The Boy in the Field (32 page)

“No.” You shook your head. “No. You wanted to fight. You deal
with the consequences.”

“Please!” He pulled you again, but you snatched your arm away
from him.

“No, Ethan. You knew I didn’t want you to fight him.”

He took a deep breath and rubbed his chin with a blood stained
hand. “He will die without you.”

“I’m not a medic, Ethan.” You turned away. “I’m not going into
that house. This is your fight, not mine.”

“Will you find a medic for me then?”

You nodded and hurried away up the street. There was a small
surgery five minutes’ walk from your house but it had only one trained medic
and their junior. You gave their assistant the address of the house and told
him what had happened.

“That sounds serious,” he said. “As soon as Medic Nakami is
free, she’ll be right over.”

There was nothing more for you to do but wait. You saw the
medic and her junior rush from the building and turn towards your house. You
didn’t follow. Going back was the last thing on your mind. Instead, you went to
your favourite café and ordered some lunch, trying to forget about that
morning, about the horrible things Noah had said and about the fact that you’d
begged Ethan not to fight him and that he had ignored you. You remained in the
café until the proprietor began to close up for the night, disappointed that
Ethan hadn’t tried to find you. He knew that it was the one place you were
certain to turn up sooner or later.

“Sorry,
laraki
,” the waitress said. “Still, I’m sure
your man will be pleased to have you back.”

You scowled and left. Nowhere to go but home. You went in
slowly, stepping over furniture broken in their fight. A dim light showed
beneath the living room door. Inside, Ethan sat at the dining table. Laid out
on top of it was a white cloth, stained with blood, covering something large
and bulky. Ethan didn’t look up.

“They congratulated me,” he said. “I killed my own brother and
they congratulated me because he was the enemy.”

You put your hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“You should have helped.”

“You shouldn’t have fought with him.”

He sprang to his feet. “He would still be alive if you had just
helped me!”

“He would still be alive if you hadn’t killed him!” You threw
your arms wide. “This is not my fault.”

Ethan scowled and crossed the room. He looked back at you from
the doorway. “Do you want to know his last words?”

“What?”

“Tell that bitch it’s her fault.” He turned and headed up the
stairs.

You fought back the tears and pulled the cloth from the head of
the table. Noah’s face. Noah lay on his back, eyes closed and face pale. You
stroked his cheek with your fingertips. Cold. The tears broke through your
defences.

You had often imagined him dead because you had been so sure
that it was what must have happened to him. You wondered if he died in pain. If
he was happy. If he forgave you. You pulled the cloth further down his body,
taking hold of his hand.

“I’m sorry, Noah,” you whispered. “For everything. I’m sorry.”
You kissed his hand and replaced the cloth.

The End
(Back to start)

You reached out for the figure, using every ounce of your
strength to lift your arm. It was heavy. You were heavy. He spoke, but you didn’t
understand his language. It was like whispers, like snakes speaking. Or maybe
he was far away and you were already leaving.

Weightless. You were floating. Flying, maybe. But everything
was black. You were lost. Not in control. You tried to move, but nothing
happened. You just kept floating. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was your fault.
Maybe this was hell – your punishment for being born.

* * *

You opened your eyes in a clean, white room. A beautiful man
with golden hair and bright eyes looked down at you and smiled. He was dressed
in white and wore white gloves. He too spoke in a strange language at first,
but the more you watched his mouth move, the more you began to understand,
catching odd words and then the last part of what he said before he walked
away.

“They really want to see you.”

“Mama?” you called out. You couldn’t recall what the woman
looked like – weren’t sure you’d ever met her. But if she was dead as father
had said, perhaps she was waiting for you. Perhaps she would kind, like Adina.
Maybe she would be beautiful. Maybe you’d be okay now.

Two pairs of brown-yellow eyes looked down at you. Two,
identical pairs. Their faces smiled, one’s eyes red and puffy, the other’s skin
pale.

“What are you doing here?” you asked. “What happened?” The two
boys looked at each other.

“He almost killed you,” Noah said, wiping his eyes. “The medic
says we got there just in time.”

“We should have never let you go alone.”

“So I’m not dead?” Both boys shook their heads. You sat up. “I
thought… I thought I saw him. Death.”

Ethan shook his head. “No. You’re going to be okay.”

“Where is he? Father, I mean.”

“He was gone when we got there,” Noah said.

“But we’ll find him,” said Ethan. “And when we do, he’ll wish
he had never laid a finger on you.”

The End
(Back to start)

You closed your eyes and waited for it to be over. Voices
whisper-shouted around you, too distant to hear and too loud to ignore.
Something cold fell on your cheek and burned like acid. The pain of your
injuries stopped hurting. Everything was front-to-back, the round-way-wrong.
Everything was ending.

