Page 139 of Children of Virtue and Vengeance

CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

ZÉLIE

THE PROMISES OF MY SPEECHswell within me as I walk the mountain paths along the outskirts of Ibadan’svillage center. As the rows of pyramid ahérés end behind me,I think of every maji who’s dedicated themselves to this fight. The life we’ll need to sacrifice.

I can’t give up Tzain and I can’t give up Roën. There’s only one other person I love, despite the way she has betrayed us.

Dread weighs down my legs, slowing my journey to Amari’s cell. I don’t know what to say to her. How I could ever forgive what she did.

Even though everyone she killed breathes again, she sacrificed them. She sacrificedme.She didn’t care who she hurt as long as she got to sit on her throne—

“What do you mean it’s over?”

My steps falter; I press my back against the side of a mountain before I turn the corner. The deep voice grates against my ears. I didn’t expect to hear it again.

Harun?I crouch down, peeking around the ledge. The stocky mercenary stands with five other members of Roën’s crew, all clad in black.

“You heard me.”

When Roën speaks, my hand flies to my heart. He sits on a ledge behind them, exhaustion curving his body toward the ground.

The sight of him releases a pressure I didn’t realize I still held in my chest. His cheeks are sunken and his voice is weak. But he’s alive.

He’s here.

“That’s not going to work,” Harun snarls, revealing his yellowed teeth. “Payment’s already been sent. You can’t stop what you’ve started.”

Though the other mercenaries close in, Roën doesn’t acknowledge them. He takes a flint from Harun’s pocket, struggling to light it with his left hand. His metal arm hangs limp, the stillness only broken by the occasional finger twitch.

“You seem to have forgotten that I don’t like to repeat myself,” Roën says. “I don’t care what’s in motion. Put an end to it. Now.” Roën reaches over to pull a cigarette from another mercenary’s pocket. He sticks it between his teeth, but before he can strike the match, Harun smacks the cigarette to the ground.

“Did she neuter you before or after she cut off your arm?”

His words make my skin hot, but Roën only blinks. His muscles stay taut, like a puppet’s whose strings have been pulled too tight.

“Serves you right.” Harun shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have to feed you lies for you to get the job done.”

Roën blinks, a wave of understanding washing over his face. “You knew Nehanda was lying?” He lowers his voice. “You fed me wrong information on purpose?”

“You’ve gone soft,” Harun says. “You’re not fit to run this crew.” He lights a cigar and sticks it in Roën’s mouth. “Consider this a parting gift. You’re out.”

Harun tenses when Roën raises his hand, but Roën doesn’t strike. He takes a long drag of the cigar, eyes falling closed as he exhales. After a long silence, he gives Harun a nod. Victory shines behind his enforcer’s yellowed smile.

Then Roën strikes.

He moves like the wind, a viper snapping its prey. In one swift motion, Harun is facedown on the ground, Roën’s metal hand pressed to his neck.

“Get off me!”

As Harun squirms, Roën smiles, taking another puff of his cigar. Then he removes it from his lips.

I flinch when he presses the burning tip to Harun’s neck.

Harun thrashes like a fish washed ashore, but the more he flails, the harder Roën pushes. The other mercenaries stand frozen, unsure of what to do. In an instant, I understand the leader Roën’s always been. The reason it took this long for his crew to attempt a rebellion.

“You’ve grown confident in my absence, Harun.” He smiles over his enforcer’s screams. “I like it. A few more years and I might even buy it.”

He removes the cigar and takes another long puff, tipping his head back to savor the smoke. Harun’s body falls limp with relief.

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