Intermix Nation

She has a few.

“My name is Nazirah Nation!” she saysclearly. “I am the daughter of Kasimir Nation, a loving andcompassionate Oseni, and Riva Martel, a strong and idealisticEridian. Against all odds, my parents fell in love! Because of thatlove, they are now dead.”

“You dare lie before God?” Gabirel shouts.“Before your country? Your parents were slanderous rebels! Besilent now and meet death with dignity!”

“I will not be silent!” shescreams. The rain falls in embracing sheets, calling her to theheavens. “I may be intermix, but I am no liar! I am a girl who haslost everything and still has everything! I am a friend, a sister,a daughter” – her voice cracks – “a murderer, just like you … and I willnot be quiet! We have been quiet for far too long! Where is yourwife now, Chancellor?” Gabirel’s eyes flash dangerously, butNazirah has nothing to lose. “And her intermix lover?” The crowderupts as Nazirah raises her arm, displaying her burn, mark of theintermix. “You may take our lives, but you will not take ourvoice!”

Gabirel aims the pistol at her head.

Shivering in the rain, Nazirah holds herarms out passively, palms open. She looks into the crowd, imaginingshe sees Cato or Niko in the sea of Medis, with her until the end.Death is not her enemy; it’s where Nazirah will reunite with herparents. Absolved of fear and hatred, graced with acceptance, sheis not her enemy either.

Today, Nazirah is free.

And that is something she holds onto.

Everything slows. Nazirah’s heart ratedrops. The rain slacks. The shot fires, lighting and thunderscorching the air. Nazirah waits for the pain to tear through herlike a thousand knives. She waits and waits and waits for her lifeto end.

It doesn’t.

Gabirel clutches his throat. His gun,unfired, escapes his grasp and clatters to the ground. Bloodtrickles from his mouth. It spills, gushing as he falls to hisknees. Gabirel makes a strangled, gurgling sound. Then he collapsesinto eternal silence.

Brown eyes meet green.

A war erupts with Nazirah standing frozen onthe platform. Shots are fired, fists are thrown, and blood isspilt. Reporters and bystanders scream, ducking for cover as rebelssurge onto the roof. Insurgents emerge from the crowd, includingNiko and Luka, pulling down their hoods and brandishing weapons.Shock wearing off, the Medi troops retaliate. Many people slip inthe rain, off the edge, plummeting thousands of feet to theirdeaths. Smoking gun still in hand, Adamek looks at Nazirah oncebefore disappearing into the fray.

A grenade explodes nearby. Nazirah iswrenched off the platform, pulled out of the line of fire anddetonation. “You’re with us?” she cries, glancing into the face ofGabirel’s kinder bodyguard.

“You don’t recognize me, do you?” she yellsback.

The face is different, but Nazirahrecognizes the staunch voice. She asks, “Ms. Bairs?”

“I still haven’t read that essay,” Ileanajokes grimly, pushing her further to the ground.

“How –”

“MEDIcine!” she yells, struggling to beheard over the chaos. “It was Adamek’s idea to tell everyone atheadquarters I was visiting my mother! I’ve really beenintercepting and relaying information to Nikolaus for months. Ididn’t learn of your kidnapping until too late!” She coversNazirah’s body as part of the platform collapses. “I wanted to tellyou last night, but I couldn’t risk it!”

“What’s happening?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Nazirah?” she says. “Therevolution has started!”

Smoke fills Nazirah’s lungs. Silver and goldbullet shells litter the rooftop coast, treasures of war, relics ofa dream. Nazirah peers over the edge, dizzy with height. Theskytowers around them are thick with fire and ash. Sirens blarethroughout the city, sounding horns in warning. Nazirah turnsaround, sees a flash of blonde. Lumi embraces her, handing Nazirahback the dagger. She wears a bulletproof vest and there’s anexcited spark in her eyes. “I don’t have another gun,” she cries,“but I kept this safe for you!”

“Get down!” Ileana shouts, crouching.

The explosions around them continue as Medihelicopters barrage the roof with bullets and fire, army soldiersdescending by ropes. The rebels retaliate, trying to bring thechoppers down with ca

“Stay here,” Ileana yells, “until you canfind a suitable weapon! I have to get Solomon into the controlroom!”

They watch her crawl away. Nazirah sobs, “Inever thought I’d see you again!”

Lumi smiles, glances over her shoulder. “Apromise is a promise, right?”

“How is this possible?” Nazirah asks, stillin shock.

“I took the train back to Krush like yousaid!” Lumi yells over the whir of the chopper blades. “I hid inthe one that smelled like rancid fish and hoped it was right! WhenI returned to headquarters, it was absolute chaos! Ivan’s troopswere destroyed, all fallen and dead on the ground. Aldrik andAdamek were already there. They knew something was wrong when youdidn’t show up to the meeting! They tried to find us, but we werealready gone!”

“But –”

Lumi scoffs. “What do you think Niko hasbeen doing for months? For years, even? He and Solomon have pla

“How did you get in?”

“It was kind of brilliant!” she says. “A fewof us used MEDIcine to disguise ourselves … just enough to overtakethe guards lining the city walls. Then we broke loose, marchingthrough the underground tu

“Lumi, watch out!”

A soldier hurtles towards them. Lumi shootshim without hesitating. She looks at Nazirah, a little proudly.“That was for Taj!” she cries, shaking.

“I’ll get his gun!” Nazirah shouts. Sheglances around, crawling from safety into the bullet storm. Nazirahhas barely moved when she hears a bloodcurdling scream. She turns,watching a man barrel into Lumi, intent on pushing her off theroof. Thinking quickly, Nazirah stabs him in the ankle. He shouts,grabbing for her. She kicks her feet into his chest, knocking himover the edge. Nazirah clambers over to Lumi, who’s hanging on byher fingertips. Nazirah stands up, ignoring the gunshots, ignoringthe vertigo, laser focused. “Grab my hand!” she yells.

“I can’t!” sobs Lumi, terrified.

“I won’t drop you!” Nazirah screams.

Lumi shuts her eyes and reaches for Nazirah.Straining and sweaty, Nazirah pulls Lumi from the ledge. Lumislumps onto the roof, hugging the ground, coughing and sputtering.Just then, another Medi spots them, grabs Nazirah’s fallendagger.

Nazirah hunches over Lumi protectively. He’sa foot away when he collapses on top of them. Nazirah pushes himoff, revealing Cato with a gun, furious. They lock eyes and thebattle falls away. Nazirah is only vaguely aware of the explosionslessening, of the rebels cheering as the last of the Medi troopsand choppers are either captured or destroyed. Cato pulls her intoa deep, rib-cracking hug. Nazirah is unable to believe he’s reallythere, afraid to let him go again.

“I’m so sorry!” she sobs incoherently, intohis chest.

“No, Irri!” he cries, face full of dirt andtears. “I’m sorry! I was so awful, and you were just honest.”

“Even, then?”

“Yeah.”

Nazirah half laughs, half cries. “I think wewon,” she says, not fully believing it.

“I think so too.”