You felt yourself begin to float and let the lights fade. Warm
arms embraced you, holding you tight, keeping you safe. This was it. You smiled
and let go.

The End
(Back to start)

You fought against it, reaching for their hands, no longer
sure which man was Ethan and which was Noah. They passed radust stones to one
another and you felt the burn of their power working to close your wound. The
ground beneath you became stable once more and your lungs sucked in air. You
screamed.

“You’re going to be okay,” one of them said. “Don’t give up
yet!”

“Hold on,
hani
. It’s going to be all right.”

You screamed again, but this time the sound came out in little
yelps with every breath you took. Staring at a crack in the wall, you focussed
your energy on not passing out. The radust burned in your chest once more and
then the pain stopped.

Blinking, you looked up. The twins stared back at you. They
smiled but stopped upon meeting each other’s eye. For a moment, you thought
they were about to start fighting again, so lifted your hand. They both looked
away.

“Don’t move,
masuki
,” Ethan said, identifying himself.
“We should get you a medic.”

“And a medic will bring a soldier and I’ll be arrested.” Noah
laughed. “That’d be just perfect for you, wouldn’t it?”

“Noah, please.” You reached out for him. “Don’t.”

Ethan smiled. “She needs help. Maybe you could sit with her
while I go?”

“Please, Noah.” You squeezed his hand.

He sighed. “Fine. Go.”

Ethan stood and you waited to hear the door shut behind him
before you looked back at Noah, still clutching your hand.

“Go,” you said. “Run.”

“What?”

“Before he comes back. Get out of here and run. Leave me like I
left you.”

“I never meant to hurt you.” He bent and kissed you on the
cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

“You’re forgiven. Now go!”

* * *

By the time Ethan returned with the medics, Noah was long
gone. You spent a night in the medicium, but the medics were happy to release
you the next day with only a long, silver scar to remind you of the experience.
When you got home, you found a note waiting for you on the table.

I owe you. N.

The End
(Back to start)

Panic threatened to drown you as you took one last turn and
found yourself at a dead end. A flash of blinding light filled your vision and
threw up your hand to shield your eyes. As you adjusted, you became aware of a
change in your surroundings, all of the walls dry and clean, soft carpet
beneath your toes, warmth, sunlight. There was a door ahead of you and in front
of it stood a boy, about thirteen years old with short, blond hair and
yellow-brown eyes. He held out his hand and smiled at you.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s all over now.”

You took a step forward, reaching out for him. When your
fingers touched his, you smiled too. He was safety. He was comfort. He put his
hand to the door handle. You knew once you went through, you could never come
back. This was the end of the line.

He nodded and twisted the handle. “Are you ready?”

The End
(Back to start)

Your head felt thick and everything hurt. Wherever you were,
it was dark and cold. Damp. You tried to push yourself up, suppressing a scream
as you felt new bruises and sprains. Leaning on the wall for support, you
looked around.

Your surroundings were unfamiliar, just bare brick walls to
your front and both sides. The light came from behind you and you shifted to
look in that direction. On the other side of a metal grate and across a narrow
walkway, was another cell, the same as yours. There was a thin man inside with
long, straggly hair, asleep against the bars.

It wasn’t until morning that you recognised him as Ethan. He
was far too skinny and his nose had been broken – more than once you guessed
from the fact that it was still bloodied. His clothes were filthy and torn. But
when you called his name, his eyes were alert and sharp.

“Ethan?”

“I hoped I would never see you,” he said. “Not here. I’m sorry
I told him where you were.”

“Looks like it took them a lot of effort. Are you badly hurt?”

He nodded. “I don’t think I’ll be able to walk by myself
again.” He smiled. “Where’s Noah?”

“Our Noah? He’s safe for now. He’s staying with a school
friend. Your brother? I don’t know.”

Ethan pushed his hair back from his face. “You know what
happened, don’t you?”

You closed your eyes, trying without success to hold back the
tears. Noah had been the one to kill the King, not Ethan and few enough people
knew he had a brother, let alone a twin.

“How can he be so cold?”

“He’s dead inside. There’s nothing beneath that armour of his.”
He pushed his hair back again. “All he can think about is revenge.”

“He’s going to kill us, isn’t he?”

Ethan nodded. “Eventually.”

“Then we have to get out.” You looked around at the cell,
searching for anything that could lead you to freedom. A fat, dead rat in the
corner caught your eye. “I think I have an idea.”

Choice:
223. Fake Pregnancy
or
224. Fake
Death

You rose to your feet, your heart pounding in your chest.
“Your Supremacy, I believe I am the friend to which Mr Wicker refers.”

