Wild Hope

by C. M. Estopare

  The square of bodies moved, the tribes-people tense as the Outsiders followed their run back to safety. Back on the path, a hail of bullets ripped through a woman to the right of Kato. In response, a man to his left sent magicked arrows flying while Kato threw a sharp semicircle of air toward their pursuers.

  The Water Scion was right. The Outsiders would follow.

  “What now?” the Water Scion hissed. “If they get to Nyx the Outsiders will wipe everyone out.”

  Women. Children. Invalids. Their lives rested on Kato’s shoulders now as the party held their ground and fought the remaining men who tailed them. The leader of the group, one with heavily tattooed forearms and a feral glare made eye contact with him. Glared at him hard, eyes narrowed into predatory slits. Kato’s fight with the basilisk seared through his mind and he fought to call up that strength again. Wasting the soul swirling around in his crystal, he kept his eyes glued to the group’s leader and lifted up his hands. He’d exhaust this entire soul if he had to—just to save his people. Just to save the Mesh.

  The high-pitched shriek of the Shamaness’s blood-chilling war cry rocketed through the Mesh and the Outsiders. The sticky tentacles of her aura bled through the Mesh as she shoved her people away, sprinting like a possessed woman. Skidding to a stop, she shouted as her fingers and nail-guards contorted; a thick wall of earth rising before and around them. A great wall rose from the ground like a thick wave of sediment, cutting the Outsiders off from the Mesh and the rest of the Wilds. She screamed as her crystal emptied, her hands rising higher and higher. The wall almost touched the sky before she was finished. Exhausted, her hands dropped to her sides as she collapsed onto her knees. On the other side, rifles cackled. Bullets scissored into the wall but could not make it through. The bullet storm continued for a while, the men emptying their rifles trying to break through. Eventually, they turned to using their fists.

  The Mesh rejoiced silently. Staring vacantly at the wall knowing that their dead comrades were on the other side. Unburied. Free to rot away into the island. Into Moira. Right along with Behemoth.

  Kato offered the Shamaness a hand. She clasped it and stood. Kato’s hand came away sweaty. Smeared with blood.

  21

  So many had died. The fight was fruitless. The blame for it squarely on Kato’s shoulders as he stalked up the gangplank to Nyx. He was a ghost—they all were shadows of their former selves as wives found out they were widows and husbands cried the names of their deceased wives. Children became orphans. Parents, childless. All of this happened in the span of a morning. A couple of hours. Kato cursed himself for it. But the tribe found solace in his haunting presence.

  People were being kept away from the Shamaness’s hut.

  “Hey!” Seble hissed, her foot popping out from an alleyway. “Over here, Kato! I need to speak with you!”

  He wanted to correct her. Make the Oathbreaker call him by his title, but it was only his bitterness that wanted to embarrass her. Kato swallowed his anger and slipped into the alley.

  “She killed her.” Seble blurted. “The Shamaness. I saw everything.”

  Blood still stuck to his hand, the hand that the Shamaness had grasped when he helped her up. The thought had crossed his mind that the blood was Ava’s, but he didn’t want to think the Shamaness could do such a thing. Killing a Scion—no matter their lineage—was outright betrayal to the tribe. To Moira, it was the blackest of sins.

  “You lie.”

  “It was a bloodbath. Tradition won out. I mean, the Shamaness.”

  Though she was an oathbreaker, Seble was a warrior as well. She would have been on the beach, fighting. Not hanging around Nyx. “Why weren’t you on the beach?”

  “Zori told me to hang back. You know? My master.” She took a step toward him. “It was fate—I swear. I was meant to see it. Only Souda and I know what happened to the Outsider Scion. Now, you know too.” She peered up into his eyes. “What will you do about it?”

