by Starla Night
Her heart squeezed.
Kayo wasn’t here to decide. Neither was Faier. She had to.
“Kusi. I need you to find Xarin.”
The warrior’s face twisted into fury. “You do not rule me.”
“Don’t do it for me. Do it for Aiycaya. We need Xarin.”
“I cannot leave him.”
“Kusi. Think.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and scrubbed his face. “Never was too good with thinking.”
“Well, now’s the time to start. Do you want your king to die? Do you want to be the reason?”
No. He did not want to hurt the king. Worry and fear showed on his face and in his terrified soul light. In the way he twisted his fists around his trident.
“You can help him, Kusi. We need allies who are loyal.”
The teal-and-white warrior whirled and kicked hard, flying for the ocean floor beneath the city. She followed to the edge of the dais and watched him go. He was single-minded in his purpose.
And that was why when he passed Tibe—and Tibe called out to him—Warrior Kusi did not reply. He flew as though the life of his king rested in his hands.
He flew for all of them.
Tibe watched him leave. Then he looked up and locked eyes with Harmony.
Cold filled her belly.
Tibe was deadlier, angrier, and more assured than when she’d fled. His warriors—the bulk of Aiycaya’s army—ranged behind him with ready tridents.
“Sacred Bride Harmony.” Tibe kicked upward. “You look as though you have seen a dead king.”
“You stabbed him,” she accused.
“You left me no choice.”
“You did this?” Warrior Zaka’s chest vibrations broke. Red-faced from speaking over his shyness, he floated behind Harmony. His tiny honor guard stood between the new warriors and the unconscious King Kayo. “You attacked our king?”
“She left me no choice,” Tibe repeated. He rotated his trident while studying Harmony as though considering where to stab her first. “Aiycaya is a traditional city. She lost our good standing. I could not allow the proud legacy of our noble kings to die with weak King Kayo.”
“So you stabbed him.” Harmony drove home that point. “He trusted you.”
“Not at the end.”
“Because you betrayed him!”
“He betrayed me first,” Tibe snarled. “He betrayed all of us. King Kayo was a decent ruler until you arrived. I made him enforce the rules. He would give traitors a second chance to betray us.”
“You mean he believed in forgiveness.”
“Weakness.”
“No, he was never cruel and violent like you.”
“He could have been a great king. I guided him. You made him question. Doubt his purpose.”
“I stopped him from letting you rule, you mean.”
He smirked. “Do you think I acted alone?”
“First Lieutenant Tibe.” Elder Bawa floated to the dais perpendicular to the two forces. He had left the other guards at the city entrance. “The rebel says King Kayo has been mortally stabbed. You knew. Is that true?”
Harmony’s heart leaped. Of course the Aiycaya guards led by Elder Bawa had tried to capture Faier while he left the city to get Queen Elyssa. Somehow he must have convinced them of the truth.
Elder Bawa was on the same side as Tibe. But he seemed confused, which meant he must not have been in on Tibe’s plan to murder her brother.
“Tibe stabbed him,” Harmony accused.
Elder Bawa frowned. “No. You have not committed such a crime.”
The warriors held their positions, taut with silence, and the truth slowly dawned on Elder Bawa. His aura darkened and his expression slid beyond shock. He shook his head roughly. His vibrations trembled. “How dare you?”
“Come now, Elder Bawa. You prefer my assistance.” Tibe’s lips curled. “I distracted King Kayo while you slipped All-Council orders through.”
“King Kayo always agreed with you.”
“Yes, after I explained. But that does not matter now. You support me. I support you.”
“No.” Elder Bawa drew his trident. “A male who murders his king deserves death. First Lieutenant Tibe, by the highest tradition of Aiycaya and the All-Council, I challenge you.”
“First lieutenant? Ah.” Tibe twirled his trident. His warriors formed a tight unit behind him. “That is King Tibe to you.”
Elder Bawa straightened, clearly aware he fought a murderer who controlled Aiycaya’s army. “You dare to assume the throne? When the king dies, and there is no blood heir to rule, the elders decide who next will rule.”
