The River King

by Kim Alexander

  “He’s made his move,” she called over her shoulder. “Go, go.”

  Coll, Scilla and Malloy hurried to finish their charm.

  Araan stepped from the deep shade of the High Seat hall into the courtyard, and there was nothing in his face that she recognized. The last hope that he might be her brother, her real family, flickered and went out. He was speaking with Ilaan, and she went weak with relief that Ilaan was in place. He might have had the power to open The Door they needed on this side, but that would have left Eriis unprotected against the Zaal and the daeeve horde. She couldn’t risk losing her home, even if she were never to see it again. There was an argument of some sort. Araan, apparently satisfied, turned towards The Door. Olly, Scilla, and Coll came to stand by her side. Hellne threw back her hood. Araan craned his head forward, yes, he recognized her. Their eyes met.

  “You want it, ‘brother’? You and your kin want a taste of this new world? Well, come and get it.”

  And each of them raised their hands, took their knives, and sliced straight across their palms. Araan’s head shot up. He scented the air and licked his teeth. But instead of throwing himself through, he turned and gave a signal. Hellne watched, shocked, as a horde of writhing, fanged creatures surged out of the hall, scattering the panicked Eriisai in the courtyard. The daeeve came straight at them.

  “Malloy,” she shouted, “now!” From behind her—she didn’t dare turn to look—Malloy called his chant, and Scilla and Coll added their voices as well.

  If this doesn’t work, if we falter...

  The tide of daaeve reached The Door, and she and her companions dove aside, the first slick, reeking creature barely pausing to wonder at being in the world it had been promised before momentum carried it through a second Door hard against the first, which opened into the space between the stars. Even if the first had wanted to warn its brood, the smell of human and demon blood and the sheer number of their rank coming up behind was too great to stop or even slow them down.

  Hellne glanced at her hand. Of course the slash had healed to a pink line. She grabbed the knife from where she’d dropped it, opened the wound again, and whipped her hand towards the open Door, spattering the ground with her blood. Seeing her, Coll and Olly did the same. The tide of daeeve continued, until only two remained.

  Araan dropped whatever pretense he’d been clinging to and revealed the creature under his familiar, demon skin. It seemed the smell of blood battled with the scene of his kin disappearing before his eyes, but finally his hunger was too great to question where they were going. As he passed into Mistra, he turned his head and he looked at Hellne. He smiled, somehow, with all those teeth he smiled, and he reached out a pulsing limb and caught her by the wrist, and he pulled.

  She screamed and stabbed at the grasping coil, but he held her fast and yanked her through into nothing. Mistra was a bright circle of light, getting smaller. She shut her eyes.

  Something grabbed her by both legs and pulled hard—harder than Araan and hard enough to bring her back to the edge of the world. She realized she was still holding the knife, and she tried now to saw through the creature’s arm as Malloy heaved with all his strength to bring her back. The Araan thing screamed, either in pain or in rage, and abruptly released her. She fell on her face onto the muddy, wonderful solid ground. She took a great gasp of breath.

  “Malloy—”

  But the creature had other arms, and before he could roll clear, it had Malloy in three of them. And then they were was gone, and The Door to nowhere vanished.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Eriis

  Although it shamed him to do it, Rhuun had to agree with Ilaan that if it came down to a contest with the Zaal, Rhuun would serve as a distraction at best and an unprotected target at worst.

  They need me for afterwards, he grumbled to himself, but he looked for a place that would conceal him because yes, he was afraid of the Zaal. He found his favorite spyhole from his childhood, now too small for him to slide the panel shut behind him and the viewing hole too close to the floor to be of much use, and when the rumbles of moving stone and heavy, slithering bodies stopped, made his way down the empty stairway and positioned himself behind the Seat. The Zaal, after all, remained, even if those creatures had departed.

  “Beast? Where are you hiding?”

  He stood up in a plume of dust and coughed. “I prefer ‘keeping a safe distance’ over ‘hiding’ if you don’t mind. Is it over?”

