Empire Island, Exile the First

Chapter 32

"I can't believe how many of these assholes still believe in Mara and Mike's vision," I said to Day under my breath. "They're so fucking brainwashed they can't understand how badly they were manipulated even when it's in front of their eyes."

It was late evening and we'd worked ever since we got back, convincing every hipster cult member to pack up and leave the commune. We didn't want them on Empire any longer, they'd already done so much damage that allowing them to continue to stay was an insult to the life of the island itself.

It wasn't even about magic at that point, it was their presence that disrupted and distorted the flow of the island through their chaotic energy, their blatant disrespectful appropriation of other cultures and belief systems, and worst of all, the amount of garbage every one of them managed to produce. I just didn't want them on my island and it was beyond time to boot them out.

"They're simply practicing the oldest human magic of all," Day said, watching some blonde couple with thick dreads trying to shove as much into their backpack as would fit. It wasn't even anything I thought they owned, they literally helped themselves to artwork and pottery from the main building like they deserved it.

"And what's that?" I asked, smiling to myself as the man with the feathers and beads entwined in his dreads kicked the backpack out of frustration, falling back onto his bony ass.

"Denial," Day said. "Whenever people don't believe in magic, you simply have to point out we are capable of putting spells on ourselves through denial and lack of self-awareness."

"I might be guilty of that one more than a few times over the years," I said, feeling suddenly very awkward about running away from Empire. I had lived in denial, though, and had to face it now. I had to own up to the fact that my selfishness had directly led to this entire near-disaster. It was time to end the magic of denial and learn the magic of Empire so this kind of thing would never happen again.

And yet, there was that part of me that struggled against it. I couldn't envision a life where I carried the weight of the island and the people as well as the magic for nothing. As if I was a pack mule, something to be used as a beast of burden with no recourse for my own life and choices.

"You'll figure it all out," Calla said. "I'm sure we can come to a solution that works for everyone."

"I hope so," I said, walking over to help round up the stragglers who were most reluctant to leave. I got overly aggressive with them, and my time as a bouncer came in handy in dealing with their arguments.

One by one, we knocked them down by talking them into leaving, telling them ferry schedules, or suggesting a nice spot they could camp on Empire south. Finally there were only five people left in the empty commune.

"That's it," I said at last after working with Day and Calla, watching the painfully slow progress with the last stubborn hanger ons. "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

"Come on," one young girl whined, rolling a curl around her finger as she tilted her head and looked up at me. "I don't have anywhere to go."

"Are you seriously going to kick all of us out?" a girl demanded, and when I turned I found Sarai, from the day of beach duty, staring me down. "What authority do you have, Lizzie?"

"I'm Kairos," I replied. "I'm sorry I lied, but I'm asking you to leave on Empire authority. It's my family's island, and we're tasked with protecting it."

"Nice job of that," she said in a snotty voice, gesturing to the disastrous exodus of cult members. They'd left scattered personal items and outright garbage strewn everywhere they'd been. The fire where I'd burned Uruk'Zu was still smoking in the center of the clearing, and the entire place had a pall of abandonment already. "You can't just pretend all of this never happened. We had something beautiful going on here."