by Stuart Jaffe
“But the Queen is already dead.”
Big Nose cowered from Malja’s intensity. “That is the problem.”
“You knew we didn’t have the Queen. What did you expect to do once you got here?”
“Nothing at all. My part in all this is to find the Artisoll and, when the Rising occurs, to assist her up the Temple. Queen or no Queen, I had a duty to the Artisoll which I have fulfilled. The rest is up to the ways of the universe.”
Though aching, Malja paced on the roof, her mind swirling through one idea after another. “You said the Artisoll needs a shock, a blast of life from a soul — does it have to be the Queen?”
“It always has been.”
“But must it be?”
Big Nose’s jaw moved but no sound came out.
Malja huffed. “We don’t have time. Answer me.”
“I suppose not. It’s always been the Queen, but logically, the process must have originated before there ever was a Queen.”
Malja lifted Viper as the roof trembled in a steady rhythm. “Good — because there’s a huge blast of life coming up those stairs.”
“No, no, no. We cannot allow that monstrosity to become the essence of the Artisoll. That would pollute all our magic with an abomination.”
“You have a better idea?”
Abrazkia growled and barked as she approached. Her steps were slow but unwavering. Again, something niggled in the back of Malja’s head — something was wrong but she couldn’t get the answer to form.
Big Nose shivered at the sounds coming from below. “Any idea is better. I’d offer myself but I have no magic to give her. That vile thing coming — I’d sooner hurl the Artisoll over the cliffs than allow it to become part of her.”
“You might as well jump with her now because Abrazkia is about to be here and we’ve got nothing else.”
Malja and Big Nose both stopped their argument as they saw the same thing — Tommy. While they had been yelling at each other, Tommy had been focused on his tattoos. His body lifted off the ground until he floated at the side of the Artisoll. Placing his hand on her head, he opened his mouth. A swirl of mist left him and drifted over her.
Malja rushed over to him. “No! Stop this right now!”
As the mist continued to leave him, Tommy glanced down at her. With his free hand, he tapped his chest twice.
“No. You won’t be okay. Please. I can’t have you die. Not like this.”
Tommy shook his head and smiled. She had seen that smile many times before — a promise of sorts, an expression meant to tell her that he knew something she didn’t, that all would be well.
A loud crash of stone tumbling downward turned Malja toward the stairwell. “I’ll stall as long as can,” she said, her voice growling the words. “You better survive this.”
“What can I do?” Big Nose said, flapping his flustered hands.
“Stay out of my way.”
Abrazkia grunted as she climbed the final stairs. When she stepped onto the roof, her body heaved for each breath and she had lost an arm. Malja smiled with dismay — Stray had inflicted some damage but he certainly had been killed.
Not wanting to allow Abrazkia to recuperate, Malja sprung forward. She dug for all her dying strength, moving in a whirlwind of attacks. Spinning right, she went for the neck. Blocked. Rebounding, she spun left and struck at the knees. Blocked. Spinning back right, she aimed for the side. Blocked. Spinning left, she pivoted right, altering her attack into a windup for a heavy blow to Abrazkia’s armless right side. Viper bit into Abrazkia, ramming her toward the stairs.
Abrazkia kicked off the ground and tackled Malja. They tumbled together toward the edge of the cliff. Clutching onto Abrazkia’s hair, Malja yanked her head back and punched her in the neck three times. Such blows should have killed Abrazkia, but her do-kha saved her once more.
The do-kha! Malja’s thoughts blazed even as she grappled with her enemy. Why hadn’t Abrazkia used her do-kha to create a portal and simply transport herself to the roof? Why all the fighting? Why even bother with the executions at the dock? She could have snatched the Artisoll out from under them with no trouble. And unlike Malja, Abrazkia didn’t have to protect Tommy from using too much magic.
