Page 60 of Twins for the Barbarians

“Children?”

“Twins. Solomon gave me an exam and an ultrasound. We’re having twins,” I tell him with a shy smile.

Almost instantly, their faces light up with love, pride, and all the joy in the world. It’s ironic, given our circumstances, but a welcome sight to behold, nonetheless. At first, I was terrified of falling in love with them. After what happened, however, I realize that I am more terrified of not living the rest of my life with them, of not raising a family and building a new world with them. I’ve been so afraid of living that I didn’t even realize I was already living, falling in love, and conceiving new life in my womb.

“I love you, Alicia,” Helios says. “And we will not give up until we’re all free.”

“I love you, too,” I manage, tears ruthlessly pricking my eyes.

“We will find a way,” Kharo says.

All isn’t lost.

Not yet.

27

Alicia

The days in captivity pass slowly. We’re fed and taken to the bathroom regularly by heavily armed guards, but we spend what’s left of our existence in shackles, forced to watch Solomon as he works on his next weapon of mass destruction. The helplessness is too much to bear sometimes, but Helios and Kharo have somehow maintained their resolve, constantly trying to lift my spirits.

“So, no word from Kingo yet?” Helios asks Solomon one morning, the shadow of a smile dancing on his face. His beard has grown thicker, but I can still see his lips curling as the king gives him a sour look.

“It’s only a matter of time,” he says.

But is it, though? They should’ve caught Kingo by now. They would’ve brought him back to the palace and executed him in front of us. Every day that goes by while Kingo is free brings us one step closer to a possible rescue. Of course, we cannot rely on him alone. Solomon might decide to kill us before anyone even gets close to the city’s gates.

“Do you know why Solomon is doing all of this?” I ask my men, my gaze fixed on the so-called king. I don’t want his work to go smoothly. I need him to lose focus, become angry, feel belittled, get furious enough to lash out at us, or make a mistake and fail in his development of yet another lethal virus. “Because a bunch of higher-ranking women pissed him off.”

“Oh, really?” Kharo picks up on my strategy quickly enough to play along.

Solomon gives us the stink-eye, but he tries to concentrate on the centrifuge as it spins yet another sample of my blood. I dread the thought of my future responsibility in whatever nightmare he’s looking to cook up in this wretched laboratory.

“Yeah. He wanted to develop dangerous viruses along with a cure so they could be better prepared for the future,” I say. “But his superiors, most of them women, laughed in his face and told him to stick to his ongoing research. The kingdom was thriving. There was no need for him to waste time and resources on a what-if scenario. And instead of taking that like a man, Solomon got mad. He designed a virus meant to kill all Sunnaite women. Talk about small dick energy, eh?”

“I’m willing to bet Solomon had dreams about mating with one of them,” Helios adds with a wry smirk. “But he didn’t have a friend, a man to build that bond with. I’ll bet his own brother turned him down. And so, without a male by his side, no woman would even consider Solomon as a husband.”

“The Sunnaite traditions were absurd and obsolete. I’ve already proven we’re not biologically bound to them,” Solomon cuts in, bitterness dripping from each word.

“Yes, you’re the man. Three wives and everyone obeying you on the basis of lies and fear. You. Are. The. MAN.” I laugh.

“I am,” he says. “You’re bound and helpless. You will die here. All three of you will die here. I’ll find that little Kingo shit, too. And the rest of the world will die. When it’s over, I’ll take my people out of the city. Together, we’ll walk over your bones. I’ll revel in the sound of crushing you under my bare feet.”

Kharo lets out a hearty chuckle. “Your own wives don’t trust you anymore. Do you really think everything will go back to normal after you execute Leela? The bond has been severed. Sarin and Neya are probably fearing for their lives, as well. I certainly would if I were in their shoes. You promised them salvation, and what did you give them? Children to raise and terror in their hearts. You broke Leela’s trust the minute you decided to kill her brother without even giving her a fair warning.”

“I did what had to be done!” Solomon snarls. “And Leela went against my word. She broke the law. The punishment befits the crime in her case, and both Sarin and Neya understand that.”

“Is that why they’ve been keeping their distance?” Helios asks, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

“What distance?”

“Don’t think we didn’t notice,” Helios replies. “They don’t come in to check on you as often as before. Granted, they’re having to take care of Leela’s children along with their own. They’re having to keep a lid on this mess you created. And they’re having to put up with your narcissism while they wrap their heads around the heaps of lies you spent years cramming down their throats. No wonder they can’t stand you anymore.”

Solomon grins coldly. “You’re trying to get to me, aren’t you? What a pathetic display.”

“The people won’t buy these stories for much longer. Soon enough, more and more of them will wish to see what’s left beyond the black walls,” I tell him. “And I doubt the rest of Sunna will have died off by then. The truth has a way of breaching the surface regardless of how hard you try to stifle it, Solomon. It’ll blow up in your face. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it will. And when it does, your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth.”

Solomon comes over with a needle and a small glass plate. “Sadly, you won’t be around to see for yourself. You won’t get to gloat. Now, hold still.” He pricks my finger for the umpteenth time, drawing more blood for his tests.

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