Giya's Betrayal: Book Three of the Firebird's Daughter series Read online

  Can you take me with you then? To Denit? Or must you go alone? She doesn’t know the crystal must be shattered.

  For a moment which must surely have been brief in reality, but felt very, very elongated in his own mind, Serat considered carefully what Hadia was asking. There were so many possibilities here! And all of which could be made to look as though he had tried to help Hadia, but had failed, in the end. It would be so easy to “try” to transport her with him, but later claim her poor, frail body just wasn’t up to it, so she exploded. He could claim to have been so distraught, he was unable to do anything more to help. For that matter, he could kill her outright, and claim the same thing. Or, having taken her to Denit, he could “help” her and end up with Denit dead instead. Then Siri would have no choice but to leave this planet, to rejoin him in deep space. She would be distraught for a time, but she would eventually get over it, and he would be there to help her recover. Just the two of them.

  Serat blinked, closing his eyes against the onslaught of the images he saw marching across his vision. He could see each of those possibilities clearly. And he could also feel the slow cadence of the visions he used to have as a youth as they began to reassert themselves. How he had longed to have his sister back with him. It wasn’t, after all, his fault they had been born as twins, and that he’d always felt incomplete without her. He had survived the past several hundred years without her only because he hadn’t known where, or even when, to find her. Together, they could outrace the reach of the visions – especially if the planet itself was destroyed. And that wretched crystal with it. How he wanted to howl out loud at the thought of being asked to help shatter the crystal – the one thing in all the universe he wanted absolutely nothing to do with, and here he was, poised to help release its energy so that its lifecycle would begin all over again.

  No, he decided, if he wasn’t going to help his sister, his beloved, precious sister, then he should just leave without hindering her. She had asked for his help. How could he refuse?

  ::No,:: he explained to Hadia,:: your body wouldn’t be able to tolerate the way I travel. But I will lead you to her, come!:: he invited her, turning towards Lumas, ::Follow me.::

  * * * * * * * *

  Still chuckling with child-like glee, Chared stepped out from between the thin, green, glowing lines, to find himself in Nohoyo – exactly where he had wanted to be! He’d done it! He wanted to be nonchalant about it, as if it had been nothing extraordinary – as if he’d done it hundreds of times before, perhaps – but this was the very first time he had traveled across the land using the magic of his own people, of his father. He had actually done it! He almost couldn’t believe it! He wanted to shout out loud and raise his arms into the air in celebration! He knew he had a ridiculous grin on his face, and that his heart was racing, but since he had no idea if anyone was watching him as he stepped out of thin air, he thought the most prudent course of action would be to take stock of his situation. If no one could see him, he would jump up and down screaming out his excitement.

  To his dismay, though, he saw that there were, in fact, about a dozen or so people nearby. In fact, he couldn’t stop himself from gasping, he even knew some of these people! They were all looking at him with as much shock as he knew was on his own face. Quickly holding up his hands, palms facing outward, in a show of vulnerability and caution, his eyes sought out someone who he knew would recognize him.

  “Savaar!” he called out, hardly believing his own eyes. What was he doing here? Giya had tasked him with raising the level of water under the desert. And while this place was obviously – from what he could see of it - a part of the desert, Chared didn’t think this was what Giya had had in mind. But then, he reconsidered, smirking to himself, Giya was turning out to be much more unpredictable than he had ever considered she might be. And then he saw Jarles, lying on the ground, as if he was asleep. He felt a cold shock move up his spine, immediately knowing Jarles was not, in fact, just lying there. He wasn’t breathing. He wasn’t moving. And that was why Savaar was on his knees next to Jarles’ prone body.

