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“ Y ou seem to be in a better mood, my lord.” Akima bowed before Ojore the following morning when he visited his chambers.

“I know you have much to say.” Ojore rose from his seat. He used a long copper-cast staff to help him navigate around.

His sight was darkened by a slim white bandage around his eyes. Ojore hadn’t gone entirely blind. Though everything was blurred, he could still see objects move before his eyes. Sholei told him it was a side effect of his ingested poison. It would fade away with time. She prepared medicine, applied it to his eyes early that morning, and wrapped the bandage.

“I don’t think you should trust Sholei,” Akima said, and Ojore could imagine his deep furrow .

“She’s the only one who can cure my blindness and reverse the effects of the poison,” Ojore tapped his long fingers on the staff.

“After poisoning you,” Akima scoffed. “You are lucky to have escaped with your life. We don’t know what she will do next.” Akima wrapped his arms across his chest.

“It won’t happen again,” Ojore told him. The antidote she used was already working. Their heart-to-heart conversation assured him she wouldn’t hurt him again. A small voice nagged him not to put his faith in her, but he ignored it. It was true Sholei might be motivated by her ambitions, but Ojore trusted her.

”Ojore.” Akima cut through his reverie. His loud voice made Ojore flinch.

“Sholei is not as cruel as you are painting her to be,” Ojore inclined his head toward Akima.

“She poisoned you when you threatened her friend’s life. Imagine what she would do if you threatened someone else close to her, like the old physician,” Akima reasoned. “You shouldn’t keep her close.”

Ojore paused to think. His relationship with Sholei was precarious at best. At first, he planned to accompany her to the Faye Islands, and when she completed her studies, she would join the Imperial Physicians in the palace. He still planned to help her fulfill her dreams, but what guaranteed she wouldn’t strike out again if someone close to her got threatened?

Ojore turned toward the window and gazed out. The morning light penetrated his blurry gaze through the thin bandage. “I have to trust her,” he whispered .

“What if you’re forced to decide between her and the army?” Akima pushed.

”What you perceive as betrayal, I see as loyalty and courage. She went against all odds to save her friend. I admire that in her.” Ojore paused and turned to his friend. “She stayed in the camp and helped treat the disease that killed almost half our army. Litonde confessed it was her concoction that worked for the injured men. What if she wasn’t around?”

“I don’t know, Ojore. I still think you’re playing with fire here. She did it once. She might turn against you again.”

“Is that all you came to report this morning?” Ojore stamped his long staff on the floor, signaling the end of the conversation.

“We have found the remaining alliance soldiers hiding in the plains, taken in by the cattle rustlers. They have camped out deep in Vipingo Gorge. The hideout is filled with traps, but with your command, we’ll attack,” Akima said after a long pause.

“Have you confirmed Gane’s death?” Ojore paced the room.

“With his wounds, he won’t survive for long.”

“So, he isn’t dead?” Ojore raised his eyebrows.

“Leikun, the rustler, is protecting him. Our spies have managed to find their location and confirm Prince Gane is alive. They are awaiting your orders to attack.”

“Leikun is a unique individual. I never thought he would be a threat, but after coming to Gane’s rescue, I don’t know.” Ojore learned Gane made a deal with Leikun to minimize the cattle raids on Mukuru capital and, at the same time, help Gane improve his credibility with his father, King Gusiwaju. If Gane managed to stop the cattle raider, a menace in the eyes of the people, Gane would gain the court’s favor. It was an endeavor that would pave the way for his ascension to the throne. A cunning and calculating man, Ojore thought.

Leikun would raid, and Gane was to chase him and ‘retrieve’ the cattle. Ojore figured Prince Gane paid the rustler a tidy sum of gold in the deal, a well-kept secret that went on for some time.

Ojore recalled how surprised Gane was when he revealed his secret.

“Gane is quite cunning. He’s lucky Leikun came for him. We have lost so many men and are yet to conduct the burial rites. It’s not wise to attack the bandits right now. Continue gathering information and tell our men to watch the women from Gusiwaju’s harem closely.”

”We can strike him now rather than wait for him to recover. All the males in his family have been annihilated. He will come for revenge.” Akima reasoned.

