Page 55 of Triplets for the Barbarians

“What is it?” I ask.

He reaches the base of the tower, and I can see the joy sparkling all over him. “This is a message from Cynthia, Commander. They’ve been testing the cure, and they finally have results!”

“Oh, please, tell me—”

“It works!” he exclaims, a boy of fifteen who has finally found the hope he needed to fight this good fight all the way to the end. “The first tests have yielded results, Commander. The cure works!”

“And we have no way of reaching out to the whole of the Sky Tribe to tell them,” I mutter, wishing I could enjoy this moment more than the situation currently allows. “They’re armed and ready for war, not peace talks.”

“They have repeatedly proven that they do not care about the cure,” Yossul says. “The only way to make them care is to shoot that fucking starship down, Jewel. You know what you have to do, and you have our full support. Whatever it takes.”

“Whatever it takes,” I whisper.

I don’t know how, but we have to resist. We have to keep Opal City under our authority until the break of dawn while I prepare my sensor drones and send them out beyond the five-hundred-mile radius when Sunna’s suns rise in the east. Those devices might yield more information about the possible location of that wretched starship. I could track its nuclear engines’ heat signature. They’ll likely have it powered by sunrise, so my sensors should be able to pick something up.

“I’ll cover the base,” I say after a long moment of tense silence. “I’ve got about two hundred capable men here with me. We’ve got enough weapons between us, and you know the long-range guns are heavily secured. Solomon’s widows insisted the engineers make their shells as heat resistant as possible. We’ve tested them.”

“How long can they last against laser weapons?” Yossul asks.

“Long enough to make a difference, provided I see that fucking starship somewhere,” I reply.

Fadai nods once. “Good. We’ll hold them back for as long as we can, then.” He looks at his brother. “We need to prepare the soldiers and start evacuating the civilians.”

They both turn their sights on me. “We might not see you until after this is over,” Yossul says.

God, the pain in his voice is too much to bear. The anguish in my heart is cutting off my air supply.

“Or ever again if it gets too nasty.” I let a heavy sigh roll out of my chest. It hurts. “I love you both, to the three moons and back.”

I’m not one for sweet words, and they know it. Yet, in dire times such as this, certain things come naturally—including love and affection. Yossul smiles softly and takes me in his arms. I melt in his embrace as Fadai joins us. They shower me with delicate, deep kisses, blessing my cheeks, my temples, and my lips with their spirits.

I take it all in. I welcome the taste and momentary peace I get from their strong arms and muscular frames, their very presence soothing my soul. One last hug, one last kiss, one last moment before we bid one another farewell, and I hope to meet again when it’s over.

“I’ll be right here, waiting for the both of you,” I say to Yossul and Fadai. “You’d better not keep me waiting too long.”

They laugh lightly. I laugh, too. It’s all I can do to stop myself from inwardly collapsing because I know this may be the last time I see them.

Dread tightens its hold on me as I turn around and walk over to the command center’s main control boards. Here, I have screens with live video footage from in and around the base, along with a few shots from outside the city. I’ll have eyes on my people when trouble finally reaches our doorstep.

For the time being, I can hear the distant hums and the faint thudding of their drums. They’re looking to scare us. It’s a long game they’re playing, but I’ve been down this road before.

I know where it leads.

I also know they’re not taking us down before I shoot that starship out of the sky.

22

Fadai

The hours pass in excruciating silence as my brother and I delegate lieutenants all over the city. We’ve given the labyrinth over to the royal guards—they’ll keep additional defense positions in between the trap sections, making it harder for the invaders to come through.

I’ll handle the northern gate, and Yossul will handle the western gate. Should the city fall, should I perish in my endeavors, Yossul will be there to hold the Sky Tribe back, hopefully long enough for Jewel to do her thing. All we have is hope.

And it will have to do.

Gloom hangs heavily over the streets of the city. Once a thriving and sparkling citadel, it’s eerily empty and quiet on this late afternoon. The twin suns prepare their slow descent into the western horizon, the sky turning dark red and fiery pink in their presence.

Above, the black cloud lingers ominously. It should be thick enough to keep the Sky Tribe jets at bay. It better be because if they get eyes inside, they’ll figure out precisely how understaffed we really are.

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