Whispers of the Skyborne (Devices of War Book 3) (26 page)

“It’s our only choice.”

Even good swimmers would struggle if the tunnels were flooded. What about the children? The babies? The elders? He shook his head. “They won’t make it.”

Kiey pushed off the table. “Fine, then find another place for them to go to.”

Garrett thought for a long moment, then a thought hit him with a wash of gooseflesh. “Vlerooon Bay.”

Shawn’s eyes widened. He backed away a step, shaking his head.

Garrett nodded. “It’s a good plan.
We
know of the dangers of that bay.
We
can use them to our advantage.”

Kiey narrowed her eyes, nodding slowly. She tapped the table and spun. “I’ll make it happen.”

One problem solved.

She stopped at the cave entrance. “But you–” She pointed her finger at him. “–get the Vash on that dung humping radio and tell her to hurry. We’re out of time.”

That wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have.

In the Enhnapi control room, I studied maps of the tunnel system with Neira. We had been traveling along them, going
through
Kiwidinok while the storm raged. Though, it had been hours. “We should probably do something about those tunnels.” I gathered the map, readying to leave.

“We can’t.” Neira turned to the command room, looking over one of her tech’s shoulders to view the screen. “There are too many.”

I sighed, shaking my head, but left. Personally, I didn’t think I’d allow that excuse. “Let us know when you’re ready.”

Her lips quirked as if acknowledging my unspoken thoughts. “Weather reports still aren’t good.”

I nodded, but didn’t break stride. When Enhnapi breached the gulf between Kiwidinok and Peacock Rock, my fleet were going to launch. We were going to take to the sky and attack from above while Neira and her
lethara
came from underneath and fortified Garrett’s position from within. Even though we’d been traveling for hours, the same storm that had hit Lake Chatan was also slamming Peacock Rock. That would make any air strike difficult. Yes. We’d battled Tokarz in a sea storm, but we hadn’t been close to land. That provided a whole new danger.

I took the elevator platform down to the docks. My commanders were already gathered, waiting for me.

“What is this, El’Asim?” a tall, burly man with a dark, full beard said, his voice deep.

“Mudar.” I took his arm in greeting. He had been a trusted friend of my father’s. I worried that he would not see me as an equal of my father, someone worthy to take his place. But I needed his experience. “Peacock Rock is under attack.”

“And we go to assist him.” He nodded to the other commanders behind him as if they’d already had a discussion about this. “Because it is under our protection.”

How much should I tell them? How much could I trust to them?

The time for second guessing was at an end. I had to be the leader I was, not the leader my father was, or my mother, or anyone else. I could only be myself. And I gave the information I had. I didn’t hold it back without great reason. “Not really. They’re neutral. Garrett refused our protection.”

Najat raised her head, her curly hair tied back in several tight braids, her dark eyes sharp. The scar on her upper lip made it appear to curl in a snarl. “Then why do we risk our people for someone who doesn’t want nor asked for our help?”

Valid point, but she always had valid points. Najat’s words were like blunt-force instruments, which was one reason why she hadn’t had many friends growing, including me. She could make me angry just by speaking. “Because he and Neira’s people have an understanding.”

“Why do we care?” Qamar’s voice was husky as if her vocal cords had been damaged somehow. Her features were harsh, her hair shorn short. “That is Neira’s agreement. Let her send her people to die.”

I didn’t know Qamar as well as Jamilah did, but she intimidated me. I didn’t know how to speak to her. Her opinions were strong and she voiced herself firmly. Aside from the fact she always appeared to be mad, I really didn’t know much about her.

Rajih straightened his back and shoulders as if unfurling himself, his eyes focused on me. “We are trying to realign our allegiance with the Vash.”

I met his aged gaze. Another of my father’s advisors. “You were always wise. Yes.”

“Why?” Najat demanded.