Akima was right. It would be better to kill Gane before he became a nuisance once he recovered. But Ojore grew hesitant to attack him blindly. They needed more information before he attacked Leikun’s camp. His men needed time to recuperate, too. They might have won the battle of Keseve, but they dwindled in numbers. With the traps in the gorge, it would be premature to attack without a well-thought-out plan. During the transition period of Mukuru to Dembe’s tribute state, he needed the remaining soldiers close in case of an uprising in the capital .

“Have men investigate the gorge more, and assign more guards to the gates and anywhere else they might attack from.”

“The longer he lives, the bigger a threat he becomes.” Akima insisted.

”I am solely responsible for destroying his family. I don’t blame him for hating me.” Ojore sighed with a faraway look—another enemy he had to watch out for. The list grew longer each day.

”Something else,” Akima started.

“What is it?”

“Tula is alive and with the rustlers.”

Ojore turned toward him. “She’s alive, too?” Ojore was surprised at the tenacity of Sholei’s friend. “She joined the alliance once she made it back?” After she spent weeks spying on him and his army, the girl was bare bones. When Sholei made the daring escape to save her, Ojore wasn’t sure she could survive the journey back to the Mukuru capital. But she survived and joined the fight right after.

“She’s joined the alliance, and that makes her the enemy. I would spare her life if she were by Sholei’s side, but she chose to fight beside Gane.”

“I don’t think she joined the army upon coming back. For some reason, she rushed out to the Keseve Market. We’re still interrogating the prison guards,” Akima said. Tula must have been caught in the crossfire when they attacked that night.

“She’s a true friend and a capable soldier.” Ojore hadn’t forgotten Tula managed to infiltrate his camp and poison his men. Under different circumstances, he would have recruited her to his side, but soldiers like Tula were loyal to their people—in this instance, Prince Gane.

“Should we tell Sholei about her friend?” Sholei would be pleased and relieved to learn that Tula was alive.

A few moments passed, and Ojore didn’t say anything. The furrows on his forehead deepened.

“Tula has nothing to do with Sholei now,” he replied. “She’s the enemy.”

Musembi woke up with a headache. It had been a long time since she drank alcohol, and she hadn’t experienced a hangover ever since Sholei was kidnapped. The memories of their ambush on the shores of Alokove Lake flooded back. An attack by Dembe soldiers. Musembi sprang up from the bed, despite the pain, but stopped short and considered her surroundings.

From the murals and bass reliefs on the clay walls to the heavy fabrics that covered the bed, Musembi never experienced such luxury. She was back in the capital of Mukuru, possibly inside the palace. No one else was in sight, as she strained her ears to listen for any sound.

The door opened, and Sholei entered. Musembi took a second look to ensure her eyes didn’t betray her. Sholei came in dressed in the most exquisite clothes, colorful silky robes, and decorated gold jewelry. She was dressed similar to the noble women who pranced around the capital.

“You are awake,” Sholei said upon seeing her. Another demure girl followed behind her, dressed like the Dembe women Musembi met in the Keseve Market .

”We are back at the palace. This is Mueni, and she was a great help when I was in…um…captivity.” Sholei cleared her throat and introduced her servant.

”Nice to meet you, gogo .” Mueni lowered her head and referred to her as an elderly female, a typical Dembe custom. Her accent was similar to that of the people from the north.

“What is the meaning of this?” Musembi ignored the girl’s greeting and glared at Sholei. How could she walk around with the people from Dembe after Musembi revealed her delicate fate? If they were in Mukuru palace, Ojore wouldn’t be far off. Sholei walked back into the lion’s den. The girl courted death.

“Mueni, go and watch over the medicine. I will join you later.” Sholei waited until the heavy wooden door closed before she turned to Musembi. “You didn’t have to be rude to her.”

“You have a servant following you?” Musembi walked to Sholei’s side.

”Prince Ojore assigned her to me when I was in the camp. I view her as a friend and not a servant.” Sholei said. “I haven’t forgotten anything you told me. How was I supposed to get away with you unconscious?”

