Riwenne & the Electrical Prophecy

By Kristen S. Walker

A young priestess sworn to a forbidden goddess. A hard-won treaty to protect her people. But now a new prophecy could destroy their fragile peace.

The teen prophet Riwenne has performed many miracles to protect her friends and save her city from the oppressive empire. Now she has a new ally, another nation who declared their independence and helped to defend her city. But when Riwenne shares her religious beliefs, the new prime minister of the neighboring country is reluctant to accept them. His people have been burned by priestesses before—and they executed the old priestesses for their crimes.

As Riwenne tries to show her allies the power of magic, a mysterious circus appears in the city. Calling themselves the Scientific Circus, they are spreading a prophecy of their own—that electricity and technology can free humanity from the need for any gods. Their Chief Scientist challenges Riwenne to a contest between science and magic.

She may be a divine warrior, but Riwenne can’t fight her way out of this. When violence isn’t the answer and people aren’t impressed by her miracles, she must find a new way to win people to her side. She can’t afford to lose the only allied nation that she has against the empire.

Or she will be the next priestess to meet the executioner’s blade.

Riwenne & the Electrical Prophecy is the fourth book in a steampunk fantasy series for teens. If you like magical girls, lesbian romance, and high-flying adventures, then you’ll love Kristen S. Walker’s series of guns and gears.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kristen S. Walker
• Release date: Jul 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463241806

Kristen S. Walker

Kristen S. Walker is a twenty-something writer, blogger, and nerd from San Jose, California.She grew up in small towns in Northern California, running around barefoot in the woods and climbing trees with a notebook to write down stories. She lives with her family, including two rescued cats, in a house full of books.She writes and self-publishes young adult fantasy novels.

Book preview

1

Secret Guilt

The sun beat down on my head, washing out my sight. I shielded my eyes and squinted. Heat shimmered in the air. Flat land stretched out in every direction, dry and dusty, without a single rock or plant to break the view. On the horizon, I thought I could make out the faint outlines of a mountain range, but it might only be a mirage.

I coughed, which tore at my already-dry throat. My tongue felt thick in my mouth. There was nothing here. No water, no life, not even the faintest wisp of a cloud in the sky. There was nothing but this dead land and the sun glaring down at me.

Chysa was punishing me. The sun goddess was my enemy—the enemy of all people who wanted to be free. If we didn’t worship her alone and offer perfect devotion to her oppressive Empire, then she wanted us dead. She’d sent armies of mechanical beasts, bionic witches, and weaponized airships to destroy our rebellion.

And yet we’ve always beaten you, I rasped out. I licked my lips, but the moisture dried a moment later, and my lips cracked. Still, I glowered in the direction of the sun, without looking straight at it. No matter what you throw at us, we rise again. Someday we’ll free this land from your curse.

There was no reply. Chysa was too powerful to taunt me, an insignificant teenage girl who was dying of thirst in the desert. Somehow I’d lost myself here. Now I wouldn’t even have a warrior’s death; I’d simply waste away. Another fragile human life snuffed out.

It shouldn’t end like this, but maybe it was better than the alternative. I’d been in too many battles. I dealt out my share of death and destruction, and I was done with it. If I could finally have the peace that I’d never found in life, I could accept my death.

Will you let me go this time, Quilla? My eyes searched the skies, but there was no sign of the moon. The moon goddess, who had chosen me as her champion and granted me power beyond my wildest dreams, had saved me from death once before. She told me then that I couldn’t rest until my work was finished. My mission was to bring down her sister, the sun. But if Chysa consumed my soul, there would be nothing left to bring back. There would be no afterlife, but there would be no more suffering, either.

There was no reply from Quilla, either. Both sisters were silent.

A scream shattered the air behind me. I whirled around and smoke blew into my face. When it cleared, the scene had changed.

This was the epicenter of an explosion. Metal debris twisted away from where I stood, but I could make out just enough of the shapes to realize that I was back in the train station in Ruraqie. There was a locomotive thrown through the building across from me. The smoke was thick and seemed to mute the sound of the sirens outside. I looked around for people to help, but this close to the blast, there was only death. Bodies mutilated beyond all recognition littered the ground.

