First-in-Series Spotlight! AFTER THE LAST FALL by Amy Babiarz ~ Includes an Excerpt!

Let it be known and declared that a new dynasty has usurped the Tumis Dynasty.

Let it be known and declared that a new order has been set forth.

Let it be known and declared that the old laws have been stricken in favor of the law of the Raznik Dynasty. Failure to follow the letter of the law will result, without question, in the imprisonment and execution of those who deign to break with our new order.

1. There is to be no new trade with courts outside of our own. We will grow from our land, build from our land, and carry our people through into a new order. Battlewood is an independent court, sustainable and free from reliance on those around us. If you are found to be trading, you will be punished.
2. There is to be no communication with courts outside of our own. Battlewood does not allow room for governmental overthrows or for seeds of dissent to be planted. The law set forth by the Raznik Dynasty is resolute. If you are found to be communicating, you will be punished.
3. There is to be no magic of any kind. Magic is a dark practice unsupported by our lands. It is the decision of this court moving forward that any magic of any kind will result in execution. Battlewood needs no magic, nor does it support the worship of falsehoods or idols. If anyone is found to be in possession of these evil relics, or to be partaking in this practice, they will be sentenced to execution, with no room for mercy.

***

LET your lives be guided from this moment forward by the Raznik Dynasty. We will move our people into greatness. We will not allow for missteps or crime. Those who show themselves to be the weak links of our society will be dealt with accordingly. The Raznik Dynasty intends to lead our people with steadfast determination and victory.

FURTHER, let it be known that, henceforth, Battlewood has entered into a Pact of Silence with our neighboring courts.

BATTLEWOOD and its people belong to the Raznik Dynasty.

DO NOT FALTER.”

-FROM “A NEW LAND”. Issued on the third day of the month Knin in the year E3.

***

CHAPTER ONE

E103

I AM AWAKENED by the sounds of the front door breaking open. I leap out of my bed, reaching under the frame to grab my weapon. All that I can see in the darkness is the flicker of lanterns and the glint of steel. Still half-blind and -deaf from sleep, I cannot make out what is unfolding before me. Someone lights a fire in the hearth and within a moment, the room lights up with the flames. Warriors, in my home, at some ungodly hour. They overturn my books and papers without care. Pots, pans, and dishes clatter to the floor as they pull my belongings off of their shelves and out of their cupboards. I will my senses to sharpen as I take in the scene before me. Behind the three warriors, I see that my door hangs on its hinges, splintered and cracked.

“You know, a simple knock would have been just as effective,” I tell them. I have not lowered my weapon. “Would anyone care to tell me what this is about, or do you just intend to go on disrupting my kitchen?”

“Unless you have something helpful to say, shut up,” the largest of the three says.

“Well, maybe I have,” I say, “but it seems that you’ve all neglected to tell me why you’ve broken into my home in the middle of the night.”

“Are you alone?” one of them, a woman, asks me.

“Except for my sister, yes.” I look over to Aleca’s bed to point her out, and then freeze. Her bed is empty. Again. “Damn her,” I mutter.

“Where is she?”

“Given that I thought she was here and that I was asleep when you arrived, I haven’t a clue,” I say. “Why are you looking for her?”

“If you are hiding her,” the woman tells me, “we will find out.”

They leave without another word and I stand in the middle of the mess, watching their retreating backs. Not even a full minute later, Aleca sprints in through the door and presses herself into the shadows.

“Are they gone?” she asks, breathless.

“Any interest in telling me what that was about?” I ask in response. “You don’t have to worry about it,” she retorts.

I move toward her, pulling her out of the shadows.

“No,” I tell her, “you don’t get to decide that. I can’t keep covering for you if you’re going to keep being so reckless!” She rolls her eyes and I give her a little shake. “Warriors broke in here tonight looking for you, Aleca. Do you know what that could mean for you, or for both of us? We could have been arrested, or killed.”