“Did Ojore threaten you with my life?” Musembi whispered, her eyes on the door. “You should have left me behind. It’s not too late yet. I have hidden some money. It’s enough to buy your passage to the Faye Islands.”

“You want me to leave you alone?” Sholei choked in disbelief. “At the mercy of Ojore?”

“I am an old woman, the Dembe won’t waste time on me.” Musembi ignored the dejected look in Sholei’s eyes. Sholei could never hide her emotions. Everything with her was upfront.

“I won’t leave you. I did that once, and I regretted it.” Sholei held her gaze. Musembi was reluctant to admit it, but Sholei portrayed a sense of maturity since her captivity. Before, she was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to turn her back on everything to fulfill her ambitions. Now, Sholei put her dreams to a halt for her. As much as the action moved Musembi, it came too late.

“Listen to me...” Musembi tried to reason with Sholei.

“I have lost Tula. She was supposed to come back from the Keseve Market, but I haven’t heard from her in days. You saw what happened in Lake Alokove. If I try to get away, what do you think Ojore would do to you?” Sholei asked.

“Have you forgotten what I said about High Lord Keita and Asaa? If you get to the Faye Islands, maybe you stand a chance of surviving.” Musembi didn’t care about Ojore’s retribution. He was welcomed to do as he wished as long as Sholei was out of the way.

Sholei avoided Musembi’s eyes. “If we plan on getting away, we must have a better plan.”

“You have been dreaming of a chance to go to the Faye Islands, and now that the opportunity is here, you’re reluctant to leave?” Musembi inclined her head to catch Sholei’s eyes. “There is something you’re not telling me. What is it? What could be better than attaining your dream?”

“Ojore…” Sholei started.

“You’re on a first-name basis with him,” Musembi said. “He’s given you a maid, clothes we could never afford, the most luxurious rooms in the palace, and…” Musembi paused. “Have you become his concubine?”

“I’m no man’s concubine.” Sholei’s eyes grew wide. “What’s wrong with enjoying luxuries once in a while?”

“You have feelings for him.” Realization dawned on Musembi, and she closed her eyes in frustration. When Sholei didn’t counter her statement, it confirmed her suspicions.

Sholei was in love with Ojore.

“I admit being with him again made me happy,” Sholei said after a long pause. “I was conflicted by my feelings, but it feels right to be by his side.”

“You keep forgetting your dreams, the Oracle…” Musembi couldn’t believe the words out of Sholei’s mouth. Sholei’s stubbornness was going to be the end of her.

“What do you plan on doing next?” Musembi took a seat on the edge of the bed. “Let’s forget about your fate with Lord Keita and focus on the general as a man. A trail of blood follows him wherever he goes. He managed to take down the alliance. Do you think he’s going to stop there? Do you think his thirst for blood is satiated?”

“Do you think I can get away from him?” Sholei countered. “He overturned a village just to waylay me.”

“Is that the man you want to be with?” Musembi sighed. “If you don’t get away from him, then you should prepare for the day he’ll turn his sword against you.”

Sholei ran from the large, snarling snake in a dream that night. She remembered Musembi’s words about how the Oracle could respond if she stopped running. In the dreamlike state, she decided to stop and face her fears.

Sholei came to a halt. The sleek black snake stopped and raised its head. Its green eyes pierced into hers. Sholei sensed vulnerability in that gaze. The snake, a replica of Asaa’s statue, was locked in battle with Lord Keita.

“You stopped,” a snarling voice called from behind her, hidden in the misty trees. Sholei was in a fog-covered forest, dark and dimly lit by the moonlight.

“Who’s there?” Sholei’s breath was heavy, cold sweat ran down her back and soaked through her clothes.

“The one you are running away from,” the voice said close to Sholei’s ear. “Your destiny.”

”Musembi was right. If I stopped, you’d appear before me.” Sholei swallowed. She wanted to turn around, but the eyes of the snake hypnotized her and held her in place. Its long body coiled underneath its raised head.

“What else did Musembi tell you?” the voice asked.

“You are my past reincarnation, and Ojore harbors Lord Keita under his skin.” Sholei took a cautions step when the snake hissed at her.