Her blunt tone always made me feel defensive, but we didn’t have time for that. I needed to step back and just speak to her, realizing that
she
was
just
speaking to me. “She is the leader of a very powerful tribe.”

“She is not unlike all the powerful women in your life, Synn.”

Which was a jab. She was calling me weak. “I hope you’re including yourself on that list.”

Her brows flicked and her eyes lost the dagger of intensity she’d had before.

“You forget yourself, Commander,” Jamilah barked. “Synn was the boy we grew up with.” She lowered her gaze in respect. “The El’Asim is the man who leads us, who protects us.”

“Who sends us to war,” Qamar snarled in her broken, husky voice. “Do we forget how many we have already lost?”

Every commander in my fleet lost their families the night my fleet was blown out of the sky, which was one of the many reasons I’d chosen them. “We do not.”

Qamar opened her mouth.

I held up a hand to stall her. “The Vash are a good ally.”

Ryo stepped into the circle, his burn scar gleaming in the light behind me.

It was time for them to know what the stakes were. “The Great Families have reconvened.”

Rajih glanced at Mudar in alarm.

The burly man narrowed his eyes, the rest of his expression hidden behind his thick beard.

Qamar breathed a sigh of relief.

I shook my head. “They form against us. Ino Nami leads them. She’s the one who had Oki imprisoned.”

“Imprisoned, Sy—” Najat stopped herself, the scar on her lip deepening as she pursed her lips. “El’Asim. Do we know what Oki did? What her offense was?”

What her offense was? My Mark hissed along my neck. “She was trying to lead her people to safety, toward a life of peace.”

Najat glanced at Qamar in confusion.

Qamar rubbed her nearly bald scalp, but she didn’t look nearly as baffled.

“Our mother,” Ryo said quietly, “poisoned our sister in order to regain control of the Great Families. Our sister nearly died yesterday. That is the reason we engaged in battle and that is the reason we went to Ino City, why we took on refugees.”

Rajih narrowed his eyes, his grey eyebrows lowered. “Who has she realigned with?”

“Shankara.” I cleared my throat. “LeBlanc. The Han.”

“The Han is not Family,” Qamar stated, her sharp features growing sharper. “He is a man.”

“With an army. Same as Lombardi or Tokarz. Yet, she has aligned with them as well.”

“Tokarz.” Najat’s shoulders tightened, her neck straightening. “You are sure?”

“Quite. She’s gathered these people against us.”

“Against the League of Cities,” Rajih asked, his voice a quiet rumble, “or against you?”

I didn’t have an answer to that. “Does it matter?”

He nodded, his lips quirked. “So, we align ourselves with the Vash, a large tribe.”

“Who remained hidden for centurns,” Najat said, punctuating the air with her pointer finger.

“Which could denote cowardice,” I offered, “or cunning. Naj, she has the largest tribe I’ve ever seen. She has more resources, more power than even Ino. She has more people, more weapons, more food, more water. More pleron.”

Najat flattened her lips and looked away. “Pleron,” she said her tone laced with disgust.

“Think about it, Naj. Look at how far our weapons and our technology has advanced because of it. Our command centers are filled with it. Our weapons are stronger, more capable now.”

“And so is theirs.”

Qamar rubbed the stubble on her domed and dented head. “If the Vash are so strong, then why are we going to war? Is she using us as fodder, people to die instead of her own?”

“I’m trying,” I said, using my hands to emphasize my point, “to bring her back to the league. Qamar, you don’t see her the way I do. The people of the League of Cities need her, her ability to lead, her ability to protect.”

“We have you.” Her rasping tone was low, as though she didn’t believe her own words.

“I am many things, Qamar, but a great leader? I think we can all agree I’m not that.”

Ryo raised his head, his eyes narrowed.

“When I created the League of Cities, I didn’t understand the full impact of what I was doing or how it would affect the world. And it has. For one moment, the smaller tribes thought they had a fighting chance. They thought they could come out of hiding, walk in the commerce of the world the Great Families had created.”

