Running into the desert had been a foolish gamble. The fact the gamble paid off might make it seem less foolish but the decision was still the same. Rani had saved Horrie’s life, keeping him alive when she’d become too weak to do so herself. This made her love Rani even more, if that were even possible.
There was so much she needed to tell Rani now they were free. The promises she’d made to keep secrets from her didn’t seem valid outside the Capital.
She’d started by telling Rani the truth about the Emperor’s involvement in their escape and had been surprised by the strength of her reaction. It was like she’d wanted to leap right up from her bed and run straight back to the Capital.
This had made Sharma nervous about everything else she had to reveal to her. Secrets far more shocking than that. Rani had no idea about the extent to which she’d been lied to over the years. And as much as Sharma wanted to protect her from the truth, it had to come out. The time for secrets was over.
Horrie’s lips released their grip on her and his head lolled back.
“Wake up, little man,” said Sharma, jiggling him gently, wanting to see his dark eyes sparkle as he tried to focus.
There was no waking him. He was so fast asleep she had to put her hand on his chest to make sure he was still drawing breath.
She hadn’t slept well the night before. Azrael had been talking in her sleep, saying something about lights and Shinings. Every time Sharma had managed to drop off, Horrie had woken her, wanting another feed.
She wondered where they’d be allowed to sleep once they left the Healing Room. It was hard to know how things worked underground and just how many rooms had been dug into the sand. The parts of the Colony she’d seen so far were expansive with twisting tunnels that seemed to go for miles. It was extraordinary, leaving her wondering why the Capital had been built above the ground instead of under. It made so much more sense to hide from the harshness of the sun and wind down here.
The thatched door opened, and Azrael and Rani appeared. Rani looked like a real Princess once more, now that she was clean and dressed in fresh clothes. It was a shame she’d never be Empress in the way her ancient ancestors had intended. Or maybe it wasn’t. Because there was no doubt that ever since she’d left the Capital she was better for it. Even when they’d sat dying underneath the Joshua tree she’d been better for it. Because the fear in her eyes and the grinding of her teeth had been replaced by freedom and there was great dignity in that.
“You look beautiful,” she said to Rani.
“What about me?” asked Azrael, spinning in a circle.
“You cleaned yourself up yesterday,” laughed Sharma. “Yes, you look beautiful, too.”
Rani and Azrael took a seat at a table off to the side of the room. Just like the beds, the table and chairs had been made from hardened sand. They were surprisingly comfortable. Sharma settled Horrie on her bed and tucked some blankets around him, joining the others at the table.
“What’s happening out there?” asked Sharma.
“Not a lot,” said Azrael. “A bit early yet.”
“How far away do you think the Colonel and Aarow will be?” Rani crossed her arms, losing the light smile that’d held her features only moments ago.
“Not far, I’d say,” said Azrael, smirking.
“What’s that look for?” asked Sharma.
“I’ll let Rani explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain!” Rani threw up her hands.
Sharma remained quiet, looking between the girls, waiting for one of them to tell her what she’d missed. Most likely Azrael, who found it far harder to hold her tongue than Rani.
“The Colonel’s son has fallen for Rani’s beauty.”
Rani shook her head, a pink color rising to her cheeks. “Not true! Azrael just has a very vivid imagination, that’s all.”
“Are you blushing?” asked Azrael, the smile falling from her face.
“Of course not.” Rani brushed at her cheeks. “It’s just a little warm in here.”
Sharma suppressed a smile. It was nice and cool down here. Blaming the temperature was a stretch.
“Do you…like him too?” asked Azrael, positively frowning now.
“I’ve hardly even met the man!” cried Rani. “Please!”
“But you thought he was handsome?” Azrael pressed.
“Of course,” said Rani, rolling her eyes. “I’m not blind.”
It was true. Aarow was extremely handsome, but Sharma hadn’t noticed what Azrael clearly had. She really needed to start paying more attention if she was going to learn to survive down here.
Azrael folded her hands in her lap and sat back in her chair.
“Now, now,” said Sharma, trying to figure out what’d possibly just soured the mood in the room so much. Had Azrael hit a nerve? Although it seemed to be her own nerve she’d hit. Was it jealousy? Perhaps she liked being Rani’s only friend.
Relationships were so complicated, and they were all still tired and unwell. It would be foolish to think life would make more sense now that they’d escaped the Capital. Something told her life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.
The door opened once more, and two handsome male complications stepped through. She couldn’t even begin to guess what they might have to say.
AAROW
THE NOW
Aarow followed his father into the room and suppressed a yawn. He hadn’t slept a wink and this time it wasn’t because of Bindi. He and his father had been up all night talking about how to handle this meeting.
“Are we boring you already?” Azrael asked him.
The three women had risen from their beds and were sitting around the table in the corner of the room. They looked so different to the last time he’d seen them. It was amazing what some food, water and rest could do to restore the body. The healings had no doubt sped up this process. Rani was impossibly more beautiful, and he averted his eyes as he’d do with the sun. Some beauty was hard to look directly in the eye.
“Not bored,” Aarow said. “Yet.”