A man’s voice cackled nearby. My head jerked up, and I saw Pomavar standing on top of the destruction. A bloodstone pulsed in his chest, powering his metal legs. He smiled at me. Such a tender heart. But you won’t win if you’re not willing to do whatever it takes.

I leaped for him, summoning a dagger with my magic. You’re dead! I screamed. I’m not afraid to kill you again.

My dagger sank into his side, and blood flowed from the wound. Pomavar’s smile widened. I can replace this. He touched the blood with his right hand and smeared it on the bloodstone, which glowed brighter. So much power. I am unstoppable!

No, I growled, driving the blade deeper into him. I will stop you every time.

He laughed, his voice rising with hysteria. Then kill me! Pomavar reached for my locket. As his fingers closed around it, Quilla’s energy flowed through him. It burned away the blood magic woven through his body. Just like before, the two magics canceled each other out and melted to nothing.

His bloodstone shattered. I could feel the life draining away. Pomavar’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed.

The blood covered my hands. I tried to wipe them on my clothes but it only spread further, a crimson stain. When I took a step back from the body, my feet slipped on the slick, twisted metal and I sank to my knees.

Get up, Fairuza ordered me.

I lifted my head and gaped at her. The beautiful, black-haired warrior of Chelynne stood over me, her bright blue eyes staring down with disgust. You’re still weak, she said, kicking Pomavar’s body aside. Why do you feel guilty for ending this trash? Your sympathy is your weakness.

I shook my head. It’s wrong to take any life. Death is never the solution.

She bent down and grabbed my hair, yanking my head back. Death is the ultimate solution. The only way to stop these monsters is to end their lives.

I didn’t bother to struggle against her. We’d had this argument before, and I felt too tired. I just repeated, Everyone deserves a second chance.

Even you, after all you’ve done? she sneered. She yanked the bloody knife from Pomavar’s body and held it to my throat. Tell me why you deserve to live.

I met her pale eyes, glittering with a mixture of hatred and longing. They reflected my own feelings about her. We disagreed on everything we stood for, but part of me still craved her. Her touch brought as much pleasure as pain.

She flinched away from my look. Her lips pressed against mine, drinking me in, and then the knife sliced through my skin. She released her grip on my hair.

This is my punishment, I whispered as the blood ran down my front, mingling with the stains from my victim.

I collapsed on the ground, and the darkness reached up to claim me.

What are you being punished for?

My dry eyes felt like they were tearing as my eyelids opened. I rubbed hard at them, and crusted sand came away on my fingers. Odd—it shouldn’t be like this. The stormy season had ended, but the air was still humid. I blinked several times, rapidly, until my eyes felt a little better, and my vision cleared.

Kyra sat on the edge of my bed and brushed my hair away from my face. Did you just wake up?

Yeah, I croaked. My throat was also dried out. I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table and took a sip. Sorry. Did you say something a moment ago?

She frowned. I was responding to something you said. You sat bolt-upright, stared at the window, and very clearly said, ‘This is my punishment.’ Then you flopped back down on the bed. It was really weird.

I coughed, then gulped my water to hide my shock. Weird. That’s like what was happening in my dream. Have I ever talked in my sleep before?

Kyra shook her head. She’d shared a room with me for months, ever since we’d first been roommates as novices in the temple, so she knew my sleep habits well. Usually you just scream. Maybe you’ve muttered once or twice, but I’ve never heard a full sentence like that before. She stroked my face again. Was it another warning?

I bit my lip. Sometimes Quilla sent me warnings when I was asleep, showing me enemies that we’d have to face soon. They’d happened so many times that my friends had learned to listen when I told them what was coming. But this didn’t feel like that. It was just a vision of myself, helpless.

No, I said. It’s nothing new, only my past coming back to haunt me again. Maybe the sun goddess is just trying to mess with me. I was careful not to speak Chysa’s name aloud because the smallest gesture could give her power, and she already had too much.

