Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Legacy of Orïsha #2)(82)
“I made a vow to protect my clan. This is the best way I know how. I can’t keep fighting.” I lift my hands. “I can’t keep losing the people I love.”
Heads hang in the face of my words. For a moment, the entire mountain stays silent. Even Kenyon backs away, returning to the circle of elders.
“But this is our home.” Kamarū steps forward, deep voice shrunk to a whisper. More than confusion, more than rage, he offers his heartbreak. I know he speaks the pain none of us want to face.
“When the elders built this place, it was only bare mountaintops.” I look to the crowd. “It didn’t become a home because they filled it with towers. It became a home because they built it together. This land, these temples—they’re not what matters. As long as we have each other, we will carry Or?sha in our veins. No one can ever take that away.”
I hold my breath as I wait for the elders’ response. The whispers start to shift in the crowd. I can almost see the acceptance I crave.
But when Amari walks forward, her face lights up as a new idea takes hold in her mind.
“Zélie’s right.” Her voice echoes in the silence. “This is the only chance we might have to escape. But it could also be our chance to win.”
“What are you doing?” I grab her arm, pulling her until we’re face-to-face. My body still shakes at the sight of her, but I don’t look away.
“Don’t do this.” I tighten my grip. “Please.”
Amari presses her lips into a hard line. Her gaze settles on my hand. She exhales a long breath and closes her eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t abandon my home without a fight.”
“Amari, no!” I try to hold on. “This bloodshed has to end!”
But she pulls herself out of my grip. The entire mountain hangs on her silence as she turns to face the crowd.
“For once, we have the upper hand,” she yells. “We can work around their tricks. We don’t need to march to Lagos and take down the entire army. We just need to take out the king!”
Her words run together as her excitement builds and she soaks in every gaze. I can almost see the glint of a crown in her curls.
“Why run?” She throws up her hands. “Why risk the dangers that lie in the unknown when we can avenge the death of Mazeli and fight for our home?”
My body goes numb as Amari turns the tides before my eyes. Rumbles echo from all around. Even my Reapers latch onto her call for vengeance.
“Let us rise!” She punches her fist into the air. “Let’s band together and end this war! Together we can win! Gba nkàn wa padà!”
The Yoruba is slick on her lips, but it does the trick. The cry ripples from maji to maji until the entire mountain shakes.
“Gba nkàn wa padà! Gba nkàn wa padà!”
I sink to the bloodstone as my ears ring with the sounds of war.
Gba nkàn wa padà.
Take back what’s ours.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
AMARI
THE NEXT FEW HOURS pass in a blur. Everyone comes together with new purpose, energized by the chance to win this war. With Zélie against our attack, command of the Iyika falls to me. My head spins as we sit in the dining hall, using every maji at our disposal to hammer out the final details.
“I say we take everyone who can fight and storm the village.” Kenyon slams his fist on the table. “Nehanda’s probably with the king. We’ll need every maji we can get.”
“You can’t storm Ibadan,” Na’imah retorts. “It’s sequestered in the mountains.”
“And if we storm the city, we lose our biggest advantage,” I remind him. “We don’t want Inan to know we’re there until it’s too late for him to stop us.”
Out of instinct, I wait for someone to push back, but they accept my every point. Every elder takes a moment, brainstorming stealth-based alternatives.
“What if we only attack with the elders?” Kamarū asks. “Most of their soldiers are still outside Lagos. We don’t need a massive force.”
I nod. “Sneaking in ten people will be far easier than sneaking in a hundred.”
“Are we sure there will be ten of us?” Na’imah purses her lips and all eyes fall on the empty seat. I haven’t seen Zélie since she walked off the bloodstone. I don’t even know if she plans to fight.
Blush rises to my cheeks, but I force myself to move on. Would the Iyika follow my command if they knew Zélie’s heartbreak was my fault?
“If we’re only taking the elders to Ibadan, then our Seconds should guide everyone else toward Lagos,” I decide. “We can keep them away from the fight while making Inan think we’re taking his bait.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Kamarū rises and a small weight lifts off of my shoulders. After what happened to Mazeli, I don’t want any other maji in harm’s way. At least this way, they’ll stay safe.
“What about the villagers?” Khani presses. “They could still get caught in the fight.”
“Or worse.” Jahi stares at the table. “The king and queen could use them as shields.”
My throat dries as a tense silence falls over us. I feel the part of me that wants to argue that Inan wouldn’t sacrifice his people, but I no longer believe it. He and Mother don’t care who they hurt. They’ll kill anyone to win this war.