Lives of Kings by Lucy Leiderman

replaced by panic. We had given the Godelan a big head start. I tried to console myself by knowing no flights could take off from the airport, which was probably still flooded, but having slept for so long, I knew the world outside could have changed in that time. Garrison read my expression.
    â€œDon’t worry,” he said sleepily. “It’ll be a while before they can gather that amount of magic again.”
    â€œThat’s not what we should be worried about,” Seth said flatly.
    He had turned on the television. Set to the local channels and news by default, the image featured a giant wave breaking close to the beach, and four people standing right at the brink of it.
    â€œUh-oh.”
    Moira scooted closer to the TV. “There’s no way they can tell who that is,” she said. “It could be trees, or anything.”
    As if in reaction to her words, the image zoomed in on our faces, blurry, but very much us. Seth flipped the channel to Australian news, and they were playing the same video. New Zealand as well. A caption proclaimed that the video of the mystery daredevils had become an online sensation. Great.
    Just as we were all calculating the improbability of us being able to leave the island together without being recognized, the phone rang. We exchanged nervous glances until Garrison got up to get it. He lifted the receiver and just listened.
    A voice on the other end talked for a good minute. I couldn’t hear the words, but I could tell that it was angry. Had someone tracked us down?
    I anticipated the police busting through the door at any moment. No matter how many faces or mouthed questions we could direct at Garrison, he just stared ahead, listening. Finally, he put down the receiver.
    â€œKian wants us to meet him,” he said. “He’s found a way to destroy the Godelan.”

Chapter Six
    K ian shifted on the hard earth, trying not to panic. His hands were tied behind his back and he sat tethered to a pole in one of the Kaligan supply tents. Magician sat opposite him, apparently napping.
    The tent was nearly pitch black. The only light came from the flaps that blew open with the wind. Soldiers were having a meal at many communal fires, and the prisoners had been put where they could not bother anyone.
    M-A had humoured Magician and Kian. He had even fed them, which Kian welcomed, for all that he knew he ought to hate the Kaligan. The wars had always somehow seemed far removed from him. Now that he was in the midst of one, he was terrified.
    His initial observation had been correct — these men had been on the road for a long time, and their patience was wearing thin, especially with natives of Alapa. Attacked, their supplies raided, and constantly on the lookout, the men were suspicious of Magician’s intentions.
    And they were right to be. Shortly after being secured and left alone, Magician had explained to Kian exactly how they would rob the Kaligan of the metals they needed for the ritual.
    Admittedly, gold was everywhere. Perhaps to the Kaligan they seemed like small amounts, but to Kian, who rarely saw any metal at all, the army sported more gold than in all of the kingdoms in the north. Even the army’s banners were golden bulls on scarlet fields.
    Kian guessed Alapa wasn’t the best place in the Kaligan Empire to be sent to. In fact, judging by what he heard while being transported by the Kaligan, their emperor punished people by sending them to the north.
    Magician had told Kian to sleep. They would have a long night ahead of them walking to the ritual spot. Kian considered how awfully optimistic that was of him. He tried to have faith in Magician and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come.
    Just when Kian heard the Kaligan shifting and moving around outside, obviously done their meal, the biggest bonfire went out. Magician’s eyes opened in the darkness and something flashed within them.
    Dozens of men cursed. Some minutes