Page 19 of Triplets for the Barbarians

They are anything but little.

Yet I cannot say much else. I’ve made my point, and they must accept it. I watch in painful silence as they put their clothes back on and walk out of my room without giving me a second glance. They must feel rejected, and I feel terrible for putting them in this position. The truth is undeniable, however.

What is ahead might kill one or more of us.

Because I’ll be damned if I’ll let the Sky Tribe launch any of those remaining starships. I’ll die screaming and kicking and taking that whole fucking army with me if it helps keep them away from Earth, away from doing to other women what they tried to do to my friends and me.

7

Fadai

It takes us about a day to plan the first stage of the operation.

I don’t like this feeling Jewel left me with, and I know Yossul is dealing with the same tempest in his heart. We want her more than anything else in this world, but we cannot have her unless we close the final chapter of this war.

It’s what Jewel was trying to say, as well, though she is nowhere near as articulate with her feelings as she thought. Her words cut deep despite her best intentions. Fortunately, we’ve both been around her long enough to understand.

It doesn’t mean we have to like it. I certainly don’t. But I can accept it for now.

With our bags packed, we bid our friends and allies farewell.

“You have to reach out if you need help,” Kai Hadana insists as we shake hands outside the gates of Sapphire City. “Whatever it is, reach out, Fadai. We’ll be there.”

“As soon as we have a location of the hangar, you’ll be the first to know,” I reply, stealing a glance at Jewel as she fondly hugs her human friends.

There are tears in Alicia and Amber’s eyes. Cynthia tries to give words of encouragement, but her voice is breaking, too. Jewel does her best to keep calm and smiling, confident and determined. It’s what she always does when faced with certain danger.

Something has changed, however. I see it in the way she looks at Yossul and me. The intimacy between us is so deeply ingrained that we cannot pretend otherwise.

Alas, the situation demands three clear heads for the mission ahead.

“Come on, let’s go,” Yossul says, getting in the driver’s seat of our buggy. “We’ve got a long way ahead of us.”

It takes three days to get to Pearl City. Situated far in the northernmost region of the continent, it’s surrounded by dormant volcanoes. Six mountains, to be precise—black limestone giants with purple forests draped across their ridges and sharp peaks that haven’t released a single plume of smoke or ash in over a century, much to the surprise of many scholars.

It’s blessed with a gentler climate than the southern parts of Sunna. I actually find it kind of chilly after nightfall, but Jewel says it reminds her of a Californian winter evening. Still warm enough for a skinny dip in the ocean. All I can do is imagine her naked and basking in those deep blue waters she’s fondly described over the years.

Pearl City rises in the middle of a valley, the volcanoes rising around it like sullen guardians. Its towers glisten with massive sheets of mother-of-pearl that dress the conical rooftops, while the rest of the buildings wear open-air terraces.

“There are island cities in Greece that look like this,” Jewel says as we pull over under a cluster of ancient blackwood trees at the base of one of the eastern volcanoes. We’re out of sight and sheltered by the shadows, which gives us plenty of time to analyze the entire area properly. “White buildings, mostly square in design,” she adds as she peers through the binoculars with a faint smile. “Granted, the Greek ones overlook the bluest of seas. This place is beautiful, too.”

“Pearl City was a learning center in its heyday,” Yossul replies, casually sitting behind the wheel while I scan our surroundings carefully. “The kingdom’s brightest minds got their start here. The schools were the best. It was an honor for any teacher to be summoned here. It was an honor to be charged with molding the future generations.”

“Some of Sunna’s greatest engineers and medical scientists came out of Pearl City. Solomon Daron included,” I say.

“It’s a shame he chose to destroy the world instead of building into something better,” Jewel mutters.

“Most of the scholars died in the first wave of violence,” I remind Jewel. “The warlords came forth, the military rogues, the power-hungry generals. Those with sharp and educated minds didn’t possess the grit and the ruthlessness required to survive in this hellscape, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, and the oafs who live there now seem to enjoy burning it down,” she replies.

I take the binoculars and give the city a thorough analysis of my own. She’s right. Smoke rises from various buildings throughout the eastern neighborhoods. “Violence changes people, I’m afraid,” I tell her. Objectives change. Wants and needs change. Nobody cares about a higher education when your species is at risk of extinction. Wait,” I pause as my gaze shifts across the city. “Hold on a second.”

“What is it?” Yossul asks.

“No wonder we couldn’t spot it with a drone,” I mutter, feasting my eyes on the one thing we came here for. “It was on the southwestern side of town, too close to their command center where there was high aerial activity.”

Yossul takes the binoculars and confirms what I just saw. “The hangar. I can’t believe it.”

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