Page 56 of Twins for the Barbarians

I hope they’re safe. I hope I’ll see them again tonight while we pretend to be good sports at dinner with Solomon. But there’s a steady uneasiness tightening my shoulders—I’ve had this feeling throughout the day. Something is wrong. Something has felt wrong since we first arrived, and the sensation has only been exacerbated by the execution.

“It wasn’t the first time someone was shot on sight after trying to get out of Opal City,” I say to Kharo. “But you’re right. Leela’s brother…I know we needed a way to get through to her, but I didn’t think this would be the reason.”

“It sounds cruel, yes. But Leela may be tempted to help us now.”

“I think we should try to talk to her as soon as we reach the palace,” I reply. “If she’s willing, we can have her take us up to Kaos Volcano. We’ll grab Alicia and Kingo, too. Once we get to the mountain, we’ll no longer be welcome in the city, but at least we’ll be able to look into what we came here for in the first place. Alicia’s convinced we may find the evidence we need up there.”

“It’s worth a shot. Leela must be grieving. She would be vulnerable enough for us to try and sway her in our favor,” Kharo says. “But it’s a tricky situation, nonetheless. If anybody catches us before we reach her, we’re done for. And it’ll put Alicia and Kingo in a dangerous position, as well.”

“Alicia would want us to do this, as risky as it might be.”

Kharo can’t help but chuckle softly. “Look at you, bending over backward to get her what she needs instead of keeping her out of trouble.”

“And look at you, right here by my side, about to walk into the same pile of shit for the same reason,” I shoot back with a cold smirk. “Truth is, I want to know what happened, too. I want the real story, the reason our world is such a fucking mess.”

“We killed so many people in the aftermath of a lie, Helios. I’m not sure it’ll make us feel better to have our suspicions confirmed.”

“It doesn’t change what we did. But it will change how the future unfolds. How many more of us have to die because Solomon wanted a little utopia where everyone adores and worships him? Because we both know that’s what it was all about. Nothing else makes sense.”

We exchange glances as we approach the service door leading into a kitchen on the ground floor of the palace. So far, so good. We’ve been able to evade detection while investigating, blending in with the commoners, and listening to so many conversations.

My perception has shifted dramatically over the past week—the city, its people, its laws. This whole place was rebuilt on an egregious lie. And once we prove it, once we share this truth with the rest of Sunna, it’ll rain hell all over this place.

“Kharo, I think we’ll need to think of a way to warn the people of what’s coming to Opal City once we present the tribes with our findings,” I mutter. “There are too many innocents here. Think of the women. The Sky Tribe will come down hard on this place. Marauders, mercenaries, power-hungry generals…they’ll sack the city and drag the women kicking and screaming out of here.”

“Leela will be useful in that sense, provided we can convince her to work with us for the sake of her kingdom. I imagine she would want to protect her mother and remaining brother from the darkness that will follow,” Kharo says.

Yet as soon as we sneak through the door and find ourselves in front of one too many laser weapons pointed directly at our heads, it becomes clear that everything we’ve planned and considered up to this point has just been vided.

Six soldiers, led by Neya and Sarin.

The wives look angry, though I’m not sure if they’re mad at us or at life in general. Either way, this doesn’t seem to be going in the direction I’d hoped. Something happened, and now I’m worried about Alicia and Kingo.

“What’s going on here?” I ask calmly as I slowly raise my hands in the air.

Kharo does the same, his gaze darting from one soldier to the next. He’s assessing our chances of charging them and attempting an escape, but that would put Alicia in graver danger, and I know we’re both trying to avoid that.

Neya takes a step forward. “Our husband requests your presence in his private study.”

“You could’ve just asked,” Kharo retorts with a light scoff. “Why the weapons? I thought we were friends.”

“We were until your human whore and her little sidekick decided to abduct our sister-wife and take her to Kaos Volcano,” Sarin hisses, positively furious. But the words coming out of her mouth don’t make a lick of sense.

“Are you talking about Alicia? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I shoot back. “Kingo is a medic in training. Alicia is a historian. Have you lost your damn minds?”

“Our soldiers are bringing them back as we speak,” Sarin replies. “They’ll confirm as soon as they arrive. But the situation is clear. You all came here under false pretenses. You broke bread with us, you abused our hospitality, and look at you two…sneaking around without an escort and without the king’s permission.”

“You’ve broken our laws, and our king is no fool,” Neya adds, raising her chin as she gives us both a hard, unforgiving look. “You will pay for what you’ve done, Helios and Kharo of the Tallas clan. This wretched behavior will not go unpunished.”

“You’d better think twice before you even consider hurting Alicia,” I reply, my tone calm. Perhaps too calm. It seems unsettling to the royal wives. “Whatever this is about, I’m sure we can discuss it in a rational and civilized manner, Your Grace.”

“There is no need for violence of any kind,” Kharo adds. “We’ll come willingly wherever you wish. We only ask that no harm come to Alicia and Kingo. It’s all just a dreadful misunderstanding. They would never coerce anyone, especially one of the queens of Opal City, into anything.”

“You can’t fool us anymore,” Sarin replies. We see you for who you are: liars and scoundrels. What will happen next is on you and you alone.”

“Then we’d better get to that study and speak to your king,” I say.

26

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