She’d tested Rani by checking to see if the Emperor had been right to believe she could be convinced that what’d been decided was for the best. If Rani could only believe that then she could find moments of happiness and make the most of the life she had now. But she wasn’t buying any of it. It was like the news of what the Chairman planned to do to her had woken her from a sleep.
“I knew you’d think of something,” Rani had said, desperate to hear more.
“Rani,” she’d said, lowering her voice, despite knowing that nobody could hear them through these thick stone walls. “I’m not sure if my plan’s a good one. In fact, that’s a lie. I know it’s not a good one. It’s a huge risk. If it’ll stop you from taking your own life then I’m prepared to discuss it with you, but not now. Go and see your father at sun-up and tell him you were feeling unwell, however, you’re better now. Then come to find me at even-time and I’ll explain.”
Sharma had wanted to think her plan through before sharing it with Rani. Once something as big as this was said, it couldn’t be taken back. She had to get it right and be certain about the details. And there was somebody’s help she wanted to ask.
And now, here she stood at her window, waiting for Rani to visit. The timekeepers had turned the orbs, the sun had risen, and she was no more certain about what she was about to say at even-time than she’d been at sundown. Rather than the night bringing her clarity, it’d confused her more.
A gentle tap at the door let her know Rani was here. She’d known she wouldn’t be late.
She opened the door and stepped back to allow Rani to pass.
“I’m listening. Tell me everything. I haven’t slept a wink,” said Rani settling herself into a chair, the gentle grinding of her teeth evidence of her old self having returned, despite the lack of sleep. “I even put off spending time with Azrael for this. What’s your plan?”
Sharma drew in a breath, deciding to use whatever words came to her first. Most stories were best when told from the start. “A few Shinings ago, I arrived early for a Board meeting. There was a map on the table. A map of all the kingdoms.”
“What did it look like?” Rani sat forward. “I’ve never seen one before.”
“Hardly anyone has. And given the way the Chairman snatched it away when he came into the room, it’s clear he wants to keep it that way.”
“Are we the biggest kingdom? The desert goes on forever.”
Sharma shook her head. “We’re the smallest of the five kingdoms.”
Rani gasped. “How can this be? Why haven’t we been invaded successfully before now if we’re so small?”
“Invaded for what?” asked Sharma. “Who wants to own this wasteland for anything other than the glory of it? That, and the walls of the Round are too high and strong. No army has been able to figure out how to get enough men to survive the trek through the desert and arrive in such numbers and with sufficient equipment to scale our walls before they die from thirst. The environment we live in protects us just as much as the wall itself.”
Rani nodded, taking this in.
“The point is that soldiers have made it to our walls alive,” said Sharma. “Which means… we can make it alive back to them.”
“But we’ve always been told it’s certain death out there,” said Rani, her eyes gleaming with possibility.
Sharma nodded. “Perhaps it’s not really as certain as we’ve been led to believe. It’s possible our kingdom that claims to value honesty above all else has been lying to us.”
“Do you think one of the other kingdoms would offer us refuge?” asked Rani.
Sharma shrugged. “If we can make it there alive, I guess that’s something we’ll need to find out. Listen, Rani, I have to be clear with you. I don’t think our chances are great. We’ll dehydrate quickly out there.”
“Azrael said there’s a river out there somewhere that has water. What’s a river, Sharma?”
Sharma smiled at how little this girl who was supposed to rule the kingdom knew about life. “It’s a long stretch of water that flows across the land.”
“I want to see it. I want to see a river. I want to see everything.” Rani looked out the window as if she could see it all now.
To think Sharma had suspected Rani had stumbled across some mead when she’d returned at nightfall, when she was clearly just drunk on life. How could she deny her the chance to see more of the world they lived in, even if it led to the possibility of their death?
“Do you think others have made it to the river?” Rani asked. “Ones who’ve been released.”
“I don’t think so. Without food, water, and shelter, survival would be impossible. We’re going to need to carry many things on our backs if we go through with this. It may still prove to be impossible, even with supplies on hand. But Wintergreen is on the other side of the river. If we can make it safely across, they might help us.”
“So there’s a chance,” said Rani, her face more alive than ever. “A small chance, yet a chance, nonetheless.”
Sharma had to agree. There was a chance for Rani to escape the Chairman and live. And chance for Sharma to keep the last of her babies, hold it in her arms and let it suckle from her breast. They could die seeking happiness or they could live a hollow and miserable life. Although, as much as she and Rani could make the decision to take this risk for themselves, was it fair of her to make this decision for her baby? This was the part she was struggling with.
“There’s just one problem,” said Rani, the smile falling from her face.
“There are many problems with this plan,” said Sharma.
“I can’t leave without Azrael,” she said. “She’s my friend. And friends never leave each other behind.”
“Who told you that?”
“Azrael did. And she didn’t just tell it to me. She proved it when the guards were chasing us.”
