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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

ZéLIE

A FTER SEPARATING FROM THE others, we ride through the canals underneath the town circle. Amari and I hold each other as we sail the glowing waters. We follow behind Mae’e, seated on a giant lily pad.

Paintings of their goddess cover the walls and the arches overhead, the bright pigments weathered with time. Some depict the goddess being born of fire on the mountaintop. Others depict her entire body spreading into tangles of vines.

When we leave the central network and exit the city center, the collection of lanterns behind us blurs. Vineweavers patrol the canals, keeping them clear for our approach.

We flow through vast stretches of water, moving past the floating temples and open marketplace surrounding the imperial palace.

As we head for the ring of mountains on the outskirts of the city, I’m mesmerized by the faces carved into the black stone.

Instead of a rocky terrain, the faces of sleeping women reach up into the sky.

Their intertwined bodies surround the floating village like giants.

The carving of their goddess looms above them all, her curved figure watching over the city of vines with vibrant jewels in the place of her eyes. Amari stares up with me as the goddess passes overhead. Mae’e bows her chin in prayer.

When our lily pads dock at the base of the mountains, the weight of the air shifts. Something buzzes in my skin. The winds blow with whispers of the past. It’s as if the entire mountain range lives.

A collection of temples sits above us, their gilded rooms jutting out of the mountain rock. A boulder rolls away, and the girls in matching silk kaftans return, each with a glowing lantern in hand. When Mae’e gives a nod, the girls descend as one.

Though Amari and I try to stay together, the girls pull us apart. Amari calls out to me as they lead her through an entrance in the mountain’s side. Her voice disappears behind the black stone.

Before I can ask where she’s going, a drink like honey is poured down my throat. Within moments, the world blurs. My limbs become weights I can’t lift. I find myself carried into the base of the mountain.

What is this?

More candles than I’ve ever seen flicker against the pale green walls.

Their light dances through intricately carved columns and mosaic-covered arches.

Vines cover every inch of the temple like spiderwebs.

They knit themselves down the long halls, disappearing behind emerald fountains and statues of the goddess carved from obsidian glass.

“ Just breathe ,” one of the girls coos.

She presses her hibiscus-scented palms to my temple, attempting to dislodge the majacite crown.

The poisonous metal stings at her touch.

She draws back her hands with a gasp as tendrils of smoke twist into the air.

Though she calls to the others for help, it doesn’t matter what they try, the metal won’t budge.

When I cry out in pain, they all give up.

After hushed whispers, the girls lead me into warm waters. Their gentle hands move through the steam-filled space. The girls wash the dirt and sand from my skin. They run combs carved from coral through my white hair. They grab a ribbon of golden silk, tying my long white coils into a high braid.

When I am clean, the girls lead me to a room filled to the brim with burgundy pillows and deep green blankets.

Heat rises through the ceramic floor. Nailah lies asleep in a bed of her own, no sign of the vines that kept her at bay.

From the new sheen in her golden mane, I can tell someone’s tended to her as well.

Mae’e waits on the balcony, staring out at her city. After all the time spent seeing her in my mind, it’s strange to see her in real life. The flashes couldn’t capture the grace with which she stands. The way the winds seem to sing as they blow through her raven hair.

I dare to walk over to her, resting my arms along the balcony’s railing. The girls in pale green kaftans pass meters below, tending to the mountain’s countless gardens. Across the waterway, thousands of temples and woven huts shine in the distance like fireflies in the night. I inhale the sight.

“You look wonderful.” Mae’e smiles at the golden kaftan her maidens have dressed me in. “Like the yellow moon.”

It takes me a moment to realize I understand her words without the aid of the medallion.

“You speak my tongue?” I ask.

Mae’e nods. “All tongues stem from the same tree. To understand the Mother Tongue is to understand them all.”

“Where are we?”

“New Gaīa.” Mae’e gestures to her lands.

Pride radiates behind her dazzling smile.

I take in the floating civilization once more.

In the far distance, the sculpture of their goddess stands tall, its silhouette stark against the galaxy of stars.

Behind it, I spot the imperial palace, where Tzain is supposed to be.

I think of him trapped with Koa and the rest of the Laminas.

All the New Gaīans who called for our heads.

“Will we be safe?” I ask.

“You are under Emperor Jorah’s protection. No one in this city will lay a hand on your head.”

“But what about my brother?” I push.

“My people need time to understand.” Mae’e touches my shoulder. “Every time outsiders have landed on our shores, they have only brought despair. And after what Yéva said, they are more than afraid. They worry you bring the enemy here.”

At the mention of the enemy, I see King Baldyr’s golden skull.

The medallion pulses in my chest. I grit my teeth as new veins scratch themselves free from the tarnished metal, spreading across my skin.

The toll of the day hits me like a crashing wave.

I grab the railing of the balcony as my feet give way.

“ Garotas! ” Mae’e rushes to my aid. She shouts for the eight girls she calls the Green Maidens, but I shake my head. The fear I feel is not something they can heal.

Instead, Mae’e takes my hand and leads me to the bed of pillows. She strokes my hair with her delicate touch. Though we have just met, I melt into her arms.

She starts to hum an ancient song. Even the medallion doesn’t understand the words. The flickering candles pop around us. It’s like the flames cry out at her voice.

“Is Yéva ever wrong?” I whisper.

“Never,” Mae’e sighs. “She channels straight from the Great Mother herself.”

“Then why aren’t you scared?” I ask. I allow her to see the medallion embedded in my chest. “The man she speaks of isn’t just coming for your people. He’s coming for you.”

“You doubt our strength.” Mae’e returns to her balcony and gazes out at her lands. Something hard enters her diamond gaze. “By attacking New Gaīa, those you call the Skulls have not chosen war. They have chosen annihilation.”