The Road to Death

Last Thoughts

Imin wouldn't admit it, but she was scared. Ahmed was taken away to god knows where. Navid was in a cell far away from hers, with more than a dozen rebels including Shazad, Maz, Delila, and who knows who else. At least Jin and Amani got away on Izz, Imin thought as she slid down. But there was still one thing bothering her. Where was Hala? Imins had to assume that the mind twisting demidji was safe, because if Hala wasn't safe that meant she was here in the prison. Imin didn't want that for her half sister. The golden eyed demidji really hoped Hala was alright.

It was half a day before Imin got a visitor. A royal visitor to be exact. Imin looked away. The Sultan,in all his glory, looked painfully like Ahmed. "Little Demidji. Your name is Imin, correct?" Imin looked away, saying nothing. "I have acquired knowledge from my spy in the Rebel camp that you are a shapeshifter. And that this," one of the sultans guard pushed a man forward, " is your newlywed husband." Imins head snapped up to see a man with a short scruffy beard. Navid. "Imin!" He cried out and leaned forward, but the Sultan pulled him and drew a sword to his throat. "Now Navid. I need a favor from your wife before you can can reunite." "I'll do it! I'll do what you want! Don't kill Navid!" Imin cried out. The Sultan smiled and withdrew the sword. "That's what I thought. Here's the deal. You shapeshift into my son, and you get executed instead of the real Ahmed."-Imin NO-"Don't cooperate and Navid AND the rest of the Rebel prisoners will die. The Sultan continued as if Navid hadn't interrupted him. "Fine. But may I ask why not just execute the real Ahmed?" Imin asked. "No" the Sultan replied and walked away. "Leave the boy in the cell with the girl" the sultans ordered to a guard and walked away.

As soon as the guards left, Navid pulled Imin close to him. He chided her for taking the deal, to which she replied with that the half of the rebellion would have died if she hadn't. They sat for awhile before the shape-shifting demidji asked if her sister was alright. The man replied with a yes, and pressed a kiss into her forehead. The couple sat in silence until the morning. The demidji gave the man a kiss, before shape-shifting into Ahmed and walked over to the guard that was beckoning her over. Imins last look at Navid's face had sadness written all over it. But no protests. They both knew since joining the rebellion that they would have to do anything to keep it going.

It was while walking to her imminent doom that she realized a lot of things. She was never going to see Ahmed on the throne. That she wouldn't see Jin and Amani get wed. That she wouldn't see Shazad become a general of the army, or Hala find someone to love, or see Izz and Maz shift into elephants, or talk to Delila ever again. Imin stumbled a but but kept walking. Anything for the cause, she reminded herself. Even death.

Imin was shoved onto the execution platform harshly. She kept her head down after shape-shifting into Ahmed. If she looked up, everyone would see her golden eyes and know immediately that she wasn't the Rebel Prince. Still, Imin glanced at the crowd. There was so much people crowded to see Ahmed get executed. The Sultan was right. The people of Miraji were bloodthirsty. Imin ducked her head back down. Hala was going to be so mad that she took this deal. But hey, at least Navid was going to be safe. And Imin was just glad that her half sister wasn't a prisoner like half of the other rebels. Imin made no noise when the Abdals put an execution block on her head. A man started to list her, no, Rebel Prince Ahmed's crimes to the throne. Suddenly, a bullet came out of nowhere and landed near her. Imin faintly hear someone scream Ahmed's name in the distance. Imin lifted her golden eyes up to meet with Amani's eyes in the distance. She watched as Amani's face twisted with grief turn to shock and then anger and then grief again. It was the last thing Imin ever saw before the axe swung down.