Azrael laughed and Aarow couldn’t help but think how well she’d get along with Jinn. They had the same lighthearted approach to life. He’d have to ensure their paths crossed to see if a friendship would blossom.
His father shot him a stern look and Aarow wiped the smile from his face. This was a serious matter. It’d never been more serious.
“Father, this is Azrael,” said Aarow, clearing his throat and showing he knew how to take charge. “And Rani and Sharma.”
“Pleased to meet you,” his father said, taking a chair. “You may call me Colonel or Miro, as you wish.”
Aarow liked this about his father. He had no illusions of grandeur, just as happy to be called by his given name than the title he’d worked so hard to earn, by merit as well as birthright. Although, the only person Aarow had ever heard call him by his first name was his mother. Even Aarow sometimes thought of him as the Colonel.
The women nodded politely and Aarow took the vacant seat next to his father.
“Well, this is familiar,” said Sharma.
“What’s familiar?” Aarow watched his father’s brow furrow as he analyzed her words.
“Nothing,” said Sharma, her smile doing little to cover the panic in her eyes at having let something slip. Aarow just wasn’t sure exactly what that something was.
“There’s a round table in the Capital, I hear,” said his father. “One that the Board sit around. Only it’s made from timber, not sand.”
Sharma nodded slowly, her expression giving nothing more away.
“We have no secrets from you,” said Rani, folding her hands on the table. “We owe you our lives. Honesty is the least we can offer you.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Aarow, catching her gaze, holding it, then letting it go, afraid of how it might feel to keep it for too long.
“We know your names, but what positions do you hold in the Capital?” his father asked, sticking to t
heir plan of getting this information without delay.
The three women looked to each other, as if deciding who would speak. Rani nodded and the other two bowed their heads in return. Even if Aarow hadn’t worked out who she was, gestures like this would give it away. She may not be the loudest or the oldest of the three, but clearly she was their leader.
Rani directed her gaze at the Colonel as she swallowed as prepared to speak.
“I’m Princess Rani, eldest child of the Emperor of The Sands of Naar.”
Aarow let a long breath slide from his lungs. Despite having already figured this out, it felt like a revelation to hear it said out loud. A revelation and a relief that Rani had been honest with them.
“This here beside me is Sharma,” she continued. “The only female to sit on the Board of our kingdom. Her son is Horrie, the child the kingdom wished to take from her. And this here is Azrael, a girl forced to live in poverty outside the walls of the Round.”
Aarow and his father glanced at each other, neither of them having expected such immediate transparency. This would make everything so much easier.
“I can see why Sharma and Azrael took their chances in the desert,” said Aarow. “But why would the future Empress do something so risky? Were you taken prisoner?”
Rani laughed. “Hardly! Taken prisoner by the only friend I’ve ever had and a woman who’s been like a mother to me? I can assure you, I left of my own free will.”
“Then why?” Aarow asked.
The joy fell from Rani’s eyes and a sadness took hold, making him regret pushing her on this point. However, he had to know. If they were going to invade the Capital, they had to know exactly what they were up against. This was crucial.
“How much do you know about the laws of the Capital?” Sharma asked, deflecting attention away from Rani.
“We’re very well informed,” said the Colonel. “Many of our population are reborns.”
“A reborn?” asked Sharma. “You seemed to know more about our lives than we know of yours.”
“Sorry,” he said. “It’s what we call someone who was born in the Capital and rescued by us and brought here to start again.”
“I like that,” said Azrael. “I definitely feel like I’ve been reborn.”
“You still haven’t answered our question as to what the Princess is doing here,” Aarow pointed out, directing his words at Sharma. Rani would step in when she felt comfortable.
Sharma looked at Rani for permission and received a gentle nod in return.
“The Board believed that Rani’s time had come,” said Sharma. “You understand what that means?”
Aarow and his father nodded and Aarow hoped he’d managed to keep a flush from his cheeks. This wasn’t a comfortable conversation to have with three women he’d just met.
“The Chairman of the Board wished to sire the kingdom’s heir,” Sharma continued. “Rani didn’t share his wishes.”
Aarow winced, feeling like he’d just been punched in the gut. With full force. By Toran. How dare the Capital violate their women like this! Especially the woman they were supposed to hold most dear. The woman who was their future Empress. He’d heard plenty of stories about this Chairman, and not one of them had been good. It was no wonder Rani had taken her chances in the desert.
He looked at the three faces across from him. One woman risking her life to keep her baby. Another to keep herself from poverty. And the other to keep hold of herself.
“This has to end!” Aarow slammed his fist on the table, causing all three women to jump.
“It does,” his father said, shaking his head, then directing his gaze to Rani. “You must be informed that we wish to invade the Capital and seize power of the kingdom.”
Aarow watched as Rani’s jaw fell. “Invade the Capital?”
The Colonel nodded. “We’ve been waiting for the right time. Training for this moment and monitoring the Capital to maximize our chance of success. We only get one shot. Once we’ve revealed ourselves, we’ll no longer be safe in the Colony. We have to win.”