“I have ruled since long before King Kayo’s death. Yield, Elder Bawa, and I will deign to give you back your position as our representative to the All-Council.”
“I will die before I follow you.”
Harmony piped up, “And anyway, King Kayo’s ‘blood heir’ is right here.”
Everyone stopped and stared at her in confusion.
“Did you forget?” She tapped her chest. “Me.”
Warrior Zaka looked horrified. He and the other warriors shuffled in front of her to form a tight guard. Although they were outnumbered, vastly, they would not let her die.
Tibe laughed. “You bow to a queen now?” He threw back his head and howled. “How ‘traditional,’ Elder Bawa. This surface-raised anathema is your improvement over a most loyal first lieutenant?”
Elder Bawa gritted his teeth, not thankful for her chiming in.
Tibe’s amusement subsided. “Perhaps I must spill more of old King Kamuy’s blood to safeguard our traditional city.” He smoothed his cheeks as though to erase the momentary, unfamiliar smile lines, and gestured with his trident. “Destroy them.”
Warlord Sao waved his trident behind Tibe. His army spread out, encircling the warriors.
A small, iridescent mantis shrimp landed on the back of Harmony’s hand. It snapped its claws. Click. Click.
She did not need it now.
Harmony rose above the warriors striving to protect her, drawing all eyes. The brilliance of the Life Tree flooded their small argument.
Boys. Yes. Argument.
“No, Tibe.” Her chest vibrated so calmly that the mantis shrimp on her hand did not even ruffle. “You are not the future of Aiycaya. Yes, you tried to kill our hope. You stabbed the last ‘young fry’ born in this city through the heart.”
“And I killed him,” Tibe growled, while the others squinted in the Life Tree’s brilliance.
“You failed. Kayo is not dead.”
Tibe blanched but recovered. “Lies. Always with you surface dwellers are lies.”
“His tattoos are still light.”
The guard parted to show the slumped king. He was, at this moment, alive.
Tibe gritted his teeth. “Give him time.”
“In time, I will save him.”
He snorted. “You will try.”
“I will save all of you. The dark future where you kill my brother and assume control will not happen. King Kayo will live. He will find his soul mate and have a child. Everyone here,” she cast her arms over the warriors on both sides, “will find their soul mates, and this city will overflow with life.”
“Your fantasies are impossible.”
“My existence is impossible. Yet here I—”
“Sickly Kayo should have died. Your mother should never have birthed him or you. Xawey should have succeeded King Aka, not Kamuy. I will correct all the mistakes of the old kings.”
“But it’s not a mistake, don’t you see? It’s the reason your old king chose Kayo’s dad to succeed him.”
They did not see.
“The old king chose hope. He chose the future. King Kayo, like his father before him, is honorable. He values mercy. Kindness. Strengthening connections to thrive.”
The mantis shrimp buzzed off, seeking a new perch.
She floated in front of the guard and faced Tibe. “And so do I.”
Tibe presse
d the trident tip to her chest and sneered. “You intend to stop me? You and what army?”
“My army.” She did not hunch away from his weapon. She let it scratch her skin without flinching. “The army of Aiycaya.”
He tilted his head. A flash of doubt undermined his usual certainty.
“They’re listening to me right now,” she explained, feeling the souls of her warriors strengthening the same way she felt the purity of her sacred Life Tree. “Listening to your future and to mine. You’ve ruled too long, Tibe. We know what future you promise. You silenced King Kayo by pretending your voice was right. Now, it’s time for King Kayo’s true voice to ring out.”
“Ridiculous.” Tibe vibrated louder. “Warriors, destroy the anathema and her guard. Retake our Life Tree.”
Her guard tensed.
Elder Bawa gripped his trident. He remained by Warrior Zaka’s side.
Behind Tibe, no warrior moved.
His cocky smile dropped. “Warlord Sao. Engage the threat.” He finally turned. “Warlord Sao?”
Warlord Sao’s eyes reflected chips of ice. “We obey our king.”
“What? No!” Tibe slammed his fist into his chest. “I am the true king. It was always me! King Kayo is nothing. Nobody obeys him. I made his rule, and now I have destroyed it.”
