Doc Harman’s face reddened and he stood for a moment in awkward silence. He then spent twenty minutes reading the books. She sensed that he was more embarrassed than she was, but left with a promise that pads would be delivered soon.
The Living World felt far away. She’d signed her name four months ago. She’d been back, but only to help reap souls. She was a Death now, a female Death. The
only
Death who’d ever need to worry about periods.
“You okay?” asked Billy. “You were inside a long time.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Thanks for bringing me.”
“You come any time you need to,” said Harman, escorting them out. He closed the door and she heard him sigh.
“I freaked out the doctor a little,” she laughed.
“You are a girl,” he said. “But you’re sure not scary.” He smiled and touched her shoulder. For a moment, she thought he would kiss her again. She blushed and looked away. “You want to tell me what was wrong?”
“Nah, scary girl stuff.” She laughed and he laughed too.
They walked out of East Tower. Behind the bulk of the Tower, pink light warmed the edges of the sky. The moon hung low to the side of West Tower. The College was still quiet.
“That wasn’t too bad,” she said.
“I’m glad Doc Harman could help.”
“No, not that. I mean East Tower. I pictured some sort of fortress where the bad Deaths went.”
“Yeah, I’d say that’s accurate.” Billy laughed again. “Man, I am tired, can we go home now?”
“Yes,” she said. “Let’s go back to Eagle Two.”
She watched the dawn light strike the black of the Examination Room. Would she ever go
home
?
* * * *
“I’d like to propose a toast,” shouted Hann, yelling over the noise.
Deaths filled the Lower Hall, crowding the long tables and standing around the room. The full council sat at the far end. Lord Coran, dressed in white, sat on a throne at the head of the room. He seemed to be sleeping, but Suzie could barely tell, he was far away. Sindril and the other eleven council members sat on either side of him, wearing their purple robes. Tables stretched toward Suzie. The faculty and oldest students sat near the Council. Suzie and the other young students sat at shaky tables outside the hall.
She glanced into the hall again. A wall had been opened on the side of the hall closest to her, which apparently happened during every Styxia Feast. Four massive outdoor pavilions stood side by side next to the open hall. A series of microphones and speakers connected the podium in the hall to the pavilions, letting everyone hear. She couldn’t spot Hann; he must be somewhere near the purple robed council.
“To the Gray Knights,” said Hann. A cheer went up from the hall and Deaths raised their glasses. She wished she could find Billy and Frank, but the guests of honor, including the Gray Knights, sat near the head of the hall.
The toasts continued. At each, the Deaths stood, cheered, and then sat as they drank. The Deaths in the hall had breads and cheese along with their drinks. Suzie glanced at her empty plate.
“I wish they’d bring us some food already,” said Jason, “even if it’s a gorger. I’m starving.”
“No food for the pavilions ’til they’ve toasted everyone and everything,” said a second year sitting across from them. “Last year took over an hour.”
“It’s been that long already,” said Suzie. Her stomach growled like a tiger. She wondered if Jason could hear her hunger.
“And another toast to our amazing Lord Coran.” She didn’t recognize the voice on the speaker, but the Deaths stood and cheered. The pavilions didn’t have to toast. This meant no food either.
A gong rang.
“Finally,” said the second year.
“Are they done?”
“Almost,” he said. “First each of the council toasts, and then Lord Coran gives the final one.”
Ten of the council members toasted the Deaths of the College, and one toasted the four finalist teams of the boskery match. Sindril was the last council member to speak.
“To Susan Sarnio,” he said, “the first female Death in a million years.”
The Deaths got up, but no one cheered. In the pavilion, Deaths turned to stare at her. She looked around in awkward surprise. The moment passed and Lord Coran spoke.
“To Deaths,” he said, in a thin, high voice. “And let the feast begin.”
Everyone cheered when ’Mentals streamed in from every side, carrying large trays. They set the trays down, and for a moment, all was calm. The moment ended with sudden shouts, running, and screaming.
“Fire!”
“Stop them!”
People ran out of the hall. The pavilion above her shook.
“Run, Suzie,” said a voice to her side. She turned and was startled to find the goat-face of Athanasius. His yellow eyes flashed.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Fire,” said Jason. He grabbed her arm, pulling her away. A crowd of Deaths ran toward them, shouting.
