Page 35 of Children of Virtue and Vengeance

His words ignite a cheer among the maji that continues as we come face-to-face with a staggering cliff. A tall Grounder steps forward when we approach.

“Elder Kâmaru,” Mama Agba gestures, introducing all of us. A silver nose ring glints against the Grounder’s dark skin. His thick white hair stands straight up in small free-form locs. One of his legs is sculpted fromiron, attached halfway down his right thigh. I step back as he passes, but he stops to bow, iron knee touching the ground.

“The stories don’t do you justice,” he says, making my cheeks flush. Mâzeli steps between us.

“Kâmaru, I don’t care if you’re twice my size. Back off.”

The Grounder smiles as he retreats, his nose ring glinting as he takes position. Kâmaruplaces his large palms against the mountainside, pressing hard into the rock.

“Remember to breathe.” Mama Agba nods, a familiar tone of instruction in her voice. He closes his eyes and releases a deep breath. Then he begins to chant.

“Se ìfé inú mi—”

I don’t move as the incantation rings. It’s been years since I’ve heard the steady rhythms that mark all Grounder incantations.

An emerald glow surrounds Kâmaru’s feet, traveling up to his hands. Sharp cracks ring as his fingers dig into the sturdy rock like hands digging through sand.

“Widen your stance,” Mama Agba calls, and Kâmarusquares his legs. The plants covering the mountainside fall away as the thick tapestry unweaves vine by vine.

Kâmarusteps back as pebbles and dust fall. With a groan, the mountain stone slides apart like a collection of tiles. I hold my breath as sunlight spills into the new, narrow opening, revealing the entrance of a never-ending stairwell. Hope flickers like an ember in my chest.

TheIyikaare far more powerful than we realized.

“Excellent work.” Mama Agba pats him on the back. Her brown eyes shine with excitement, one I haven’t seen from her in years. She steps away, gesturing for us to enter first.

“Go on.” She pushes me onto the first stair. “Welcome to the rebellion.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

AMARI

“WHAT IN THE SKIES…”

My mouth falls open as we exit the long tunnel. Three mountains stand in a triangle, their tops flattened into wide plateaus. They rise so high into the sky it looks like we float above a blanket of clouds. Each mountain holds an assortment of stunning temples and towers crafted from gleaming black stone.

“You built this in a moon?” Tzain squints, and Mama Agba releases a hearty laugh.

“TheIle Ijosinwas created by the original elders centuries ago, the first leaders of the ten maji clans. I was first brought here when I served as elder of the Seers. This sanctuary is nearly as old as Orïsha itself.”

I breathe in the lush vegetation, the sunset blossoms peppering the air. A gushing waterfall flows down the center of the three mountains, creating a natural bath where young divîners splash. In the distance, sharp cliffs rise like stone thorns, poking through the tapestry of clouds. The sight steals my breath. It’s like the war can’t reach us from the ground.

“Over here.” Mama Agba gestures to the looming obsidian tower to our left. Its ten floors stack on top of one another like giant ornaments welded together. “We added a new infirmary, but it still holds the oldmeditation centers and gardens. But on the second mountain we’re in the process of converting old towers to dormitories.”

She points across the stone bridge connecting the two mountaintops. The second mountain is larger than the first, peppered with half-finished structures. As we move toward the dormitories, I’m struck with the memory of Zulaikha walking us through the divîner camp. With its colorful tents and shoddy carts, it was easy to see man’s touch. This place looks like a kingdom crafted by the gods.

“Imagine sanctuaries like this across Orïsha,” I whisper to Tzain. “Imagine cities built this way.”

“When you’re on the throne, we won’t need to imagine anything at all.”

His words make my heart swell, but they also remind me why I’m here. With theIyika’s forces, I can take Mother down. Together, we can build a new Orïsha.

“Before I forget.” Mama Agba grabs Tzain’s arm, turning him toward the third mountain. The tallest of the three, the mountain forms the waterfall’s base. Ten temples stagger along its spiraling cliffs, each one devoted to a different clan. “I was told if you arrived to send you to the Burner Temple. From what I understand, you played agbön against their elder?”

“Kenyon?” Tzain’s face lights up. “He’s here?”

We haven’t seen his old agbön friends since we parted ways after the ritual. If it hadn’t been for them, we wouldn’t have been able to rescue Zélie when she was captured by my father.

“What about the twins?” Zélie asks. “Are Khani and Imani here?”

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