  They were friends, Ava and him. They were friends. Kato’s jaw jutted. Alemayu had told him to make sure she didn’t die—and now he knew why. He never thought that the Shamaness—the tribe’s spiritual leader—would take Ava’s life. And for what? Did she have a good explanation? He couldn’t believe he was thinking any explanation was good enough to explain away murder. Maybe Ava refused to cut ties with her people—but not even that would result in the Shamaness murdering her. It was the equivalent to murdering someone in cold blood—a veteran scion versus one who has just come into her power. It wasn’t right. It was sin. This would upset the Way.

  “Thank you, Seble.” Was all he could get out before stomping away, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit through his skin. Drawing blood.

  Stalking along the boardwalk, he made his way to the Shamaness’s hut. Souda stood on the stairs leading down to it. The guardswoman’s arms were crossed. “Scion.” She said, stumbling over the title. “I’m sorry, but no one is allowed past.”

  “I need to see the Shamaness.”

  “She is in the middle of a Renewal.” Souda stuttered.

  Kato took a step toward Souda, using his height to his advantage, he stared the guardswoman down. “Let me in, Souda.”

  Souda bit her tongue. Staring down at her sandals, she slapped her arms to her sides. “The Shamaness is going to decommission me…swear you won’t tell her what I’ve said.”

  “I swear.”

  Souda looked up. Turning around, she pointed toward the beachside cliff. “She’s that way. She just didn’t want to be bothered. Bringing up the wall took a lot out of her.”

  Kato thanked her with a grunt before taking off. He wasn’t sure what he’d do—but whatever it was—it would make Ava proud.

  Or kill him in the process.

  22

  Standing on the edge of the beach-side cliff, the Shamaness dug her toes into the grass.

  “I know what you did.” Kato snapped as he approached, striding with purpose. With anger. “You killed her—you murdered a Scion!”

  The Shamaness had no retort. The wall now blocked the beach from view, though the ocean was visible on the other side. As was the Veil, a churning funnel of mist that encircled the entire island.

  “You murdered her in cold blood.” He hissed, standing three paces behind her now. Clenching his fists, his fingers twitched as his entire body trembled. He could push her. He could shove her right off the edge of the cliff. Grinding his teeth, he fought the urge to slam his forearm into her upper back. “Tell me where her body is.”

  Raising her arms, they floated up like wings as she raised her face to the sun.

  “Tell me where her body is!”

  The Shamaness sighed as she lowered her arms and head. Bringing her gaze to rest over her shoulder, her lips stretched into the ghost of a smile.

  He hated her for her negligence. If the Shamaness and Ava had been on the beach, they could have saved Behemoth’s body from the Invaders. If she hadn’t walked off with Ava that night—Ava might still be alive. She promised Kato information about that twisted tower of metal and now she’d never get to tell him. Now, she’d never get to help. The entire Island was doomed.

  And the woman who facilitated that destruction smiled.

  Balling up his right fist, air thrummed around his fingers. His arms. If he could knock that self-serving smile off her face, maybe things would change. Maybe she would feel remorse.

  Maybe he could understand why she did it.

  “Why did you murder her?” he whispered. “Ava was my friend.” He blurted, heat welling up in his face. “She didn’t deserve to die here!”

  The Shamaness’s eyes were vacant, shiny like the eyes of a flounder. Her smile dipped at the corners as she turned her entire body to face him now. Again, she lifted up her arms as if challenging him. Daring him to push her over the edge.

  Maybe that was exactly what she wanted. But, Kato couldn’t kill her. Not only was she a Scion, but she was the Mesh’s Shamaness. Without her, t
he Mesh would scatter. The people would eat each other alive in the hunt for a new spiritual leader. And while the people fight amongst themselves, the Invaders would steal their island. Destroy it with their black metal towers.

  Kato sighed. Ava was gone, but he couldn’t act rashly. Alemayu told him that there would be sacrifice once he found his Purpose, and this must have been it. Tribe loyalty for friendship. The Mesh versus revenge.

  He couldn’t kill her.

  The Shamaness lowered her arms and turned back toward the ocean. She brought one toe toward the edge, then another. The cliff threatened to drop off as pebbles crumbled to the sand below.

  “My time is at an end.” She murmured. “Isn’t it?”

