Shattered by Kailin Gow

happening. They have no experience fighting. Al they’ve ever know is to be peaceful neighbors, to get along, to make concessions.”
    “But, Mom, you're not a warrior either. How can you possibly help them?”

    can you possibly help them?”
    She chuckled and for the first time since finding her, I felt her relax. “Honey, you forget where I come from. I’ve known war before. It may have been long ago and I may have al owed myself to forget about it, but I think the instinct to survive is stil there.
    It’s been buried for a long time, but with every passing day lately, it’s resurging.”
    I glanced at Torrid. Not that I wanted to doubt my mother’s capacity to deal with al this, but…
    “Don’t be disappointed, Kama. For the first time in my life I truly feel in control. Ironic, isn’t it. I want to counsel people. For years I’ve been counseling people who real y have no problems at al . I mean, hearing a woman complain about the effects of her liquid foundation versus powder, or the woman who had just gotten a huge promotion and raise, but felt she didn’t quite deserve it. I even had a guy come in one day to gripe about what great adults his kids were becoming. Turned out he thought they’d grown up on their own and he had no part in their achievements. Now I can real y put my talents to good use. Beyond the physical help people need, they also need someone to talk to.” Nodding, I reached for her hand. “I can’t real y say I blame you. I came back because I felt such an intense need to help. I can see where I got that from. You’ve always taught me to be considerate of others, and to help wherever I can.”
    I turned to Torrid, knowing he’d argue, but knowing I had to convince him anyway. “We have to find my friends. I have to know what happened to them and help them anyway I can.”

Chapter 13

    After we left my mother in a safe zone, we headed to the Opal District. Civilians, armed with brooms, mops, rakes and hoes battled with Magical Ones and djins as best as they could. Some managed to evade capture, but most found themselves overpowered ~lign=bspby the enemy.
    Torrid and I helped with the fighting, fending off dozens of Magical Ones and outsmarting djins.
    After three hours of battle, the number of enemies became manageable and together we worked to capture and bottle three djins.
    Holding the third bottled djin up to the light, I smiled. “I kind of like being able to take a big, bad djin and reduce him to a plume of smoke in a nice little bottle. It’s al so… gratifying.” Torrid held up his two bottles. “Then be prepared. When this is al over, you’l probably have dozens and dozens of bottles.”

    With the fighting over, people stumbled along, lost. But a loud crash suddenly fil ed the silence and startled everyone. We al turned to the house that had just been demolished by a large shard of glass.
    A young family ran out of the house, the mother holding a smal crying baby in her arms, while the father carried a young girl who held her bleeding head with her hands.
    I rushed to them. “Is she badly hurt?”
    “I don’t think so,” the father said as he set her down.
    The little girl’s lip quivered as she fought tears.
    “I think the roof coming down on us just scared her to bits.”
    Just as I knelt to help the little girl, two other women came to our aid. So intent on the cuts of the child, we didn’t look at each other until she was al patched up.
    I turned to thank the women. “Oh my God.
    Melanie! Sarah!” Overwhelmed with emotions, we hugged each other. “I can’t believe I found you guys amidst al this chaos.”
    I sat back on my heels and looked at them.

    “Melanie, the last time I saw you, you’d escaped the Committee Building. I thought for sure they’d catch you… or you’d simply col apsed from hunger.”
    “I ran into Sarah. She’s my lifesaver. Food has been a little scarce, but she’s managed to get me back to a more healthy