A ’Mental with pink skin and wild, purple eyes jumped onto the table. He held out a hand and purple flames shot toward the Deaths. Two young boys screamed as their cloaks caught fire.
“Not this one,” said Athanasius. He raised his hoof-like hands. The pink-skinned ’Mental glared at him and then jumped into the crowd of Deaths with a snort.
“Quickly,” said Athanasius. “This way, before it gets worse. I’m glad I found you, Susan.”
Suzie and Jason followed him. The pavilion erupted into chaos, and smoke billowed from the direction of the Hall. She heard Sindril yelling orders over the static-laden speakers. Deaths ran away from the chaos, while ’Mentals seemed to be running toward it.
Boom
. The sound thundered around them, making Suzie stumble. Jason caught her, keeping her from falling.
“They’ve closed the Ring,” said Athanasius. “We’ve got to hide now. Come on, I’ll bring you to safety.”
He darted away from the stream of running Deaths, toward a wall. He tapped on a white rock and a section of the wall slid open.
“In here.”
They ducked into a low passageway and the wall slid closed behind them.
“What the hell is going on?” screamed Suzie.
“Quiet,” said Athanasius. “We don’t want to be found.”
Another thunderous crash erupted outside.
“What’s—” she started.
“It’s a revolt,” replied the goat-faced ’Mental. His gold eyes caught the light of a flower starting to glow. They crouched in a narrow hallway with bare, clean-swept walls. The hall extended toward a row of white doors.
“Where are we?” asked Jason.
“An access hall,” replied Athanasius. “Elementals use thousands of these to serve the Deaths.” He sighed. “Help us stay out of sight. We’re treated like slaves.”
Suzie remembered the ’Mentals she’d watched paraded in chains. “Is that what’s happening?” she asked. “The ’Mentals are fighting back?”
“That’s right,” he said. “The plan was to attack the Council and set the hall on fire. They wanted to capture Coran alive and hold him hostage. I doubt they’ve done anything of the sort, the Elementals were too angry.”
“I can’t believe it,” said Susan.
“You haven’t seen Plamen have you?” asked Athanasius. He looked nervous.
“Who?” asked Jason.
“My assistant,” said Athanasius. “Another Elemental. I thought Susan might have remembered him. He’s been missing for some time.”
“I haven’t seen anyone,” she said. She vaguely remembered Athanasius’s assistant, but her head spun and she couldn’t focus.
“Why should we trust you?” said Jason. “You said the ’Mentals attacked the Deaths.”
“He’s not here to hurt us,” said Suzie.
Athanasius turned his wide yellow eyes toward her, his goat-like features melting from fear into a smile.
“Thank you. Susan,” he said.
“And thank you for the cake and for being kind to me. Jason, we can trust him. If he’s brought us here it’s to keep us away from harm.”
“The Elementals are furious about the Deaths, and I’ve heard rumors that a new war is coming. Fires have been spotted in the mountains.”
“What fires? And what Mountains?” asked Jason.
“The Mountains of the Dragons,” said Athanasius. “The Dragons are waking. Something has happened, or someone.” He looked at Susan.
“The Dragons?”
Jason seemed confused, but pieces were starting to fit together. Could Sindril, the mysterious meetings outside the Ring, and the strange fiery visions all be connected? Maybe they were connected to Dragons.
“Coran sent a hundred Elementals to search the Mountains. They were due back two months ago, but none returned. The leader of this revolt, a young hothead named Lyrus, is the son of one of the missing hundred.”
“That’s terrible,” said Susan. “Why do the Deaths treat you poorly?”
Athanasius laughed, and for a moment, a far-away glint came into his eyes. “Fear,” he said. “To explain more would take longer than we have, we should move.” He listened but the hallway was still. The tumult outside seemed farther away.
“Why are we in this corridor?” said Jason. “Why Suzie and me?”
“Susan,” said Athanasius, “is far more precious than you realize. She is—”
He stopped suddenly and turned his head, but it was too late. A scythe flew through the air and landed in his neck. Athanasius fell to the stone floor in a pool of blood. “No!” Susan screamed.
