Page 176 of Children of Blood and Bone

“Amari!”

His glare freezes my blood. But this time I have my sword. This time I am not afraid to strike.

Be brave, Amari.

Binta’s voice rings loud. The sight of her blood fills my head. I can avenge hernow. I can cut Father down. While the maji take out the guards, my sword can free Father of his head. Retribution for all his massacres, every poor soul he has ever killed…

“Amari?”

Tzain pulls my attention, allowing Father to disappear behind an iron door at the end of his hallway.A door Femi could easily melt…

“What’re you doing?”

I blink at Tzain and keep my mouth shut. There is no time to explain. One day, I shall fight Father.

Today I must fight for Zélie.

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

INAN

ICLUTCHZÉLIEto my chest as another blast rings. The fortress shakes. Black smoke fills the air. Screams echo against the iron walls. Cries break through the charred door.

I run into a chamber and look out the barred windows; though flames blast the walls of the fortress, no enemy appears. Instead troops scream as they catch fire. Panthenaires run rabid in fear.

It’s a chaos unmatched, bringing back all the horrors of Kwame’s blaze. Maji attack again. My soldiers fall as they reign.

“No!”

I run away from the window and look out the iron door as a mangled scream rings from the floor above me. Fire and metal and disease wage war, ravishing an endless stream of soldiers.

The men who charge are incinerated by a Burner’s flames. Those who shoot arrows are struck by a Welder—the bearded maji reverses each arrowhead, sending the sharp metal straight through the shooter’s armor.

But worst of all is the freckled girl. A Cancer. A harbinger of death. Dark green clouds of disease spew from her hands. With one breath, the soldiers’ bodies seize.

A slaughter…

A slaughter, not a fight.

Only three maji battle, yet the soldiers crumble beneath their power.

It’s worse than the destruction of the divîner camp. At least then, the soldiers were the first to strike. But now their premature fear seems justified.

Father was right.…

There’s no denying it now. No matter what I desire, if magic returns, this is how my kingdom will burn.

“Inan…,” Zélie whimpers. Her warm blood leaks down my hands. The key to Orïsha’s future. Bleeding in my arms.

The pull of duty weighs down my step, but I can’t listen to it now. No matter what, Zélie must live. I can find a way to stop magic after she’s safe.

I race through the empty hallway as the battle rages. I ascend another stairwell. Another blast rings.

The fortress quakes, knocking me off the steps. I clutch Zélie as we fall; this time she can’t muffle her screams.

I brace us against a wall when another blast hits. At this rate, Zélie will bleed out before she escapes.

Think.

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