“This is where Caythis appeared,” he pointed to a spot in the ash black circle. “I didn’t know what to tell him, to make him understand all the confusion and agony I felt. All the regret inside me. I couldn’t make him understand… and he said he’d come to kill me. I was so afraid…” Antares looked up bitterly. “So I killed him first. Because I was too scared to die… and then I couldn’t take it anymore. I was weak. I… begged his forgiveness, in his final moments. That’s all I remember… Then the District must have found me. I believe you were with them.”
“Yes, I was,” said Kira. “We were running from Citadel, leaving Mom and Dad behind. We were crying, Gavin and I, and we just didn’t understand what was happening. I wanted to help. I knew I could help, but that was a secret Dad told me never to share. And then, when we were near Andar, there was a firefight. Dr. Erikson made us stay far away until the shooting was over. It was very frightening for Gavin, so I stayed near him, holding his hand. When it was over, a lot of the men went up to the summit, this spot, but we weren’t allowed to go. They never told us what they found up here. While I waited, I remember watching the fires that wouldn’t go out.”
“They found me here,” said Antares. “And Caythis too. He was dead, I wasn’t.” She flinched slightly. “Dr. Erikson and the others dragged me to Silverwind where they got the perverse idea to surgically replace my memories with those of Caythis. They wanted me to become him, so your champion would still be alive.”
Kira turned pale, “Yes, I know. I made Dr. Erikson tell me everything after you left. I needed to know why you claimed to be Antares. I needed to know the truth. So he told me.”
Antares nodded. “So now you know everything.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“For what?”
“For opening up to me. For trusting me.”
He took her hand again and smiled. “Caythis was a good man. A truly great man, I wish he were still alive.”
“Part of him is,” she said. Antares raised an eyebrow, not sure what she meant.
“Oh,” he said, figuring it out. He pointed to his head, thinking of Caythis’ memories inside him. “In here.”
“No.” Kira shook her head. “In here.” She pointed to his heart.
He let the peaceful silence return, sharing his thoughts again only after a long pause.
“It makes me wonder,” he said. “You say you see goodness in me, but how much of that is really me? And how much of that is just the residue of Caythis’ mind inside my own head?”
“Antares, everyone has goodness inside them if they choose to see it,” she said, squeezing him. “And as people, we’re constantly changing, constantly adding and subtracting from ourselves, growing and learning. What once belonged to Caythis and is now yours, is no less a part of you than your own hand or foot.” She looked up at him. “Or heart.”
She slipped away from him, to remove her cuirass, in order to be closer to him. When she returned, he pulled her tightly against him, feeling her softness and warmth. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on hers. They stood together for a long time.
“I love you,” he whispered into her ear. “Are you even real?” he hugged her tighter for a moment. “Don’t go away. Never go away.”
“I’m not planning on it,” she whispered back.
He pulled away to see her face, her hair glistening, her face lit up by the pale light of the moon. Behind her was a tapestry the color of midnight with thousands of shining stars. “You've never been more beautiful.”
She smiled. “And you’re okay looking.” They both laughed.
“I want to be with you forever,” he said with a huge smile.
“Me too.” Her voice was a whisper and she closed her eyes, resting her head on his chest. He held her close again, rubbing her back. Thinking about everything. He imagined a home of his own, and she would be there. His ring on her finger. To have his own family, their family, the thought melted him with joy. It was everything he’d ever wanted and more.
But the bliss faded as he realized what he was truly asking. He felt himself grow stiff and she pulled herself away to look into his eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“It can never work,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll be the queen of Citadel soon. And the people will never accept Antares with the queen.”
“Let Gavin be the King, he’s a Paribus too.”
“I could never take your throne away from you.” He felt as though he’d stolen too much from her already.
“That one isn't your choice, it’s mine,” she said. “And I never wanted to be the queen anyway.”
“I don’t believe you,” Antares said, but he was teasing her now.
She smiled. “Being the queen sounds extremely boring.”
“But Gavin’s too young to be the King.”
Kira looked squarely into his eyes and took his hand. “Maybe I'm insane, Antares, but I love you. And if you love me back we can find a way.”
He brushed her hair from her face then bent low and kissed her, deeply and passionately. And, as they held each other close in the moonlight, time lost all its meaning.
25
“You never told me how you’re an enforcer,” said Antares. He pitched his jetbike left, to avoid a boulder on the trail.
“You never asked,” replied Kira. She was flying parallel to him, about five meters away. The sky ahead was bathed in bright scarlet as the rising sun filled their view. It was glorious.
They were heading to Skyhaven, for better or worse. Hoping to join the attack against Rigil—if there still would be one.
“I know you never went to the enforcer academy. Is it because you’re royalty?” he pressed her.
“Yes and no. My father knew what the academy was like, how the students were treated, and he didn’t want me to go there. So they hid my talent and taught me to keep it a secret.”
“So honored King Paribus broke the law?” Antares chuckled.
