Chapter Thirty

I frown at the pair of them. Luleka frowns back. Mondo averts his eyes. I smile.
“So ya guys searched for me? As a team?” I point at them. “Sweet.”
“Haha.” Mlondo sets down her muffin and gulps some coffee. “Not funny bones.”
Luleka stares out the window.“Sorry. I. My step mother and her youngest daughter died last night.”
My heart falls like a brick. Dead? But how? Why? Luleka keeps shifting uncomfortably in her chair. I try to meet her gaze, to let her know that I'm here for her because I don't know what to say to her otherwise.
Mondo shakes his head. “But why isn't there a ceremony sending them off. Royals always get special treatment when they die as though their souls aren't condemned to the Gods. “
“I don't know.” Her body twists in misery like a wounded animal. “Father buried them himself. They're bodies were too sick for public view.”
Luleka looks at me now. I feel her gaze heat my insides like a fire set ablaze. I fidget with my hands. She waits for me to look at her. Somehow, I do. “Something doesn't sound right. Ya sure they're dead?”
She holds my gaze. Her smile is sad. “Her bedroom door is open for the first time in two years. She's gone.”
After nearly a minute of silence, Mondo frowns. And says: “I didn't know yer yanger sister was sick.”
“And neither did I.” Luleka's jaw hardens.
Goosebumps line my arms. I feel dread at her answer, though I can’t say why.
My eyes are heavy. I close them and take a breath.. Then open them. “I was attacked by two creatures last night.”
Mondo sits up straight. “They had maggots and pus and everything. Disgusting.”
“One was yang.” I look them both in the eyes. “Another was older.”
Silence.
Oh Gods. Oh Gods. I clutch my chest, rocking from side to side.
“Oh, sweety,” Mondo says. She takes me in her arms, and I burst into tears.
Luleka takes my hand and squeezes it. “I think the Queen had Wisa.”
I pull back. “What?”
Luleka nods. “That would explain the maggots. The insanity. The thirst for human blood. Besides, a sexual disease like that is possible with the king having so many partners.”
We hear the Queen Mother trailing complaints and orders down the hallway. Her voice keeps getting louder, closer.
“Goddess Imani.” Queen Mother.
“Ja,” I say. I get up and wipe my tears just as the Queen enters.
“We must leave.” She frowns at me. “Ya're a Goddess now. I hope those weren't tears. People in power shouldn't be weak.”
I hold my chin higher. "I wasn't crying."
“Good. Now let's go.”
“Where are ya going?” Luleka asks.
Queen Mother snatches my wrist and pulls me behind her. Just as the carriages pull off the driveway, I shout for my new friends to meet me at the royal mansion, should they need me.