“Our king lives.”
“She showed us a trick. Kayo did not survive. No one could live through such an injury. Where is Healer Hobin? I am the rightful king.”
“The rightful king is King Kayo.”
“She will never rule. This insanity cannot remain. Her words poison you!” He wheeled and raised his trident to Harmony’s chest. “You will never defeat me!”
Warrior Zaka whooped and flew forward. Elder Bawa planted his hand on Harmony’s chest and shoved her behind him, out of danger, while he thrust his own older body in front of the trident.
Tibe froze mid-swing.
Warlord Sao’s sharp blade rested against Tibe’s Adam’s apple. Tibe’s sense of self-preservation stopped him from slicing his own throat open.
The rest of the warriors rushed in. A hundred tridents pressed against Tibe.
The warriors of Aiycaya had listened and chosen the future of their city.
They chose King Kayo.
And Harmony.
Now, where was Faier? He had to save King Kayo!
Chapter Thirty-Two
Faier flew away from Aiycaya, his recent escape from the guards on his mind, and crossed the sea floor toward the waiting army.
Elder Bawa hadn’t wanted to believe that King Kayo was injured. He hadn’t wanted to let Faier pass, but Faier had convinced him to investigate himself. The death of a king threw any city into chaos. Faier had to bring Queen Elyssa to save King Kayo and stabilize the city before it descended into anarchy.
A warrior flew below him. Teal and white. Kusi? The warrior trailed his shadow.
Behind him flew gray Lotar. He’d seen Kusi and now followed the suspicious warrior. On the opposite side, Gailen’s patrol broke off from the main army and dipped to surround Kusi. Kusi’s behavior was strange.
Kusi plowed through them, raising shouts of surprise. He veered up and attacked Faier.
Faier slashed the water. “Back!”
Kusi kicked hard, rolling with Faier’s attack, and knocked him sideways. He wrapped his arms around Faier’s neck in a choke hold.
Faier grappled with him.
The warrior resisted his attack. He was strong. Faier elbowed him in the chin. He let go. Faier rolled free and lifted his trident. Kusi shouldered off the attack and dug out a blade. He shoved the pommel into Faier’s lower back.
Pain burned. Faier grunted. “Disloyal traitor.”
Kusi ground in the blade harder. “I need you.”
“You? Need me?”
“I cannot think. You think. Come now.”
Gailen’s patrol surrounded them. “Release him!”
“I need him,” Kusi snarled.
“He does not return your feelings,” Gailen said.
Faier eyed Gailen.
The pepper-orange warrior grinned. He’d always picked up the phrases and emotions of surface humans easily, despite spending all his time at the bottom of the sea.
Gailen rested his trident, gripping it with his palms to compensate for his broken thumbs. “Let him go.”
“Wait,” Faier choked. “Explain, Warrior Kusi.”
The warrior shoved his weapon harder into Faier’s back. “She ordered me to free him, but I cannot free him!”
“Who?”
“Xarin!”
Faier grunted again. “You need my help freeing Xarin. I will give it. First, let me bring Queen Elyssa into the city to heal—”
“No. She will kill him.”
“What? Queen Elyssa will not—”
“Yes! Because he is held by Rikoy!”
“The All-Council representative captured Second Lieutenant Xarin?”
“We did,” Kusi said. “First lieutenant’s orders. We surrounded him and gave him to Rikoy. He is a prisoner.”
Okay. A glimmer of sense emerged from the warrior’s confused babbling. Faier pursued it. “Why will Queen Elyssa’s entrance to the city risk Xarin?”
“Rikoy waits for Atlantis to destroy Aiycaya. Xarin is his trophy to execute in front of the All-Council. If Aiycaya rebels, he will execute Xarin now.”
So if Queen Elyssa entered Aiycaya on friendly terms to heal King Kayo, Rikoy would know they had changed allegiance and quickly murder Xarin.
“She wants Xarin alive,” Kusi finished, obviously referring to Harmony.
But she also wanted King Kayo alive.
And she trusted his judgment.
