Fifteen Miska

I knew I was going to die here. I’d never see the massive, stone castles my mom wrote about or the trees that changed colors with the seasons. I would see none of it because of what they did.

They laughed with the queen, sparkling glasses clinking as they spoke of the prize Nismera would reward them with and how Jade City would be the epicenter of the new realms. The laughter and cheer died when darkness spread across the room, blotting out the sun. But it was the roar that shattered glass that made my bones tremble. The sound would live in my head forever. Tables shook, the food rolling to the floor right before she hit. I had never heard anything so loud or felt anything so hot. The world shook, and it was my fault for not realizing they would never accept me; they only used me to drive her away.

Now, death had found us and set our world on fire.

Another mighty whoosh of flames rained down, and more screams echoed through the crumbling halls. I covered my nose and ran faster, heading downstairs. The smell, oh gods, the smell. My eyes watered as I clutched the sides of my dress, allowing my legs the freedom to move.

She let out an ear-splitting roar, and I fell against the nearest wall as the entire place shook. I collapsed against the stone and pulled myself along, running toward the cut-out window.

“Oh, gods.”

My hand covered my mouth in horror. The city had cracked in half and was covered in flames, falling toward the thrashing sea below. My heart pounded in my chest. I needed to get downstairs, take the remedies I could, and find an escape raft. I remembered Sashau and Killie talking about them when they planned to sneak out of the city one night and how easy they would be to steer.

Wasting no more time, I cut a path through smoke, fire, and fear as the world around me continued to end. In the bowels of the palace, the hall at the bottom of the stairs was rarely used other than for storage. Only the elder healers were allowed down here. Shadows danced on the walls, light spilling from one of the rooms. I wasn’t the first to think of this.

“You see what she did and what she brought down on us?” someone hissed from inside the room.

“We have to leave now,” another female voice responded as the walls shook again, almost knocking me off my feet.

No. If they left, I’d be stuck here. Or worse, burned alive like the others.

I hurried, not caring if they saw me or what they said. I just wanted to leave, but I came to a sudden stop when I stepped into the room and saw what they were doing.

Their heads whipped up, the eldest healer, Franzceen, grimacing as she saw me. There were several other healers with her, including Sashau and Killie.

They had satchels slung across their bodies, filled with gold, jewels, and rare herbs. It looked like they had raided the queen’s treasury.

“You’re stealing while the city falls.”

They sneered at me.

“How, out of all the people here, would the most annoying one still be alive?” Sashau snapped.

Two of the girls clutched their satchels as if they thought I would try to steal them. The room shook violently, the entire palace groaning. I stumbled, catching myself against a table.

Everyone steadied themselves and looked around nervously. “We have no time for this. Let’s get to the rafts,” Sashau said.

The rafts. There were only two, and by the looks of things, I wasn’t getting a spot.

My eyes widened, and we all stared at each other for a moment before they turned and ran toward the door. I followed but was stopped by a sharp pain blooming in my face. I yelped and fell to the floor. Tossing my hair back, I cupped my throbbing cheek and looked up at Killie. She stood above me, her hand still fisted.

“You’re not going, freak,” she practically spat. “Stay here and die nobly, unlike your mother.”

Tears pricked my eyes, and I couldn’t fight them. I never fought anyone and knew I would burn here or be swallowed by the ocean.

“Killie,” Sashau called from a door at the end of the hall.

“Both of you, come on. We don’t have time for this,” Franzceen hissed. “We need to—” There was a soft squishing sound, and Franzceen gasped, her face freezing in a grimace. Her arms went limp, and her eyes rolled back in her head. As if in slow motion, she leaned forward and fell to the floor.

“What was that last part?”

Xio.

Her hand was outstretched, a fleshy mass resting on her bloody palm. She wrinkled her nose and dropped it, the heart hitting the stone with a wet thud.

The healers screamed in fear, and the room erupted in chaos. I covered my ears and turned away, curling into a tight ball on the floor. I cried, knowing I was next. She’d find me and rip my heart out next, and I was weak. I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Sashau screamed and then gurgled as if she were choking. I heard a body hit the floor, followed by a low, vicious growl. There was a scramble of footsteps and more screams. I recognized Killie’s voice, pleading for her life, and then nothing. The only sound was the crackle of fire, but no flames touched my skin, and nothing seemed to move. Had she left? I waited until I could no longer bear the quiet, and breathing through my nose, I cracked my eyes open.

I screamed, but the sound died quickly in my throat, terror stealing my ability to make a sound. Her face was mere inches from mine. Bright red eyes stared intently at me. Her hand whipped out and grabbed my chin, her grip painful. This was it. I was sure she was going to tear my head off, yet she didn’t. She tipped my head, inspecting my cheek where Killie hit me. I could feel the throb of it and imagined a bruise had already formed. She hissed and abruptly let me go.

“Get up,” Xio commanded.

I held up my hands, unable to stop the tears that blurred my vision. “I really didn’t know. I’ve only been trying to help. You have to believe me. They tricked me like they always do and told me I was helping, but I wasn’t. They told me of the plant, the one ingredient we needed for more medicine, but we weren’t out. I found it when I went downstairs to clean. Then, I heard the commotion when the soldiers arrived, and I hid. I heard the healers talking, but I didn’t know. I swear. They wanted you far enough away that it would take you a while to get back. The queen poisoned him. They took him a while ago.”

I hiccuped as I waited for her to lunge at me, but she only wiped the blood from her chin and said, “I know.”