  23

  “No.” Kato hissed through his teeth. “Not yet.”

  The Shamaness swore him to secrecy, along with her guardswomen and Seble, whom she elevated to the position of Moira’s Shield. An elite guardswoman to the Scions. Immediately, she was attached to Kato.

  “Really?” Seble hissed at him as he prepared to leave Nyx and venture into the Wilds. “You’re just going to let her get away with it?”

  “The people need their Shamaness, Seble. If you had seen what happened on that beach—the carnage—” he shook his head, “without her, the entire tribe would have died.”

  “She should have known beforehand.” Seble murmured as she stopped on the gangplank. “Moira should have warned her.”

  Seble was right. But Kato could do nothing about it now. He left Seble standing on the gangplank as he stalked into the outskirts and dove into the overgrowth of the Wilds.

  He was looking for his father.

  The canopy above seemed to swirl as he searched, picking through knee-high grasses and shouldering around thick kapok trees. The sun skipped its way across the sky, landing on the opposite edge of the horizon as the sky burst with lavender and tangerine hues. They stretched like fingers across the sky, darkening the jungle. Signaling to night-time predators that this was their time to hunt. Kato stepped through the flattened path the basilisk had created. Bamboo shoots littered the jungle floor like a boardwalk, splinters of kapok and teakwood trees sprinkling the empty parts of the path.

  A blinking light caused him to stop.

  Ava’s cell phone. Striding through the fallen leaves and branches, he dug through the foliage for it. Grasped the rectangle and picked it up. On its surface was a picture of him and Ava. Their first photo together. She had called it a selfie.

  He almost couldn’t recognize this person now. A young man stared at him through the rectangle, his eyes bleary and narrowed. His face full of worry, though no lines surfaced to give them weight. He was baby-faced—almost. And next to him stood Ava, pulling him in as she smiled wide like a crocodile. Ava’s head was close to his, giving the semblance of friendship. Her hand rested on his shoulder like it belonged there.

  Kato’s hand rested on his chest, and it shook. Trembled as his throat seemed to close up and tighten. They went through the Dreaming Anew together. Thanks to her, he resurfaced with a Purpose. Without her, he would have never found out he was a Scion. He would have never found a Purpose and been elevated to something great in the tribe. The Mesh would have always turned up their noses at him if she hadn’t come along. If she hadn’t helped. It felt like ivy vines were ringing around his heart, the vines tightening with every sucking breath he took.

  He chose tribe loyalty over her—his first friend. The first person to ever help him. He chose the tribe—people who had ostracized him for his entire life. People who could have cared less if he died out here doing the Dreaming Anew ceremony. Hell, they would have rejoiced that another leech was gone. The Shamaness wanted to get rid of him.

  And he chose their side.

  In Purpose there is sacrifice.

  He dropped the phone into the leather pack on his back, then stood from his crouch. Wiping his face, his hand came away wet. Stained with tears.

  The Shamaness’s time was at an end. But he was in no place to determine when—he just knew. Knew that the time was coming soon when new blood would replace her—someone open to change. Someone who could save the Mesh and the Island.

  Whoever that may be, I swear to protect them. I swear to keep them alive.

  I will avenge you, Ava.

  To be continued in WILD MAGIC...Available now!

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  Wild Magic Sneak Peak

  You can wake up dead. Ren knew. She swore on it. It’s what hangovers did to her.

  “Ren? Hey!”

  Static rolled in her head. Her eyes were like open sores festering on her face.

  “Open your fucking eyes.”

  Ren wished Itzel wouldn’t.

  “I’m not fucking playing here, open your eyes!”

  Ren groaned. “Fuck off.”

  A hand slapped onto her mouth. Ren’s eyes shot open, her heart thundering in her chest as she thought of all the ways she’d get Itzel back for this.

  Darkness flooded her vision. Slivers of moonlight danced at the edges.

  “Where the fuck—” her voice came out muddled, her words slithering between Itzel’s sweaty fingers.

