Gambit of the Gods

by Ashley, Angela

  “You’re welcome,” I replied in the Common Tongue, wondering why I was willing to take on Red Oak on behalf of a little half-breed girl I didn’t know. Maybe it was her sad grey eyes, or the fact that she had no friends to watch her back.

  “Come on, we’d better do what Old Bramble said.” I started walking in the direction that Snow Dove had taken, glad she’d gone on ahead. Her never-ending chatter always annoyed me.

  “That’s the problem,” Little Squirrel said in the Common Tongue as she trotted beside me. “I don’t know what Old Bramble said, or Snow Dove either.”

  I looked at her in surprise, and then it all made sense—her blank expression while Snow Dove hurled insults at her and her lack of reaction when the other children made comments about her. She couldn’t understand our language. Of course! But…

  “If you couldn’t understand what Snow Dove was saying, why did you attack her?”

  For the first time that I had ever seen, Little Squirrel smiled mischievously, her eyes hard. “Well, I could tell she was taunting me from her tone and the way the other children laughed, but then she sniffed me and said ‘squirrel’, a word I’ve learned for obvious reasons. So I figured either she was saying I smelled like a squirrel, which I consider a compliment, or she was insulting my squirrel in some way. If she was insulting Naira, well, I couldn’t let that stand. No one insults my friends. Besides, someone needed to silence her.”

  I laughed, and she joined in. “I can’t argue with that.” Somehow, in that moment, I knew we would be friends.

  So the next morning, when Little Squirrel left her hut, I was waiting for her.

  She was suspicious at first. Frowning, she said, “I don’t need anyone to protect me.”

  I chuckled and replied, “I agree with you, fierce salali usdi (little squirrel). But you do need someone to teach you the language of the People.” Then I began to walk, and she followed me. I slowed so she could catch up.

  “Why would you do this for me?” she asked. I’d asked myself the same question. But I told her the truth.

  “Because I want us to be neches. Friends.” I handed her a little wood carving I’d done last night out of red cedar in the shape of a squirrel, its tail curving up over its shoulder.

  “I’d like that,” she said simply, and took my gift. Sharing a smile between us, we walked on. And I began to teach her.

  Learning a new language is no easy task. It takes a good deal of time and patience. So we spent a lot of time together, and people began to notice. The other children were the first to call us nashotas, ‘the twins’, but the adults soon followed. We didn’t care. They had stopped calling her cocheta, a stranger.

  We often went off into the woods together so that Little Squirrel could practice speaking our language without interruption or distraction. That’s when our first mock-battles and games began. We built our secret fort, going there to get away from the rest of the world. Sometimes Naira came with us, and I soon came to adore that intelligent and fun-loving scrap of fur.

  Before too long, Little Squirrel was speaking our language like one born to it. I was so proud of her. She’d learned more of our ways from the spirit healer, Prairie Blossom, and knew what to say and do in almost every situation. Except for her skin and eye color, she became Clan, through and through. She grew from a little girl into a beautiful young woman, and all the young men began to take notice. Even her heart-brother, Artan, gazed at her with longing when she wasn’t looking. Then, a very strange thing happened.

  We were chasing each other through the forest. Soon, we grew tired and decided to play seek and hide instead. I hid first, beneath a group of ferns. When I heard her footfalls, I waited for just the right moment and sprang out at her with a roar, knocking her to the ground with me on top of her. We laughed, and then I kissed her. Her eyes widened in surprise, but then she kissed me back. The sounds of the forest faded around us. I was only aware of her lips on mine and the sweet smell of her hair. Then she pushed me gently but firmly away and sat up.

  “It’s my turn to hide,” was all she said, but I knew her well enough by now to understand what she wasn’t saying. She didn’t want to lose our friendship. And when I thought about it, neither did I. So I closed my eyes and started counting, and she hid. We never spoke of the kiss.

  When I stood up for her that first time, we weren’t friends. It was just something I had to do without knowing why. But now she’s my best friend, and tomorrow I’ll have to watch them take her away; to what fate, I could not say. But whenever I think about displeasing the Lady, or not having her visit me anymore to tell me how special I am, or losing the feeling of intimate belonging I share with the others of The Higher Path, I feel utter panic and a wave of terrible loss. I feel like I might not survive it.

