pleased not to have to suffer the heat, but curious.
“There must be a protective bubble around the town. I did wonder how those skryts could handle the heat, but I assumed it’s because they’re used to it, like the people who live in deserts in the Sewasphere.”
“Well, let’s go quickly anyway, just in case,” Jamie advised.
They walked briskly, heading for the market. The scents that wafted past made their mouths water, and hunger pushed them to go and investigate which stalls they were coming from. They walked obliviously past a man in a red turban who stared at April for a moment, but she didn’t pay him any notice. She was used to people staring at her.
They approached a stall and attempted to haggle. The stall owner folded his arms, looking irritated.
“I don’t care if you’re new to the District. No payment, no food,” the stall owner told them.
“Would you accept anything else apart from money?” Jamie asked.
“Do you have anything to trade?”
April patted herself, hoping to find some sort of item fit
for trading, but found nothing. Her stomach rumbled as she walked away. She wished she had gone to detention wearing some article of jewellery. But there was no point thinking about that now.
“Guys, wait up!” Jamie suddenly called out to them.
They turned around and saw her taking four boxes from the stall owner.
“Here,” she said, as she handed them a box each. “I found a ring in my inner pocket. Thankfully, he traded it for four of these.”
“What is it?” Sam queried as he opened his.
Inside was a grain similar to bulgur wheat mixed with brightly coloured bits and bobs. It smelt amazing.
Sam smiled at Jamie. “What are we supposed to eat with? Did you get any spoons or forks?”
“Spoons or forks?” Jamie replied, looking thoughtfully at the box in her hand.
April rolled her eyes. “Yeah, as in cutlery...or are we supposed to eat with our hands?”
“Yes, of course! Sorry, I think it’s this heat. It’s getting to me.” She pulled out four utensils from her pocket that looked like miniature tongs. “Apparently, we use these here...well, that’s what the guy said anyway. Let’s go sit somewhere and eat.”
Jamie led the way to tables and chairs arranged haphazardly, shaded by a massive marquee. They sat at the first free table they saw and dug into their food. Eating with the tongs was a little weird, but that didn’t stop them. Once their food was finished, they had to decide what to do next.
“There must be a castle or something where Teselda lived,” Jamie said, “maybe we could look there?”
“I dunno,” April replied, suddenly worried that her lunch was about to be brought back up on the table. “This place isn’t deserted like the others. We might run into trouble.”
“Well, we need to go somewhere, even if it means staying close by for the night,” Sam offered.
On hearing his suggestion, April’s nausea subsided, although she was left with a slight headache.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” she agreed.
“But how would we pay for it?” Zachery questioned. “We don’t have any money.”
Jamie turned to April. “I don’t think there will be any danger after all this time if we try to find the castle...and as Zachery said, we don’t have money to stay anywhere.”
April felt her stomach doing somersaults again.
“I just have a bad feeling about going there. Every time I think of it, I feel like I’m gonna hurl.”
“Really?” Jamie asked, knitting her eyebrows. “Forget it then. If you have a bad feeling, it’s better not to risk it.”
“We should ask around, see if there’s anywhere we could stay for free,” Sam said.
They enquired with random skryts, hoping not to attract too much attention. Everyone they asked seemed to give the same answer. Nowhere was free. They were about to give up and consider roasting in the train overnight, when a skryt in a red turban caught April’s eye. For some reason, she felt drawn to him and made her way to the table where he was sitting.
“Excuse me,” she asked him, “do you know somewhere we can stay the night for free?”
He looked at her and she was caught off guard. His mouth curled into a smile, and his eyes shone with intent.
“Do I know you?” she muttered.
He didn’t reply but continued to stare into her eyes. As if hypnotised, she couldn’t look away from him. The intensity of his stare grew. Her mind went blank, apart from still images projected in front of her. The first image was Teselda smiling, looking down at the man in the red turban as he lay injured on the floor.
“You’re so much like her,” he whispered. “That will make this a lot easier,” he added, standing up and moving closer to her.
“April!” Jamie screamed as she ran towards her. “Get away from him!”
“I know who you are,” he told Jamie. “No more games.”
The man was so focused on Jamie, he didn’t notice Sam and Zachery sneak up behind him. They both had upturned a table, removed the legs, and then waited, ready to knock him out. One surprise hit from Sam made him spin around and almost fall to the ground. He steadied himself, hands on his knees and taking deep breaths, unprepared for the second blow given by Zachery, which left him lying on the floor.
“Come on, let’s run!” Jamie shouted.
“What happened?” April gasped, still a little dazed from the hypnosis.