Kyra snorted. If that’s all she’s got left, then we’re close to winning. She kissed me on the forehead. Don’t let her shake your confidence, Riri.

I blushed at her pet name for me. Her kiss wasn’t enough, so I grabbed her waist to keep her from getting away and pulled her closer. Our lips met, and warmth flooded my body. I deepened the kiss, losing myself in her. Before I knew it, both of us were laying back on my bed, pressed together with the blanket tangled between us.

With a flash, I remembered another kiss on this same bed—the one with Fairuza. That was what I’d been afraid of being punished for in my dream. My eyes opened, and I pulled back from Kyra, panting for breath. I still hadn’t told her what had happened with the other girl.

Kyra stared at me. Sorry, I guess the dream is still bothering you? She glanced at the clock. We’ve got to get up now, anyway. Don’t want to be late for your big day.

Just a hug, I said, pulling her back to me. I rested my head on her shoulder and squeezed her tight.

She stroked my hair for a moment, soothing me. Sometimes, she treated me more like a mother or a big sister would, than my girlfriend. It was nice to have someone take care of me, but it made me wonder how much she thought of me as a lover. Passion flared between us now and then, but something held us back from going beyond these kisses. I didn’t know if it was my fault. Could she sense that I had cheated on her, or that I still thought about Fairuza even though I hadn’t seen her in months?

Okay, time’s up, Kyra said, standing up and smoothing her clothes. Like always, she was up and dressed before I’d woken. I’ve laid a frock out for you on my bed, but our robes are packed. No sense in getting them messy at breakfast.

I sighed as I disentangled myself from the bedclothes. Maybe I could get up earlier so I can get ready by myself. You shouldn’t have to do this for me every day.

Kyra raised an eyebrow and hid a smile behind her hand. You’re welcome to wake up when my alarm goes off.

I groaned. You get up way too early.

It’s so I don’t have to rush. It feels good to get things done at the start of the day. Kyra glanced at the clock again. But we don’t have time to discuss this now.

I snatched up the frock from the foot of her bed and tugged it over my head. Recently, I’d copied Vilqa and cut off most of my hair, so it only took a few minutes to drag a comb through my pink curls. Maybe I would look more like a regal priestess with long hair, but it was too much to deal with the constant snarls. Then I threw the blanket over the top of my bed.

Kyra sighed. You’re supposed to tuck in the sheets, too. Her own bed was made neatly.

No one can see it underneath, and no one is coming to inspect our room, I pointed out. I’ll just mess it up again tonight.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed the garment bag with both of our robes. Let’s just get downstairs.

We hurried down to the dining room where Janera had a hot breakfast ready. I smiled at my friends who sat around the enormous table, eating together. In less than an hour, we’d be separated, but it was nice that we could have this time to share.

Janera, Nexita, and Deryt were all staying behind in Lyndamon, supervised by Eberet and Uqra, to lead the morning prayers in the temple square. Kyra, Vilqa, Amena, and I were all boarding an airship, supervised by Tika, and flying to the coast where we would perform a dedication ceremony for the construction. We were finally breaking ground on a port, New Damondytti.

I’d been working to arrange this day for five months. When the old Damondytti had been lost in battle, we needed to replace it. The port was an important trading post for our city and all the other inhabitants of what had been the Central Province. We’d just decided to call ourselves the Dinarneda to honor the many deities we worshiped instead of the sun goddess. I helped to negotiate a peace treaty with our neighbors, the United Cities of Lake Totdo, so we could stand against our common enemy, the Arqan Empire. This new trading port was our first joint venture as allies.

But now that the day had finally come to see my hard work pay off, I was nervous. A million things could go wrong. The Prime Minister of the United Cities could pull out of our deal. The Empire might launch an attack. Chysa could use her immense power to burn us all in an inferno. Well, maybe that last one had never happened before, but I didn’t know what her next move was and I feared the worst. It was no surprise that I’d been having nightmares.

So I hugged each of my friends extra-tight as we said our goodbyes. I didn’t want to have any regrets if this was the last time we saw each other. The longest hug went to my sister, Nexita. I’d already lost her once.

