Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orïsha #2)(70)

“You say that like we don’t.”

“We’re royalty,” he snorts. “We suffer so everyone else can smile.”

I hug my knees to my chest, hating the words he speaks. I’m tired of suffering because the people of this kingdom refuse to believe in peace. I know there’s a world where we can make this work. An Or?sha where maji, t?táns, and kosidán can live as one.

I still see the Or?sha of my dreams even if reality only gives me nightmares.

“They’re training to annihilate you.” I exhale a deep breath. “I keep trying to convince the Iyika that peace can work, but they don’t trust the monarchy. They want to put Zélie on the throne.”

“Zélie?” Inan shoots up, brows knitting together.

“They call her the Soldier of Death. To them, she’s a living legend. But if that happens…” my voice trails as my chest grows tight. I want to believe that Zélie would do the right thing, but after all that’s happened since magic came back, that feels naive. She has no interest in unification. Only annihilation.

“What are they after?” Inan asks. “What do they need to end the fighting?”

“Power.” I picture the elders’ faces. “True freedom. They want an end to the torture and the baseless persecution. A real place in this monarchy and a say in what happens in this kingdom.”

Inan inhales, chest seeming to expand with each demand. He rubs his fingers together as he considers my words.

“That’s it?”

I shrug. “More or less.”

“Alright.” He nods. “How do I give that to them?”

I grab onto his arm, eyes nearly bulging out of my head. “You’re serious?”

“If that’s what it takes to end this war,” he says. “I want those things myself.”

“I knew it!” I clap my hands together. Excitement floats like a balloon in my chest. But as soon as it rises, reality dawns. This still isn’t enough.

“What’s wrong?” Inan asks when my shoulders slump.

“It doesn’t matter that we want the same things. The Iyika will never trust that your declaration is real.” I shake my head. “As soon as they hear that I’ve talked to you against their orders, they’ll be too enraged to listen to what I have to say.”

Inan rubs his fingers together, brows creasing as he thinks.

“What if they don’t hear it from you?” he asks. “What if they hear it from me themselves? I could draw up a treaty. Present it to their leaders.”

My heart skips a beat as I realize the sincerity of his words. If the king himself offered a treaty like this, even Zélie would have to listen.

“You’d have to come alone…” I tread with care.

“I don’t have a choice. After what happened at Chandomblé, the royal council would have me executed before they ever agreed to this.”

“But how would you get out of the palace?” I ask.

“Ojore will cover for me if he knows I’m going to meet with you.”

Inan holds out his hand and a tightness fills my chest. This is everything I wanted; the peace I knew we could get.

But as I stare at the lines along my brother’s palm, Zélie’s voice bleeds into my mind.

He’ll do the right thing when it’s easy, but when it matters most, he’ll stab you in the back. You can’t trust him, Amari. All he leaves us with are scars.

“What will happen to me?” I look up at him. “When you were gone, I prepared to be queen. What comes after peace?”

Inan sets down his hand, considering my words. “Mother is a fierce ally, but she’s tainted by the past. Or?sha needs a queen who’s willing to do whatever it takes to make amends.”

My fingers fall limp as Inan opens his arms, extending the invitation.

“You mean it?” I ask.

“We’ll rule the kingdom together,” he says. “The way we should’ve from the start.”

The weight of the world falls off my shoulders as I lunge forward, wrapping my arms around my brother. My heart swells to see him this way. I always knew he could be a magnificent king.

But as he hugs me back, a prickle erupts along my scars.

I pray Zélie allows him to breathe long enough for us to bring Or?sha the peace we both desire.





CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT


ZéLIE


WHEN THE SUN climbs onto the horizon, none of my Reapers speak. We watch from a cliff as it sets the sky ablaze, warm rays spilling over the hilly terrain outside the sanctuary. It lights the blankets of fog seeping through the mammoth trees, revealing the baboonems that swing through the jungle leaves. I study the path I want to take as the sun’s rays reach our finish line.

“Over there.” I point to the hill where Amari and I first trained. “First one to the top wins.”

“That’ll be me.” Mári rubs her hands together. “Everyone else stay out of my way.”

I smile at her resolve. The hill lies almost three kilometers outside the sanctuary’s mountain walls. This’ll be our greatest distance yet. After a half-moon of training, it’s the perfect way to test their mastery over our new incantations.