“It’s all right, you’re safe now,” said the calm voice of Sindril. He stepped from the shadows. Deep splotches of blood-red stained his bright purple robe. A smile stretched across his face like the reddened blade lying in Athanasius’s neck.
“That ’Mental was trying to kill you,” said Sindril. His voice slithered through the silent corridor like a snake.
“No,” said Suzie. “What have you done?” She backed against the wall of the corridor in terror.
“Suzie, he was part of a coup. Two of the council are dead. I’m glad I found you before he killed you too.” Sindril turned to his right and shouted down the darkened hall. “Two in here, including the girl.”
The
girl
. Athanasius had tried to warn her; she was important to them. Everything was a blur. Something was terribly wrong on this world. War was coming. Dragons were back, and she was in the middle of it.
“Suzie,” said Jason. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Two Deaths stood beside Sindril. She wasn’t sure when they’d arrived. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. This morning, she had only wanted to go home. However, where was home, and why was she important to them? What had Athanasius tried to tell her, and how had Sindril found them?
The Deaths led them through a pair of doors, down a corridor, and to a wall. They tapped and it slid open. As they exited, she turned and saw a Death talking to Sindril.
“We almost lost her,” said the Death.
“That was too close,” said Sindril. He noticed her and spun back into the corridor. The door slid closed again.
A World on Fire
For the first time since she’d arrived, the World of Deaths did not smell like strawberries. A rancid burning smell hung in the air, mixed with the smell of blood.
Athanasius fell to the floor of the corridor.
Blood
.
Blood spurted out of his neck.
Blood
.
Her own scream froze in her throat as the kind and caring Elemental collapsed, his golden eyes staring at her in horror.
Blood
.
The scythe blade turned red. Her eyes were mirrors to a scene she didn’t understand.
Blood
.
Sindril, smiling his blood-scythe smile. Eying her like some treasure he needed to protect.
For the first time since she’d arrived, Suzie wanted to stay. She wanted blood. She wanted Sindril’s.
“I’m going to kill him,” she muttered. “I’m going to kill Sindril.”
“Suzie,” said Jason. “He saved us from that crazy ’Mental. You can’t believe what one of those creatures said. Look what they did.”
She looked around the College. Everything around the Hall smoldered. Many of the tall stony walls looked less like canyons and more like Swiss cheese, pocked with holes. Rubble lay strewn around the ground. Yet it was eerily silent. The Deaths and ’Mentals had either fled or been taken away.
Suzie closed her eyes for a moment and the scene repeated. The blood splattered, she heard the scream, and Sindril stood over the broken body of her friend.
“I saw,” she said.
She didn’t speak again until they reached Eagle Two. The two Deaths who escorted them through the College never spoke, but one glanced back at her every minute. Neither Death seemed to care about Jason. Was she saved from a coup, or was she Sindril’s prisoner?
The Deaths gave her a curt nod and ushered them inside. She closed the door.
“Suzie, you’re all right.” Frank rushed over and gave her a hug.
“I’m fine,” she said, more icily than she intended.
“Is Billy here?” asked Jason.
“Yeah, I brought him back,” said Frank. “He’s in his room, but he’s burned pretty badly. Good thing the season’s over.”
“Did you bring him to the doctor?” asked Suzie. Had that only been today? It seemed like a year ago.
“They have doctors here?”
“Of course, this morning I went to doctor, um…” What was his name, and why couldn’t she picture him? She
had
visited a doctor hadn’t she?
“Can’t remember?” asked Frank. “He might have been killed. When a Death is killed here, they are erased from existence. It’s like they never came to this world.”
She closed her eyes. The blood and the scream. Athanasius’s terrified golden eyes.
“It’s not true for ’Mentals,” said Jason. “We watched one get killed. He had kidnapped us.”
“He saved us!” she yelled. “And you never believed him.” She grabbed Jason and threw him against the wall.
“Hey, I was—” he tried to say, but she slapped him in the face.
“Suzie,” said Frank, pulling them apart.
“What’s happening?” asked Billy. “Is Suzie home?” He stood in his doorway clutching his side. Suzie’s anger evaporated as his face came into view. An open cut ran down one of his cheeks, beneath his eye. The right side of his face was blackened, and his robe was torn.