Page 97 of The Gilded Ones

And now there’s a contingent of jatu approaching her – two to each side and two from behind. They’re going to kill her. They’re going to kill her all over again.

Anger explodes inside me, rousing the foundations of my power. My voice emerges as an inhuman rumble. “Deathshrieks,” I roar to any who are in hearing distance, “protect Katya!”

The deathshrieks’ heartbeats slow, their eyes glaze as my power takes over them. They hurtle towards Katya, destroying the soldiers in their path. Alaki, jatu, they all fall under the claws of the deathshrieks rushing to obey my command.

Keita’s face is pale now. “Katya?” he echoes, stunned. “Tell me what you mean, Deka?”

A massive shadow falls over us as I form a reply. The emperor’s mammut. There’s a look on the emperor’s face I’ve never seen before – one of pure, unadulterated rage. He points a finger at me.

“That alaki has gone mad!” he shouts. “Kill the traitor! Kill Deka of Irfut!”

My stomach plunges. “Your Majesty,” I protest. “I—”

Armoured red hands drag me off Ixa.

Deka! Ixa growls, charging them, but the emperor points to him too.

“Destroy her animal as well!” he shouts.

The jatu turn their swords towards him, murder in their eyes.

“Ixa, run!” I shout. “Run!”

Deka! he protests.

“RUN, IXA! GO TO KATYA!” I bellow, pushing an image of the red-spiked deathshriek into his head.

That’s the only command I have a chance to make before a gag goes over my mouth, and armoured hands force me down into the sand so I can’t move my hands to make commands. As my helmet is removed, I dimly see Ixa barrelling away towards Katya, dimly hear horrified gasps.

“Look at her face!”

“She looks just like a deathshriek! She’s one of them!”

“No! NO!” Adwapa and Asha shout from somewhere nearby, joining the protests of the nearby bloodsisters.

The emperor doesn’t care. “Kill her!” he shrieks. “Kill the deathshriek traitor now! Kill anyone who tries to aid her!”

Shadows hurriedly move over me. When I look up again, Captain Kelechi is standing before me, a sword in his hand. He has a calm, resigned expression on his face.

“You brought this on yourself, alaki,” he says, raising his sword.

“WAIT!” Keita bursts through the ranks, but the other jatu quickly pin him down. My heart jolts at the sight, fear and relief rushing through me at the same time. He’s trying to save me. “No, you can’t do this, Captain!” he shouts, his voice desperate.

Captain Kelechi turns to him, shaking his head. “You can’t help her now, Keita,” he says. “You see what she is.” He turns back to me, sword raised.

“Then let me do it!” Keita’s eyes are determined as he shouts, “Let me kill her. I’m her uruni – I should be the one responsible for her.”

What did he just say?

When the captain does not reply, Keita tries again. “She saved your life!” he cries. “She saved all of us – countless times! If you do this, you’ll just be dishonouring everything she ever did for you!”

Captain Kelechi stills, turns to Keita, who nods desperately.

“She needs a peaceful final death,” he whispers. “You owe her that much. We all owe her. Even if she’s a traitor, she killed for our side first.” He looks at me, and everything inside me goes still. I see the cold, distant look in his eyes, the absolute certainty. He’s not trying to save me. He’s trying to end my life.

Just like Ionas did.

A long, endless scream shatters inside me, silence and leaden heaviness in its wake.

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