  “Sssh!” Ren couldn’t even see her hiding in the dark, but she knew Itzel clamped a finger to her own lips. Knew she was kneeling…somewhere. If Ren could get her hands on her…

  “You’re tied up, idiot. Stop squirming.” A shadow danced across the tiny slivers of moonlight. A man-sized one. Once it disappeared, Itzel turned back to Ren. Though it was dark, Ren could see the crazed glint in Itzel’s dark eyes. “Close your eyes.”

  “Why?” she shot back. “Is this some kind of joke?” something rough—rope?—dug into her wrists, sawing its way down to the bone. Her legs were sprawled out in front of her while her head was hoisted up against slick bars.

  Itzel’s cruel grin didn’t phase her. “This might get bloody.” She said, slipping a thin knife from her belt. “Close your eyes.”

  Ren obeyed. She grimaced as Itzel sawed at the rope, the sound chipping away at her sanity as Ren watched the fingers of moonlight inch closer and closer toward them. Bamboo bars surrounded them, while outside the cage the ill-fitting planks of a tiny shed kept them hidden from view. From the moon. Ren cursed. Felt fire roll across her forehead just as the ropes snapped.

  “They drugged us.”

  “Us?”

  “Mhm.” Itzel said. Ren took a moment to rub her wrists. “You, me, and Mia.”

  Mia.

  Fuck. Ren blinked. Racked her brains for a face to place with the name but found nothing. “Whose Mia?”

  It was Itzel’s turn to blink. “Damn. Whatever they gave you, it fucked you hard.”

  “I remember you.”

  “But not Mia?”

  Ren shook her head. What the fuck was going on here? “Why are we in here?”

  Itzel rolled her eyes. “Why do you think? Fuckers kidnapped us. Don’t know why, but—” she scooted closer to the bars and shook them, “—we’re going to get out. Don’t panic. I’ve got this.”

  Since when was she panicking? There wasn’t anything to panic about. She just woke up without any recollection of what happened the night before…in a cage…with her arms tied behind her back…shouldn’t she be panicking? Maybe this was what shock was like. You wake up in something that feels like a dream and you feel—well—nothing.

  Yeah, this was pretty much like waking up dead. No biggie.

  Except, it was.

  “Where are we?”

  “Some fucking island.” Itzel said, aiming the heel of her boot at the bars. “You really don’t remember shit, huh?”

  Did she have to tell her twice?

  “You failed your finals—” Itzel grunted as she kicked at the bars. Her heel grazed off. “—so you were like—fuck it. I’m going on vacation—” she kicked again. No use. “Decided
to bring us with you—” she kicked again and cursed. Brought her leg in and held it. “Then you fucked us. Long and hard. You know,” she turned to face Ren. “You could have at least brought me dinner first.”

  If Ren weren’t concentrating on swallowing her vomit, she would have laughed. “What now?” How the fuck do we get out of here?

  “We get out.” Itzel almost added—duh.

  “But how?” Another shadow passed over the little bits of light squirming from outside the shed. Itzel went rigid. Pressing a finger to her lips, she listened. They both did. Ren couldn’t make out the language—it was singsongy. Like a mixture of Spanish and Chinese. Weird. Deep voices were murmuring—guards, she assumed. Men posted at the door to their shed.

  “They’re talking about us.” Itzel hissed. “I think.”

  Ren swallowed at the lump in her throat and strained to listen. Pressing her ear through the bars, the bamboo scratched at her sweaty face. Hair stuck to her. Frizzy and tangled, almost as if she had fought against these people. Whoever they were.

  “We need to find out where Mia is.”

  Ren almost said who but kept it to herself. Mia is your friend. Remember dammit! But she couldn’t. Ren could have punched herself in anger, but her stomach was already destroyed. No use playing captive with vomit sticking to her clothes, so she bottled her anger up and ground her jaw against it.

  “I’ve got a plan. You listening?”

  Ren nodded her head.

  “You’re not gonna like this.”

  WILD MAGIC continues here.

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