My throat bobbed as I swallowed my sob of relief. “You know?”

She nodded. “Let’s start over, shall we? My name is not Xio. It’s Dianna. Those people took someone from me who means very, very much, and now I need your help to get him back, okay?”

I nodded, my heart easing its frantic pace. “So you aren’t going to kill me?”

She smirked and stood, holding her hand out to me. “No, Miska, I’m not going to kill you.” Then she looked over her shoulder and said, “But I am going to kill everyone else.”

The old texts spoke of the great darkness that would fall across the land, how it would cut out all light, leaving nothing in its wake. Here it was, only it wasn’t cold or quiet, but a blister against the skin and carrying the pure stench of death. That’s what she was, yet when I placed my hand in hers, I felt warmth there, her touch soft and protective, not hurtful. Maybe that’s what Cedaar saw in her, too.

“I didn’t know they were going to take him. I really believed they wanted more herbs to help heal, I swear.”

Her eyes scanned mine as she tilted her head to the side. “I know. I think they have been poisoning him. Your tea seemed to be the only thing that helped him. Do you think you can make some more?”

“Yes,” I said. “If I know which poison, maybe I can make an antidote? I need to get my mother’s book and some herbs from here.”

She let go of my hand and began collecting the bags from the bodies on the floor. She tossed them to me and nodded toward the room. “Grab what you need, then we will go talk with your queen.”

I picked my way through the gore, my gaze landing on Sashau’s body. Her lifeless eyes stared back at me, her throat ripped out. I ran to the shelves and started gathering what I needed, focusing on the supplies. The room rocked again, but the fear was no longer there with her at my back.

I GRIPPED THE SATCHEL HARDER, MAKING SURE I KEPT HOLD OF THE herbs we needed. I had packed enough that the bag weighed me down. Dianna rubbed her brow and glared at Queen Frilla. She lay on the floor, holding her side, and she wasn’t looking well. Dianna had burned off half of her hair, the wounds continuing down her face to her side.

“Ask her what poison again.”

I did, and this time, the queen didn’t make a smart remark but trembled as she answered. If she did not get help soon, she was going to die.

“I know what it is. I can make an antidote. We just need to find him,” I said, keeping my voice quiet.

Dianna flexed her hands at her sides before wrapping them around her body. “Great. Now ask her where they took him.”

I turned back to Frilla and asked. The queen replied, her tone shaky but filled with venom.

“Miska. Sweetie. What is she saying?”

I swallowed as the queen glared at me. Even covered in soot and blood, she loathed me.

“She says it doesn’t matter, anyway. You took her city, so the deal she had means nothing.”

Dianna nodded. “The deal with Nismera.”

I nodded.

“Where are they now?”

When I asked the question, the queen laughed before coughing. She tried to sit up further and winced.

Dianna waited for me to tell her, my lip curling when I looked at her. “It was vulgar, but in short terms, she won’t tell you. She hopes you die with him.”

Dianna shook her head and chuckled as she smiled at the queen. “You know, you don’t even know who he is.” She bit at her bottom lip. “Samkiel would have helped you, saved you and your people. He would have bent over backward to offer you peace. Unlike the old gods, he is kind and caring.” Her eyes darkened to a brutal crimson as she raised her hand. “Everything I am not.”

Flames roared from Dianna’s palm, and I yelped. The queen had no time to scream before she was engulfed. She burned until nothing but a smear of darkened ash remained where she’d sat. Dianna called the flames back to her, and I wiped my brow, the heat making me sweat.

“Now.” She turned to me so quickly that I jumped. “We need to go get a fate I left on another planet.”

She grabbed my sleeve and dragged me with her, the world shaking and rumbling. The stone beneath our feet cracked with a bellowing rumble, compromising the city’s stability.

“Wait, you said a god? And fate?” My mind reeled.

“Yes.” She kept pulling me along with her. “His name is Samkiel, and the fate’s name is Reggie. We need to go get him before he throws a fit.”

I stopped in my tracks as she turned to look at me. “The Samkiel?” I gulped. “The World Ender?”

A smile, short and brief, curved her lips before sadness crept in. It was as if even the mention of him brought her joy. “Yes, the one and only. Now we have to go save him.”

“But . . . but he died. They said . . . but his light is in the sky . . .” My heart thudded. “How is he alive?”

She started forward again, and I followed. I studied her back as we passed the open door and turned toward the massive hole in the wall. From the size of it, this was where she’d entered when she first arrived.

“How do you feel about flying?” she asked, ignoring my question.

We stood at the opening, clouds rushing past us. My stomach dropped as we stood at the terrifying precipice. I gripped the satchel tighter, my eyes widening as I realized what she meant. “I’ve never flown anywhere before.”

She shrugged. “Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

Dark, thick smoke encircled her, and her form grew massive. I jumped back, my gasp dying as scale armor covered her body. Massive wings tore through the walls and ceiling as she spread them. I had a second to decide what I wanted, and the answer came easier than I expected. I would finally leave this crumbling place behind. The darkness offered me a new life, a new choice, and I took it. I shifted the satchel and started to climb, using her scales to pull myself atop her back. I had barely settled before she leaped out of the building, destroying the entire wall as she went.

The wind tore the scream from my lips, and I gripped the spikes along her neck so tight my hands ached. Her wings beat soundlessly, propelling us through the sky as we shot up. The floating Jade City, along with every bad memory it held, was in pieces and on fire as it fell.