Page 61 of Twins for the Barbarians

“Your children will be ashamed of you,” I hiss, wriggling against my restraints. “Your subjects will learn the truth. You won’t win, I promise you.”

“I’ve won so far, haven’t I?” he says, laughing. “I’m a king, loved and revered by his subjects. I lied, yes, but it was for their own good. Look at how well they’re doing. Look at how Opal City is thriving.”

“That’s because you gave them the fucking cure!” I shout. “You gave them the cure while everyone else had to suffer!”

We all snap our heads around when we hear Sarin’s gasp from the open doorway, teapot and cups trembling on a silver tray. “Forgive me, Your Grace,” she mumbles. “I thought you might like some refreshment.”

“Yes, my love,” Solomon says, his entire attitude changing as he moves away from me and goes back to his worktable. “Thank you.”

I’m quick to catch on, noticing the nervous glances Sarin keeps stealing at me as she comes in and sets the tray on another table. “You didn’t know, did you?” I ask her, but she tries not to meet my persistent gaze.

“Enough,” Solomon warns me.

“Remember that glowing orange drink he gave you and everyone else before you emerged from the tunnels after the city was bombed?” I persist. “That was the cure. He still has it here, somewhere, I’m sure of it. One vial would be enough to save what’s left of Sunna. Don’t you think he’s done enough harm? How many more innocent people must die just so that Solomon here can keep playing king?”

“I said ENOUGH!” Solomon snarls. In the blink of an eye, he’s standing in front of me, his hand coming down with furious force. He smacks me hard across the face, then nods at his wife as if this were normal behavior. “Thank you for the tea, Sarin. I’ll be with you in a moment. I just need to wrap things up here.”

“Y-yes, Your Grace. The children are all dressed and waiting for you in the reading room,” she mumbles and scurries out of the room.

“You won’t turn them against me,” Solomon says to me once the door is closed. “They love me. They worship me.”

“So did Leela until she saw right through you,” I reply.

My cheek and jaw hurt like hell. My ears are ringing, and I’m pretty sure I can taste blood in my mouth. Helios and Kharo eye him intently, murderous thoughts beaming from every pore as they watch his every move. They don’t say a word, though. Good. We’ve done enough damage to his ego for one day. We need him to feel puny and powerless, not strong enough to kill us.

My ears perk up as I hear a boom in the distance. “What was that?” I ask, almost breathless with sudden anticipation. It’s followed by another boom and a third.

Solomon stands up straight, tension gathering between his bony shoulders as he listens carefully. The succession of sounds pouring in from outside the palace and from inside paints a pretty accurate picture. Something is definitely going on. Something he, the great King of Opal City, did not see coming.

“The laser flare,” Kharo suddenly says. “Kingo must’ve managed to launch it.”

A powerful feeling blooms in my chest, but it’s swiftly replaced with blood-curdling horror as Solomon curses under his breath and rushes to one of his desks. He takes out a laser pistol and immediately points it at Kharo’s head. “You’ve bothered me for the last time!”

“No, Solomon, don’t!” I cry out, my whole body paralyzed.

Kharo keeps his chin up, defiant even in what could be his very last moment, his very last breath. But then the study doors burst open, and two soldiers run in, their faces pale and their eyes wide with shock.

“Your Grace, the city is under siege. They’ve breached the palace!” one of them says.

I can hear the ruckus from the hallway. The hissing of laser guns being fired. The pained grunts and thuds of bodies collapsing. Helios and Kharo start struggling against their restraints, desperate to release themselves. Instinctively, I’m doing the same. My wrists hurt, but if I try hard enough, I think I can pull one hand out through the shackle, even if it means breaking my thumb. I whimper from the pain but persist.

“Sound the alarm!” Solomon orders his men.

Laser beams shoot from behind, and his soldiers fall dead on the floor. Kingo rushes into the room, his weapon pointed directly at the king, but Solomon is quicker. I only hear myself screaming as Solomon fires a single shot—it goes right through Kingo’s chest. The kid gives me one last look, stunned by the velocity of his own demise.

“Kingo,” I manage.

He joins the soldiers on the floor, the life slowly fading from his eyes.

28

Alicia

Anything can happen now.

The cat is out of the bag. Opal City is under siege, likely by our allied forces. By some miracle, Kingo managed to make it all the way up here, eager to save us—only to perish. He’d survived so many critical situations before. My heart breaks. I can barely breathe. And I’m still bound to this damned gurney, still stuck and fucking helpless.

“Serves you right,” Solomon mumbles as he stares at Kingo.

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