Is something wrong, Riwenne? she whispered, searching my face.

I’m just nervous, I said, glancing around to be sure that the others couldn’t hear me. They relied on me to be their leader.

Nexita smiled. You have nothing to be nervous about. The hard work is already done. This is just the official ceremony, and you do rituals like that every day. She glanced down. If anyone should be nervous, it’s me. With only three of us leading the dawn ceremony, I won’t be able to hide in the back. Lots of people will watch me and I’m not used to it like you are.

I patted her on the shoulder. Just follow Eberet; he knows the routine. Eberet was older and more experienced than all of us put together, so he was the High Priest for the city. I glanced at Deryt, another introvert. Deryt’s probably anxious, too. Both of you should support each other. And you’ll have Janera there with you.

Nexita blushed at her girlfriend’s name, and she looked shyly in Janera’s direction. That helps.

Good. And remember, it’s just one day. We’ll be back tonight.

She hugged me a last time and stepped back.

Janera pushed a basket of snacks on us. For the flight.

I peeked into the basket and saw some of her best pastries peeking out from under a cloth. Oh, bless you, Janera, in the name of all five hundred gods!

Tika flew on top of the basket and snapped the lid shut. You just had breakfast. At least get on the airship first.

Everyone laughed, and I felt myself relax. I was going with the love of my friends, and that had gotten me through much worse in the past. Today would be easy.

2

Breaking Ground

Amena steered our airship, Quilla’s Revenge , over the bay. She’d been practicing her piloting skills, and it was an easy flight, just a straight line to the coast. We had an escort of several other airships from Lyndamon Cities to protect us. The Empire hadn’t been able to threaten our territory since the United Cities put up a blockade across the only pass through the mountains, but we were still careful. In the other ships there were also guards, construction workers, representatives from several ministries, and the city’s entire Council of Elders. They would witness the ceremony and discuss the finer points of business with the officials from the United Cities. The four of us teenaged divine warriors were just there as figureheads. It was like being a performer, someone cute and pretty to entertain the crowd.

As she flew, Amena hummed little tunes to herself from her recent album. Even though she’d spent several months performing the songs all over the city, she wasn’t tired of them. They were a different style than her pop idol days—more emotional and serious, speaking about her spiritual beliefs and her patron goddess Qachmy, guardian of the rainforest.

Kyra sat in the copilot’s seat, but she barely touched the controls. She hadn’t logged as many hours in the air. Occasionally, she scanned the instruments in the cockpit or spoke to the other ships over the radio, but otherwise she stared straight ahead at the empty sky.

I wanted to sit beside her and hold her hand, but I didn’t want to distract her. Instead, I twisted my hands together and tried to sit without fidgeting. We were flying east at dawn, so the sunlight was too bright to look out the windshield, and I didn’t feel like putting on my tinted goggles. Other than the pink streaks on the horizon, the land we flew toward was dark in the shadows of the mountains. The sea was even darker below us.

Vilqa wasn’t in a talkative mood, either. They were going over notes for the ceremony and whispering the words of their prayers in a final practice. After the Solstice, they’d become a little more confident with public speaking and leading rituals. But this would be the first time they performed in front of strangers. As the champion of the sea goddess, Vilqa had an important role in today’s ceremony. I was proud of them for taking the role so seriously.

My eyes drifted up to the painted sky. It was a clear day, so I could see all the way up to the old Damondytti, a gray rock floating in midair. My mother Lyda, the former high priestess of the sun goddess, had raised it up in a last desperate attempt to take control of the province. But unlike the other floating cities, no one lived in old Damondytti. She’d sent it up too high. There were no buildings except for a twisted parody of Chysa’s temple, made from rubble. No plants could grow in the thin air, and even the birds didn’t dare to visit. It was a barren wasteland, a reminder of Lyda’s failure to keep an iron grip on all of us.

Two people had given their lives to fuel the magic needed to lift an entire city. I would always remember their names and faces. Sister Idele, another priestess who had been my mentor when I first joined the temple, and Zara, a girl close to my age who was a divine warrior. Such a waste to leave the city floating up there, a useless rock, but I didn’t know how to bring it down. And I didn’t think there was any way to restore it, even if it came back to the ground.