Abrazkia landed two strong hits to the gut, but Malja barely noticed. She had seen once already that the do-kha had limits, and she knew from her own do-kha, that it responded to the physical being of its wearer. Could it get tired? Perhaps after transporting Abrazkia halfway around the world and constantly protecting her from harm, it couldn’t be used to create a portal right away. But why then turn into a monster that used more energy than simply aiding Abrazkia in a normal fight?
Abrazkia rolled atop and clamped her one hand around Malja’s throat. Malja shoved hard against Abrazkia’s snout but breathing became more difficult with each passing second.
The eyes — Malja saw such hatred in those monstrous eyes. Emotion! The do-kha responded to the physical needs of its wearer, but what if responded to the emotions, too? Harskill had said that she needed to understand herself better if she wanted to control her do-kha. He had to mean her emotional self — the part of her that she kept most closed off.
Malja ceased resisting Abrazkia, and instead, closed her eyes, focusing on her own do-kha. She thought of the emotions she felt towards Abrazkia. Though ugly, she had to embrace it — hatred. This Gate woman had murdered the Queen and attempted to wipe away an entire world for her own selfish needs. Hot hatred. But something else floated there, too. Not for Abrazkia, but for the others — for the Artisoll, for Tommy, for Fawbry and Hirasa and Stray, for all those on Carsite and Corlin. She felt like a big sister to them all. A protector. The more she explored it, the more the emotion burned within her like a raging, uncontrolled fire.
Before she opened her eyes, she heard a garbled scream and the weight upon her lifted. When she did take a look, Malja found Abrazkia rolling on the roof, her body aflame. Malja did not let go of that hatred — not yet. She kicked Abrazkia hard, forcing the woman closer to the cliff edge. Another kick. Another. As Abrazkia finally reduced the fire on her do-kha, Malja kicked her over the edge.
Abrazkia tumbled through the air, but Malja knew how powerful Gate could be — especially in an emergency. She put out her hands and concentrated on the air beneath Abrazkia. Before the fogs could swallow her up, Malja pictured the air ripping open. She could see it shimmer.
With a thunderous crack, a portal opened and Abrazkia plunged through. Malja held it open long enough to see volcanoes and seas of lava. She wanted to watch further but lost control, and the portal clamped shut. She collapsed to the ground, her head lolling over the edge, and the swirls of fog evened out below her.
After a minute, she rolled onto her back. Sweat tickled her nose. She wanted to sleep for a few days, but she had to see if Tommy and Big Nose needed any help with the Artisoll. Groaning, she shifted to her feet.
With a load crack, a portal opened in the air above. Malja stared, trying to figure out how she had accidentally opened this thing when Abrazkia passed through and landed a few feet ahead. Though her body still had a gargantuan shape, the snout had retreated, leaving Abrazkia’s burned face in full view.
“You think a barely-controlled portal’s going to beat me?” Abrazkia spit out blood with the words. “You freakish piece of trash. You’ll never be Gate.”
“That’s fine with me.”
Abrazkia grabbed her stomach and frowned. She winced as she looked at Malja. “What are doing to me?”
A light rose behind Abrazkia. Big Nose could be heard whooping. “The Queen has risen. Long live the Queen!”
Both Malja and Abrazkia faced the light. The new Queen rose into the air, ethereal in her beauty, radiating warmth and caring. Tommy sat on the ground, panting and sweating.
The Queen opened her hand toward Abrazkia. “All in Life is ever-changing. You cannot control Life. Doing so begets evil, and evil always is its own undoing.”
With a defiant ho
wl, Abrazkia said, “I’m still here. I still control more worlds than you ever could dream of.”
The Queen snapped her fingers once. A soft sound that died in the fog as fast as it had been created. Abrazkia’s body exploded into the fog like a burst balloon.
Malja didn’t bother staring dumbfounded at the Queen nor at the spot where Abrazkia last lived. Instead, she stumbled towards Tommy. But the Queen beat her to his side.
Holding him to her chest and stroking his hair, the Queen kissed his head. “My Tommy, my love, your Queen is here.”
Malja halted. Tears slid out of her eyes as she watched this other woman comfort Tommy. It hurt worse than her bruised body.