A week into living at the Royal mansion, I wake to King Father is standing above me. He's clearly been waiting a while. He keeps tapping his foot and fidgeting with the hilt of his sword.
I shoot out of bed, alarmed. I'm creeped out. The King was watching me sleep. Why didn't he just wake me up?
I don't like the expression on King Father's face. I've never seen him so frustrated. So helpless. So rattled.
"What do ya want?" I ask quietly.
"I'm sorry." His voice is cold. "There's an emergency."
My throat dries. "Did someone die?"
"No."
"Is Leza back from the dead?"
"No."
I'm struck by a terrible realisation. "Then it's not an emergency?"
I sit down to think but immediately jump backup. My world spinning.
"There's a terrorist attack," he says.
I bolt toward the window where I threw my steels last night. I find my armour first and throw it on, then pack my fake sword into place. He has my full attention now. For a minute, neither of us moves. He waits for me to process the news. I tentatively run a hand over my face.
"How'd they get into Noddon?" My brow creases. "Is it a Saboni?"
How could they find our village.
"No. It's one of us." His voice shakes.
I take a breath. "Who?"
He sits at the edge of my bed and sighs. He looks worn. I'm sure he's not conscious of his actions right now. His thoughts are on far more important things.
"We don't know but it's the same guy that got the essence sword years ago."
I think for a moment. "Doesn't Sir Ayize remember who it was?"
King Father pulls himself up. He groans as if his joints are sore. He opens my door and leans on the frame, feet tapping wildly on the expensive flooring.
"No. The person got ahold of the sword when Sir Ayize was at the toilet."
16:45.
Now I'm even more worried. If more and more people know about this then there should be extra security at Sword Universe. I wouldn't have been able to exchange the swords had there been cameras in there.
Although there are wendigos standing guard, they only stand on the streets waiting for someone to report a crime or on the rare chance that they see something themselves.
"Gather yer man. Meet me at the office. In five." I walk towards the bathroom and stand at the door. "Wait, do I even have an office."
"Yes, Goddess Imani."
"Good." I pause. "Order me at least 15 crows. Kwaito as well." Kwaito is one of the most gifted people in Noddon. He links the crows to their owners.
"Kwaito?" His tone darkens. "What do ya want with him?"
"If ya get a move on, wouldn't ya find out sooner?" My voice is short.
A split second of thought and he says, "Yes, Goddess Imani."
He scuffles out the door.
Royal servants pour into my room a minute later. They hang up pretty dresses in my closet, purple, red, black, blue, white, green dresses.
"What, no pink dresses?" I ask.
They look at each other.
"Pink is just way too...girly?" One of the maids say. I've never seen her before. "People won't take ya seriously. ya're a Goddess now."
"Right." My voice grows even harder.
"Four servants follow me to the bathroom. I stop and slowly turn around.
"I'm going to bath. Where are ya going?"
They look astonished.
Onele is the only one ballsy enough to speak. "To help ya with yer bath, Goddess."
"Help?" I move toward them. "Like ya would a child?"
"Yes." But suddenly she looks unsure.
"And I just sit in the bath, doing what?"
They still look shocked, like I should already know the answer. "Relaxing."
Something about what they're saying bothers me. A socket of dread opens in my stomach. This whole thing doesn't sound right. It is not right.
"Do ya girls participate in the Reed Ceremony?"
Onele looks bewildered. She glances at the other three girls and shakes her head. "No."
I'm not pleased by this information. Everything should be by choice. Having a magic sword is by choice, not participating in the Reed ritual should be by choice. It doesn't look like these girls have much choice in these walls.
"Why?"
They look at their feet. Ashamed.
I clear my throat. "So, these baths, does the King also need help bathing, too?"
"Yes." They frown at me, it's like they think I'm trying to be difficult, or I'm being stupid on purpose.
"So does the princes also get these wonderful baths?" I don't know if they can detect the sarcasm but if they do they don't show it.
"Yes."
"Right," I say. "On whose orders?"
Onele hangs her head and runs her sweaty palms on her short skirt. When she looks up again, her body shakes--hands, arms, lips. "Queen Mother."
I turn back to the bathroom and still they follow me.
"Go eat breakfast or something. Just don't come to my bathroom. I can wash myself. I have two capable hands."
Onele hesitates. "Are ya sure?"
I nod and force a smile to reassure her. "Tell ya what, get me all the servants at 1800 hours. I need to have a word with ya all."
"Okay." Her chin wobbles.
Onele turns and leaves. All the other Royal servants follow her, looks of fear on their faces. I am alone in the room with one Royal servant. She's pawing through my dresses, giving orders on her phone, ordering a pink dress and some wigs and hair straighteners. The nametag says Gcina.
After I'm done showering, the girls help me with my makeup and braid my hair so that the silky waist-length blue wig can look as natural as my own hair. I survey myself in the mirror. I like this new me. A girl that's always been there, suppressed by lack of money. I'm free.
I flip my borrowed hair over my shoulder. I've always wanted to do that. The girls smile.
"I do look pretty, don't I?" The idea is so ridiculous I can't stop myself from laughing.
Gcina pops some fries into her mouth. "Beautiful, yes, Goddess Imani," she says, her voice garbled by food.
"Girls, it's okay to be pretty. We're not all beautiful on the outside." I walk up to the youngest and place my hand over her pounding chest. She startles. "The only beauty that matters comes from here. Would ya agree?"
"Yes, Goddess."
"I'll see ya ladies in the evening."
They bow as I make my exit.

I emerge in a hallway so wide eleven of the biggest elephants can fit horizontally without stepping on each other. It is lined with stone doors.
I pause and shout, "Guards."
Several come running down the hall. They reach my feet and bow.
"Take me to my office," I say.
They lead the way forming a human shield around me. I want to roll my eyes. What could hurt me here? Who would dare? But my thoughts quickly silence. There's a terrorist. Someone capable of great malice or great violence. Someone capable of bringing us to our knees. Someone capable of making us Saboni.