So, we’d decided to start over. The delta, where several rivers fed into the bay, was still the best place for a port because the coastline was sheltered from harsher ocean storms. The rivers carried trade goods from the inland cities. In Lyndamon, which was now an island, we were building our own fishing piers and shipping docks, but we still needed a trading port on the coast. We controlled most of the fishing and farming communities on the coast. Carrying the food across the water by airship was less efficient than by boat.

Our neighbors, the United Cities, also wanted a route to ship all the technology and other goods they produced. After we’d proven that we could defend Lyndamon from the Empire, the seven cities around Lake Totdo had been inspired to declare their own independence. Like our nation, they were experimenting with democracy—a government run by the people instead of the temples. Their elected leader was the Prime Minister Waytamayu, who I’d been speaking with over the radio. We’d negotiated a truce, then a temporary partnership, working on this port together. I hoped that we could grow into allies.

Today was the first day we’d meet in person. I only knew that his voice was gruff and deep. He didn’t like to commit to anything without consulting with the other members of his government. They’d written a bill to approve the construction project, which their entire population had to vote on. It seemed like a really slow way to get things done. In our nation, we had a Council of Elders who represented distinct groups, but they made their decisions based on what they already knew about their people’s interests. But maybe it made people feel better to have such a direct hand in their government.

I wasn’t an elected official, an Elder of the council, or anything else important. People still called me ‘priestess’ but that title had been twisted in Chysa’s temples. I thought of myself as a warrior, the champion of Quilla. That was the role I’d proven myself in time and time again, one hard battle at a time. But now I didn’t want to fight—not physically. What did you call a warrior in peacetime? We didn’t have lasting peace yet, but I still wanted to avoid fighting at all costs.

The airship was approaching our destination. To keep from letting out gas from our envelope which would have to be refilled for the return trip, we wouldn’t descend to the ground. There were trees along the coast. Amena would just choose one to use as an anchor and we’d drop our ladder. When the port was built, there would be docking towers, but for now we’d use the natural landmark.

Brace, Amena warned us as she slowed the airship. We glided until the ship’s nose brushed against a treetop. Tie us off, she ordered Kyra.

Kyra unhooked her safety straps from her chair and crossed the cabin. She hooked another harness onto her belt, securing herself to the inside of the ship, then slid open the enormous panel door. A long-armed hook helped her slide the docking ropes over the trunk of the tree, then she tied them off.

I held my breath as I watched her lean out of the airship. She’d used her magic to jump farther distances and land on the ground, but I still felt nervous. She meant so much to me, and I didn’t want to see her with a single scratch or bruise on her perfect skin.

Vilqa joined Kyra and double-checked the knots, then nodded. Amena switched off the ship’s engine and spoke a last time into the radio.

"Quilla’s Revenge is secure. Signing off," she said.

The leader of the fleet responded, "Copy that, Revenge. We’ll see you at the new port."

Kyra dropped the rope ladder out of the door and helped Vilqa to climb out first. There you go. Riwenne, will you grab the robes?

I unbuckled my seatbelt and snagged the two garment bags from the rear of the cabin. There was a strap to secure them across my back, which I used to keep my hands free for the climb down.

The four of us made it to the ground and made our way to the chosen site. The new port would be farther inland. Close to the water, the ground was marshy and couldn’t support the weight of large buildings—worse, it was prone to flooding. The old town had been built on stilts to rise above the floodwaters. Now it was totally gone. The hole where the town used to be was a deep pool of fresh and salt water mingling from river and bay.

The new site straddled the river, but it would rest on solid rock. As we approached, I saw the construction machines had already been set up by the Totdonians. Their boats were anchored up and down the river, holding more supplies. Colorful tents dotted the landscape, temporary housing until the buildings went up.

The largest tent flew the flag of the United Cities: seven yellow stars arranged in a circle on a white background, with a blue Lake Totdo in the middle. Before we went up to it, we stopped and put