I have to find Mina and Nasrin. There's absolutely no way I can leave here without them. I gulp and look to the wall of flames that lick the hedges on either side of me. I take a deep breath and race into the maze, pushing my fear to the side.
The run isn't nearly as long as I feared it would be. In less than a minute I'm standing over an unconscious Mina, blinking away painful tears brought on by the smoke. I glance to Nasrin. She's all the way across the pavilion. If I want to be able to transport my friends away from here at the same time, I'm going to have to bring them together.
I grab Mina's hands and pull her towards Nasrin, gasping with the effort. Mina might be tiny, but it's still hard to move her when she physically can't cooperate.
I set down my friend gently, and collapse as my eyes fill with tears for what seems like the hundredth time today. My body aches with the need to cry, but I fight the pain and pull myself to my knees. I fold my hands in my lap direct my gaze to the heavens. "Please," I plead. A tear drops from my eye and falls onto Mina's cheek.
I cough as the smoke begins to waft over in our direction. I pull Mina and Nasrin's shirts over their mouths and cover my mouth with my hijab.
"Please. Somebody help me!" I choke out. "My friends, they're hurt. Please, just please. I need some help."
Silence envelops me. It's cold and unforgiving despite the heat of the raging fire behind me, and a feeling of despair overwhelms my senses. It feels like a brick in my stomach, crushing and damaging. There's no solution this time. There's no convenient magical bird or helpful goddess. I can't bend my way out of this. I am alone. Completely and utterly helpless.
I try to swallow the lump in my throat, by my efforts are futile. Tear after frustrated tear falls. "Wake up!" I cry out, shaking Nasrin's shoulders. "I need your help!"
The sky seems to darken as sobs cause my body convulse. My head starts to spin, and I feel as if I'm going to pass out. I slam my eyes shut and grab a handful of fabric from my hijab. I curl up and rock back and forth, moaning. I force my eyes open once more, determined to fight for success, even if it seems impossible.
We're not at the Gaokerena anymore. The burning fire and hedges are gone, replaced by clear skies and dirt under foot. A familiar wave of nausea washes over me. I look to the sky, my lip wobbling. "Thank you," I whisper, my heart full of genuine gratitude.
I pull myself to my feet to observe my surroundings, still shaking violently. My lungs ache, and I can still smell traces of smoke even though the air around us is clear. The sun is fading quickly, painting the sky a spectacular array of warm colors. Stars begin to twinkle into existence over the dry landscape, and the village on the lush mountain ahead of me begins to glow as the sky darkens.
I wipe a tear off my cheek and allow myself a giddy laugh. I turn around slowly to discover Anahita standing behind me in all her ethereal glory.
There's only one noticeable difference that the goddess carries from the last time I saw her. She's just a bit taller. The powerful being towers at least 20 feet above the ground, draped gracefully in a billowing, blue gown, strappy leather sandals, and golden beads.
I gasp and fall back onto ground when I see her. She looks down the bridge of her nose at me, a small smirk adorning her sharp features. I scramble to my knees and bow my head respectfully, all my tears forgotten.
"Kiana," she greets. I peer up meekly at the goddess. She offers a small smile and nods.
"I don’t need you to bow to me." I leap to my feet and take a step back, slightly bewildered by Anahita's new form. In my awe, I seem to have forgotten Anahita’s casual preferences. I wait for the goddess to announce something profound.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" she inquires.
My mouth falls open slightly. "You- you're big now," I stammer.
Anahita releases a gentle laugh, and my muscles relax slightly. "That's right," she starts. "I figured that I would need to appear a bit more... imposing for what's about to happens next."
I rub my hands together anxiously. "And what happens next, exactly?"
Anahita smirks and raises a hand. She snaps, and suddenly we're in the village courtyard, surrounded by nervous looking villagers.
Ramin stands in the center of the circle with Anahita and I, looking incredibly sheepish. Bita loiters directly in front of me at the edge of the throng, and Nasrin and Mina lie at my feet, still unconscious. I whip around, looking at all my old peers.
"I thought that it was impossible to transport into Visya," I gasp out, my heart racing despite the fact that I'm under the protection of an other-worldly being at the moment.
Anahita purses her lips. "I can if I'm invited." She glares daggers at Ramin. "And this time, I made sure that I was invited." Ramin gulps.
"We're not going to have any problems here, are we? Everything is going to go smoothly. We're going to listen to each other." Anahita phrases her remarks as a statement rather than a question. The mass nods eagerly at her words.
"Now tell me, Ramin. Why did you feel the need to treat my friend, Kiana, the way that you did?"
Ramin's mouth flaps open and closed again like a fish out of water. "She- she abandoned us!"
Anahita holds a single finger up, and Ramin falls silent without an argument. "Maybe if you would just listen to your students, just as you're listening to me now with respect, you would understand that letting them leave the village every once and awhile is not as disastrous as it may seem."
Ramin looks as if he's about to explode in his efforts to keep silent. After a moment, the urge to defend himself overwhelms him, and the answer spills out of his mouth.