  “We think so,” said Ilaan. “Got a little unexpected there at the end.”

  “The Zaal,” said Aelle. She was back in her own skin, having changed her face once the real Hellne revealed herself.

  In the commotion, no one had noticed the switch. Hellne was now understood to be safe on Mistra, Rhuun would now take the Seat, and so Aelle’s job was done.

  “He took Thaali and they shimmered away. He’s not done with us. Oh, and he thinks you’re still over there. That you got eaten or something.” She brushed some dust from her elaborate gown and passed a hand across her brow then placed the glass crown on the Seat. “I believe this is yours.”

  They parted to let her leave, picking her way with the dignity of a true, if not crowned queen, through the shattered stone sculptures and broken furniture. Aelle had earned some time off.

  Ilaan tossed away a broken piece of a statue. It appeared to have been a gently smiling mouth. “I love what they’ve done with the place.” He picked up the crown and held it up to the dusty, filtered light. “Got a crack in it.”

  “Well, you might as well fix it while you’re standing there.” Rhuun looked for the bottle of human whiskey he’d stowed under the Seat all those months ago and was pleased to find it undamaged and unopened. Ilaan transferred the great heat from his hand to the crack in the crown, and when he was done melting it back together, traded him the bottle for the crown. Rhuun popped it on his head then laughed, took it off, and set it on the seat. He’d have to return it to Anuu, its official Keeper.

  Ilaan handed him back the bottle. “The Zaal won’t stop, even if all but one of his desert creatures have abandoned him. Even though she looked half dead, we don’t know how dangerous she is. I don’t know what he’s got in mind, but we need to find both of them.”

  “We have one thing in our favor though. He doesn’t know I’m here. He thinks I’m on Mistra or dead or both. When it’s time, he won’t see me coming.”

  “You? I don’t mean to offend, but you don’t have any weapons. Did you see the way he tossed me across the courtyard? He’d turn you to ash in a blink. No, we have to work together. You need me.”

  “Light and Wind were quite specific. You have another place to be.” Rhuun didn’t imagine those ladies would enjoy being deferred or ignored. They’d talked briefly about the idea that Lelet might have simply hallucinated the conversation, but she’d been right about Ocean and Ilaan said that was good enough for him. Rhuun thought it was possible his friend wanted it to be true so much he would have listened to the whispered advice of a jump mouse. But still Ilaan hesitated.

  “It doesn’t feel right for me to leave now, not while this is going on. The Zaal could be anywhere. He could take anyone’s face. I mean, it could be me, for all you know.”

  “It’s not you. The Zaal isn’t half so charming.”

  “Well, you’re not wrong. But Beast, I’ve waited this long. I can wait a little—”

  “Something will always be going on. If not your father, the Zaal. Or Auri. Or my mother. Or the daeeve themselves. It’ll always be someone. You know very well that’s the story of my life. We’ve won. For how long, I don’t know. But Araan, whatever he was, is gone, and his people with him—thanks to you. And I am here to guard the Seat, again, thanks to you. We’ve carved out some time. Take it.”

  “But the Zaal…”

  “Is just one man. He can’t hide forever, and that creature can’t get too far, as badly as she was hurt. Yes, I’m afraid of him. You were right, as usual. Of course I am. But
how many times has someone I love stood between me and harm? No, Ilaan. You said it yourself—I get into trouble and expect you to be there, and you always were, until now. It’s time for me to live or die or...whatever comes next is mine, for me.”

  Ilaan folded his arms. “Are you breaking up with me?”

  Rhuun laughed despite himself. “No one can walk away from you for long, and you know it.” He kept his tone light. If he showed the fear in his heart, his friend would never leave him, and Rhuun couldn’t allow that. “Are you ready? Do you have an idea of what to do when you get into the Veil?”

  Ilaan pulled the little book of luck out of his pocket. “Thanks to...let me see...Preeve, Auri, my father, and you, I get it. Not all of it but enough. I’m ready. That’s it, then. I’m finding Niico and bringing him home.”