“You’re being dramatic, Jace,” Aleca tells me, stifling a yawn.

“You’re being an idiot, Aleca,” I spit back. “Go to bed, and don’t let me find your bed empty again.” She does so without argument and, within moments, I hear the sounds of her breathing even out. She has been taking off more and more often, lately. At first, I thought it was a phase, but now…now, I’m not so sure.

I spend the night cleaning up the mess made by the warriors. Several of the books have been ruined and I throw them into the fire. I am just finishing the clean-up when the first light of morning begins to filter through the windows. Aleca snores lightly from her bed, unbothered. I throw a shoe at her and she wakes up, spluttering.

“What was that for?” she cries.

“Wake up,” I tell her. “You’re not wasting your day just because you wanted to go adventuring in the middle of the night. I took care of it last night, but I’m not doing it again. Seriously, Al, what is going on with you?” She rubs blearily at her eyes, and I’m not certain a single word I’ve said has registered with her. I loft the other shoe at her. “Aleca! Wake up!”

“I’m awake!” she protests.

“Good. Go to your classes, keep your head down, and don’t do anything that will draw more attention to you today,” I tell her. “We are under Raznik’s eye as it is. Do you know what it looks like when my own troop comes bursting into our house, trying to catch us doing something illegal?” She does not move and I stride over to her bed. In one motion, I scoop her out of the bed and dump her onto the ground. She jumps up, tangled in her blankets, and lets out a shout at me. I ignore her and point at her clothes hanging on the wall. With a grumble, she snatches them off of their hooks and stomps behind a changing screen. I sigh and begin to pack up my food for the day. My patience has worn out with my little sister, and though I love her dearly, I could cheerfully kill her. I have worked hard to get to where I am in our band of warriors, and she puts that at risk each and every time she sneaks away in the dead of night.

The moment she is ready, I march her to the school and shove her into her seat. I reiterate the warning from this morning and she mock-salutes me.

“Don’t be a brat,” I tell her. Softening, I say, “Let’s do something together tonight, yeah? Just you and me, a sisters’ night.” She grumbles but nods, and I ruffle her hair. “Make good choices.”

I make my way down to our training field. Galter and Rolf, two of my team, are there waiting for our captain, Linota. I join them and they eye me knowingly.

“Long night, huh?” Rolf asks me. I make a face at him and shake my head.

“She doesn’t understand the implications of what she is doing, and I can’t get her to listen to me,” I say. “I don’t know what else to do.” I wrap my wrists and hands tightly with leather, preparing for our day.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Grimme,” Galter tells me. “We all know that you’re trying. We know you. You’ve made some bad choices in the past, but Linota doesn’t take on just anyone.” I run a hand over my face, masking my exhaustion as I yawn. It will not do for me to sleep through my training.

“Look alive, kiddos!” Linota booms. She strides down the hill toward our training enclosure and hoists herself over the fence. Not wasting a moment, she begins putting us through the wringer. I am pouring sweat in no time. I take out my frustrations at my sister on a dummy until the dingy canvas busts open and old straw falls out. I feel the anger bleed out of me with each hit. “Well done,” Linota says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Do it again.”

I am steered to another dummy. This one is also canvas but filled with a firm stuffing, more like a human. I hit over and over again, undercut, uppercut, and everything in between. My hands are throbbing by the end of the exercise and my knuckles bloom with bruises.

The day continues like this. I am barely able to move by the end but I will not allow myself to stop. I know that the moment I do, my exhaustion will take over and I will not be able to move again. All of my frustrations are taken out on the dummies and released during our mock-fights. My muscles are screaming by the time the sun is setting. Galter and Rolf each thump me on the back as we part ways and I turn to make my way back home.

Before I have made it out of the training enclosure, a shadow falls over me. I look up and into the eyes of one of Raznik’s guards, Ocin. A mean, feral smile breaks out on his face and he crosses his arms, tutting. I stare at him silently as I wait for him to speak. When he doesn’t, I raise my eyebrow, pointedly.

