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CHAPTER FORTY

INAN

W AITING IN THE FOREST outside Lagos, I prepare myself for what’s to come.

A still breeze blows through the jackalberry trees.

The crescent moon shines down on our clearing from above.

The maji gather in a ring around my back. Though we’ve agreed to lay down arms for one night, my palms start to sweat. I feel it in my bones.

Everyone is still ready to fight.

This will work. I steady myself. This has to work. I prepare for the words I’ll need to share. The fatal warning the people of Or?sha must hear.

With each passing day, I feel the Skulls’ imminent attack. I picture their mighty ships cutting through the twisting waters. Their monstrous forms storm through the port of Lagos. Their glowing axes cut through every Or?shan in their way.

We need to start preparing our defenses, combining our forces to gather intelligence. There’s no more time to waste. Either we come together to unify, or we leave the Skulls free rein.

It feels like we wait for hours. I worry no other Or?shans will show. But then a flickering torch appears through the dark trees. Slowly, people trickle in.

I hold on to the Skull’s mask as the trail of torches travels into the clearing. The flames light what remains of the Or?shan guard. The very men I used to command march in broken lines, staring at me with a hatred that burns like a branding iron.

Their forces have dwindled over the past few moons. Their shoulders slump with the weight of the battles they’ve waged. Soldiers sport wooden splints and bloodstained bandages. Ash coats the Or?shan seals on their breastplates.

On the other side of the clearing, the first t?táns arrive, their golden armor and white streaks glistening under the crescent moon.

Though their numbers are small, they move with a different confidence.

Mother makes it to the front of the t?táns with the aid of her staff, regal in the absence of her crown.

The t?táns’ presence is like a barrel of blastpowder. I sense how easy it would be to light the spark. With a snap of Mother’s fingers, the t?táns could attack. Behind me, the maji step forward, ready to charge.

Despite the risk, I take my place at the center of the clearing. I glance up to the skies and pray for the right words to leave my lips. I have to act before this armistice devolves into a battle nobody can win.

“The last time I stood before a crowd like this, I renounced my crown,” I declare.

“I failed as your king. I failed because I couldn’t bring Or?sha the unified front it’s always needed.

But now…” I glance down at the Skull’s mask, remembering what’s at stake.

“Now we don’t have a choice. Either we unify, or we lose everything. ”

I hold the mask up high, walking it around the circle so everyone can see. One soldier reaches for the mask, and I hand it to her. Her brows furrow as she touches the broken bones.

“An enemy is coming.” I point at the mask. “An enemy is already here. We’ve allowed our once-great nation to be ripped apart by war. While we’ve battled each other, they’ve raided our lands, searching for the power locked inside one maji.”

“Why should we care what happens to the maji?” Mother voices the question that must be on every t?tán’s and soldier’s mind. Behind me, a Burner’s hands light with a flame. I hold up my hand to stop her, pleading with my eyes.

“They won’t stop at the maji.” I turn to the t?táns. “They intend to rule over us all. Our best chance to stop them is together. Right now, we need each other.”

“We can stop them on our own,” another t?tán shouts. “We can round the maji up ourselves!”

“You threaten us after all we’ve endured?” Nao pushes forward.

“Better you than us!” a soldier shouts back.

The fragile peace shatters like glass. The armistice devolves before my eyes. All at once, everyone moves to attack. The maji push in from the west. The t?táns charge from the east.

“ìpè inú igbó, ? yí mi ká báyìí—”

Tamer-summoned hyenaires surround us on all sides.

“Babalúayé, a ké pè 3 báyìí—”

Clouds of orange gas swirl in the Cancers’ hands.

A trio of purple-clad maji moves to the front.

As they chant, animations rise.

“Hit them!” Mother yells. The ground shakes as she summons her power. Green light surrounds her body like a blaze.

The Or?shan guard takes up arms as everyone runs for the center of the clearing.

“Stop!” A force rises inside me. A wave about to crest. If even one drop of blood spills, it’s over. The Skulls might as well declare victory over these lands.

“I said stop !” my voice booms. I shut my eyes and extend my hands. Magic pours out of me like a river. Turquoise clouds flood through the earth, catching every Or?shan like flies in a spiderweb—

Drums beat through the air. A rumble travels beneath our feet. All at once, we turn to the east. Something shakes the remaining trees.

“What is that?” Mother calls. Terror grips me in its arms.

My hands fall to my sides as a wild band of Skulls swarms.

“Run!” I shout.

Three dozen Skulls fill the clearing at once, the scars stark on their swollen chests. Their bronze masks glimmer in the moonlight. Their colossal forms tear across the grounds.

The men roar as they attack, their crimson weapons primed and ready to strike. One Skull swings his glowing axe, cutting through an entire troop of soldiers at once. Another Skull raises his hammer. The maji who charge are crushed in an instant.

“ òrì ? à iná, fún mi ní iná— ” Kenyon runs forward, streams of fire swirling in his hands. His flames shoot toward one Skull like a cannonball. The Skull cries out as his skin sears and he’s burned alive.

But before Kenyon can strike again, another Skull attacks. Kenyon’s eyes bulge as he takes the hammer to the chest. The sheer force cracks through every bone. His body flies into a tree and he hits the bark so hard the trunk explodes.

“Inan!” Mother roars.

I whip my head to the left. The ground quakes as Mother rips caverns through the earth. She tries to bury the Skulls that charge, but with their mighty strength, they leap over the gaping holes. One Skull grabs her by the neck. With a snap, Mother falls to the ground.

Her eyes hang open as she joins the dead.

I watch as the Skulls rain down hell, attacking every soul in the clearing. The soldiers who try to fight have their blades ripped in half. The maji who attempt to flee can’t outrun the transformed Skulls.

Body after body falls to the ground, bleeding into the earth. It’s only when the Skulls give their victory cry that I close my eyes, recalling the turquoise clouds.

“What in the skies?” Mother wheezes, coming back to life from the magic of my mind. Her confusion matches the rest of the clearing as the turquoise clouds return to me, bringing everyone back to the moment before the Skulls attacked.

All at once, the band of Skulls disappears. My hallucinations vanish into thin air. By the time my magic fades, I can hardly stand. Veins bulge against my skin. Sweat soaks through my tunic.

“That is what you are up against,” I pant. “That is the enemy you face. The Skulls are a ruthless, unified force and they serve their king with one purpose. For him, they’ve hunted our people with no remorse.”

In seeing the full face of the enemy, I sense the break in the air. My words take on new power.

The chance for real unification is here.

“This isn’t the time for us to be divided.” I walk the circle, meeting every fighter’s eye. “We cannot look at each other and see maji, soldier, and t?tán. We have to be Or?shans now, united as one. Are you with me?”

Nao is the first to step forward. I catch her eye and we share a nod. A line of maji follow after her, and the soldiers step forward next. But the t?táns don’t move.

They all look to Mother.

A heavy silence hangs in the air as we wait to see which way she’ll go. Despite what’s coming, she has no reason to fight by my side. But even she steps forward, bringing the t?táns in line.

I take in our new coalition, smiling as battle plans fill my mind. There’s no time to waste.

“Let’s get to work,” I call.