But as the moment lengthened, as she watched the Queen hold Tommy, her pain subsided. Something caused her lips to rise. She felt like laughing.
She turned away. Too much emotion. Shaking her head, she turned back. Using her emotions had saved her life. Perhaps there was a power to be found in them. Yes. No more hiding from herself. If she wanted to use her do-kha to its fullest, if she wanted to unlock the true warrior within, she would have to learn to embrace and control her emotions — not simply lock them out. And there was no better place to start than with Tommy.
Chapter 26
Through her old, dented spyglass, Malja watched as the fleets of the Large Three Countries approached Castle Tunistall. Months had passed since the Rising, and much of that time had been spent healing — for Malja, for her friends, and for Reo-Koll. It had been ages since one of the smaller countries had taken control, and many people found it a difficult concept to accept. But when the Queen chooses, the world follows. Still, she had wisely done nothing drastic since taking over to allow her world to come to terms with the change.
Standing on one of the many castle balconies, Malja enjoyed the clean air and the steady rhythm of the surf — a sound she would forever associate with Stray. Days after the Rising, they held a funeral for Stray. They buried him at the top of the Temple. As the Holy Men went through the ceremony, Malja looked out from the cliff’s edge and listened to the ocean break against the rocks. The sound soothed her, and she hoped it would be enough to let this tireless warrior rest.
The Queen attended the funeral, too, and her presence surprised many of Reo-Koll. But as she said, “I would not be here to rule were it not for the sacrifices of many — most especially, my dear guardian, Aldous Stray. If we cannot pay tribute to those who do such things for us, then what good are we?”
Hearing those words, Malja knew Reo-Koll would be well taken care of.
Watching the fleet approach the Castle, Malja wondered how long it would take the Large Three Countries to cause the Queen political trouble. She turned her spyglass on Daku, the Dovell leader, standing tall and firm on his extravagantly dressed ship as he arrived from the North. He scowled at the sea, and Malja guessed he would be one of the last in all of Reo-Koll to accept the loss of Dovell’s standing and the first to pick a fight. Off to the South, the Bechstallons entered looking clumsy and haphazard. Yet none of their ships hit each other, so there must have been some type of organization to their movements. Finally, the Ro fleet approached directly behind Dovell. The Commander led the way with her stern face and sharp eyes.
Until that moment, Malja had assumed the Commander and all those at the Ro camp had died. But it appeared that Tommy had only frozen them, and a part of Malja blustered with pride. He had spared them. Something she would never have done. Something better.
Malja brushed away the tears wetting her cheeks. Lately, whenever she thought of Tommy, she ended up crying a little. Opening herself to her emotions had given her greater control over her do-kha and made her a greater warrior, but it had its drawbacks.
It was more than that, though. She had to be honest with herself, and that meant admitting that the Queen had made another important choice, one that impacted Malja greatly. The Queen had chosen Tommy, and he had chosen her. In two days, they would be married. Big Nose, his real name was Thaddeux, would be conducting the ceremony, and while Malja felt honest joy for Tommy, her heart cracked a little each time she thought of the wedding.
A knock at the door. “Come in.”
Fawbry stormed in. “I can’t believe that they still won’t take care of Hirasa. I mean, by Korstra, she helped save the Queen. You’d think they’d have no problem using a little magic to heal her.”
“She’s healing fine on her own. The doctors here are quite advanced.”
“But they said it would take another month or two before she’s walking. Meanwhile, I’ve got to push her around in that wheelchair all day long.”
Malja chuckled. Despite his protests, Fawbry had grown quite close to Hirasa. In fact, Malja wouldn’t be surprised if in a year or so, she would be attending another wedding.
“Did you want something, or are you here to complain?”
Fawbry’s mouth opened into a wide grin that brightened his face and gave him the look of a boy thrilled with new toys — a real Fawbry smile. “I just wanted to visit. Life’s been pleasantly busy with the wedding coming up and all, and I feel like I’ve barely seen you lately.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not running off again.”