“Do you need something, or are you just practicing for your prestigious role of standing outside of a door all day?” I ask him. I try to move past him and he moves with me to block my way again. “Seriously, Ocin? Speak, or get out of my way.”

“You’ve got a lot to say for someone who is in deep water,” he tells me. “Had any visitors recently?” I set my jaw and glare at him. When he realizes that I am not taking his bait, the smile drops and he uncrosses his arms. “I’ve been ordered to bring you to our Commander. Must have done something pretty bad, if he wants to see you.”

With a groan, I turn on my heel and stare up the steep hill to the castle where Raznik lives. I don’t know how I’m going to make my bone-tired body carry me up there, but it doesn’t seem that I have an option. This, without a doubt, has to do with Aleca. I’m going to kill her. 

***

When we arrive at the castle, Aleca is standing in the entry hall with a guard. Her wrists are bound behind her back in iron cuffs and I let out an indignant sound. She looks down at the ground and whispers something. I move closer, trying to hear her. Desnal, the guard she is with, speaks over her,

“What the brat is trying to tell you is that she’s been arrested and is going before the court when the sun reaches its height tomorrow.”

“On what grounds?” I ask furiously.

“Treason, immoral practice, being a Grimme…take your pick,” he says. “Let’s get going; our Commander doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“DON’T BE FRIGHTENED,” I try to comfort Aleca as we are led down a dim hallway. We are sandwiched between Desnal and Ocin—a reminder that the only place to go is forward, toward an uncertain future. Of all of the times I have been in a tight spot before, I have never felt this fear of the unknown and, with it, the knowledge that this could be the end of life as I’ve come to know it. I fight off a shudder of fear.

“I’m not frightened.” Despite her defiant bravado, I see her bottom lip quiver. The flickering candles on the wall throw our faces into grotesque relief. It does not prevent me from seeing the nervousness on her face. All of my anger from earlier has melted away; gnawing guilt fills the void. I give her hand a small squeeze in a silent apology—I’m sorry that I failed you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you.

“Quiet!” one of the guards barks at us. We fall silent again. Aleca casts her eyes downward. I have to bite my tongue to stop me from lashing out at the guard. It is my fault Aleca is here. I was bound to protect her, and I failed. I should have corralled her better. I should have burned her notes. There are so many things that I should have done differently.

“Jace,” she whispers, glancing nervously at the guards, “take this.” She rattles her chains just enough for me to realize that she’s holding something. I reach over quickly and then place my hands at my side again. I clutch a folded scrap of parchment and run a thumb over it before shoving it into the waistband of my pants. Aleca looks straight ahead again and says nothing else.

We come to a stop in front of heavy oak doors, and a guard raises a fist to knock. Commander Raznik’s voice calls,

“Enter!” and the doors are opened. We are escorted in. Raznik is lounging before the massive fireplace, crystal tumbler in hand. He sips his brown liquor lazily, not bothering to look at us. “That will be all, guards.”

“Sir,” they say in unison before backing out of the room. The door is closed behind us. The crackling and spitting of the fire fills the silence. Aleca and I stand motionless, waiting. Raznik downs the rest of his drink in one gulp and finally rises.

“Ah, the sisters Grimme,” he drawls. Aleca and I exchange a look and then stare at Raznik. “You two have proven to be nothing but trouble. I expected more from you.” He turns his back on us to refill his glass. “You know, Jace, when we agreed to take you on as a warrior, we thought that meant the end of your days as resident rebel.”

“It wasn’t–,” Aleca begins. I elbow her hard and she falls silent.

“And you, Aleca…I never thought I would see the day that you broke a rule, and here you’ve broken the biggest law of them all!” He makes his way back to the leather chair and then motions to the ottoman across from it. “Sit.”

“No, thank you,” I say stiffly. “We prefer to stand.” Raznik raises an eyebrow at me but does not fight it.

