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It’s grander than any flame a maji could conjure on his own. He burns with the power of his god, but it burns through him.
Another one sacrificing himself for his people, but you’re still doing nothing.
As he sears through their attack with the last seconds of his life, the divîners react. My people flee in all directions,
Your people? You are doing a damn thing for YOUR people. Selfish a little girl.
I don’t know how long I’ve stayed still.
Clearly as long as Kwame burned…
Before I can take another step, hands wrap around my arms.
You haven’t taken any steps…
but Tzain scans the destruction, searching for Zélie among every fallen face. “I don’t see her.”
So, how did they not see her but she saw and heard him call her name?
Until my father has retrieved the artifacts, his men will keep her alive. We can save her and get to the temple. We can still make this right.”
You need her for the ritual! What are you talking about?
I nod, for once not fearing the fight. I was the Lionaire once.
Wow. Seriously? When she accidentally killed someone?
I laughed and spun and kissed as the king prepared our slaughter.
Yeah, that part was stupid when you should have went on to the place for the ritual, talking about you has plenty of time. Not accounting for setbacks. Stupid.
A clink sounds.
That’s Inan. That’s who grabbed her. She forgets he was right behind her the entire time, urging her to go.
Clever. I shake my head. It’s not hard to guess why Inan wants privacy. The white streak that shone so vibrantly in his hair hides under a new coat of black dye.
Stupid. That’s not why. If your dumb ass had left like he said since you weren’t about to do anything to save anyone, you wouldn’t be here now.
“I couldn’t get to you until now, but a military caravan just docked. Someone’s coming, and when they do…”
Obviously it’s your father. Both his kids went missing and one he knows is a Maji.
“If you tell me how to destroy it, I can protect you. Father will kill you as long as the possibility of magic coming back is still a threat.”
That’s a lie because she has power so he will kill her too, just like Binta and they forced it on her, just to kill her.
“I know we had our plans, but you have to realize everything’s changed—”
Half backed plans. The same thing would have happened in Lagos.
“They shouldn’t have attacked,” Inan whispers. “Zulaikha deserved a chance. But the soldiers thought you were using the scroll to create a maji army. And after what Kwame did…”
Why were there so many soldiers t such a distant location? If they’d only saw the diviners today, there shouldn’t have been so many soldiers to contend with. They wouldn’t have had enough time for reinforcements and on top of that, how did they know about Zel and the scroll when the king wanted it contained because of Amari? Either Inan did this or the author forgot some things…
“Kwame took out three platoons in seconds. Burned them alive. He incinerated that camp. We’d probably be dead if he hadn’t burned out himself.”
And this solidified his decision to kill magic…
Work with me and I’ll find a way for you to return to Lagos. We’ll save Orïsha with something safer, something without magic—”
And there it is… without magic.
“Yes, sir. I’m in the middle of an interrogation. If you leave us, I’ll get the answers we need.”
Yeah right. Like that would fly.
And I would. I would do well indeed. It would be perfect to have Saran find out here, try to kill Inan himself.
Wow.
When I was your age, I thought the children of the maggots could live. I thought their blood needn’t be spilled.”
Ah, because he didn’t want to kill his own son!
Somehow Father’s disappointment cuts through the sound of Zélie’s shrieks.
Smdh
“Wait.” Tzain holds me back as a patrol of armored guards clunk by. “Okay,” he whispers when they pass, but his voice lacks its usual determination.
People aren’t allowed to walk down the street? Why are they hiding?
In an instant, Imani and Khani rise, each gripping one of my arms.
But aren’t you holding the scroll? Shouldn’t it have touched at least one of them, like it did Inan?
Though the words have never left my lips, I now realize there is no other choice. I cannot let the line of succession stand in my way. “And I am the future queen of Orïsha.”
Really? How?
“Do not worry.” I reach into Zélie’s leather pack and pull out the sunstone. “If you agree to help, I will take care of that.”
Wow. She’s doing what Zelie was afraid to do.
“What will you do with her?” I ask.
He already said! Quit making it obvious that you care.
Father steps forward and embraces me. A touch so foreign my body flinches in shock.
He’s probably smelling for hair dye.
A man who can cut his own sister is a man who can be a great king.
That logic should have told the young man something…
“I can’t feel it,” she whimpers against my skin. I adjust my arms to put pressure on the bandages around her back. “You will,” I try to soothe her. What in skies’ name does she mean?
Probably her magic, the ashé.
Tzain and Kenyon strike, tackling the guard to the ground. As they shove a rag into his mouth, I run and close the door before any sound leaks out. By the time I return, the soldier’s screams are muffled.
Isn’t there typically two guards?
Femi kicks the guard in the forehead, knocking him out cold. The guard hits the floor with a heavy thud as we run toward the door.
Wasn’t the guard already on the ground from being tackled there? She even crouched down to put the blade to his neck.
Our Cancer, perhaps the most terrifying one of all. She leaks dark green energy from her hands, trapping the men in a malignant cloud. The moment it touches the guards, they crumble, skin yellowing as disease rages through them.
So why did Mama Agba go to a Cancer to have her hair cut off?
The sight of her blood fills my head. I can avenge her now. I can cut Father down. While the maji take out the guards, my sword can free Father of his head. Retribution for all his massacres, every poor soul he has ever killed …
And she’s stupid of she thinks she can fight her father with her measly training. I’m sure he’s a seasoned fighter.
It’s a chaos unmatched, bringing back all the horrors of Kwame’s blaze. Maji attack again. My soldiers fall as they reign.
Your soldiers… Smdh.
The pull of duty weighs down my step, but I can’t listen to it now. No matter what, Zélie must live. I can find a way to stop magic after she’s safe.
Run towards the damn maji, stupid.
If I stay behind, I can try to protect you from the inside.”
And you’re stupid for believing that considering he has already given you the order to kill your sister.
What will they do when they learn the truth? That I’m broken. Useless.
So was that liquid black majacite that they injected into her?
Each kiss takes me to a new place,
How many places can you go?
So we kiss and we clutch each other until it all goes away. Everything fades; every scar, every ache. In this instant, I only exist in his arms.
That’s it? Kissing?
It’s then I realize that I want this. After everything, I need this.
Really. You need sex because someone carved up your back with a hot blade? Makes sense.
Parts of him still feel so close—
I bet… nasty.
the softness of his lips, the strong grip of his hands.
Oh, you know those aren’t the parts!
“I managed to stitch the wounds, but I … I think the scars are there to stay.”
That’s why they heated the blade. Assholes. Though, I would have thought a healer could repair that.
Amari and Tzain make eye contact. My stomach drops so hard it must lie at my feet. That’s why I can’t feel my magic.…
Khani just used hers…
Tzain looks to the ground as Amari chews on her lower lip. Her voice comes out in a whisper. “It’s tomorrow.”
Why didn’t they try to continue on to the docks where Folack said? I mean, she may not be so friendly after what happened but they still need to find a boat! Why waste time?
Amari sits on the corner of my bed and sets the sunstone down. I wish its golden waves would speak to me once more.
Why not touch it, dummy?
If we’re this close to the Olasimbo Range, Zaria’s at least a three days’ ride away.
How does she know where she is?
“She needs to get off her ass.”
Wow. He really is an ass.
If I could touch it … just a graze …
No one is stopping you. What are you talking about?
It’s worse than before my awakening, before I ever touched the scroll.
Maybe you need to touch the scroll again.
“They call him the silver-eyed foxer.
I bet it’s the pickpocket.