  As if thinking of her summoned her to me, the fire in my firepit flares and the Lady bursts into being in the midst of the flames, her gorgeous midnight wings billowing around her. The sight of her transfixes me, as it always does. I sink to my knees before her in awe and ecstasy.

  “Rise, Sudden Spark. You need not humble yourself before me.” Her voice reverberates in my soul and I feel her touch deep within, making me shudder. I rise unsteadily.

  “You invoked my name at the trial today and stood firm against the evil ones. I am so pleased with you. You’re showing all the promise I glimpsed within you.” Her pleasure thrills me; I almost fall, but catch myself using the arm of a nearby chair as tears of joy slide down my cheeks. I cannot imagine ever disappointing her.

  “I’m overjoyed to serve you, Lady,” I quaver, hoping desperately that she can’t see the doubts in my heart.

  “I am pleased to hear it. Tomorrow, I will need you to help Swift Blaze and the others of The Higher Path gather everyone at the main firepit. I will once again show myself and speak to the Clans. Everyone who wishes to serve me and The Higher Path will swear their loyalty, and anyone who refuses will be dealt with. Can you do that, Sudden Spark?” she asks, but I know she’s not really asking.

  “Of course, Lady,” I answer, fighting to keep my heart from pumping out of my chest. ‘Dealt with’ like the Elders were? And how will she ‘deal with’ Little Squirrel and Artan?

  Her lovely eyes narrow as she looks through me somehow. “I see your fear. What are you afraid of?” she demands. I hide my relief. If she has to ask, she can’t read my mind.

  Thinking fast, I blurt, “I’m afraid I will fail you somehow, Great Lady,” and school my emotions as best I can to broadcast an anxious wish to please. It’s the truth, in a way.

  Still seeming to look through me, she nods as if satisfied and smiles. “As long as you do everything I ask, you will never fail me, Spark,” she says reassuringly. She strokes my soul once more like one would pat a horse’s neck after a long day’s work.

  “I must go speak with Swift Blaze and a few of the others so they may know my will, as well. Sleep well, my special one.” Her light winks out, leaving my hut feeling colder somehow.

  Sagging into a chair, I shake my head. Between this nightmare situation and the headaches I’ve been having lately, I don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight.

  Chapter 24: Wilde

  Jaereth tosses and turns all through the night, his dreams filled with nightmare images of Kella and her family being brutalized by members of Berit’s faction while he watches, unable to move to her aid. When at last he wakes in the early morning hours, he is short with Kisto for no reason. Finally, he leaves their little hut to go for a walk before the Call to Service—a loud gong beaten every morning at sunrise, gathering the slaves together to receive their orders for the day. Mentally reviewing his plans for the uprising tomorrow and everything he has put in place to ensure Kella’s safety, he paces back and forth through the trees near the hut. When the gong sounds, he’s more at peace and ready to face the day. With a last deep breath, he hurries toward the hut to grab his tools.

  I decide to go on ahead of Jaereth to see if Kisto is waiting for him there.
Picturing the hut in my mind, I feel the familiar sense of moving without movement, and step forward automatically.

  With a shock, I recognize the person standing nonchalantly in front of the cabin as if she belongs there. She turns to me with a bright smile, as if nothing bad has ever happened between us.

  "Well hello there, stranger," Malyse says wryly, her striking dark blue eyes smiling up into mine. Immediately, I feel it—the pull, the magnetism that has always flowed between us from the very first moment we met. When she focuses her full attention on you, her charisma is palpable, like she's touching your body with her eyes. I've seen men and women fall under the spell of it in mere moments.

  She admitted to me once when she’d had too much to drink that she can almost always tell within minutes of meeting someone for the first time how best to manipulate them and whether they’re worth the effort or not. She denied it later, of course, saying she was just joking, but I knew it was true. I'd seen glimpses of calculation in her eyes before—those incredible, mesmerizing eyes. She looks at you the way a wolf stares at a deer, knowing exactly which way you'll run before you do, ready to devour you and then coldly cast your bones aside when she's had her fun.