Najat’s lips pursed, her scar punctuating the creases as she folded her arms over her chest.

“Then someone struck down the El’Asim Family.”

“And I’m still wondering why Tokarz hasn’t been dealt with yet.” Qamar’s eyes blazed.

I met her violent gaze. “Because the true culprit was Ino Nami. She put together the plan. She ordered the destruction.”

“Ino Nami ordered the murder of her own daughter, her son.” Najat gestured to Ryo, her face filled with fury. “She is cruel, callous, but not that evil.”

“She was and she is, and
that
is what we face.
That
is what we must protect the League of Cities from.”

Najat shook her head. “I do not understand this.”

“Blood,” Ryo said.

Qamar flinched.

“She has enacted the blood purge.”

Qamar took in a quick, deep breath. “Synn, we must protect our people.”

“The Hands of Tarot tried to defeat us. The Great Families tried to eradicate us. Both have failed. What do we do to protect our Family? Hide?”

Jamilah gauged her fellow commanders.

Qamar’s dark eyes narrowed, her nostrils flaring.

Najat stared at me intensely, her scarred lip adding an element of ferociousness to her look.

Mudar raised his head, his expression hiding behind his beard.

Rijah closed his eyes momentarily, then opened them again, soul-seared wisdom filling his gaze like pleron.

Ryo turned, the burn scar marring the resolute and angry set of his lips.

“No,” I whispered. “We didn’t fall. Look around you. We’re
stronger
now. Our fleet has grown. We’re more powerful.
We
are the mighty. And Ino Nami
shall
regret she didn’t kill me when she had the chance.”

Jamilah raised an eyebrow. “My El’Asim, what do we do?”

It still felt so weird that
they
would be looking to
me
for direction. “Neira
is
the better leader. She
is
the stronger tribal member. We respect her and we do what we can to aid her. In creating the League of Cities and then giving her control of it, I’ve given her more issues to deal with than she had previously.”

Rajih took my face, bringing his forehead to mine in the Family greeting.

I took a moment to revel in it. For so many years, I’d taken this greeting for granted. But now, with their lives in my hands, to hold their faces, to touch their head to mine, to feel their breath, to know they lived meant more than I could vocalize.

He pulled away, his wizened eyes softened with understanding. “If she is under attack, then we will assist.”

Mudar released a sigh that sagged his massive shoulders. He pulled my head toward his bearded face, stooping to receive the greeting.

I felt like a child in his presence due to his size alone. I smiled up at him as I broke our embrace.

“I do not like it.” He straightened, towering over us. “But if my El’Asim commands it, I follow.”

“You will keep the
Maizah
out of harm’s way, anyway. Your vessel is much too important.”

Qamar frowned, but took the greeting of Family. “I do not agree.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

I pulled away, my hands remaining cupped around her face. “I understand.”

“Try not to get us killed.” Her voice grew coarser as she continued, “Of if you do, make sure it is for a good reason.”

Najat narrowed her eyes and gripped my head, studying me before accepting the greeting of Family. “You have grown.” She broke away and met my gaze. “My El’Asim.”

I didn’t know why Jamilah had started calling me “my El’Asim.” That title had never been given to my father, a far greater leader than I ever could be. And I certainly didn’t know why they all were following suit. “I’m barely
the
El’Asim.”

Jamilah chuckled and slugged my arm. “Keep thinking that. It’s healthy for you.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped up to my brother.

He stared down at me for a long moment.

I raised my hands, but did not grab his head.

His dark eyes searched mine, emotions clashing over his scarred face. “Why did you save me?”

Emotion built in my chest. I grabbed his head and pulled it to mine, whispering fiercely, “Why did you reach out to be saved?”

His forehead crumpled, his teeth bared as he twisted his head away.

I kept him with me. “You fought, Ryo, to live.”

Najat put her hands above mine, taking his head and bringing it to hers. “Live, Ryo.”