“I knew you were training for a battle,” said Azrael. “I knew it was more than just a dream.”
“You did,” said Aarow, not judging her for this. He knew better having been raised by a woman who healed people with her hands.
“You’re planning a battle?” asked Rani, still seeming to be struggling to take all of this in.
“Is this news distressing for you?” he asked, concerned they’d caused her too much pain too soon.
She shook her head. “I’m surprised, but not distressed.”
“Will it be a peaceful invasion?” asked Sharma. “There are many good people trapped within the Capital.”
“We’ll do our best to make sure nobody gets hurt,” said the Colonel.
“But you’ve been training for battle,” said Azrael. “How can nobody get hurt?”
“We’ve been figuring out ways to overpower people without hurting them,” said Aarow. “We don’t wish to cause any further pain. Our goal is the opposite. You’ve suffered enough already. Someone has to do something. The other kingdoms aren’t used to the desert. The conditions are too harsh and they have to travel too far. All their attempts have failed. It has to be the Colony to do this. We’re your only hope.”
“And why is the time right now?” asked Rani.
“We’ve been told the population has dwindled,” the Colonel said, taking over. “Is this correct?”
“Yes,” said Sharma. “People are being released for the most minor offenses. Not following the law, growing too old, being too weak. It’s reached crisis point, only the Chairman isn’t willing to make any changes to ensure our population is maintained.”
“Why do you think that is?” asked Aarow, genuinely curious.
“The people in the Capital aren’t used to change of any kind,” said Sharma. “My guess is that the Chairman is afraid if rules are amended, then it’s only a matter of time before people start to question his position. One change could lead to many. His power depends on total acceptance of the rules.”
“I never thought about it like that,” said Azrael. “But I think you’re right.”
The Colonel nodded. “So, to answer Rani’s question, with the population falling, and morale within the Capital at an all-time low, we believe our chances right now are stronger than ever. Especially with the three of you on our side. You can give us an insight none of the other reborns have been able to. But you have to want this as much as we do. You have to trust us.”
“We trust you,” said Rani, looking between Aarow and his father. “And you’re right. Someone has to do something. Everyone is suffering, apart from the Chairman himself. There will be no Capital to invade if things are left much longer.”
“So, will you work with us?” asked the Colonel.
Rani sat forward on her seat. “Will you promise me the safety of my father?”
Aarow swallowed hard, hating to make promises he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep. Taking the Emperor down was a key part of their battle plan. Whether or not he was harmed depended on how he reacted. If he fought back, it’d be almost impossible for him not to be hurt. Although, nobody would have rated the chances of these three women making it here alive. Sometimes the impossible was possible.
The Colonel lay his hands on the table. “As I said before, we’ll do our best to make sure nobody gets hurt. This includes the Emperor.”
“What do you think?” Rani asked her two friends. “Should we trust these men? Will we work with them?”
Sharma nodded. “I don’t think we have much of a choice. This seems our best chance to bring change to the Capital. As long as nobody gets hurt.”
“The Colonel said we’ll do our best,” said Aarow, wanting to make things perfectly clear. “We can’t promise nobody will get hurt. All we can do is promise to try.”
“And what do you think, Azrael?” asked Rani. “What have your dreams told you?”
Azrael pulled her
shoulders back and nodded at Rani. “It needs to happen.”
Rani looked eyes first with Aarow and then his father. “Then we will work with you.”
“It really is just like my dream,” said Azrael.
“Did your dream have an ending?” asked Aarow, curious to hear more.
She shook her head. “No dream ever has an ending. They end when you wake up.”
Aarow thought about this for a moment. “Then let’s hope we wake up smiling. It’s time to go to war.”
SPECTOR
THE BATTLE
Spector flapped his arms to make his feet go faster. The Colonel had told him not to go far, which was difficult as he was used to flying at his own speed. He was an eagle—a lone bird—not a sparrow drifting with a flock in the currents of the sky. However, he was an eagle who wanted to please, so he made sure he listened to the Colonel, swooping back every now and then so he didn’t get too far ahead.
He hadn’t thought he’d be allowed to play the Battle game when he’d heard the grown-ups talking about it. Then the Colonel had reminded him that he was a grown up and said he could come. Father agreed, but Mother didn’t, and his parents had a big fight about it. Eventually, Father convinced Mother and here he was now. Ready to play Battle.
The Colonel needed him. He was fast and strong and brave. Best of all, he knew how to stop being an eagle and start being a coyote. He could watch someone from the dunes, as if stalking his prey, and they’d have no idea he was even there. The Colonel said he’d saved lots of lives doing this. He was an important member of the Colony. He’d even saved the life of a Princess. And a baby. Even if it was an annoying baby who never stopped crying. He had a stupid name too. Horrie the Horrible. Spector didn’t tell anyone he called him that. People didn’t like it if you said mean things about a baby. It wasn’t nice. And Spector tried to be nice as much as he could. He couldn’t help it if sometimes a not nice thought got stuck in his head. He asked Mother about this once and she said it didn’t matter so much if you had a bad thought, what counted was what you did with that thought. And he’d always done good things with his thoughts.
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