Chapter 47: DAUGHTER

  I pity the Amazons most among all the factions reshaped by the Jingozi’s hand. They once thrived as a balanced society of husbands and wives, yet the power to bear magical offspring—hailed as a blessing—twisted their culture into something unrecognizable.

  ***

  Kyra lay motionless on silk sheets, watching dust motes dance in the afternoon light. The door creaked open, and a plump servant shuffled in, carrying a silver tray laden with steaming meats and fresh bread.

  "M'lady needs her strength," the servant murmured, exchanging the fresh tray for yesterday's untouched meal.

  Kyra's gaze drifted across the lavish guest chamber, which featured polished wood panels and ornate tapestries depicting Ironhaven's history. It didn't remotely compare to the luxury of the Jingozi sanctuary, but this could've been her room if fate had dealt differently. She imagined growing up here with Tavian instead of on the Amazon islands. Yet her innate ability to sense Zii had marked her as a candidate for apprenticeship among the Jingozi. The thought twisted in her chest like a knife.

  She fiddled with her familiar rings, thinking of Alec. He was somewhere in Emperor territory, hopefully longing for her as much as she ached to see him. She needed to find him.

  The manor walls were too smooth and high to climb, and guards patrolled the grounds below. But the servant entrance... if she timed it right during dinner service, she could slip past in borrowed clothes. The kitchen staff wouldn't recognize her. From there, she didn't know…

  A sharp knock at the door jolted Kyra from her plotting.

  Kyra tensed as Tavian and Elara entered her chamber. Tavian carried a silver plate piled with glistening candied grapes—Alec's childhood favorite. The memory of sharing some with him before their separation hit her like a physical blow.

  "Father said we could visit." Tavian shifted his weight from foot to foot. Elara hung back near the door, her dark eyes fixed on Kyra with an unreadable expression.

  Kyra plucked a grape, letting the sweetness burst across her tongue. She had to play this carefully.

  "Thank you. These remind me of home." She patted the edge of the bed. "Will you stay?"

  He perched beside her, though Elara remained by the door.

  "I'm Kyra. Though I suppose you already know that." She popped another grape in her mouth. "Alec told me so much about you during our Jingozi trials."

  "Alec?" Tavian's face brightened. "He's my best friend. Did he really talk about me?"

  "He did." Kyra's pulse quickened. This was her chance. "Have you seen him recently?"

  "Yes, actually. He's in Emperia right now, training at the capital." Tavian grabbed a grape for himself. "The Emperor's guard selected him for advanced instruction."

  Hope bloomed in Kyra's chest. Emperia. She finally had a destination. She glanced at Elara, who still hadn't spoken a word but whose piercing stare never wavered.

  "Tavian, I know you don't know me, but I'm your sister." Kyra leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Look at me… us. Please. I need your help. Just some clothes from your wardrobe, that's all."

  "I don't know..." Tavian's fingers twisted in his lap.

  "You don't understand. I never wanted to be an Amazon." Kyra's hand found his arm. "How would you feel? We could have grown up and been friends with Alec together."

  "I guess…" Tavian's eyes softened. "I wish I'd had known you—"

  "Stop it!" Elara's voice cracked like a whip. She stalked forward, trembling with rage. "You have no right. No right at all!"

  "Elara—" Tavian started.

  "Do you know what it's like? To be the daughter left behind—the one not chosen? Mother picked you for your precious Zii abilities while I was cast aside like garbage. And now you dare come here, playing the victim?"

  Kyra's muscles coiled tight. Her fingers twitched, remembering the familiar weight of her spear. Even without her Jingozi deck, she could end Elara in seconds with one quick strike to the throat. Take Tavian as Ember did with her. She'd done worse to survive the trials.

  The door flew open with a bang.

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  Kyra's heart lurched as her father filled the doorway. Two knights in gleaming armor flanked him, their hands resting on sword hilts.

  Aric's weathered face bore the weight of years Kyra had never shared with him. His eyes moved between his three children—Elara's rigid stance, Tavian's uncertain posture, and Kyra's desperate expression. Something flickered in his gaze—recognition, perhaps even longing.

  Kyra met his eyes, willing him to understand. To see past the Amazon warrior Queen Zenobia had molded her into, to glimpse the daughter who should have grown up running through these very halls with her siblings. Her fingers clenched the silk sheets as she silently begged him to choose differently this time.

  But Aric's jaw tightened, his expression hardening into the mask of a lord bound by duty and politics. His formal tone cut deeper than any blade.

  "It's time, Kyra. Come with me."

  ***

  Kyra's stomach twisted as she followed her father into the courtyard. The fountain's gentle splashing did nothing to calm her because she knew what was coming.

  The water in the fountain began to swirl, defying gravity as it rose and took shape. Within moments, a perfect liquid replica of Queen Zenobia stood before them, her regal bearing and cold expression perfectly captured even in this watery form.

  "So." The water figure's voice carried the same imperial tone that had made Kyra tremble since childhood. "My wayward daughter is found."