  Rhuun nodded. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”

  “Swear it.”

  Tears pricked Rhuun’s eyes. “I can’t. You know I can’t. But let’s pretend I can, and I will. I’ll be here.” He rapped his knuckles against the stone seat. “Probably right here, in fact. Don’t be too long, please.”

  “Aw, you’re going to miss me.”

  “Of course I am. Come here.” He embraced his friend, and they laughed and wept all at once.

  “You’re crying,” said Ilaan.

  “I’m not crying. I don’t even like him.” Rhuun wiped his face. “Go get your man.”

  Ilaan shoved the book back in his pocket and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. The air turned dusty-gray behind the motion. Rhuun recognized the flat nothing of the Veil. Ilaan was on his way.

  “Oh, and Beast? One more thing.” He smiled and vanished, leaving a bright spot in the air where he’d stood.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Mistra

  Hellne scrambled up from the ground, screaming, “Open it. You’ve got to open it...” But even as the words left her mouth, she knew it was too late.

  Coll moved to her side and put his hand on her shoulder. “He saved your life. He walks on the dark path now. When we return to Eriis, we will perform Na Airi Vai in his honor.”

  She nodded and choked back a sob. She wouldn’t let these humans see her weep. She’d save that for later, when she was alone. Scilla and Coll worked together to close The Door to Eriis. There was a brief glimpse of Ilaan and a great deal of destruction in her courtyard. This had been a day for destruction, despite the fact that they’d actually done what they set out to do. The creatures were gone. But Malloy—

  “Um, he’s actually still here,” said Olly. They all turned then, to see old Brother Blue, still slumped in his chair, still swaddled in his warm blankets, still breathing.

  “The Malloy that saved you wasn’t real,” Coll told her. “That was a charm we drew out of his mind. This is the real him.”

  “He was real.” Hellne thought of their night under the stars. “He was real to me.”

  “Princess?” Blue opened his eyes, blinking weakly in the late afternoon light. “Is it you? After all this time, have you come back to me?”

  “I... yes, Malloy.” She laid her hand on his. To Olly, she said, “He doesn’t remember what happened to the other him, does he?”

  Olly looked at Coll, who shook his head. “He hasn’t spoken for a long time. But he remembers you.”

  “I would have stopped them if I could,” Blue said. “I would have come back for you, my princess. I’m so sorry.”

  “I know, Malloy. I forgive you. It’s all over. You may rest now.”

  He smiled, an echo of the beautiful smile he once used to win her heart, and he closed his eyes. His breathing slowed, and soon he was still. Olly turned away. He doesn’t want to show his tears either.

  “Why Madam, you’ve got a bit of mud on you. Taken a tumble in your new Mistran dirt?” The representative of the Prime Council, having finished his early dinner, strolled up to the group in the courtyard. He’d checked in on them hours earlier, found everything as expected, and retired back to his suite in the Guardhouse, saying he couldn’t take the sun. He’d chosen now to come back.

  Hellne straightened up and picked out a calm smile to wear. “A long day and I’m afraid I found a patch that was a bit slippery. Perhaps I should have watched from a window. You seem quite clean.”

  Her jab went unnoticed. The man laughed. “Oh, I didn’t spend the day watching you haul dirt through a hole. I was told you all were experts. Didn’t need my oversight. Found some brothers who wanted to lose money at cards. Came out to tell you there’s dinner left, if you’ve finished out here. I’ll be heading back to town, myself, while we’ve still got some light. Well done, I’ll report back, all as according to plan.” He grabbed Coll’s hand and pumped it up and down vigorously. “Tell the other ambassador we’ll see him when he’s finished...whatever he was doing back there. Well done, all.” And he waited as several red-faced brothers loaded his luggage into a carriage. With a wave out the window, his vehicle turned onto the road through the forest and out of sight.

