Kell's Legend

you?”
    Anu’s face went hard. “I have been condemned, Shabis. I have been treated worse than any dog, worse than any canker.” She pulled away, stood, walked to the splendid view. It had begun to snow in Silva Valley, and a thick fall muffled the world.
    “What do you mean?”
    Shabis was behind her. Holding her. Concern shone in her eyes.
    “Vashell beat me. He hurt me, Shabis. He hurt me bad. He paraded me like a slave before the Engineers. Then he…he took my blood.” She heard a hiss of in-taken breath. “He drank from me, Shabis. He drank from my veins, made my impurity whole, for all to see. Then he…he took me. Physically. Carnally. I had little choice if I wanted to save both of us.”
    She fell silent, brooding, watching the snow. Somehow, Silva Valley had again lost its beauty, its charm. It was a perfect pastel painting, framed by silver-quartz and yet to Anukis, now, after everything that had happened, it was a vision of hell. Worse. Of a canker-riddled cancer hell.
    “What will you do?” Shabis’s voice was barely more than a whisper.
    “I have a plan!” Anu took Shabis, and shook her with passion. “I will kill Vashell. And we will flee. We will leave Silva Valley, we will leave this world for good. Cross the Black Pike Mountains; make a new life.”
    “But what of the vachine?” said Shabis, softly. “What if the clockwork becomes faulty? Who will fix us?”
    “I have some skill,” said Anu, eyeing her sister, sensing the fear, the lode of cowardice that ran through her like an earthquake fault in the world mantle. “Don’t you understand, Shabis, they killed our father! We are alone now. Alone in the world.”
    “Killed…no! They did not! He still lives! He is on a journey under Black Pike, he will be back in a few months.”
    “And you believe them?”
    “Why should I not?”
    “What else have they told you?”
    “Nothing! Anu, you’re frightening me. Stop it!”
    “I’m sorry, little one. Sweet Shabis, we must leave this place. I want you to be ready. Do you understand?”
    “Yes. I understand.”
    Anu shook her, and Shabis’s hair fell, tousled. “You’re hurting me!”
    “This is serious, Little One. Do you understand?”
    “Yes! Anu, yes!”
    “Good.”
    There came a hiatus. Shabis played with her hair, and they both watched the snow. Eventually, Shabis said, “Anu?”
    “Sister?”
    “How will you kill him? Vashell, I mean?”
    “I have a secret weapon.”
    “What is that?”
    Anu’s eyes glowed dark. “You will see.”
    Night had fallen. Anu was awoken by a savage blow across her face, which broke her nose and left her choking on a gush of blood down her throat. She rolled instinctively, momentarily blinded, covering her face, her claws out and slashing a wild vicious arc, but connecting with nothing. After a few moments she could see, and she stood, naked, blood covering her breasts, to see Vashell holding a pick-axe helve. It was stained with her blood. His eyes shone.
    “What is this?” she snarled, fear touching the edges of her heart.
    “Show me your secret weapon! Come on, Anukis, show me how you intend to kill me! Show me now.”
    Anu backed away, and Vashell moved around the bed.
    “Where’s Shabis? What have you done with my sister?”
    “Shabis?” Vashell smiled, and from the gloom, in the glow of the candles, Shabis appeared. She was smiling, a broad smile. Her hands came up, rested, interlacing over Vashell’s shoulder. Her hips were staggered, her stance commanding.
    “What are you doing?” said Anu. She felt understanding flood from her soul.
    “Vashell is mine, bitch. He will marry me. He told me what you did to him; how you tried to poison him with your impure blood. You are a canker, Anu, diseased, toxic, not a true vachine. You will rot in hell.”
    Anu stood, mouth open, pain pounding through her head, her crushed nose stinging, and stared with utter, total disbelief at the scene before her. Her jaws clacked shut, and she watched Vashell turn, kiss Shabis, sliding his tongue into her mouth.
    “He will never marry you,” said Anu, eventually.
    “Liar! We are betrothed. The Watchmakers will conduct the ceremony in three weeks’ time. You lied about him taking you; you lied to make him more evil in my mind, so when the time came for you to kill him I would help. Vashell is filled with honour; he would never stoop to fuck an impure.” She snarled the word, fangs ejecting a little. Her dark eyes were narrowed, and Anu