  In a way that had never happened before in his lifetime – a lifetime which included twenty more years than it should have, thanks to his having voluntarily chained himself to a stone – everything came together in Chared’s mind with startling clarity. This, then, was why Giya had created him in the first place. Or, at least why she had created his mother, so that she would give birth to him. For this very moment in time. Never had he felt more clear-headed and certain about anything in his life whatsoever. A voice inside of him wanted to rail and scream and rant that he should never had been made to help someone else – that he should have been born to live out his life in whatever manner he chose for himself. But he silenced that raving lunatic – the man he’d been for the better part of his life – with no more effort than it would have taken to brush a gnat from his shoulder.

  Perhaps, he considered in a remote part of his mind, Giya had lied about many things, including having never been able to gaze into the crystal goblet herself. He knew the lore inside and out – no one had ever known it better than he had – and he knew that’s exactly what had been handed down throughout many generations. Giya had not been able to see into the crystal goblet, and so had lost it to Amphedia, who could. He knew that to be a lie, he’d seen it in his own visions. Siri Ventus had been the only one who was able to see the future, and so she had been the one to keep it. It was she who had seen the death of Amphedia, and so had begun the long process of creating the “savior” of the Puj’hom people.

  But what if Giya had seen the future? What if she had created P’onyem because she had brought a man from Bila to the city by the sea in order to create the future she had seen in the crystal goblet? The possibilities of what Giya may or may not have done were exploding in Chared’s mind, making him more determined than ever to find the Earth Goddess to get answers from her. Surely she would be willing to tell him, now that everything was coming full circle?

  “What are you doing here?” Savaar asked him, standing up to confront him. He was clearly angry.

  “I’m here to save Jarles,” Chared replied, shrugging, then moved past Savaar to kneel beside the son his sister had borne before having been killed for the crime of having given birth to him.

  Chapter Ten – Nowhere to Hide

  Although Nohoyo was mostly desert, with nothing more than a few places where the rolling dunes flattened out to reveal scrub brushes, and rock ledges, there were a few pockets of lush vegetation here and there, including the most well-known one where the fountain had been built, just to the north of the city. Sina had seen all of those pockets in her short lifetime because she was the daughter of one of the council members and often traveled with her mother throughout the land. Her mother was extremely fond of flora and fauna, so always brought back cuttings, seeds, or plants from their travels, planting them in the city’s gardens where they could grow for everyone to see and enjoy.

  At this particular moment in time, Sina was especially glad her mother had done exactly that, because she was hiding in one of the gardens. Vray had brought her here, something for which she was both grateful and greatly surprised about. Since she was the daughter of a council member, she was sure she would have been used for leverage, or as a bribe, or maybe would have just outright been killed. Instead, he was keeping her safe. When he had encouraged her to run to the fountain, she had just stood there, unable to move. She had never been so scared in all of her life, and simply couldn’t make her numb legs move. She had tried very hard not to cry, but was unable to stop the tears from running down her face, and her whole body from shaking. She thought that he hadn’t killed her because she was only 14, but she wasn’t at all sure any more. Through the haze of her terror, she remembered him saying something about her own magic. He was sure she, too, was a Fire Tender. If she had been afraid before he’d said that, she had been terrified after. She had kept denying it, shaking her head, with the tears completely out of
control, utterly unable to say a single word. She had wanted to scream, but he kept telling her not to. He had used a quiet voice, full of compassion and confidence, whispering over and over again that she would be all right.

  He had led her to this place where she was now, tucked inside some bushes. What he had done to the bushes made her want to scream all over again. Her memory was a blur, but she was pretty sure some other people – maybe some more Fire Tenders? – had brought two people to Vray while he was tucking her inside the bush. They had looked like they were dead, because they weren’t moving at all, but she wasn’t sure, because it had been so dark. Vray had laid his hands on each of the bodies, then had touched the bush, making it grow in an instant. She had screamed then, forcing Vray to put his hand over her mouth to make her stop, once again telling her over and over again that it would be all right, to just be quiet. But she had been terrified he was putting her in a prison.

