Page 64 of Triplets for the Barbarians

“What time is it?” I ask.

Two goons are headed our way, but my brother and I shoot them both dead so we can continue our brief but important conversation. Meanwhile, the war unravels all around us as we dodge random laser shots and flying projectiles from various directions. It’s becoming increasingly harder to focus.

“I’m not sure, but we have to hold on for as long as we can,” Yossul says. “We have to take Shaytan and Blaze out!”

“Fucking hell, Yes, I’ve been trying to do that since the northern gate. Their defenses are impenetrable!”

“Then we’ll have to find a way!” Yossul insists.

We kill a few more enemy soldiers as they attempt to chop our heads off, then glance back at Shaytan and Blaze—they’re both busy killing Tallas and Hadana lieutenants as they get closer and closer to the queens.

“They were crazy to stick around,” I say, watching Sarin, Neya, and Leela hold their own in the midst of this madness.

“They’re true leaders,” Yossul says. “Defending their city.”

“There they are!” Blaze’s voice booms way too close for my comfort. A split-second later, a laser projectile flies past my head, and I’m forced to pull away from my brother. “Come here! I’d like to save some money on those rewards!”

“Blaze, you idiot!” I shout as I try to put some distance and a few more bodies between us. “You have to believe us! We do have a cure for the plague!”

Blaze, however, is determined to kill me first. I lose sight of Yossul for a moment. I’m not sure where he is, but I am sure I need to keep myself alive for a little while longer.

“The only thing I believe is that this world needs better Sunnaites, and the only way we’re going to get that is if we bring humans into the mix!” Blaze says, aiming his laser pistol at my head. “You don’t belong here anymore!”

I duck as he fires his shot and lunge right at him. I ram into him with everything I’ve got left. We both fall to the ground, the violence unraveling all around us. We roll over and over until I manage to snake my arm around his throat and tighten my grip. He’s on his belly. I’m on his back and choking him.

“You need to understand something,” I grunt as I wait for him to pass out, praying nobody notices us and comes over to interfere. “Even if I die, even if Yossul dies, even if you win this war and you get your crummy hands on Jewel, she will never yield to men who do not respect her, who do not choose to do the right thing. She’ll never yield to men who blindly follow creeds and orders that go against her righteousness. You’ll never truly have her, Blaze. And if you claim to love her even in the slightest, then you should trust her more. She’s doing the right thing.”

The problem is, I think I’m the one who’s about to pass out.

“I can’t turn against Shaytan,” Blaze manages, his voice hissy and broken. His eyes are about to roll up in his head, but so are mine. The world is getting blurry. “He’d kill me.”

“Do you want a world that’s just or a world built on the bones of innocents, you damned fool?” I curse under my breath. “And will you pass out already? I’m fucking tired!”

We both hear Shaytan roaring from deep pain and look up at the same time to see Yossul running away from him after having inflicted one hell of a wound on his side. Blood sprays out from his hip.

In fractions of a second, I realize I cannot subdue Blaze and will die here if we don’t move. As if reading my mind, Yossul rushes over and kicks Blaze in the ribs, giving me the momentum I need to get up.

My brother and I are forced to pull back and start running toward the western gates as what’s left of our men stay behind.

“They know it ends here,” Yossul gasps as we make our way between the isolated skirmishes until we reach the wall.

Sky Tribe jets fly closer and closer, shooting their laser canons at the gates. We climb up the service steps, firing back at anyone trying to pursue us. I catch glimpses of their bodies rolling down the stairs before I shift my focus to what’s next.

“We have to protect the base,” I tell Yossul as we reach the top.

From up here, it looks as though hell itself has opened up behind us, swallowing everyone and everything in sight. I lose track of Blaze and Shaytan, but I can see there are more of them still standing than there are of us. We cannot hold the western gates for much longer, and so we must fall farther back.

“Look up,” Yossul says, and I follow his tormented gaze.

The twin suns are slowly rising to the east, painting the sky in soft shades of pink. Empty promises, I fear, for we might not succeed in our mission. I can almost smell our doom, the decay of our bodies, and the silence of our impending death. Yet, I cannot stop. We’ve come so far already.

“The sunrise,” I reply. “It’s almost time.”

“Jewel needs a breather here,” my brother says. How many clips do you have left in your weapon?”

I check, then follow Yossul down the outer steps of the wall. “Maybe ten. No, wait, twelve.”

“I’ve got about eight. We’ll have to count and aim with precision before we get to the base. They may have more ammunition on hand,” he says. “RUN!”

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