Ultima looked surprised, but gestured to his men to bring you
down to the chamber. In an instant, you found yourself flanked by armoured
peacekeepers, escorting you from the gallery and to the court floor. Your knees
felt weak as you stood in front of the Empire’s most powerful magister.

“Where were you at the time of this most heinous crime?” he
asked, staring down at you.

You looked at your feet before making eye contact with the man.
“I was at home, here in Ethigos.”

“So you did not see either Ethan Wicker or his alleged twin
brother at the time of the crime?”

“No, Your Supremacy. But I did grow up with Ethan Wicker and
his brother, Noah in Kinel. When the Taatar War began, Noah and I fled to
Ethigos. I still live with Noah, only he wasn’t home when the King of Kinel was
assassinated. He was in Kinel, in Kinta.”

“And where is Noah now?”

You looked around the room. There were several armoured
magisters, their faces hidden from view by their helmets. You shook your head,
unsure if any of them were him.

“I am not sure, Your Supremacy. But he does not go by the name
Noah
Wicker
any more. He now goes by
Superius Vapasi
.”

Several people muttered in the gallery. Ultima paused and bent
to speak to one of the courtroom assistants. He whispered something and the
assistant nodded before leaving the room. Ultima looked back at you.

“While we endeavour to locate Superius Vapasi, perhaps you
would like to enlighten us as to the nature of your relationship with him?”

“I would rather not say,” you replied, feeling shame flare in
your soul.

“You realise the severity of your allegation,
laraki
.
You are suggesting that a magister was responsible for the murder of the King
of Kinel.”

You nodded. “I understand this. I just—”

A door opened at the side of the room and a man in black plate
armour, edged in gold, stepped inside: Vapasi.

“Please remove your helmet, Superius.”

Vapasi did as he was asked. There was an audible gasp in the
room as Vapasi’s face became visible. His hair was short once again, but faces
never lied. Even Ultima raised an eyebrow. Vapasi glared at you. You mouthed
the word ‘sorry’, but he did not react.

“It appears the young lady speaks truly,” Ultima said. “Perhaps
I might ask you a few questions, Superius Vapasi.”

“Very well, Your Supremacy.”

“Is it true that you were in Kinel on the night that the King was
murdered?”

“It is, sir. And it is true that I was outside the council
chambers.”

“Where were you when the murder happened?”

“I believe I was helping an injured Kinn soldier. In hindsight,
I suppose it was possible that this man had been attacked by my own brother.”

Ultima nodded. “And may I ask you, what is your relationship
with this young lady?”

Vapasi looked at you. “She was a childhood friend. I had hoped
to marry her.”

“Had?”

“Yes. It appears she does not feel the same way about me.”

“Apparently not.” The Magister Ultima smiled at Vapasi. “Are
there any witnesses that can confirm you were not present in the council
chambers at the time of the murder?”

Vapasi furrowed his brow. “The soldier died. However, my
supervising officer at the time, Superius Thorton, may be able to confirm that
I was not present. We were engaged just moments later in a battle with a
section of rebel Kinn soldiers determined to interrupt the meeting. By the time
we were finished, the King was already dead.”

“Very well. It seems that without Superius Thornton’s statement
or a statement from any of these other mystery witnesses, this case comes down
to your word against his,” Ultima said. “We will reconvene if a statement can
be taken from Superius Thornton. Otherwise, this shall be settled by a duel:
the Magistratum versus Ethan Wicker.”

“Your Supremacy,” Vapasi continued, “I am happy to represent
the Magistratum in such a duel regardless of the statement of Superius
Thornton. It seems ill-considered to waste any more of the court’s time on this
matter.”

Magister Ultima nodded. “Then it is settled. Magister Superius
Vapasi will challenge Mr Ethan Wicker to a duel. The court is dismissed.”

The peacekeepers flanked you again and led you from the room.
Outside, Vapasi took hold of your arm.

“You couldn’t just keep your mouth closed, could you?”

“I couldn’t let him go down for a crime he didn’t commit, No—”
You stopped yourself. “Not without a fair trial.”

“I thought you cared about me.”

“I do. But I hate this so much.”

Vapasi shook his head. “Not as much as I do. I would never turn
on you like that,
para
—” He shook his head and sneered. “
Drohi
.”

The word stung.
Drohi
. Traitor.

“I’m sorry.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Justice will be served and this
way, I get to be the one doing it. If the duel calls for an execution, I will
happily slit his throat.”

“Please…”

“You’ll watch, won’t you?” He stopped just outside the court,
turning to face you. “I’d like you to be there.”

Choice:
228. Watch the Duel
or
229.
Refuse to Watch