“What?” Sharma’s eyes flew open. “The guards chased you. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Rani waved her hands around like this was a minor detail. “It’s okay. I sorted it out. Apparently, I can be quite scary when I want to be.”
“Oh, Rani.”
This latest revelation only made Sharma more certain the time to run had come. If Sharma didn’t save Rani now, then it really would be too late. She was taking far too many risks.
“So, can she come?” Rani asked.
“If she wants to,” said Sharma, feeling the weight of yet another life sitting on her shoulders. “But I can’t make any promises about her survival. And she’ll need to carry her own supplies.”
Rani nodded, smiling widely, seeming to be under the very false impression that this adventure was going to be fun.
Sharma knew otherwise. Whatever happened out there, it wasn’t going to be fun. The novelty would quickly wear off as thirst and hunger took hold. The sand would sting their skin and the heat would zap their energy. And she was going to have to give birth to this child out there.
The likely scenario was that they were all going to die. Then she remembered what Rani had said about none of them being alive inside these walls anyway, and she gathered her strength, willing it to chase away her fear.
They could stay where they were, dead while they were alive, or they could take a chance and find out if there was something more out there.
A chance. No matter how small, they had to take it.
RANI
THE BEFORE
Rani and Sharma crept through the Round, as silent as they were scared. The sacks they carried on their backs were heavy and in the moonlight Sharma looked like the shadow of a monster with a hump on both her back and her front.
Rani carried two bags, each cutting into one of her shoulders. Soon she’d only have the burden of one. Because she was certain that Azrael would choose to make this journey. It seemed impossible she’d say no.
It was obvious Sharma hadn’t wanted Azrael to go with them, but Rani had to insist. She couldn’t leave those sad brown eyes behind witho
ut the chance of escape. Friends never left each other behind. Azrael hadn’t abandoned her when they’d run from the guards, and she wouldn’t abandon her now.
They walked through the archway and turned right, keeping their black veils tucked across their faces, hoping not to be noticed by the night guards.
Rani dared a glance back at the palace before it disappeared from sight, imagining her body falling from the window as she’d planned.
That plan had been certain death and Sharma’s new plan was… well, it was almost certain death. Which meant it had a much greater chance of success, even if that chance was small.
She felt no sense of sadness that she’d never see her home again. It was the way it had to be. She’d been driven from it and had no intention of spending the rest of her life pretending to rule her kingdom. Her only regret was for her father. He’d never understand. But it was different for men. He hadn’t been tied to a bed and been forced to endure a siring. He’d done the siring himself, which was something the men didn’t seem to mind at all. She pushed these thoughts from her mind, not wanting to think of her father like this. This wasn’t his fault. He had other children who could take her place as heir. Children who’d be happy to do it and would make far better Emperors or Empresses then she would have.
“Are you okay?” asked Sharma, keeping her voice low, as they walked away from the archway into the darkness. “It’s not too late to change our minds and turn back.”
“I’m fine.”
She really was fine. Because they had a plan. And she was no longer alone.
They continued on until the shadow of the village of tents came into view and Rani took the lead, hoping she’d remembered the location of Azrael’s tent correctly. Fifth row, fifty-fifth tent. She hadn’t known when Azrael had told her that she’d need this information so soon.
Counting tents wasn’t that easy in the dark and Rani found herself retracing her steps and counting again when she got confused. She’d had lessons in numbers, however, it seemed perhaps Azrael had paid more attention to hers.
“Azrael!” she whispered, as loudly as she dared, when she was certain she was close.
“Shh!” Sharma came up beside her.
“I can’t find her. I keep losing count.”
“We’ll have to go without her,” whispered Sharma.
Rani shook her head in the darkness, not caring if Sharma could see her or not. Her answer was no. She couldn’t leave Azrael behind.
She ran back to the start of the row and counted slowly this time, concentrating on each number until she reached what she was certain was the fifty-fifth tent. It was hard to tell in the darkness what color it was, but it did look right.
“Azrael,” she hissed.
Instead of her friend’s innocent face, she was greeted by a face that was far from innocent. A woman much older than Azrael with hair that stood up in every direction and a body so tall it was surprising she fitted in such a small tent. She was glaring at Rani and grunting something she couldn’t understand.
“I’m sorry,” Rani said, her heart thumping. “Wrong tent. Go back to sleep.”
“Rani!”
For a moment she thought it was Sharma calling her, until she realized the voice came from beyond the grunting wall in front of her.
The woman stepped back, and Azrael took her place.
“Quickly,” said Sharma, from behind her.
“Azrael,” said Rani, keeping her voice low. “I’m leaving. I don’t have time to explain. You can come with me or you can stay. I can’t promise you safety. All I can promise is a very small chance of escape. You will likely have a longer life if you stay, but—”
“I’m coming.” Azrael reached out and took Rani’s hand, squeezing it gently.
Rani’s mouth fell open, both from her sudden decision and the unexpected contact.