"But she snuck out!" he counters. "Wouldn't that seem suspicious to you?"
"With honorable intentions," Anahita shoots back.
"How was I supposed to know that?" Ramin spits out.
Anahita blinks slowly. "You know that I chose Nasrin to run my errands. How did you not come to the conclusion that Kiana was with her on my orders?"
Ramin's eye ticks. "Why? Why would you choose Nasrin to do anything for you?" I roll my eyes. He’s avoiding Anahita's questions.
She raises a fist, and Ramin cringes. "Do not question my authority," she snaps. "I saw great potential in Nasrin. She desires to become a better person. She has integrity, something that many peri in this village lack." Anahita sends a pointed look to Bita, who hangs her head in shame.
Ramin lifts his chin. "I stand by my initial judgement. These teenagers are irresponsible! I couldn't trust that they wouldn't do something irrational if I just let them leave."
I briefly wonder why Ramin doesn’t try to charm his way out of the situation, but once glance at Anahita’s face reveals all that I need to know. She’s not going to be persuaded.
"You needed to have faith in your people, Ramin, but you didn’t, and you never will.” She sends me a sly smile with something in her eyes that looks like mischief. “And that's exactly why I'm going to relieve you from your duties."
I briefly wonder why Ramin doesn’t try to charm his way out of the situation, but once glance at Anahita’s face reveals all that I need to know. She’s not going to be persuaded.
The crowd erupts into panicked murmurs. Friends whip their heads around to talk to those behind them, and those behind them stand on their tiptoes, craning their necks to get a better look at Ramin's humiliation.
"I expect you'll be gone by morning," Anahita continues. The crowd's volume elevates once more, nearly doubling my levels of stress.
Ramin's jaw practically scrapes the ground. "You- you can't do that!"
Anahita smiles. "But I just did,” she states, but Ramin still looks like he wants to argue. “We could invite Ahura Mazda here to discuss the matter if you have some complaints,” she continues, “but he is a very busy god, and I assure you, he will not appreciate being called down here just to tell you no.” My jaw drops. I feel like laughing, but I don’t think that would be appropriate right now.
She raises a hand, calling for silence. The throng falls into a hush instantly. My heart races in elation. Everyone is looking at me now, except for this time, they aren't looking at me in disgust or pity. They're sharing smiles with me, and some even nod respectfully as we make eye contact.
Someone clears their throat awkwardly. "Who's going to replace him?" they announce, stating the question that was already up in the air.
Anahita frowns down at the speaker like they're something unpleasant that she just discovered on the bottom of her shoe. "I was going to tell you that, if you would just be patient."
The speaker shrinks down, melting back into the crowd.
"Anyway," Anahita continues, sending a pointed glare at the crowd, "I do happen to have a replacement in mind."
Anahita makes eye contact with me. I send her an encouraging smile. She returns the gesture. "Kiana? How would you like to be the overseer of Visya?"
My heart flutters, and once again, the pavilion becomes a shouting match. I gasp and look around as my peers begin to point and stare, already back to showering me with the negative form of attention that I received before I left. Ramin joins in, glaring at me with poison in his gaze.
Anahita stares at me expectantly. "What do you say, Kiana?"
I don't give myself time to think about my answer. The pressure to comply is being force fed to me, and the added weight of all the attention I'm receiving at the moment isn't helping anything.
I bite my lip. "Yes," I breath out. The crowd roars, and I can't tell whether or not it's in approval or disagreement. My head spins. I have to get out of here.
I scoop Mina up and nod to a group of villagers standing nearby. They rush to deal with Nasrin, and our ensemble heads off in the direction of the infirmary.
...
I set down my mug of tea on the table, sighing in content. I escaped back to my cabin as soon as the hordes of people with questions would allow me. I wish I could answer their questions. I just don't have any answers right now.
I focus on the little wisps of steam that curls off the surface of my beverage, the way the trees sway gently outside my open window, the warmth of the mug against my hands. I eye the flip phone a doctor lent me once we got Nasrin and Mina situated in the infirmary. All phones in Visya are only to be used in emergency situations, and he looked as though he wanted to tell me I couldn’t use it. But after the show in the courtyard, I’m assuming he felt like he wasn’t allowed to tell me no.
I’ve been trying to call my mom ever since I first arrived in Visya, but every time I asked someone if I could use a phone I’ve been shot down. I stare at the phone, anxiety bubbling in my stomach. I’m such a hypocrite. I finally have access to a phone. It shouldn’t be this hard to simply pick it up and call home. It’s just that I’m afraid. I haven’t called her in months. Her and Dad are probably worried out of their minds. I feel my shoulders slump in shame. I have a feeling that in my guilt, I’ll let her persuade me to come back home, and I can’t do that.
My hand darts out and I dial the number before I start to overthink. I raise the phone to my ear and wait. One beep, two beeps, three beeps, and no one picks up. I sigh in relief, but I still have to gulp away my emotion before I can leave a message. “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,” I begin, plastering a fake smile on my face, more for my own benefit than anyone else’s. “I’m sorry I haven’t called in such a long time. I promise I’m safe…” I struggle for words. “Please don’t worry about me. I’m in good hands,” I lie. I sigh deeply. “I love you so much.”