“Did I say I was worried?”
“I know you.”
Fawbry stepped onto the balcony and inhaled deeply. “I think I’ll miss this place.”
“You going somewhere?”
“We have to get Hirasa back to Carsite, don’t we? After she’s healed up.”
“Of course.” Malja had been practicing with her do-kha every day. She had spent a month trying to create a portal before she reached any success. Another month passed before she could hold one steady. Only recently could she focus on a place she had been before and bring up that location within the portal. She’d yet to step through — no guarantee she could ever get back. But she approached her do-kha like she did all the combat training she had endured growing up — disciplined practice that bore small improvements over time and eventually led to mastery.
Tapping the balcony rail, Fawbry licked his lips. “I had a question for you.”
The real reason for his visit. “Go ahead.”
“I wondered if you might be willing to take me to Carsite. Now. Today. I want to assure her family and those close to her that she’s okay. That she’ll be back soon. I also want to bring back a few of her things to help her cope while she’s stuck here. A touch of her home. And, well, I need to make amends for Lynoya. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”
“You were being controlled by magic. It’s not your fault.”
“We both know I’m still responsible. I need to face them. I can’t bring back the dead, but I can face what I did.”
Malja thought about it for a moment. “We have to be back in time for the wedding.”
“You think I’d miss Tommy’s wedding for anything? Besides, this shouldn’t take long. A few visits, get Hirasa’s things, and talk with Canto about Lynoya.”
“It’s that last part that’s the problem. What if they choose to imprison you? I don’t want to have to kill a bunch of Carsites breaking you out.”
“I kind of hoped that with you at my side, they wouldn’t be dumb enough to do anything like that. Besides, if you can get us to Carsite, you can get us back here before they can lay a hand on me.”
“I’m not like Tommy. I can’t do it that fast. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to get us back.”
“Then Tommy can bring us back.”
“You know how I feel about that.”
“Then the Queen can do it.” Fawbry faced her, and she could not miss the passion in his eyes. “Please. I think I love Hirasa. And I think she’s falling in love with me. I’ve got to try to get Canto to forgive me. If I don’t, they’ll never let me rejoin them, and then Hirasa would be forced to choose between me and her family. I can’t do that to her.”
Malja crossed her bedroom to the closet and pulled out Viper. “I’ll take you. But we go back wh
en I say so. No arguments.”
“Absolutely. Thank you.”
“Not a word to Tommy. He’d get worried about us and want to help. He’s got a wedding to focus on, not traipsing around with us.”
Fawbry paused. “It really is just going to be the two of us now, huh? I mean, once Tommy’s married, he can’t just go checking out other worlds with us anymore.”
Malja clenched her jaw and held back her tears. Needing her emotions to be a better fighter was one thing. Showing her emotions to Fawbry was an entirely different matter. “I thought you were falling in love with Hirasa. You think she’s going to want you checking out other worlds with me?”
“I guess not.” His genuine disappointment warmed Malja. She wanted to hug him.
“We’ve had an exciting time together, but all things that start have an end. All things change. This is a good change. You both have found people to love and safe places to enjoy that love. What else could life be for if not that?”
“But what about you?”
Malja dismissed the sentiment with a shrug. “I’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll settle down here and wait for the Queen to make some babies.”
Fawbry laughed. “You want to be a grandmother? I doubt that.”
“I guess not. I’ll figure something out. That’s still a few days away. Let’s get you to Carsite and back. I swear if I miss even a second of that wedding, you’ll pay for it far worse than anything Canto could dream up.”
Malja moved to an open space in the room and concentrated on her do-kha. She pictured the rocky Carsite landscape and the reconstructed town of Raxholden not too far off. Most importantly, she tapped into the way Carsite made her feel — all her mixed emotions about the place. The strong sense of community but also the dark undertones of religious fervor. The way they treated her as both a savior and a demon. All the good and bad swirling in her heart burst forth energizing her do-kha, and with a sharp boom, the portal opened.
