Empire of Sand

I woke with a terrible stomachache. I wondered if Roweena had somehow slipped some poison in my food, but without evidence, I had no recourse. The others and I were about to go to the training pod. When we got there, another group awaited us. We filed in like docile children, assuming places opposite the other group. I recognized William’s head immediately and tried to keep my facial expressions neutral.

“Welcome,” Banshee said. “This morning marks the beginning of the end for most of you,” he explained. “While our masters have given you a brief introduction to what awaits you, most of you should know how to fight. If not, I suggest you leave now. Remember, pride is a killer,” he said.

My eyes slid to William’s. He was watching me. I hoped fate would not pair us against each other. I knew William wouldn’t hurt me, nor I him.

“Let us not waste any more time. Each of you pair with the person opposite you, and find an open space.”

I nodded at the dark-skinned young woman in front of me. Her bronze hair was curly and cut short. Tiny tattoos decorated her arms, and her eyes were a striking green against her mocha skin. She was lovely, like a piece of artwork fit for the Emperor.

“I’m Ash,” I told her.

“I am Carina,” she replied.

We found our spot near the gates, assuming our places opposite one another.

“Carina, do me a favor,” I smiled, “and try not to kill me. It’s too soon for that.”

Carina laughed.

Carina’s talent was light bending. Using the sun’s rays, she could contort and redirect them, creating a haze of shadows and blinding light in her wake. It disoriented me at first, but Carina was kind in her attack; she used her talents to defend herself rather than inflict injury. I crouched low, using my sense of touch and sound to manipulate the dirt under her feet. I didn’t want to attack her, but I knew Banshee was watching, so we made a show of it.

“Cease!” Banshee called.

He paced through the center of the pod, hands clasped behind his back. Despite his calm demeanor, I could sense his irritation.

“Do you think this is a child’s game?” he asked.

We remained silent as scolded children.

“Protecting our Emperor is not child’s play. It is a ruthless game, you see. Sheep do not defend countries. Wolves do. You must choose whether you are to be sheep or wolves today. Friends or enemies. It is your opponents standing between you and victory. They will not give it to you. You must take it!”

Carina and I glanced at each other. Could I resolve myself to being her enemy? Or Tessie? Roweena was no problem, since I was certain she considered us enemies already. In fact, she glared at me now, confirming that assertion. But the rest of them? Former slaves searching for a better life. Poor ranchers, fatherless sons. Could I claw my way through their ranks, wishing for their downfall when they only wanted the same things I did? Would William?

“Think about that,” Banshee said. “While you’re thinking about that, pair up with another partner.”

“Good luck,” I whispered to Carina.

I turned to find my next partner and came face to chest with William.

“Care to dance?” he teased.

“You’re not serious.”

“I’m quite serious. Only I’ve one favor to ask; don’t aim for my face. When I lose the Trials, I’d rather not lose the girl, too.”

“Lose the—what girl?!”

I bit my lip with embarrassment as heads turned to face me. My voice had come out shriller than intended, drawing curious glances my way. I hated how jealous I sounded. How jealous I was. Over a boy I barely knew.

He winked at me.

“Begin!” Banshee called.

William crouched low and moved from one side to the other, like a crab. I snorted and tried to suppress my laugh. How had he gotten this far without a discernible talent? Apparently, the masters were not permitting swords, which left William with only his hands.

“Aren’t you going to attack me?” he taunted.

I laughed and gestured vaguely.

“How am I supposed to do that? What do you take me for, craven? I don’t attack unarmed people.”

“I’m not unarmed, milady. I was blessed with brute strength.”

He pinned me to the dirt when I laughed again. I squealed with delight, not caring who saw or what they thought. Chances were, they were all too occupied with their own matches to be concerned with ours.

“Yield, lady!” he said with a triumphant air.

“Never!” I laughed. I flicked my wrist and churned the dirt beneath us, guiding it in a wave over William. He smiled down at me with feigned arrogance and said, “Do you concede the match?”

I released the wave of dirt, laughing as it descended upon him like a wave in the ocean.

“Of course not,” I said, still laughing.

Dirt cascaded down from his head and the tops of his arms. I’d coated myself in dirt, too, but it was worth it.

I laughed again and gasped as a shadow eclipsed the sun overhead. It was Banshee.

“Are the two of you done frolicking?”

William climbed to his feet and hoisted me up by the hands.

“My apologies, sir. I attempted to catch this lovely young lady when she fell and—”

“Do you think your charm will save you?”

The surrounding air grew frigid, and Banshee’s eyes flashed. I grasped William’s hand inadvertently, and he wrapped his fingers around mine.

“No, sir.”

“What do you think the Emperor would say if he saw you making a mockery of these Trials?”

William’s chin jutted out defiantly and his jaw clenched tight. I could feel the anger churning within him, and I squeezed his hand, reminding him to calm down.

“I would hope the Emperor would be more discerning than that,” he replied.

Banshee narrowed his eyes and then guffawed.

“I don’t foresee him ever telling you,” he commented as he walked away.

“Have you ever met the Emperor?”

Banshee stopped in his tracks. The contenders drew in a collective breath and waited as Banshee turned to face William again. I wanted to close my eyes and disappear, but there was no hiding from a ghost.

“I am in his service, boy,” Banshee chided.

“Yes, but have you ever spoken to him yourself? Do you know what he is like?”

I gaped at William, willing him to silence himself. What was he thinking?

Banshee crept closer; his eyes zeroed in on my accomplice. I fought back a shiver as those soulless eyes slid to me.

“I have never had the honor of seeing his face,” he ground out. “His Highness wears a mask.”

“Only out of doors,” William stated.

“I beg your pardon?”

“His Majesty is elusive to the public for reasons of security, but he is on good terms with every close member of his staff. I’m told they are quite loyal to him.”

A wicked grin spread across Banshee’s face, revealing crooked teeth and thin, purple lips.

“I have no doubt,” he mocked, and turned away.

William’s eyes followed him, the words dead on his lips. I was beginning to wonder if the Emperor had more enemies than he realized.

_#_

By the end of the day, we were all covered in bruises. Only two were dismissed from the Trials, but they had warned the rest of us that as the event progressed, eliminations would be frequent. I wondered how William and I remained, him with nothing but a sword they did not permit him to use, and me with my silly sand tricks. Banshee’s warning circulated through my thoughts like putrid lake water, infecting my train of thought. Would the contenders turn on each other so soon? Tessie and I walked back to the barracks together, commiserating over our shared injuries. Tessie’s last opponent was a polymorphic, who had used his multiplicity to his advantage.

Mine was a cloud crawler. She’d conjured up a storm that drenched me in rainwater while tormenting me with lightning bolts.

“You should know that your association with that boy hasn’t gone unnoticed,” Tessie told me.

“Are you referring to my friend, William?”

Tessie rolled her eyes.

“Friend seems too casual a term, Ash. He looks at you in a way that I have not seen before. The two of you have been meeting in the middle of the night.”

I opened my mouth to protest, by Tessie held up a hand.

“It’s not my place to judge what you do. But I caution you to mind who is watching. I fear the battles extend beyond the pod.”

Tessie hurried ahead, leaving me alone in the corridor. What did Tessie mean “mind who is watching”?

I suspected Roweena had fabricated rumors—filthy ones that would challenge my honor. She was vindictive that way. But Tessie knew enough of Roweena to dismiss her idle talk. So who was she concerned about, and why?