Spin of Fate by A. A. Vora

Author:A. A. Vora [Vora, A. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2024-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Zenyra awaited them outside the tent, accompanied by Taralei.

Aranel gave a cry at the sight of his cousin, though Meizan wasn’t sure why he seemed so relieved. Taralei looked much worse since they’d last seen her a moon ago. Her hair was thin and lank, her skin coated in the omnipresent crud that seemed to exude from every pore of the realm. Only her keiza shone as brilliant as before.

“It is good to see you all,” Taralei said with a strained smile. “I was busy in one of the eastern caves. We have fifteen more tents of injured children scattered across the village. We’re short on staff; it’s just Eniya and me here. Some of the older children help out, but they’re not much good at healing, and we haven’t had time to train them properly, what with the inrush of new casualties—” She paused, creasing her brow. “Never mind that. Just know your help is much appreciated.”

“Did you check their keiza, Aranel?” Zenyra asked. “Did any of the children look as if they could ascend?”

“I didn’t look closely,” Aranel said. “But yes, some of their keiza did seem bright.”

He rotated the sling around his back so the sleeping toddler was in his arms. Zenyra leaned down and pushed aside the child’s curls. His keiza gleamed. Not as brightly as Aranel’s or Aina’s, but brighter than those of most Malini that Meizan had seen.

“He has hope for ascension,” Zenyra said. She took the toddler from Aranel. “If I can find a torana, he might be able to make it, given time.”

“Is that what you’re trying to do here?” Aina asked. “Help these children ascend?”

“One of the many things,” Zenyra said. “What you see here is the crux of our mission as Balancers. While a part of it is medical aid and food, there is a larger hope that it could contribute toward their ascension. That is the Balancers’ core belief and why I founded this organization.”

She cradled the baby in her arms, smiling as he gripped her finger with a tiny hand. “I do not believe people are inherently good or evil, but rather a byproduct of their circumstances. It would be impossible for even the gentlest souls to live sinless lives when they are surrounded by constant famine, violence, and war.”

Zenyra looked straight at Meizan as she spoke, and he felt as if all the air was being squeezed from his lungs.

“If we elevate the Malini’s quality of life, I believe they will have greater opportunities to lighten their souls and ascend,” Zenyra said. “None of the children in this village are evil. They are only unfortunate—unfortunate to have been born to such circumstances. The Balancers cannot change Toranic Law, but we can change their circumstances. We can show them love and kindness, and give them hope for a better life.”

A hotness rose at the back of Meizan’s throat. His eyes stung as if from the fumes of Merumarth.

Love, kindness, and hope for a better life?

As if that would work.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.