Page 34 of Ashes of Gold
“Is that one of those homeboy hugs like you do?”
“Something like that.” I usher them inside.
“Speaking of East Row, I have to meet this Ms. Leola you tell me about one day. Is that how I greet her?”
“Nah, you can just take off your hat and say wassup. That’s how the old gangstas do it.”
“Then I’ll write that down somewhere, yes,” he says. His joymakes the brick on my chest sit a little lighter. Moms always said laughter is its own kind of medicine. I’d love for everyone here to meet everyone back home. I mean, we family. But those are dreams floating on the wind, make-believe at this point.
“I was just going over things with Bri. I’m trying to find a spell to restore our people’s magic,” I say.
Bati and Jhamal share a glance.
“The Chancellor is coming, don’t get it twisted,” I say. “This really needs to be our first priority.”
“Very good, then,” Bati says. “Dreams of our people fully wielding magic again have always been just that. Dreams. But if it is as you say, a way, I have no doubt the Ancestors will lead you to it, and us through it.” He bows his head. But because it’s Bati and I know he’s cool, I don’t bite my tongue.
“Please, don’t do that. The bowing thing. We’re homies, Bati. It’s just me, Rue.” I throw an arm over his shoulder.
“Well, we shall see, then,” he says, his tone heavy. “I came to pass word the time for Kowana Yechi is nigh.” His eyes flick to Jhamal.
I elephant ear a page, and Bri winces, muttering, “Use a bookmark,” under her breath.
“Sorry, didn’t think to pack those,” I tease, folding the book I was poring over closed. It’s the last one in the stack from the trunks, and so far, nothing promising. I tap my foot, thinking. What could I have missed? Where else could we look? Bri slides into the convo with her gadget bag snapped closed and shouldered like she’s ready to go somewhere. “Do you have any other books anywhere?”
Bati purses his lips in thought. “The eurostarum had some, but those are more historical. Things I’ve written over the years. Nothing helpful, I fear.”
She might be on to something.There’s got to be a book somewhere on this island with a comprehensive list of spells. Oh, man. That’s it.
“There was Totsi’s Texts,” I say. “That bookstore. She had all sorts of books.” Once for Magical Anatomy class, I needed to learn about the varying uses of pig blood, and she had an entire section in her store on blood magic, curses, and uses. Prohibited ones, too. Those were usually locked away in a trunk disguised as a coffee table, plant, or something. But I learned my first few spells from her shelves.”
“Ah! She did,” Bri says, nodding.
“Did you read the ones in the back of the store?” I ask. “In that private room?” Totsi always had me post up in the back so no one passing by the storefront would spot the only brown girl in the whole City, skipping class no less.
“There was a private room?”
“Yeah, you know, past the history section.”
She shakes her head.
“Well, still, you saw she had books on everything.”
“She did. The only store like it. She had stuff I couldn’t find at the library. I’d never seen anything like it anywhere. Most in the mythology and lore section. I mean, who knew they were actual history books?!”
I remember seeing books about the island before it was colonized, mythology. But they were streaked in red, stamped prohibited. Totsi’s had multiple copies. There could be something there. Ifthe book’s not here… my best chance is getting to Totsi’s to find the spell I need.
“But you can’t be thinking of going there,” Bri says, as if she can read my plotting mind. “Venturing out there, back into the Central District is a death wish, Rue.”
I glimpse Jhamal before turning to Bati. He isn’t going to like this. “Are you sure you don’t haveanythingelse here? We cleared the trunk.”
Bati swirls the white hair on his chin. “No, other than what I gave you both earlier, I’m afraid.” He taps his lips. “Oh, I do have one rather old one tucked away. We have a little time before the sky hangs the moon. If you’d like to look, I can take you both.”
“Bri, would you mind going? I need to talk to Jhamal.” I have to tell him my plan. He’s literally held me up all these months, it’s the least I could do.
“Yeah, of course,” Bri says. “If Bati doesn’t mind.”
“Very well. We go, then.” Bati bows himself out, gesturing for Bri to follow, and they shuffle off out of my room. Jhamal’s hand works its way up to my shoulder, pressing circles into the tension buried there as the door creaks closed. It feels good, but I pull away from him.