“As you wish,” he says, sipping slowly as he stares. “Such a pity–” “Why have you called us here?” I cut in. “Aleca is to be tried in sixteen hours. She should be with her family.”

“Oh, but she is,” Raznik says, motioning to me. “In fact…she’s here because of her family.”

“How dare-!”

“Enough,” he asserts. “The fact is that you have information that I want, Aleca. It is no secret to me that you have been ferreting away to cross the borders. Oh, yes, I know all about your midnight excursions,” he adds at in response to the expression of shock on her face. “And I know that you helped her, Jace, even if we cannot prove it.”

Aleca and I do not dare to look at each other as he speaks. We both know that he is telling the truth. I knew that I should have done more to prevent her; my other option, though, would be to allow her to navigate unsafely and potentially be killed in the process. I couldn’t let that happen.

“So what is it you’re looking for?” Aleca asks carefully.

“I’m offering you both your freedom—at a small price,” Raznik says. He sips his drink, and the glass throws a glint of light as the flames reflect off of it. “Aleca, all I ask of you is that you hand over the information you’ve collected about our neighboring courts. I know you’ve learned about them, and I want what you know.”

“And how exactly do I fit into this?” I ask.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Raznik asks in surprise. “I want you to help me invade their land. Jace, we both know that your, shall we say, unsavory history lends itself to this task.”

“I gave that up months ago,” I say angrily. “I told you I wouldn’t go back.”

“Not even to save your own family? It’s not so hard to fall back into old habits, is it?” When I do not respond, Raznik’s mouth curves into a smirk. I clench my jaw and look away, unable to withstand the smugness pouring from him. “Would you like a drink?” he offers suddenly, motioning to his drink cart. My fingers twitch with a sudden desire to hit him and I ball my fists tightly behind my back. The motion does not go unnoticed by Raznik. His smirk widens.

“I won’t give you a thing,” Aleca says defiantly. “I…I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.”

“And why is that?” he asks through gritted teeth.

“I burned my notes,” she says with a shrug. “They’re gone. Well, I wasn’t going to let someone like you take hold of them, was I?”

Raznik narrows his eyes at Aleca, then at me, then her again, trying to determine the validity of her words. I give a shrug of my own—I don’t know what she’s done with them—and he turns his back on us.

“You’re even more useless to this land than I thought,” he spits out. “Get out of my sight. Aleca Grimme, you are to be tried in sixteen hours for treason against Battlewood. Expect no mercy.”

***

Aleca has been secured deep within the confines of the castle dungeons. I have been given five minutes alone with her before her solitary confinement begins. She seems unaffected by the trial looming over her. I, on the other hand, am a bundle of nerves; I feel as if I could snap at any moment. There are less than sixteen hours standing between us and a decision that could leave me entirely without a family. We’ve already lost our parents—I cannot lose my sister, too.

As soon as the guard has slammed the gate shut, I run over to Aleca and throw my arms around her. She hugs me back tightly.

“I’m sorry, Aleca,” I tell her. “I should have been able to prevent this from happening. I knew what you were up to, but I–”

“Hush, Jace,” Aleca replies. “I did this to myself, and I would do it again. Raznik can do whatever he wants to me.” She walks over to the gate to check for guards and then rushes back over to me. “I didn’t burn my notes,” she whispers quickly. “I’ve hidden them. I need you to find them and keep them safe for me, until I can get out.”

“What are you talking about, get out? Aleca, you’re being watched by three guards. How exactly do you intend to escape?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she says. “And anyway, the less you know, the better. If anyone asks you anything, you won’t have to lie. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m just trying to figure out where my little sister has gone,” I say. “You used to be so quiet and mild-mannered, and now you’re plotting… well, something.”

“And you used to be a delinquent drunk,” Aleca reminds me. “We aren’t who we used to be.” She is quiet for a moment, and then says, “Jace, whatever happens…I love you. You’re the best sister I could have ever hoped for.” She throws her arms around me again and I can feel her sniffle against my shoulder, showing me a crack in her façade.