I end the message and lean forward, resting my elbows on the table and my forehead in my hands. I become so absorbed in my thoughts that I don't even notice that I have a visitor.
I flinch as a knock on my door interrupts the silence. I turn to greet my guest, expecting Mina. "Hi-" I begin, but my guest is a stranger. I stand up quickly, and my chair awkwardly skids backwards.
A tall, thin woman looms in my doorway ominously, not saying a word. She nods.
"Who are you?" I ask, relaxing my shoulders slightly. Though the visitor is a bit menacing with her cold expression, she doesn't seem to harbor any malicious intentions.
The woman ignores me, pushing a strand of her curly, brown hair out of her face. "Are you Kiana Ahmadi?" she inquires.
"Yeah?"
The newcomer doesn't say anything, so I clear my throat uncomfortably. It's technically my first night here as the head of Visya, and I've already let a potentially dangerous intruder invade. Whoops.
"How exactly did you get in here?" I push, but she doesn't answer.
The woman dramatically tugs the hood of her curiously designed cloak over her head of untamed curls and turns out of my doorway. I scurry after her.
"Can you at least tell me what your name is?" I ask, struggling to match her pace.
The woman doesn't waste time with a lengthy explanation. "My name is Morgan Gray," she mutters.
I look at the ground and jog to catch up. I let out a strangled chuckle. "That cape is pretty dope," I say.
"Excuse me?" Morgan asks, furrowing her dark eyebrows.
"It's just cool," I say, cringing at my own level of stupidity. The cloak flows in the manner that chain mail would, but it doesn't look like the linked metal in the slightest. The cloth is a network of jagged triangles that fit together like a puzzle. They shimmer in an array of grays, silvers, and blacks. I can't decide if the material is stone or metal, but it is beautiful.
I reach out and snatch up the tail of the cloak in curiosity. Morgan freezes in her tracks and shoots me a look of pure disgust. She snatches the fabric away, and I blink up at her dark eyes in horror.
I try to force out an apology, but I just can't summon the words. Morgan shakes her head. "I knew I shouldn't have come here first," she grumbles. My cheeks heat up at her diss. "Follow me. We have lots to discuss."
I scramble after her. "So, what do you need to talk to me about?"
Morgan turns to look at me, and I swear I see a hint of a smile on her pale features. "I've heard some stories about you."
"Already?" I ask, puzzled.
Morgan nods. "I could use the help of some extraordinary people like you."
I raise an eyebrow. "You put on quite the show out there in the courtyard earlier," Morgan continues, smirking.
I feel my cheeks heat up. "I- I really didn't mean to I just-"
Morgan raises a hand, and I cease my stammering. "Relax, she commands. My shoulders slump in defeat, and we continue the rest of our walk in silence. We finish our trek at the village’s town hall, a modest building with dull oak planks on the front and a tin roof.
Morgan pushes her way inside and makes her way to the back of the building where Ramin’s— I mean, my office is. She swings the heavy doors open and invites herself inside. She paces to stand behind the desk, her head held high with purpose. Once there, she gestures for me to take a seat in front of the desk in the very same armchair I sat in when I met Ramin for the first time. I know I should protest to this stranger waltzing in and ordering me around in my own office, but she’s so intimidating that I can’t summon the courage. The fireplace stands cold in the corner, adding to my unease.
I don’t have to ask her what she’s here for a second time. She conjures a manila envelope from somewhere inside her cloak and slaps down two photographs on the table. I scoot forward to the edge of my seat to observe the glossy photos. My eyes widen. The pictures are of me, one in New Delhi stopping the sarsaok with a wall of dirt, and one in California, summoning the merikoa from the earth.
My stomach churns, and Ramin’s words back when I wanted to leave Visya for the first time bounce around in my mind. You’re new here. If I let you go, you might slip up. I really don’t want to have to clean up your mistakes. “Where did you get those?” I whisper.
Morgan begins to pace back and forth behind my desk. “You haven’t exactly been subtle in your recent exploits.”
I bite my lip. In the picture from California, my face is mostly masked because of the strategic pinning of my hijab, but in the picture from New Delhi, the person in the center of the chaos is unmistakably me.
“So, what does this mean?” I ask, slumping down in my chair. I feel defeated. Morgan freezes in her tracks and turns towards me.
She slides the picture back and picks them up. “It means I need your help, and you’re going to do it, because I have blackmail.”
...
I slump down in the lonely chair in my cabin a few hours after meeting Morgan, utterly exhausted. The woman had some big ideas, and considering the large portion of responsibility that was just dumped on my plate by Anahita, I don't think I'll be able to handle what she was asking of me right now.
It doesn't matter, though. Morgan's ambitions don't have to be my main priority at the moment. I need to focus on healing and growing into my new position as head of Visya.
...711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9ileXxGNy
The next chapter is the end of the book!711Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0Wxp6KIul