  Kyra fought the urge to step behind her father like a small child. She forced herself to meet those rippling eyes.

  "Mother, I—"

  "Silence." The word cut through the air. "You will be severely punished for this betrayal. Running away and consorting with…" The water figure's face contorted with disgust. "You have humiliated our bloodline, and you must be reforged."

  "Zenobia," Aric stepped forward, his voice careful. "Perhaps since she is already here... she could remain at Ironhaven for a time? Under strict supervision, of course."

  The water figure turned its gaze on him. Despite the liquid distortion, the contempt was apparent.

  "Have you forgotten what happened the last time you questioned my authority, my dear husband?" Zenobia's watery lips curved in a cruel smile. "Shall I remind you of the price of your previous... disobedience?"

  Kyra watched her father's shoulders tense. For a moment, she thought he might argue back—saw the desire to fight flash across his face. But then his expression fell, and he bowed his head slightly.

  "No, Zenobia. I remember well."

  "Good." Her watery attention returned to Kyra. "You will be collected tomorrow at dawn. Do not attempt to flee again, daughter. My patience grows thin."

  Kyra's hands clenched into fists as her father cleared his throat.

  "What of the Ninja girl and her Golem? They aided in Kyra's escape."

  "What of them?" The water figure's laugh echoed across the courtyard like ice cracking. "You let them slip away, didn't you? Another failure to add to your collection, Aric."

  Her father's face flushed red, but he remained silent.

  "I have already addressed the matter," Zenobia continued. "Overlord Edric and I have combined our bounties for the girl's capture. Dead or alive." The water swirled faster. "Edric has been underestimating her from the start, which has cost us both dearly. But no longer. Whoever brings her to justice will never want for gold again."

  Kyra's heart pounded. Despite everything that happened, Ember tried to help her, and now...

  "And there is one other loose end," Zenobia said in a silky voice. "The boy, Alec. Arrange for his elimination."

  The world stopped. Kyra couldn't breathe.

  "No!" The scream tore from her throat. "How did you—how could you know about him?"

  The water figure's face twisted into a smile, making Kyra's blood run cold.

  "My foolish daughter. I've known about your little romance since it began. The boy still draws breath only because the Jingozi would have intervened."

  Kyra's legs gave out. She collapsed to her knees on the cold stone, tears streaming down her face. All this time, her mother had known, had been watching. Waiting.

  "Please," she whispered. "Mother, please don't—"

  "Silence. What did you think would happen? You brought this on yourself. And on him."

  Rage erupted through Kyra's body, burning away her tears. Her mother's watery smirk pushed her over the edge. With a feral scream, she launched herself at the liquid figure, her hands ripping through the enchanted water. The statue collapsed, drenching her as she crashed into the fountain's base.

  Her mother's laughter echoed in her mind as she scrambled out of the fountain, water streaming from her clothes. The courtyard stretched before her—she had to move, run, and find some way to warn Alec.

  The maze—she could lose any pursuers and buy herself time to think.

  Kyra sprinted across the stone courtyard, her sandals leaving wet footprints behind her. The tall green walls of the maze loomed ahead, promising shelter, promising a chance.

  A thought struck her—Quillara. She could call her faithful zephyrwing and escape by air.

  Kyra extended her ring hand. A brilliant flash of light erupted, and Quillara materialized beside her—wings of shimmering silver spread wide, feathers rippling with energy.

  Without hesitation, Kyra vaulted onto the zephyrwing's back, her hands gripping the silky plumes at Quillara's neck. The creature's muscles bunched beneath her, shooting them upward into the afternoon sky.

  The wind whipped Kyra's soaked clothes as they climbed above the maze. Her heart soared with each powerful beat of Quillara's wings.

  She glanced back at the courtyard below. Her father stood motionless, making no move to stop her. Perhaps some part of him understood and wanted her to be free. Tears of relief stung her eyes.

  The blast came without warning—a searing bolt of purple energy that struck Quillara's neck. The zephyrwing's agonized shriek pierced Kyra's ears as they plummeted. They both screamed as the maze walls rushed up to meet them.

  The impact drove the air from Kyra's lungs. Pain exploded through her body as she crashed through branches and leaves. When she finally stopped falling, she couldn't move. Every breath sent daggers of agony through her chest.

  Through blurred vision, she saw Quillara's broken form nearby. The zephyrwing's beautiful wings lay twisted and still, silver feathers scattered across the maze path. The familiar ring on Kyra's finger grew cold as Quillara's essence faded.

  Footsteps approached. Her father's boots came into view, and crackling energy illuminated the Jingozi card in his hand. He bent down and lifted her into his arms.

  "Kyra, you will always be my daughter," he whispered, his voice thick with regret. "But your mother... the queen… she would have killed you. At least this way, you'll live."

  ***

  The Amazons now stand as a cold, fearsome legion of women who spurn the bonds they once cherished. What the Jingozi call a gift has become a torment, severing them from gentler virtues and leaving only a grim, unyielding determination in its wake.