  Coll held out his hand, looking at it as if it might leap from his wrist and attack. “Yes, all according to plan. Madam, I think the rite of Na Airi Vai is appropriate for our brave colleague.” He turned to Olly. “It is how we honor those who have left the path of life. Scilla, please use that pen of yours to inform our friends we’ve...it’s finished. Perhaps leave the details to our queen to report in person, when she returns home.”

  Hellne turned to Olly. “You knew him best, I gather? Then before I go back to Eriis, perhaps you and I can talk. I want to know what sort of man Malloy became so I can tell Rhuun about his father.”

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Eriis

  Gone. Everyone was gone.

  The last thing Thaali saw was her own Araan disappearing into the black void as she prepared to joyously follow him. Then she was yanked backwards by her hair. By the time she was able to sit up, The Door and everyone she knew, her family, her nest, were gone.

  The only thing that remained was the demon at her side, the one who brought her here and promised her a new and delicious world. Had it been a lie all along? He hauled her to her feet and screamed into her face until she figured out he wanted her to shimmer away with him. They were only going a short distance. It would be quiet, he promised, and she could rest. More promises. She followed him.

  The flesh forms she and Araan created weren’t meant to last even as long as they had, and they were beginning to show wear even without such an attack. The blow to her head caused her fragile skull to crack and her vision to blur and swim. Her right arm was damaged. It hung limp and nerveless at her side. The pain in her flesh was nothing compared to the panic and pain in her heart.

  Thaali had never been alone before. The demon male at her side was yammering at her about hiding and healing, but his words were wind and he was dust. She was alone.

  They were gone. If they weren’t dead, it didn’t matter because they were someplace she’d never find. Something in her neck crumbled and gave way, and maybe that was fine, dying. Surely she’d see her people again in the Nest to Come. But this male creature wouldn’t let her lie down and die. He pushed her into an empty room—a closet, really—off a quiet corridor and promised her he’d return for her soon. He shut the door. She was grateful for the peace.

  She sat on the floor in the dark and touched the back of her head. Her hand came away sticky with blood. She licked it, first tentatively then more eagerly. The bright metallic taste cleared her head.

  I am still myself. Not Thaali, of course. She kept her real name in the sac under her throat, a private place only her closest kin could share. She’d never again laze in the comfort of the nestbrood, never feel the pressure of uncounted bodies sliding across her own. Her throat closed with rising panic. Her face was wet again and not with blood. The liquid was less satisfying, but she licked the tears off her hand anyway.

  I’ll rest. And then I’ll figure out what to do. But I am so hungry

  Onc
e she’d eaten two of the fingers from her useless hand, she felt like she could properly rest. She felt around with her good hand, realizing the lumpy floor she sat on was a pile of carpets. Crawling underneath, she pretended the weight of them were bodies of her kin, and finding some comfort there, she curled up and was asleep at once.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Mistra

  The last thing Scilla saw was something she wished she hadn’t—Malloy, poor Brother Blue, her first and best teacher and Moth’s father to boot—sucked into the nowhere Door by the last monster through. After that, it was mostly blurs of color, like she was looking at the world through deep water. Magic had claimed its price.

  She helped Coll close both Doors, and then went to have herself a sit-down. The queen cried out to rescue Blue, but it sounded like she knew that was a non-starter as soon as she said it. There was some crying, and everyone talked a little bit. She closed her eyes and opened them, hoping things would get clearer.

  They did not.

  She listened as Brother Blue said his goodbyes to the queen. At the very end, she was the only person he recognized. The Blue she’d found in his mind knew Scilla right away though. After tramping for what felt like hours through the cloudy confusion of his addled old mind, she found what she was looking for—a path. This was what Coll had been unable to find, what bound one human to another. Once she’d found the path, it was almost like picking her way through a dark and haunted forest. In the shadows, she could hear echoes and memories of people he’d known—herself among them, which was mortifying. She’d been a snotty little monster to him. But she could see the path, and finally, she could see Blue. He was huddled in front of a campfire. It was a poor one, giving off no heat and barely any light. That was all that was left of him. He looked up at her with wonder.