“Quickly,” said Sharma again, more urgency in her voice this time.
Rani stepped away from the tent and handed Azrael one of the bags.
“Thank you,” said Azrael.
“Friends never leave each other behind,” said Rani.
“Never,” said Azrael, slinging the bag over her shoulder.
The hum of whispers from within the other tents echoed around the village as the women wondered what the commotion was all about. Sharma was right. They needed to hurry.
Together the three of them ran into the night. Into the desert. Into a future that held no certainty, other than the promise of hope.
AAROW
THE NOW
“Aarow! Are you coming, or not?”
Aarow twisted his scarf around his head to cover his crop of sleek black hair and checked that his eyes and hands were the only parts of him exposed. The combination of sand and sun in such extreme quantities were unforgiving, even with his dark copper skin.
“I’m coming,” he shouted back through the thatched door of his family’s quarters. “I’ll meet you in the supply room.”
“Be careful,” his mother said, rubbing Aarow’s baby sister on the back. Bindi was fast asleep, lying across her chest, having just fed from her mother’s breast after a restless night.
“I’m always careful.” He laughed at the way she worried and stooped down to kiss her on the cheek, something that was easier before he grew so tall.
She reached out and squeezed his hand. “How many are you going after today?”
“Three females and an infant,” he said. “By the river. It’s been a long time since we brought any back from there.”
“An infant? Are you certain?” Her eyes shone with what that might mean for the kingdom.
He nodded. “That’s what Spector said. He spotted them this morning.”
“That’s… incredible. What a brave mother. I wonder how she managed it.” He noticed her clutching Bindi to her chest just a little tighter.
“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. If they’re still alive when we reach them, of course.” He didn’t want to add that Spector had reported they weren’t in good shape.
“Who’s going with you?” she asked. “Was that Jinn calling for you just now?”
“Yes. We’ll be taking Toran, too.”
She smiled, and he knew she was reassured his two best friends would be by his side. Especially Toran who was twice his size, despite the hard layer of muscle that lined Aarow’s lean body from the hours he spent training for a battle that may never happen.
“Hurry then,” she said, stroking Bindi’s forehead. “It’s no place for a baby out there. I’ll gather the healers and make the preparations for their arrival.”
Aarow left his mother and made his way through the labyrinth of underground tunnels, heading to the supply room nearest the entrance. He’d lost count of the number of rescues he’d made in the dunes, but this one was different. River rescues were rare, however, rescuing an infant was unheard of. Something serious must be up in the Capital if babies were being released now. It was no wonder his mother had such hope shining from her eyes. Maybe it was just as well he was prepared for battle.
His steps inclined as he approached the supply room and he braced himself for the heat that was soon to come. Stepping out onto the dunes was like falling into a giant bowl of hot soup.
“Why don’t you walk a bit slower?” said Jinn, stepping from the supply room and thumping him playfully on the back. “It’s not like we were waiting for you or anything.”
Toran appeared like a mountain behind Jinn and threw Aarow a waterskin. He slung it around his neck and reached out for the fabric that came flying through the air next, catching it with ease. He looped that over his broad shoulders, wondering who he’d be wrapping it around to shield from the elements. They selected a thick animal hide each from a pile near the entrance and tied them with a rope to their belts to drag behind them as stretchers.
“So, what do we know?” asked Aarow, keen to get the details right before they stepped into the heat. No unnecessary energy could be wasted out there, talki
ng included.
“Spector went to the river at sun-up,” said Toran. “Wanted to take a bath under the blue sky apparently.”
The three friends laughed with affection. Spector was thirty years old, which was ten more than they were, but behaved as if he were ten years younger. Aarow’s father said Spector had been blessed. Childhood was the happiest time of anyone’s life and Spector got to live his forever. Had he been born in the Capital, he’d certainly have been released by now. However, here he lived as a cherished member of the Colony, valued for his differences rather than exiled for them.
“What did he see exactly?” asked Jinn, furrowing his brow. Despite the way he liked to joke, he took the task at hand very seriously. Lives were at stake.
“Three females,” said Toran. “One was sitting up, holding an infant. Spector thought the other two might be dead already. They’re under the Joshua tree to the west of the river bend.”
“Did they see Spector?” asked Aarow.
“Nobody sees Spector.” Toran laughed. “Unless he wants them to.”
“And they meet the criteria?” asked Jinn.
“Without a doubt.”
The criteria were simple enough. Before a rescue could take place, two things needed to be established. One—the person to be rescued must be peaceful, posing the Colony no harm. Two—the person must believe they were about to die. The second sounded cruel, but it had long ago been established that it was essential. If a person was to let go of the life they had before, they needed to have reached the point of certainty that it was gone already. It was only then that they could fully appreciate the second chance they were being given.
“Let’s go then,” said Aarow, keen to get on with it.
“You get to carry the baby,” Jinn said, tossing Aarow a grin.
“And why’s that?”
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 50
