Rami

Chapter 10

It's Nico.  I can't breathe.  I can barely even think.

He wears a blood-red cloak.  His arms are raised.  Firelight dances across his face.  He's so close.  If I cried out, I'm certain he'd hear my voice.

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out.  Tears well in my eyes.  I can't speak.  I can't reach him, I can't-

Meg's puts a hand on my shoulder, and the world snaps back into focus.  

"You sure that's him?"

Somehow, I manage to nod.

"Alright," Meg says, "Let's go."

She helps me to stand.  We grab our packs.  I follow her through the dark factory and out onto the street.  My heart is pounding in my throat and my hands tremble.  I wonder what I'd have done without Meg; would I just sit there, frozen with shock until it's too late?  

I've never felt so grateful to anyone.

Meg smiles weakly and pushes through the crowd.  I follow her.  People all around are a blur of colour and noise.  Nobody notices us.  Their eyes are trained on the podium.  On my brother.  We reach the base of the platform.  Nico is standing above us, still chanting to the masses.  A narrow stairway leads to where he's standing.

He's right there.  I just have to climb up.  My fingers tighten around the railing.

"Go,"  Meg says.

So I sprint up the stairs, as fast as I can, tripping and stumbling in the fickle light.

Then I stop.  I'm standing on the podium.  My lungs heave.  I'm trembling.

"Nico?"  I say.

Nico stops chanting, and every worshipper falls silent.  Wolves are howling somewhere far away.  

He's a tall, slight man almost twice my height.  His yellow eyes are filled with glee.  His hair is a wild, dark tangle creeping down the back of his neck.  My people have honey-coloured skin, but Nico is deathly pale.  It's as if all the blood has been drained from his face, leaving it dry and shrunken.

Now, he turns and stares at me.

"What's your name, Changeling?" he says, "I don't remember creating you."

Creating me?

There's a murmur the sea of strangers below, but the sound means nothing.

"I'm Rami," I say.  My voice quavers.  "I'm your sister."

Recognition is plain on his face.  He knows.  He remembers me.  After what feels like an eternity, Nico speaks again.

"How much do you know?"

Bile rises in my throat.

"I don't know anything!"  I say, breathing hard, shocked to hear so much anger in my voice.  "How would I know?  You left without telling me anything!"

He speaks calmly, coldly.  Malice bleeds from his voice.  "Rami, you must let me return to my work."  He makes a sweeping gesture to the hundreds of people below us.  A few of them are looking up at us, their eyes wide, their fists clenched in anger.  "Do you see?  They are waking.  I have to sleep again before my master arrives."

Then Nico turns away, tips his head back and howls at the starless sky.  The crowd below us follows suit.  The sound is twisted and deafening; it chills me to the bone.  I realise it likely wasn't wolves I heard before.

"What are you doing?"  I say.

A strange smile crosses Nico's lips.  "I don't trust you, but we can talk later."