  “Either go to the fountain now, or stay here, Sina,” he’d told her. “This is not a prison, only a safe place for you to stay.” Tearfully, she had nodded her head, still not completely understanding what was going on around her. The entire city had erupted in chaos, with people running and screaming everywhere. Nobody was safe, he’d told her. He had handed her some water, then told her he would be back for her when it was safe. He had reminded her she was free to leave, but asked her not to, then nodded at a tree that had fruit on it, saying she could eat that if she got hungry. In the next moment, he and the others with him had gone, leaving the two bodies behind. She still didn’t know how she had managed not to scream when they had disintegrated into piles of ash a short time later.

  Oh, how she hated all of this! Why were people attacking the city? What had they ever done to deserve such a terrible fate? Why did they have to come here? Everyone here was peaceful and happy. Why wouldn’t they just go away? She was sure her mother would be going out of her mind with worry, wondering where she was. Holding the golden symbol of Sov she wore attached to her necklace, she prayed to God he would keep her and her mother safe.

  * * * * * * * *

  “This just feels wrong!” Aidena said quietly through clenched teeth, though still plenty loud enough for Kaya to hear her. Again.

  “Is there any point in my arguing with you?” Kaya asked, his own frustration making the question seem that he was already doing so.

  “There are so many more people, right here, who need our help,” she explained. “Why does one man make so much difference?”

  “You just don’t understand because you never lived in Bila,” Kaya replied. “I have, and Sahil is right. If Than gets back to the emperor, or anyone who can get a message to him quickly, this whole place will be run over with soldiers.”

  “I know,” she conceded with a sigh, “but... ”

  “Just because you don’t want something to be true doesn’t mean it isn’t, Aidena,” he purposefully softened his voice, trying to take the edge off their escalating conversation.

  “Then let’s get this over with,” she returned sharply, increasing her speed until he was almost running to keep up with her. Nor did it take long for them to reach their destination. Sahil had given them a very short time to find Than if they could, and if not, they were to return to the temple where the Shield Room was. Sahil, himself, was guarding it against intrusion or destruction. Although he had vehemently argued with Giya against allowing it – and the shields - to stand, he had bowed to her insistence when she had asked where else he thought Denit might find them if she returned in time. Vray, too, was with Sahil, directing most of the Fire Tenders from there, along with a few others who had come, seeking direction in how to help in the fight.

  After he had recited the child’s song and everyone had witnessed the scene with the children playing, many among them had understood Vray was, indeed, to play an important part in defeating Sov. Just as the prophecy had foretold, much to Vray’s dismay. So he, too, had been stationed near the temple with the shields to be on-hand if Denit returned. Kaya didn’t like any of it, but then, he hadn’t wanted to go to war three years ago either. That had certainly turned out much differently than he had ever anticipated!

  Still, returning to Bila after all this time was going to be a very strange experience, he was sure. It was, truly, the last thing he wanted to do. Ever. But that’s exactly what Sahil wanted him to do – he and Aidena were to go directly to the palace to make sure the emperor never received the message that the barrier around Nohoyo was gone. Although Sahil had never directly said they were to end the emperor’s life, Kaya had no idea how else they were supposed to make sure he never found out. He was glad Aidena was going with him. He had seen her powers first-hand and knew she would be most-helpful in what they were about to do. One other advantage they had was that the emperor never allowed “magic makers,” as he called them, in the palace. That fact, he was sure, would give them the advantage they would need if they were going to get past the guards there. Of course, Kaya considered, it was always possible the emperor had magical booby traps which would be set off if anyone used magic around him.

  “This magic is very useful,” Vray said, nodding at Sahil, as they approached the temple. Vray had had the opportunity to do exactly what he and Aidena were about to do when Sahil and the others had transported him to the Shield Room yesterday. Was it only yesterday? Unfortunately, Vray hadn’t arrived in time to help Denit, but then, yesterday, Vray hadn’t believed in the prophecy that told of his red eyes. Of course, none of them understood just how Vray was supposed to shatter Denit’s crystal, only that he would. But that, Kaya decided, was for someone else to figure out. He had another task to undertake, whether he liked it or not. He smirked to himself, thinking of the advice he’d recently given Aidena and knew that he didn’t have to like it, he just had to do it.