“I love you too,” I whisper, stroking her hair. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

“Time’s up!” a guard’s voice booms. The gate creaks open, and I’m escorted out of the cell. As the door slams, I catch one last glimpse of my sister through the bars before I am pushed around the corner and out of sight.

***

I cannot sleep. I pace endlessly in the space that Aleca and I once shared. Of course, I have been alone now for several weeks; my sister’s trips have grown more and more frequent in recent days. Aleca is planning something, and I have no idea what it could be. She intends to break out of the dungeons, but how? I have stood guard at those dungeons, and I know them better than my own home. There is no way that she can escape unharmed. Unless…

I shake my head. Aleca is foolhardy, but even she could not be stupid enough to break out with the one thing that got her locked up in the first place.

I take a shuddering breath. I cannot calm myself, and I cannot stop thinking about Aleca locked up in the cold dungeons. Having spent a night or two there myself as a prisoner, I know just how cold they can be, even on a warm day like today. There is no concern that water drips through the crevices of the stone walls, or that the chilly draft comes through to extinguish the flames of the torches on the wall—the only real source of heat for the prisoners. There is no concern that spiders, rats, and other scuttling critters go running unchecked. You are there to learn a lesson—your age does not matter. Battlewood is an unforgiving land. Or, rather, Battlewood will forgive only once you’ve been made to suffer.

Confusion, fear, anger, and sadness all battle to reign superior in my head. I am confused by my sister—this Aleca is not the sweet lamb I spent my years chasing around while she grew. The cool, shrewd Aleca who faced down Raznik is someone entirely foreign to me. I am worried about her. I do not know what will happen at her trial; I have a good idea, though. The thought of losing yet another family member leaves me empty and despairing, without direction.

Unable to pace anymore, I distract myself by packing and re-packing my bags. I have been trained to keep packs filled and prepared for a moment’s notice. There is not much to pack, but I do so anyway. I fold my clothing methodically over and over again until the creases and folds are just right. I take stock of the dried meats and fruits, the soup balls, the teas. I clean my portable pans and cups until the metal shines and reflects my face back to me.

It is only as I reach for my blade that I remember the note I have tucked into my waistband. I pull it out and unfold it quickly, tearing it slightly in my haste. Aleca’s careful handwriting fills the page.

“Jace,

My notes are in our old hideaway. Remember how you used to leave me treats there? I loved when you did that. It was like magic. Whatever you do, do not let Raznik find my notes. I know that what I have done is against the law, but I don’t care. Someone has to be the first one to try to fix things. If anything happens to me, I need you to make me a promise. I need you to keep doing what I’ve started. We’ve been lied to, Jace.

Always your sister, Aleca.”

I READ the note over and over again. The words are imprinted in my mind, even when I close my eyes. “We’ve been lied to, Jace.” At some point, my eyes do not open, and I fade into a fitful sleep.

***

“Let’s go.”

I’m pushed roughly through the door, onto the balcony which overlooks the chamber. It is cold and drab; the only source of color comes from a mosaic inlay of our coat-of-arms on the center of the floor. On all sides, dark marble benches rise in tiers, matching the curve of the chamber. They are empty now, but not for long. One by one, the torches on the walls are lit, casting misshapen shadows. I find I am struggling to swallow properly.

The room begins to fill; with the people comes a cacophony of excited chatter and laughter. This is just another show to them. As I move forward to look over the balcony, the same hands that guided me through the door shove me into a cold marble seat. A man comes to stand next to me, watching the scene in front of us.

“It’s quite the turnout, wouldn’t you agree?” Commander Raznik asks quietly. There is grim satisfaction in his voice; I do not need to look at him to know that his grizzled face is marked with a smirk. He rests one hand on my left shoulder, and its weight is almost too much to bear. I say nothing and stare straight ahead. Dread fills my veins like acid, and I feel the heat of it flush my face. “It’s almost a shame we have to meet like this today. Almost.” He removes his hand from my shoulder and steps forward. He raises his arms and calls the court to attention.