He pressed his hand over his heart. She was with him. She was home. He was no exile. Never again.
Faier looked at Gailen. The pepper warrior waited for Faier’s orders. He had control of the patrol. They would obey Faier’s wishes.
Xarin was at serious risk. Rikoy must be nervous the armies hadn’t attacked each other. Had he seen Harmony and Faier enter the city without repercussion? King Kayo had lived for days pinned to his Life Tree but any moment Rikoy might end Xarin.
“How far?” Faier asked Kusi.
“Close. His scouts are closer. I spy for them.”
“Lead us.”
Kusi released him and dove for the seabed.
Faier led Gailen’s patrol after Kusi. They fanned out. Lotar, without being asked, flew far ahead. Even while Faier watched, the ghostly warrior disappeared into the rock, swallowed by his own stealth.
Kusi flew over a small rise and barreled into an unwary scout. The scout cried out. Kusi slashed him, cutting off the sound with a strangled hiss. The scout curled over and died. Kusi flew on, tireless.
They crossed the rich ocean floor demarcating the territory of Aiycaya.
At the edge of the territory, they sighted the army camp. Lotar stopped them from disturbing a hidden patrol. The small unit crept to the last outcropping that shielded them from their enemy.
“They hold Xarin there.” Lotar pointed to the center of the camp.
The blue-green warrior hunched over his knees. He was bound head to toe and staked to the sea floor. He looked emaciated and exhausted.
The All-Council recruited the strongest, most talented warriors. Hundreds of powerful, well-fed, rested All-Council warriors relaxed around Xarin.
Meanwhile, Faier commanded Gailen’s patrol of ten average warriors.
“What can we do?” Gailen studied Faier. “Return with the Atlantis army?”
“No. They support Harmony.” And they would be impossible to hide. Faier needed to finish this fast. Now.
Faier evaluated their options with the Atlantis patrol. Lotar was quick and stealthy, but stealing an injured warrior from the center of an army was impossible no matter which route they contemplated.
Kusi wrinkled his nose as if he needed to sneeze. “I will attack Representative Rikoy.”
The Atlantis warriors stopped talking.
“Where is he?” Gailen asked.
Kusi pointed. The All-Council representative was lounging over a rack of Trench Jack meat at the edge of the army.
“Suicide,” Lotar murmured.
“Fine by me.” Kusi rubbed his face. “I do not think well. But I never wanted to betray my king. I watched the first lieutenant argue with King Kayo. I should have known he was not sleeping.”
Faier suspected many warriors shared Kusi’s regret.
Forgiveness started now.
“Your plan is not bad,” Faier said. “Lotar, you will steal Xarin while Kusi and I capture Representative Rikoy.”
Kusi shook his head. “Alive? Stop me in time.”
“I will make a very slight effort to stop you from killing him,” he agreed cynically.
The All-Council representatives had terrorized the ocean long enough. If Representative Rikoy did not survive the attack, no one would cry.
They got into position. Everyone looked to Faier. Even Kusi.
This was the leadership he might have assumed in Nerissa. The respect he might have received in Rusalka. Nobody stared at his scars or wondered about his weakness. Warriors from different cities were united by his battle cry.
He signaled to Kusi.
The warrior put his head down and rocketed for his prey.
Faier kicked after him, trident out.
The All-Council army roused. They were complacent. Relaxed.
Faier shouted. “Representative Rikoy!”
The representative jolted and stared up at Faier. “You!”
“Prepare to die!”
He pointed his trident at Faier. “Warriors, attack the—oof!”
Kusi plowed headfirst into his abdomen. The representative folded in half, releasing his trident in shock. Kusi flew him across his own stunned army.
The army shook off its stupor. Warriors attacked Kusi.
Faier parried their slashes. He safeguarded Kusi while the single-minded warrior flew Representative Rikoy clear.
A second cry arose. The army caught Lotar half-finished freeing Xarin.
The battle began in earnest.
Faier shook Kusi free and held his trident to the representative’s throat. “Release Xarin or die in pieces.”
“You will die, you disgusting rebel,” Representative Rikoy spat.