  * * * * * * * *

  Muuaji knew there was nowhere for him to hide, the strangers would come and kill him no matter what he did. How could they even be here? he wondered for the hundredth time. Everyone knew the boundary was impenetrable. As a Kasais, he’d seen plenty of people try to pass through it, only to be burned alive, their life force wasted, instead of being used for the greater glory of Sov. He never even noticed that he automatically shook his head in dismay at the thought of the waste. It was his sacred duty to ensure each individual lived within the laws and guidelines they were given, so Sov was served to the highest of everyone’s good. That’s the way life was. Everyone knew it. You lived your life as best as you could, giving praise, honor, and glory to God until it was your turn to give your life force to the shields so that Sov – and life itself – was served for the betterment of everyone. Those who failed to adhere to the laws were punished so that everyone didn’t suffer because of one person’s mistakes. Most of the time, it only took a few punishments before everyone did what they were supposed to do. If not, then they couldn’t very well be allowed to keep hurting society as a whole. No, their life force would be given onto Sov, and if he decided they had earned it, then they would be reborn into another body to learn the lesson again. It was so simple and so easy. All it took was a little education, a little consideration, and a desire that everyone should enjoy the same benefits. Nothing more. Even if you didn’t have faith that Sov would take care of you, he still did. That’s what gods were for, after all.

  So it just made no sense at all that all these strangers were here, and were killing as many Kasais as they could find. Muuaji couldn’t help but to wonder if the number of people who had angered Sov had been so great that he had sent these strangers here to punish them. If that was the case, then shouldn’t he give himself up willingly – to prove his faith? He’d never had to consider these kinds of things before, and there was no one left to ask what he should do.

  The Fire Tenders were the most-sacred of all, he knew. They were the ones who had been gifted to give life to God. He had always been grateful he’d never been assigned to the Shield Room, though. He couldn’t imagine being in th
e presence of such amazing power. It made him nervous to even think about it. To be witness to the moment life was given onto Sov... No! he felt himself shiver, knowing he simply could not imagine being there to see it. It was too much to imagine. And yet, all through the night, he had seen Fire Tenders helping the strangers. What did it mean? He wanted so badly to just run away, to not have to choose, to not have to decide. He looked longingly at the place where he knew the border had been. He had seen a few others cross the sand where it used to be with no ill effects and had absolutely marveled at their courage. What was he supposed to do?

  No, he decided, he would be faithful. He was a Kasais. It was his duty to have faith. He would do as he had always done, and would have faith in Sov. If he was meant to die, to give glory to God with his life force, then that is what he would do. He felt something settle within him as he made the decision, standing up, instead of crouching behind a small wall that served as a patio for someone’s home. He asked for forgiveness as his lips began to tremble. He walked a few steps into the street, then stood still, waiting. He knew they would come, he could hear them. Dropping to his knees, Muuaji spread his arms to his sides, even as his bones shook with fear. He felt a sob torn from his throat as the Fire Tenders came into view. He knew them from their clothing. They all wore the same thing, so everyone would know who they were. He didn’t mean to be afraid, but didn’t know what else to do. Every bit of his body was shaking now, as they came closer, looking down at him where he was kneeling, cautiously putting one foot in front of the other, looking at him as if they expecting him to run.

  “I ssss... I serve S...Sov,” he managed through a throat that suddenly didn’t want to work. He closed his eyes as one of the Fire Tenders reached out towards his shoulder. Glory to Sov! he whispered in his own mind, unable to speak it out loud, knowing his life was over. He never even felt it when the Fire Tender touched him. The next thing he knew, he was being shaken.