“Well, he didn’t really break Citadel law. But I guess he violated the Codes of Coalition, since they require all so-called ‘persons of magic’ to be 'rightly trained' at the academy. He told us that it was because I was royalty so I was exempt, but I knew that wasn’t true. Or else I wouldn’t have to hide my talent. Of course, the real story is one of a father not wanting to send his daughter to a place like that. You saw it for what it was, can you blame him?”
“No. Not really.” Antares was chilled by the thought of Kira being taken to the punishment room. He put the image out of his mind. “Your skills are very impressive for not going to the academy.”
“Thanks. It’s because I was trained secretly since I was very little. I had three different trainers over the years, the last one was Caythis.”
Antares imagined his cousin, with no instructor training, trying to teach a young, impetuous Kira about magic, culture, and combat. He wondered if the uniqueness of her magic made things difficult. He thought of what it had looked like, when he’d seen it, how her hand had glowed blindingly white.
“Tell me about your magic,” said Antares. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
“Oh you mean this?” her voice was bittersweet. She let go of her handlebar and raised her hand. Like an orb, it began to glow until Antares’ visor went berserk—frantic to deal with the surge in brightness. Then it faded.
“You’re the first person to connect with ancient magic since the End of the World. I think everyone else has either been fire, water, or air.”
“It is unique,” Kira admitted. “But not very powerful. Helpful if you need to find something in the dark but… that’s about it.”
“There’s always a higher level to reach. Who knows what your magic is capable of.”
“Caythis was of that opinion as well. He always told me he believed I could access greater power if I really wanted to. But I think he was only saying that to make me feel better. Since there’s no wa
y he could have known.”
Their bikes were shooting over farmland now, fast approaching the rising climb toward Skyhaven.
“Don’t sell yourself short. Ancient magic is deep and mysterious, I wouldn’t put any cap on your limits.”
“That’s sweet,” she said. “Even if I’m just the equivalent of a magical flashlight.”
He laughed and she joined in.
They slowed to a safer speed and climbed into the city. Following the bending, perilous road to the plateau.
The ambient red light of the rising sun was gradually becoming yellow, but frost still covered the little growth they passed. It was early, but the roads were congested with military vehicles. Soldiers in full uniform stood in force, guarding nothing in particular. The hotel signs all blinked “No Vacancy,” and several tents had been erected on open land.
“They’re preparing for war,” said Antares. “Looks like our attack is still on.” He noted the mixture in color as forces from Silverwind, and to a lesser extend New Andar, were quartered throughout the city in addition to the Skyhaven troops.
They landed their jetbikes, took off their helmets, and entered the city on foot. Antares led Kira away from the pandemonium and they took narrow side streets to avoid attention.
Eventually the capitol was just across the street.
The pearly, marble structure was surrounded by mobs of people—soldiers, curious civilians, and protestors.
“Here we are,” he said, not sure what to expect. He thought of Jaden. Wondered if the man would make good on his threat and try to kill him. Antares didn’t want to fight another good person just to save his own life.
“Yes, here we are.”
The blink of her eyes and the crease of her smile gave him so much joy. He realized again how very important she was. His only hope. His only reason to believe in himself. He thought of a tiny flame. How even the tiniest, weakest fire still had the potential to become the greatest firestorm—if it was cared for and not blown out completely. His hope was like that fire and Kira, sweet wonderful Kira, was his reason not to blow it out. He couldn’t lose her.
“Are you all right?” she asked, noticing his thoughtful pause.
“Look, Kira,” he said, trying to find the right words. “When I go to fight Rigil. Maybe you shouldn’t come.”
“What? Why not?”
“Rigil is deadly. More dangerous than you can imagine. If you come with me… I don’t know if I can protect you.”
“Oh please,” she said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “I have to go to protect you.”
He smiled. He loved this about her. Her spirit. Her confidence. Her strength. How she radiated goodness and yet was so stubborn. Somehow, she believed in him. Made him believe in himself. She’d helped him carry his burden every step so far, and clearly refused to let him handle it alone. As much as he wanted to keep her safe, he knew he would be taking something away from her if he refused to let her come. And that, if he tried to refuse, she’d still come anyway.
That meant his only choice was to stand between Kira and Rigil, when the time came. And incinerate Rigil with every drop of magic in his soul before he could even dream of harming Kira.
“I really, really love you,” said Antares with a smile.
She laughed pleasantly. “Stop being so sentimental.”
“Are you ready?” he asked, looking at the steps of the capitol.
“Only if you are.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
***
The noise of arguing spilled out into the hallways. Antares and Kira were ushered through the main concourse and into the throne room. It was a well-decorated hall with pillars and a smooth marble floor. The queen could be seen on her throne, surrounded by officials, while various politicians—including delegations from Silverwind and New Andar—each pressed their case urgently. In the thick of them all, Jaden and Emon could both be seen.
“And I say it’s suicide!” a man in enforcer armor said. It was orange, marking him as the Skyhaven overseer.
Antares and Kira stepped to the center of the room and the arguing dissipated.
“Captain Ceteris and who is the other one?” asked the queen.
“You left me hanging there in Andar, buddy,” snapped Emon from Antares’ right. Antares kept his eyes on the queen.
“This is Kira Paribus of Citadel,” said Antares.
