Page 42 of Children of Anguish and Anarchy

Kenyon wades into the shore, brows furrowed at Nâo’s gift. He looks to Zélie, and my sister nods, beckoning him to come close. Zélie raises her hand to his heart. Red light sparks at the ends of his fingertips the moment they connect. The surge catches Kenyon by surprise.

I almost see the flames light in his eyes.

“Òrì?à iná, fún mi ní iná!” Kenyon roars. Two streams of fire shoot from his fists, heating the white sands. The grains fuse together. The ground beneath his feet turns to glass.

“How are you doing this?” Kenyon asks. Every maji on the beach stares. They gather in a circle around my sister, waiting for her to return their gifts.

Zélie pulls down the wrap around her chest. The taste of iron hits my tongue when I see the glowing metal fused into her rib cage.

“We may have escaped the Skulls.” Zélie’s face falls. “But our freedom is far from won.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ZÉLIE

AS THE SUN ARCSin the sky, the rest of the maji on the beach form a long line. One by one, they join me in the tides. Each time I lay my hands on their shoulders, the medallion pulses in my chest, and their magic comes alive.

One Tamer summons a pod of yellow-finned dolphins to the shores. A Grounder erects a line of small sand huts. Khani breaks down when the orange light reignites around her palms. Tears fall from her eyes as she uses the power to heal again.

Despite the way the medallion feeds on me, it’s given me the ability to make my people whole. The return of our magic transforms our fates. In just a few hours’ time, the small settlement turns into a functioning port.

“As many as you can get!” Nâo calls. She works with Kenyon to lead the others as they prepare to make the long trip home. Under their command, Tamers lure schools of fish into Grounder-made barrels. Khani and the Healers tend to every maji’s wounds. Tiders and Winders harness their reawakened gifts, combining their magic to boost the refashioned lifeboats.

By the time night falls, everyone gathers around the bonfire. A gentle chatter joins the nocturnal chorus of crickets. The seconds wind down as I prepare to brief the others on what I’ve learned.

Across from me, Khani lies against Nâo’s hip. Kenyon leaves his Burners to join the pair. Beside the trio, Amari sits with Inan. The two of us haven’t spoken since we left Orïsha’s shores.

Since we were torn apart by the maji-tîtán war.

Looking at Amari now, I don’t know what to say. After she damned me and an entire village to die, I never wanted to speak to her again. I didn’t think anything could make up for her betrayal. I thought our friendship had come to an end.

But with the threat of the Skulls, I see the girl who’s wiped my tears. The girl who braided my hair, holding me close when no one else was there. Amari catches me staring, and her lips part. The question hangs in her amber eyes—are we still allies?

Despite myself, I reach out my hand. A small smile spreads across her narrow face. She laces her fingers with mine, and it feels right.

I can’t imagine facing the Skulls without her by my side.

But when Tzain joins our small circle, Amari drops my hand. She seems to shrink in his presence. I look back and forth between them, wondering where they stand.

“Here.” Tzain hands me another cut of swordfish, though I’m still picking at my first.

“Tzain—”

“You’re thin.” He forces me to eat. When I finish, he rises back to his feet. “I’ll get more water—”

“I’m fine.” I pull my brother’s hand. “Sit. It’s time to begin.”

With Tzain settled, the conversation around the bonfire begins to die down. I feel every maji’s eye on me. When Kenyon gives me a nod, I start to speak.

“We weren’t the first to be stolen.” I look around the crowd. “The Skulls took advantage of our war. They worked with the mercenaries and started raiding our shores moons ago.”

At the mention of the mercenaries, my mind flashes to Roën and my chest grows tight. I wonder where he is. If he survived the betrayal of Harun and the rest of his men.

A grief I don’t want to face rises inside me like a tidal wave. I take a deep breath to fight it back. After everything we endured at the hands of the Skulls, I pray he’s alright.

I pray he’s still alive.

“What’re the Skulls after?” Nâo asks. Like this morning, I reveal the medallion in my chest.

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