  She's looking at me that way now, assessing my reaction. I realize I need to give her the best performance of my life. Too many lives are at stake. I slam down my mental shield, but unfortunately when I probe for her emotions, I find a solid wall to match mine.

  So I give her my best half-smile and drawl, "Hello, lovely," just like I used to do when we were together. After all, the magnetism between us always flowed both ways, whether she wants to admit it or not. Maybe I can distract her and catch a glimpse of her plans. "It's good to see you,” I lie. “What brings you here?"

  Purposefully indulging her vanity, I take a long, deliberate look at her tempting curves. There’s no denying it. She’s every man's deepest fantasy come to heartstopping life, on the outside at least. Inside, she’s every man’s worst nightmare.

  She looks at me as if I’m the only man in existence. I find myself teetering on the edge between desire and revulsion. My head feels like it's spinning, but I fight the impulse to look away.

  "I just wanted to check on an old friend and see how you're doing." Her beautiful face grows serious. "And to offer an apology."

  "Oh?" I reply, and my surprise is real. She’s always known how to catch me off guard. But this time I’ll play into it. "What do you want to apologize for?"

  "I…I never wanted this, you know," she says sadly, almost forlornly. Her eyes are huge. "I thought you and your Chosen would be safe, on the right side of this game, with me. I never dreamed that you would turn on me." She shakes her head, as if honestly baffled and hurt. "But maybe I took your loyalty for granted and pushed you too far. If so, that's my fault. I've come here hoping to mend the rift between us, if you're willing."

  Her voice has just the right mix of mournful contrition and hopeful, endearing wheedling, though her mental shield still gives nothing away.

  "Of course I’d welcome the chance to fix things between us, Malyse," I assure her quickly. "I never meant to be disloyal to our…friendship," I add, as sincerely as I can muster. "I was caught off guard by your, er, proposal," I explain, "as we all were."

  Maybe if I let her think we can be friends again at least, she’ll leave Jaereth out of her sick game. I have to try, though the mere thought of being sucked into her twisted reality again makes my heart plummet. Where would that leave Sera and Kella?

  I had been desperately in love with Malyse for a few months before her mask slipped for the first time. I found her kissing another man, and she slapped me when I confronted her. Later, she told me that striking me turned her on. Another time, I walked in on her with a young woman who was naked except for the gag in her mouth and a rope tying her hands behind her back. Malyse told me they’d been waiting for me to join them, and the young girl eagerly agreed when I removed her gag…

  Malyse is nodding, her eyes shining with understanding.

  "I'm so relieved to hear that, Wilde. In fact, in honor of the renewing of our friendship, I want to do something for you and your Chosen. But I need something small from you in return, just to show your good faith."

  When she says the word 'friendship', she gives it a slight, almost ironic emphasis, though her smile never wavers. I’m suddenly consumed with worry. Surely she doesn't know how close Sera and I have grown. If she does, this could well be a trap, because she never loses to another woman. In her mind, she still owns me, and always will. If she learns that I love someone else, she’ll stop at nothing to destroy us both.

  "And what is this small thing you need from me?" I ask, trying to sound light-hearted.

  "Well, friends tell each other everything, don't they?" She winks at me, the knowledge of all my dirty little secrets there for an instant in the wicked glint of her eyes. "All I need you to do is tell me what the others' Chosen can do and promise you won't take action against me in any way. In return, I’ll promise to spare Jaereth from all I have planned."

  My heart thuds painfully within my throat. This is what I feared the most—having to choose between saving Jaereth and my love for Sera. But maybe…

  "You have my word of honor—but only if you promise to spare Kella as well as Jaereth."

  Her eyes ignite in fury for the briefest instant before her mask slips back into place. I've overplayed my hand. But then she smiles regretfully, once again shaking her head.

  "I'm afraid my offer is only good for one Chosen. Would you choose Sera's over your own?" Her tone is suddenly cold. Jaereth steps from the forest just then, and my love for the boy overwhelms me.

