Page 64 of Twins for the Barbarians

He may be slimmer than most Sunnaites, but he is still taller and stronger than me. His devilish tail still carries a deadly spike at its end. One lash with it, and he could slit my throat. I know little to nothing about hand-to-hand combat, but I do know I need to be careful in what I do next. Solomon cannot leave this place alive.

“You’re done, Solomon,” I say it again. “It’s over. Your samples are compromised. You’re not getting a single drop more from me. If anything, I intend to bleed you dry instead.”

“Don’t be an idiot. You’re no match for me,” he laughs maniacally and pulls himself back up.

His resolve is wavering; I can see it on his face. I can see it in his eyes, his gaze darting around, his frayed mind desperately searching for a solution to his problems. There isn’t one, though. Whether he is ready to admit it or not, there isn’t one, not while I’m still standing and breathing.

“You killed my friend. You killed my men. You were going to kill me and my unborn babies. I’m not letting you walk. You’ve done enough harm to this world.”

“I made it better!”

“You made it worse,” I counter. “People have survived, but they’re fighting and killing each other while your precious city is trapped in a lie. How is the world better when you covered it with corpses? All those innocent children, all the women, the many who never laughed at you, who never belittled you. Don’t you see, Solomon? Don’t you see how ridiculous it all is?”

“He can’t see,” Helios surprises me.

I nearly drown in relief as I whirl around to see him catching up with us. Kharo, too. I gasp, fresh tears flooding my eyes as I realize they survived, and they didn’t come alone, either. They’re joined by a dozen Kreek fighters, some of whom I recognize. The warmth of familiar faces is everything I need at this turning point as I give my men a soft nod and a loving smile, then shift my focus back on Solomon.

“I told you, it’s over,” I tell him. “You’re surrounded.”

“No,” Solomon mumbles, but even he can’t deny the undeniable anymore. He’s merely shaking his head, rejecting the truth as it overwhelms him with every breath he takes. “I’m the king of Opal City. I am the king of the world.”

“You’re the king of nothing,” Sarin hisses as she emerges from between two Kreek soldiers, laser pistol cocked and loaded in her hand as she raises the weapon toward him. “You’re the king of lies and deceit, of betrayal and machinations, of smoke and mirrors. You made us your slaves, your unwilling accomplices.”

“You killed my brother simply because you could,” Leela adds.

Neya stands beside her, and all three have lasers pointed at Solomon, their hard expressions telling me they’ve fully awakened to and embraced the most difficult truth. “You made us live in fear when you were the one who manufactured that fear. Our parents, our grandparents, millions of innocents,” Neya says, “are dead because your feelings were hurt, you pathetic creature.”

Sarin shakes her head slowly. “I can’t believe I wasted so many years of my life serving you, worshiping you, thinking you’d saved us.”

Solomon tries to reason with her, but it’s too late. “Sarin, my darling. Neya, Leela. You know I only meant the best for you. You were safe under my rule, at peace. You never lacked anything. Your children—”

“OUR children,” Leela says, then fires a shot through his chest.

“Not yours,” Neya says and fires a shot of her own. It hits Solomon in the stomach.

He stills, eyes bulging with horror as he realizes this is where it ends for him. Yet Sarin is the last to seal the deal, making sure he leaves this world in utter shame and agony. She pulls the trigger with a bitter smile.

“Your brother will enjoy tormenting you for an eternity in the afterlife.”

Solomon falls to his knees, three holes smoking in his torso. I see the glimmer dying in his red eyes. His ruby-colored hair seems to lose its luster as he finally collapses face-first in the dirt. His last breath results in a puff of red dust rising. It’s the death of a tyrant. The demise of a maniac. I know we did the right thing because no matter how deep I dig through my conscience, I can’t find a single sliver of guilt. I only feel relief that Solomon Daron is gone.

Silence follows. The kind of silence I welcome.

It seems to last forever, each ragged breath stinging my lungs yet filling my soul with the purest kind of peace. I keep staring at him, waiting for him to move. He doesn’t move, though. Solomon is dead. The mastermind behind the deadliest plague that has ever befallen Sunna is dead. His victims may not find comfort in this thought, but they were avenged by the very people who stood by him, by the very people he lied to.

“Alicia,” Helios says as he and Kharo rush over to me.

“Oh, my darlings,” I gasp as I lose myself in their arms. They hold me tight and shower me with kisses. We’re sick from the blue mist. We’re weak and tired, but at least we’re still standing. Solomon didn’t kill us. I only hope the poison didn’t have a lasting effect on my body or my babies.

It takes us a while to pull ourselves together. Below, Opal City sits silent as the Kreek fighters take over. The king’s soldiers don’t stand a chance against such seasoned warriors. It was over before they knew it. Ozymand, the Kreek lieutenant in charge of this operation, has assured us that the pack has no intention of forcibly commanding Opal City. Its people will be free to choose their leader as soon as the troubles settle.

Looking at Solomon’s corpse, I’d say they’re settled.

Sarin, Neya, and Leela stick together, sitting on the stony edge of the fountain in the middle of the town square as they, too, stare at the fallen king. The Kreek fighters proceed to gather as much evidence as they can from here and from Solomon’s lab farther up the mountain. In the city, we know the other Kreek fighters are doing the same.

At one point, Ozymand tells me, “You’ll have all the evidence you need to present to Shaytan and the other generals of the Sky Tribe.”

“I only wish you had a cure for the plague, as well,” Sarin sighs deeply, nodding at the crushed vials next to her husband. “He had a couple of shots left, but they’re gone.”

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