Intermix Nation

Nazirah remains silent.

“When Adamek turned on me for that decision,knowingly betrayed me, you can imagine how hurt I was. I gave himeverything he wanted, and this was his thanks? Another brutalattack on my honor.” He grabs Nazirah roughly, growling. “Still, Iwould have forgiven him! He is my only son, heir to everything Iown … everything I am! But the fatal blow was learning he hadfallen for an intermix whore. And not just any intermix, no. You,Nazirah Nation, champion of everything I hate.” He licks the sideof her bloody face, spitting on the floor. “You’re not worth theair I breathe.”

“You can’t honestly believe all that!” shesays. “Even you aren’t that stupid.”

“I believe you are barbaric, dirty, poor,uneducated, and completely wrong for my son. But, yes, it is allcircumstantial … contingent on the conditions we have forced uponyou.”

“Then why not integrate us intosociety?”

“Because,” Gabirel says, “you intermix are adisease, infesting and breeding without a cure! You are the leprosyof the country. And you must be eradicated before becoming toxic tothe entire system.”

“We’re already in thesystem, Chancellor!” Nazirah laughs. “We are the system! You’re toolate.”

Gabirel grabs Nazirah by the chin and throwsher to the floor. He bends over her, yanking her hair so theirfaces are mere inches apart. Nazirah cringes and he smiles. “Maybeso, maybe not,” he whispers. “But as I said before, that is not myreason. When I kill you tomorrow, it will not be a message to theMedis or even to the rebels. It will be a message to my son.” Hestraightens quickly. “Take her to the prepared chambers,” he tellshis guards. “I want her well rested. She has a big daytomorrow.”

And with that, he’s gone.

Nazirah struggles to stand, slipping onGrum’s blood. One of the guards pulls her up. Nazirah looks intoher eyes, hoping for some kindness. She finds only a wall. Theguards take her through several hallways which she recognizes fromAdamek’s memory. Nazirah is sure they’re leading her to a torturechamber. When she sees the actual room, however, Nazirah thinks shemight have preferred getting the rack. Because this is torture ofan entirely worse kind.

“The Chancellor thought you would enjoyspending the night here,” one guard says callously.

The guards exit Adamek’s room, lockingNazirah inside. Nazirah tries to wrench the door open, withoutsuccess. She turns. It’s exactly as she remembers. Shuffling in adaze, she wonders if this is how Victoria Morgen felt in hermarriage … in her life. Trapped, with no hope of escape.

Nazirah skims her fingers across Adamek’sbed, stares at his mural, and finally stands before his glass wall.She gingerly inspects her stinging cigar burn, now welt. It’s afiery red circle on her forearm. Just like Cayus, Nazirah now hasher very own badge of the intermix. She curls into a ball on thefloor, close to the glass. She stays that way for hours, watchingthe tiny traffic, the lights blinking on and off. The sky turnstwilight, then deep black. Nazirah fades in and out ofconsciousness. She fights sleep, even though her body and mind andsoul are spent. Every minute that passes is a minute closer todeath.

Nazirah clutches her hands together,trembling. She rubs her wrist until it’s sore. And she prays. Sheprays to no one … to everyone … to anyone who will listen. Nazirahprays to her parents for strength, apologizing for not beingsmarter, for not thinking faster, for disappointing them. She praysfor Lumi’s survival, for the safety of everyone at headquarters.Nazirah prays for Niko, reflecting on their relationship, wishingshe tried harder as a sister. What will happen to him, once he hasabsolutely no family left? Nazirah prays for Cato, regretting thatthey will never fix things and that their friendship will end onsuch a sour note. She would give anything to hug him again, feelhis tender kiss on her forehead. Nazirah hopes Cato and Cander willbridge their differences. Stubbor

Nazirah cradles herself, pretends it isAdamek holding her. She drags his pillow onto the floor, inhalinghis scent. What she would give for an Iluxor now! She thinks of hisface, of his piercing eyes, trying to remember their exact shade.She will never see them again, never see him again. And she wantsto. She really, really wants to. She wants to touch his jaw andkiss his lips and banter and fight and hit and taste and justlive.

She wants to live.

#

Nazirah sits up slowly, rubbing cramped andsore muscles. Her arm still smarts, her forehead is caked andpeeling. Nazirah watches heavy gray clouds roll across an overcastsky. Rain today … it’s fitting.

Nazirah stares at her reflection in theglass. Her appearance is ragged and her eyes are haunting. Theywere once the same as Riva’s, window to her mother’s soul. Theywere once honey and amber and bright. But now they are dull andhollow.

Riva was no murderer. There are many ways tobreak the soul.

Nazirah feels the fallout.

#

Nazirah rises, knowing she must have onlyminutes left. She walks around Adamek’s room one final time.Nazirah sits at his desk, ru

Laying the case on the desk, Nazirah blowsaway the dust, particles of the past. She shakily enters the code.It opens it with a flourish, revealing the ink, needle and pistol,untouched for months, long forgotten. Fingers move of their ownaccord, unscrewing the jar, dipping the needle. She gives herself asingle black scratch, just above the knuckle.

Ramses.

She prays for him then, unexpectedly.Nazirah checks the gun; it’s loaded with a solitary bullet. Shesearches the drawers for more, finds nothing. It’s a rotten trick,because a gun with only one bullet can have only one purpose.Nazirah stares at it numbly. Maybe she could shoot Gabirel. Maybeshe could shoot herself. She could end it all so easily. And herfamily wouldn’t have to watch her die.

But she promised Lumi she wouldn’t break.And she won’t. This goes beyond her. Niko’s words finally makesense. The rebels, the citizens of Renatus, they need to see this.The Chancellor is wrong, in so many ways he is wrong. Her deathwill not be the end of the rebellion.

It will be the catalyst.

That has been her job all along. “Become themoon,” she whispers, choosing her fate.

She places the gun back into the case, shutsit. There are noises outside her door. Nazirah shoves everythinginto the drawer, quickly standing. Gabirel walks into the room,smiling brightly. “Beautiful morning to die, isn’t it?”

The guards lead her back through the grandroom, up the crystal staircase to the roof. It’s pouring now. A mobof people already gathers, warm under their coats and umbrellas.Nazirah sees the television crews, reporters, prominent governmentofficials, armed police, lucky onlookers … all waiting for her. Theguard who helped Nazirah up last night walks her onto a makeshiftplatform, built atop a helipad. She gives Nazirah’s arm a discreet,comforting squeeze. Nazirah holds the tears, looking up to the sky.The wind howls, gusts and powerful gales. Rain falls against herskin, cleansing her, washing away the blood and torment andmisery.

She is not afraid anymore.

Gabirel raises his arms,silencing the crowd. “Nazirah Nation!” he proclaims, “Intermix,traitor, anarchist, murderer.… Today, you answer foryour crimes against the honorable citizens of Renatus! Your deathwill be swift and just. Repent now! Call an end to this foolishrebellion! Tell your fellow conspirators to stand down, and acceptthe lives God has chosen for them!”

“I will not.”

The crowd murmurs. Gabirel snaps his fingersat one of the guards, who hands him a pistol. “Very well,” he says.“Any last words?”