The Ashen Wrath (Watty's SHORTLIST recipient 2018) CHAPTERED VERSION

*70

"I thought you were dead!" said Daun, as our kiss broke.

"Almost, but not quite," I said.

Daun gasped after realizing my sorry state. "Danth, what did they do to you?"

She didn't need to know everything. Not yet. "I've been...locked up...for a while, but I'm already feeling better." I lowered my gaze to the floor. "Daun, your village...I couldn't save them. I'm so sorry."

Daun took my face in her hands and looked in my eyes. "Sheln told me you were trapped in that thing—It's not your fault. I know you would have done something if you could. Even though Zone 29 was leveled, most of its residents survived. We've already sent out an airship to locate them and bring them to The Walled City."

"Is your mother—Lemi, I mean—is she okay?"

"I think so," said Daun. "Sheln said an airdrone had spotted her."

"Good," I said, taking a heavy breath. I glared at Sheln. "Can we really trust her?"

"For now." Daun led me carefully to a cushiony couch and sat beside me. "You're hurt."

"I...I think my leg's fractured," I told her. "But the pain isn't so bad," I lied.

"We'll take care of that just as soon as you ask your inevitable round of boring questions," said Sheln, walking closer.

I didn't know where to begin. "What—"

"Happened?" interrupted Sheln. "Haven't you guessed by now? I used the datastick you recovered to perfect the formula of The Ashen Wrath."

"How did you—"

"Kill every Privus within the wall? It took a while to nullify the nanobots of the Thrall attendants—as well as my own, of course—but once finished, the rest was easy. I used my connections and new security credentials to infiltrate every well station in the city. With help from the attendants I had liberated, I dumped The Ashen Wrath into the Privus' water supply. The formula was designed to be a slow burn, insuring everyone within the gates would ingest enough to ensure success. It took two weeks for the serum to start attacking the Privus' nanobots. Before they figured out what was happening, it was too late. The bastards all died within minutes of each other."

"You slaughtered everyone?"

"Trust me, every single one of them deserved their fates. I learned anyone who had ever sympathized with the Thrall had been executed by the High Lord—myself excluded."

"But the children...you killed them too?"

Sheln shook her head. "There are no Privus children. The Privus transfer their minds into lab-grown clones. Actual children, like Daun here, were only in the city because they were kidnapped—forced to attend to the whims of the lords and ladies."

"Stop calling me a child," said Daun, crossing her arms.

"You're my child," said Sheln, smiling.

Daun turned to me, rolling her eyes. "Sheln lies a lot...it's hard to tell when she's telling the truth."

"When it matters," replied Sheln.

I was astonished. "How long has it been since The Ashen Wrath killed everyone?"

Sheln looked at Daun. "That was, what, three days ago?"

Daun nodded.

"Right," said Sheln. "After that, I just had to wait for you and your brother to take care of matters at the Obsidian Tower."

I was baffled. My exhaustion probably didn't help.

"Oh my, such a stupid look," said Sheln with a laugh. "I let you get captured, knowing full well I'd be able to get you a job inside that damnable black tower. I apologize for not letting you in on my plans, but there was no reason to take any additional chances."

"Apology accepted. You're lucky Kooper broke free from the tower's control, or I never would have."

Sheln laughed. "Is that what the egotistical fool actually believed?"