“What do you see when you look at Keita’s eyes? Can you see the beast peeking out? Does he scare you?” the Oracle asked, her voice closer with each question.

“When his eyes change color, am I looking at Keita?” Sholei asked.

“Ojore is doing everything to hold him back, but the God of the Northern Skies won’t be stopped for long,” the Oracle whispered in Sholei’s ear as thunder struck the sky and illuminated the night. Before Sholei, a tall, bent, shadowy figure appeared against the forest floor .

“Why would Keita want me…us dead?” Sholei turned when an icy hand touched her shoulder. No one was behind her.

“I can’t reveal much,” the voice grew distant again. “I thought if you witnessed Ojore’s cruelty, you’d want him dead, but I should have known the hands of destiny would work against me.” The Oracle released a cackle that sounded like someone laughing underwater. Strangled and wretched.

“What happened in my past life? What grudges do you bear that you want me to take them out on Ojore? Does he know he’s harboring Lord Keita inside him?” Sholei fired the questions into the dark.

“Keita has always been resilient. You’re lucky Ojore is holding him back, with or without his knowledge. But when the time comes, and he rises to the surface, it will be too late to stop him.” A streak of lightning hit somewhere behind her, and the Oracle’s voice cried out in agony. The snake hissed at Sholei and bore its fangs.

“Watch this!” the Oracle screeched, and Sholei stood in front of a river with rushing waters. An icy hand gripped her and pushed her down head-first into the roaring current. Sholei screamed and tried to get up, but the grip on her was tight, and the cold water pulled her under.

“Look,” the voice commanded again, and before her, the water turned into a vast battlefield. In the distance, the dark flags of Dembe flew high on a pile of dead bodies. The endless field was filled with the corpses of fallen, faceless men. Black clouds rumbled in the distance, and bolts of lightning flashed .

“This is the future, Sholei. Won’t it be easy to believe that Ojore will cause this, and if you stop him now, the continent will know peace?” the Oracle asked.

Crows cawed as they poked at the dead flesh of the deceased. A charging army rode toward her. She made out Radi’s dark coat leading the charge. At the forefront of the army was Ojore, barely recognizable, splattered with blood and face paint, his dreadlocks blowing in the wind.

“Sholei,” Tula’s whispered voice came through. “Help me.”

Sholei stifled a scream when she saw Tula on the ground and her limbs missing. Tula was dressed in the alliance battle outfit, and her face had numerous cuts.

“He’s coming for me,” Tula whispered in labored breaths, blood spluttering from her split lips.

“Do you see what I mean?” the voice snarled. “Prince Ojore will kill everyone you love. Do away with him before Keita awakens and buy time with his death to complete your mission.”

“There’s more? What mission?”

“After Ojore’s death, go to the Faye Islands….” The skies were lit up by lightning again and dusty air swirled around.

“I can’t kill a man for a sin he has yet to commit.” Sholei shook her head and fought the rising hysteria. The sights, the sounds, and the rancid smell of rotting flesh made her choke.

“His biggest sin is surviving to this day. Ojore’s death is our golden opportunity…”

”What if I defy your words?” Sholei turned around, trying to locate the voice .

”Even after seeing how cruel Prince Ojore is and his wicked ways, you still defend him?” the voice screeched and the wind howled. “Remember this.” The scene of Tula before Ojore in the camp with the other spy flooded her vision. “Look at his eyes.”

Sholei watched as Ojore raised his sword and, with one swoop, sliced the neck of the male spy. The crimson blood splashed on his face, and a cruel smirk stretched his lips. Sholei’s blood ran cold. It seemed like he relished the act. His eyes turned the color of burning coal, smoldering, unfeeling, and distant as if she were looking at somebody else.

“What about what happened in Lake Alokove?” the voice insisted, and cold fingers dug into Sholei’s shoulder before she was dragged from that scene back to the misty forest. This time, the Oracle stood tall, with flowing robes and long white hair that fell below her waist. Her face was behind a birdlike mask, her facial features hidden, but her green eyes stared straight into Sholei’s soul.

”You will lose the people you love the longer Ojore lives. You will live in regret, Sholei. Mark my words.”