“No time to waste, come on!” Sam yelled as he took her arm and started running. “How’d you know that guy was bad news?”
“He was about to grab her. He must work for Irisena,” Jamie theorised.
They had approached the end of the market and were now out in the open with nowhere to hide. They looked around, eyes scanning to find cover when they saw a built-up part of the town, building upon building of potential hiding places. No one needed to speak; they all headed in that direction. They ran down the main street, looking side to side.
“This way!” Jamie shouted as she ran down a side road. Right at the end was a derelict house that appeared unoccupied. “Let’s check this one,” she suggested, running to the door to see if it was locked.
The door swung open and they ran in. Once inside, they sat down to catch their breath. Zachery smiled at Jamie and put his arm around her.
“That was some lucky guess,” he said, making her smile back affectionately.
“Yeah, real lucky,” April said blandly. “You seemed to know exactly where you were going.”
Jamie was taken aback. “How could I? I’ve never been here before.”
“What’s up, April?” Zachery intervened.
“There’s something off about her. She...she’s not...real.”
Jamie chuckled. “I bet that guy played tricks with your mind. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“No. I can tell that I caught you off guard just now. My mind is finally clear, and I’m realising what’s true and what’s not. That guy’s name is Fyzer...and he’s my Grandpa.”
“What?” Sam chimed in. “Sven said Teselda’s husband was killed.”
“He showed me enough of his memories for me to believe him. Including the one of how he escaped from Irisena after using someone else as a replacement for his assassination.”
“How do you know he didn’t plant these ideas in your head as a ploy to turn us against each other?” asked Zachery.
“I thought that at first, and still would if it wasn’t for one thing...” She looked at Jamie. “...as we’ve been talking, your disguise is slowly lifting, and I know you’re not Jamie. You’re a Solkateen, and it sickens me that you’ve managed to fool us for this long. Where is Jamie?”
Jamie sighed as she straightened. “I was hoping to deceive you long enough for a team to arrive, but oh well, they’re nearly here anyway.”
The man in the red turban burst through the door, panting, and they leapt up in alarm.
“Get away from them!” he yelled, edging slowly closer and closer to April. He glared at the imposter, eyes burning with fury. “I recognised you straight away, Ms Raaz. I know you’re the best Irisena has to offer. However, you’ll be glad to know your illusion failed to fool me.”
“I suppose I should have known that a king would see through my disguise.”
Jamie suddenly became a dark-skinned, middle-aged woman, making Sam and Zachery jump back in shock.
April gritted her teeth. “I’ll ask you one more time. Where...is...Jamie?”
Chapter Eighteen
Zachery stroked Jamie’s cheek gently and smiled. Relief washed over her, and everything that had happened since her kidnapping melted away with his warm touch.
“I knew you’d come for me,” she said.
He leaned in close, his cold breath hitting her face.
“I was so scared, Zachery.”
“Wake up!”
What?
The statement shocked her. Suddenly, she was being pulled backwards, his beautiful face drifting further and further into the dist
ance. She opened her eyes and saw a guard holding the cell door open, letting in an icy breeze that stung her cheeks. A man entered and the guard shut the door behind him.
“I’ve been waiting to meet you, Ms Blixt. I am Fulgar Lovit.”
She could tell this was the type of man who demanded respect and obedience at all costs…that wouldn’t stop her from being herself, though. He looked down his nose at her, his face full of disdain, and spat on her.
“You’re so lucky I’m chained up right now! And what the hell took you so long? I’ve been in here for over a week. And why did you call me Ms Blixt? My last name is Robb.”
He smirked. “You’ll find out soon, I’m sure. It seems your friends discovered Ms Raaz’s true identity and fled, so she is on her way here. I’m sure she can fill you in on everything that happened between her and Ana’s grandson in your absence. Seems like she has quite a story to tell from what I’ve heard.”
She fought her chains, wishing she could wrap them around his neck until he squealed like a pig. In the end, it was a pointless struggle that left him roaring with laughter.
“Why don’t you undo these chains, and we’ll see how much you laugh then.”
“My, you’re a feisty one, aren’t you? Maybe I should send Voklav in here. He seems to enjoy spending time with female prisoners.”
Panic set in her stomach, followed by hatred burning in her chest.
“Voklav is here?”
“Yes, he’s with Sven right now. Behave, or I’ll happily switch places with him.”
She suddenly remembered what Sven told them. “He’s a Solkateen. He wouldn’t risk doing anything like that to me.”
When she called his bluff, the look on his face provided some satisfaction, then his statement dawned on her.
“Wait, you have Sven too?”