“Battlewood, I greet you!” Commander Raznik shouts. The chamber instantly falls silent and the people stare at Raznik with rapt attention. “We gather today under tragic circumstances. We have been betrayed by one of our own.” The crowd murmurs and hisses its disapproval. “When one becomes treasonous, we all become treasonous!” At this, the murmurs swell into an angry roar. Raznik holds up his hands, and the crowd quiets again. My heart beats painfully fast against my breastbone.

“The Council has given their time and energy, fought to decide what to make of our betrayer. Do we spare them, and show our mercy, as we have done in years past? Or do we make an example of them, and remind our citizens that there is no higher crime than to go against the ways of your people?”

Simultaneous shouts of, “Spare them!” and “Kill them!” ring out, echoing off of the walls. I feel I shall go deaf with the sounds, and I know that, regardless of the outcome, I will forever hear the cries of my people calling for my sister’s death. Raznik allows the shouting for a few moments and turns to face me with a cruel smirk. I lock eyes with him for only a moment before he turns back to face the crowd. 

“Battlewood forgives,” he yells, his voice oddly triumphant, “but it never forgets! Therefore, the Council has voted that Aleca Grimme be put to death for the charges of conspiracy and treason!”

My litany of expletives is drowned out by the uproar that breaks from the crowd. They are on their feet, calling, whooping, and laughing. Raznik turns his back to the crowd and beckons to someone in the shadows. They step forward, and into the light.

“Valkyrie Elouned,” Raznik says, bowing his head.

“Raznik,” she greets in her cold voice, adjusting the jewel-encrusted armor on her fingertips. She is dressed in her ceremonial execution gown and headdress, and the light glints angrily off of the metallic feathers draped from her neck across her right shoulder. My mouth goes dry as she reaches over her left shoulder and unhitches her blade. It is a sepiwin, the traditional weapon of Battlewood. The blade is curved in the shape of an S, the edges sharpened and precise. Elouned grips the leather-wrapped middle and saunters forward.

“We are ready?” she asks, fixing her stare first on me, and then on Raznik.

“We are,” he confirms. She gives one curt nod, steps to the edge of the balcony, and takes flight; ash-colored wings erupt as she leaps. She circles the chamber twice and then comes to the center, landing on the mosaic.

“It is time!” she shouts, lifting her sepiwin high in the air. The crowd erupts again, cheering her on. As she incites them further, the doors to the chamber fly open. Two guards run in, shouting. Their words are unintelligible in the din.

“Silence!” Raznik commands. “What is it, Ocin?” “The prisoner, sir. She’s gone!” Ocin calls.

“What do you mean, ‘she’s gone?’ How can she be gone?” Raznik asks, snarling.

“She’s just…gone, sir,” Ocin says, shrugging as he struggles to catch his breath. “She was there this morning, and then we went to retrieve her and–”

“–her cell was empty, her cuffs were broken open!” the other guard, Desnal, finishes. “We looked for her all over, I swear, but–”

“I will deal with you two later,” Raznik says. His face is red with fury. “Get out of my sight.” Rounding on me, he says, “You. What did you do?”

“I have done nothing, Commander. You saw to that when you placed my sister in solitary,” I spit. We glare at each other as he clenches and unclenches his jaw, thinking quickly.

“You are going to fix this. You are going to find her, and you are going to bring her back here, alive. And when you do, we will finish what was started. Failure to do so will result in your deaths. Both of you. We will find you, should you not return.” Without another word, he sweeps past me and slams the door shut.

I watch from my seat as Valkyrie Elouned circles the chamber like a restless wildcat, angry at the loss of her prey. Her ash wings are still spread wide.

“Aleca,” I whisper. “Run.”