Page 107 of Children of Blood and Bone

But as she moves, something different sets into her stance, something steady like on the arena ship. It allows her to approach her brother, concern eclipsing the terror in her eyes.

“What happened?”

Inan redirects his sword from my chest to Amari’s. Tzain jumps down to fight, but I grab his arm. “Let her try.”

“Out of my way.” Inan’s voice is commanding, but a tremble shakes his hand.

Amari pauses for a second, illuminated by the moonlight reflecting off Inan’s blade.

“Father’s not here,” she finally says. “You won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Maybe you don’t.” Amari swallows hard. “But I do.”

Inan is silent for a long moment. Still. Too still. The clouds shift and moonlight shines, lighting the space between them. Amari takes a step forward. Then another, bigger this time. When she places a hand on Inan’s cheek, tears fill his amber eyes.

“You don’t understand,” he croaks, still clenching his sword. “It destroyed her. It’ll destroyallof us.”

Her?Whether or not Amari knows who Inan’s talking about, she doesn’t seem to care. She guides his sword to the ground as if soothing a wild animal.

For the first time I notice how different she and her brother truly look, the contrast in her round face, the angles of Inan’s square jawline. Though they share the same amber gaze and copper complexion, that seems to be where their similarities end.

“Those are Father’s words, Inan. His decisions. Not yours. We are our own people. We make ourownchoices.”

“But he’s right.” Inan’s voice cracks. “If we don’t stop magic, Orïsha will fall.”

His eyes return to me, and I tighten my grip on my staff.Try it, I want to bark. I’m done running away.

Amari redirects Inan’s line of vision, her delicate hands cupping the back of his head.

“Father is not the future of Orïsha, brother. We are. We stand on the right side of this. You can stand there, too.”

Inan stares at Amari, and for a moment I don’t know who he is. The ruthless captain; the little prince; the scared and broken maji? There’s a longing in his eyes, a desire to give up the fight. But when he lifts his chin, the killer I know comes back.

“Amari—” I cry out.

Inan pushes her aside and lunges forward, sword raised to my chest. I jump in front of Tzain with my staff brandished. Amari tried.

Now it’s my turn.

The air rings as Inan’s sword hits the metal of my staff. I expect a chance to counterattack, but now that the true Inan’s awakened, he won’t let up. Though fatigued, his blows are fierce, fueled by a hatred of me, a hatred of what I know. Yet as I defend against each strike, my own rage builds. The monster who burned my village, the man responsible for Lekan’s death. The root of all our problems.

And I can wipe him away.

“I see you took my advice,” I yell, somersaulting to dodge the strike of his blade. “I can barely see your streak. How many coats this time, little prince?”

I swipe my staff at his skull, striking to kill, not maim. I’m tired of fighting.

I’m tired of him getting in our way.

He ducks to avoid my staff, but he’s quick to thrust his sword at my gut. I spin out of harm’s way and strike. Once again, our weapons collide with a piercing clink.

“You won’t win,” I hiss, arms shaking under the force. “Killing me won’t change what you are.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Inan jumps back, freeing himself for another blow. “If you die, magic dies, too.”

He runs forward and raises his sword with a cry.

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