Jaden fought his way to the front of the crowd. His eyes were wide. As if he couldn’t process that Kira was both in enforcer armor and standing next to Antares.
“Welcome to my court, Lady Paribus. Forgive the breach of propriety, you were unannounced. As for you, Captain Ceteris, your assistance is welcome and your absence regrettable. As you can see, we have a situation. The delegation from Silverwind, notably Prefect Jaden Turk and Overseer Emon-Zed have, through tremendous efforts, gained sufficient support from Silverwind and New Andar to fulfill Silverwind’s original commitment. They therefore expect, as do I, that Skyhaven will fulfill its pledge, and provide the necessary troops and resources to liberate Citadel. However, there is resistance among some of the members of parliament. And, at this time, Captain Ceteris, I—”
“STOP CALLING HIM THAT!” yelled Jaden.
Everyone was shocked by the outburst. He’d interrupted the queen, and in such an abrasive manner. There were gasps of surprise and everyone’s attention turned to the young prefect—whose face was as red as his hair. His eyes burned and he fumed, looking from Kira to Antares and back again. As if he could tell how devoted they were to each other, see the romantic spark between them. An avalanche of envy and hate had reached a breaking point inside him.
“How dare you speak like that in this court?” said the Skyhaven Overseer.
“Forgive me, your majesty,” Jaden said, looking at the queen. Then he pointed to Antares. “This man is an imposter. He’s none other than Antares himself!”
This accusation sent an even greater shockwave of surprise through the room. A few people were startled and confused, but most seemed to think the young prefect was insane.
“The Antares?” asked someone. “That’s preposterous. He’s dead.”
“I can prove it,” said Jaden. “Check the records at the academy. You’ll see his face. He’s Antares. And he’s been deceiving us all along.”
“Enough of this,” said the queen. “I will not have this session be hijacked by absurd accusations. Guard-captain, escort the Silverwind Prefect off the premises.”
A man in Skyhaven colors approached Jaden and grabbed him by the shoulder.
“You’re making a mistake, queen,” said Jaden. “You can’t trust him. Find those records, you’ll see that I’m telling the truth.”
“What if he’s right?” asked one of the politicians. “What if that man is Antares?”
“Preposterous.”
“Wait!” said Antares, before Jaden could be completely removed. He knew they would not trust him if they knew the truth. But he was unwilling to live the lie anymore. “I am Antares. What he says is true.”
He expected gasps of shock but was met with only frozen silence. No outcries. No anxious whispers. Only quiet terror and total confusion.
Antares looked into the queen’s eyes. Her air of absolute confidence had been ripped away like a curtain. She had no idea what to say.
“I’m here, standing before you now,” said Antares. “Because I want to help liberate Citadel. We all agree that Rigil must be removed. His skytechnology has brought chaos and death, and he continues to oppress those under his rule. We are in this together, all of us. You must let me help you.”
The air of distrust was thick and conflicted. He guessed some of them believed him, that his intentions were noble, but the shock was too incredible for even them to speak up on his behalf. Here before them was a figure from recent history, the same who’d slaughtered the academy masters, razed part of this very city, and led a violent exodus to Andar. Ultimately destroying it. He was, in their eyes, th
e worst person to ever live since the End of the World.
“I will go alone, if I have to,” said Antares. “But I will remove Rigil from power. I can’t undo my sins. No matter how much I want to. But maybe, if I end Rigil, I can help the world begin to heal.”
“We should be executing you, not trusting you,” one of them spoke up at last.
This sparked outcries from the others and an argument ensued. The emotions that’d held the room hostage were unleashed and there was a furious exchange of words. Some wanted to trust him, or at least use him. They feared Rigil’s skytechnology more than they feared Antares. Others disagreed, believing that the sudden resurgence of their greatest enemy was not something to take lying down. They wanted to string him up, show the world that Antares had finally paid for his crimes. A few wanted to sell him to Rigil for a promise of a cease fire—one that would never work—and others thought he and Rigil were in this together. That somehow Antares’ sudden arrival was part of a larger, fouler design.
Antares tried to think of what to add. Of what he could possibly say to sway them into trusting him. But it was Kira who spoke.
“I am Kira Paribus of Citadel,” she said loudly, getting the attention of the whole room. “And my family lost everything five years ago because of the rebellion. Yet I trust this man with my life,” she pointed to Antares. There was force and thunder behind her voice that he did not expect. “He is a good man. Because he has a good heart.”
There were objections but she spoke over them.
“Yesterday he was someone else. But today he stands here before you all. Wanting only to help. Wanting to set things right as best he can. The past can’t be changed. And no amount of hate or retribution will bring back what was lost. But today, we can make a difference. My people are suffering. They are oppressed, plagued by disease, and dying. We can choose to help them. Please, I urge you. Come with us. Come with Antares. Come with me. I beg of you, as a daughter of Citadel, look away from the past and toward the future. Toward the people who need us now. No one is safe until Rigil’s skytechnology has been shut down forever. We have to act immediately. All of us do. Together.”
Secrets of Silverwind Page 26