  "No, no," I say without thinking, knowing I’ll hate myself later but feeling like I have no choice. Malyse would never spare a rival or anyone dear to them anyway, I tell myself. Jaereth is the only one I can hope to save now. "Give me some time to think about your offer," I beg, trying to appear weak and defeated to buy myself some time.

  She sighs and rolls her eyes at me, looking like a queen whose subject has asked to try on her crown. Then she nods once, regally, as if granting a great boon.

  "I can give you until tomorrow morning to decide, but no more. Events will soon overtake us all, and then I’ll be as powerless as the rest of you to halt what has been set in motion. You understand." She spreads her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

  I have one chance to catch her off guard and peek into her mind, and I take it. "How can you promise to spare Jaereth when you must answer to the winged creatures who eat emotions?" I play this last card carefully, making sure my voice remains neutral, my emotions tightly shuttered.

  But she only laughs, her eyes reassessing me.

  "The Na’e aren’t my masters, silly. They came to me for help in controlling their new food source, and they know they can do nothing without my aid. They’ll do whatever I tell them to, I assure you."

  Her tone is dismissive, but I think I glimpse doubt in her eyes before she turns away. For the briefest moment, I see a shadowy figure in her mind and sense her fear before she slams down her shield once more.

  "I’ll return tomorrow to ask for your answer, darling," she says sweetly, her mask firmly back in place. "Don't disappoint me." With that, she disappears.

  Tomorrow afternoon, all the Houses will lose power, and quite possibly their lives as well. Whatever her grand plan may be, it will be rendered useless then. I hope. But what will I tell her tomorrow morning?

  Chapter 25: Jacob

  “I feel so powerless,” I complain, stepping out of Spark’s tent with my mother and sister. “I just don’t understand why he would betray Little Squirrel like this.”

  Jade shakes her head, her eyes sad. I sense she’s just as confused as I am, though Spark is her Chosen.

  “He feels almost frenzied or addicted, if that makes any sense,” she says, “almost as if this ‘Dark Lady’ has cast a spell on him somehow.”

  “Right,” my mother agrees, her
mind churning with fear, uncertainty and anger. Her motherly instinct to protect her children is in full force. Little Squirrel is almost as dear to her as my sister and I are. “But how can we fight someone we can’t see?”

  I think I can help you with that, says a mind-voice from above us. We look up, startled. A creature lands in front of us, its four wings sweeping out behind it in a cascade of softly glowing colors of every hue from light to dark. It has two clawed legs, two short, slim clawed arms, a long, rainbow-colored tail to match its wings, and a body that is vaguely bird-like, glowing with muted white light. Its head is perched atop a long, curving neck and features three large eyes, one on each side and a third placed higher, in the middle of its forehead, with the short snout below it having no apparent nose or mouth.

  I am Mah’ue, he says, curling his tail around his legs like a large cat might. His mind-voice is male. I and my kind come from a planet far from here, but we have lived on this planet for many human lifetimes. Though we exist as spirit like you, we vibrate at a higher frequency. We can see you, but we have to slow our vibration to be seen by you and the humans.

  He blinks, but like a bird does—not with eyelids, but with a membrane that sweeps across each eye to protect it from windborne particles while flying. Yet his eyes are warm with intelligence and I sense kindness from him, putting me at ease.

  I know you were there with Little Squirrel when I appeared to her during her Vision, so you know what is at stake. My followers and I want to help you protect your Chosen from our mutual enemies.

  My mother, ever polite and to the point, gives a funny little half-bow in greeting.

  “We’re pleased to meet you, Mah’ue. We would be grateful for any help you can offer us. Can you explain what the others of your kind want from Malyse and our Chosen, and who this ‘Dark Lady’ is?”

  We sense Mah’ue’s amusement at her greeting and his head bobs on his long, swanlike neck in a bow of his own.

  Yes, and I wish to apologize for what has happened to Little Squirrel and the others, he says. They should not have to suffer for our mistakes. I sense profound sorrow from him.