53

She wobbles to her feet and wipes the blood with the back of her hand. “Wait, please, I can explain.”
“Ya have one minute,” I say.
She starts retreating, shaking her head, eyes as big as saucers. “Is this...but that's…what is D'ziko doing here. Oh Gods.” She faints.
“Give me yer shoelaces.” Mondo.
He joins them together and then ties Queen Mother's hands behind her back and her feet together.
Luleka watches over her while D'ziko and Mondo bury the cat with leaves and sticks. I look around, on the watch out for anything out of place. For the King. Aren't they hunting together.
“Hey guys,” Luleka shouts. “She's waking up.”
“It's bettered if ya disappeared,” Mondo says to D'ziko and he nods, easily darting into the forest.
Queen Mother starts looking around frantically. “I thought I saw...weren't ya--”
Luleka glares at her. “Ya've been killing cats.”
“They help me stay yang.”
I walk up to her, frowning. “How old are ya, really?”
“Three centuries and six.”
“What?” I say. Right now she doesn't look a day older than thirty. “So ya and Mawu each--”
“Mawu is just a boy. He's twenty-nine.”
I press my sword against her throat. “Lies.”
Queen Kwezi gulps. “May the Gods be my witness.”
“But ya're twins, isn't?” I ask.
“Mawu is my son.”
I press the sword harder against her, warm blackish blue blood oozes out. “Lie again and yer throat separates from yer body.”
Luleka gives me a worried glance, hesitating. “Ya aren't really gonna kill her, are ya?”
I glare at the Queen. “I saw Mawu with claws all over his face.”
“He got them from a Jungle. He was at Elder Mdu's house to steal the olhelth plant. His wife was extremely sick.”
“Olhelth?” I say, “but didn't the Queen have wisa?”
“What? No. She was cursed by the Gods after she tried to poison all her sister wives and their children.”
Bullshit.
Mondo narrows his eyes. “So ya not the Essence Thieving?”
“Do I look like someone who'd care about stealing magic essence?”
A pause then Luleka says, “What do we do now?”
“Is it even a questioning?” Mondo takes out his sword. “Kill her.”
“Please don't kill me."
"I'll consider that if you step down as Queen."
She hesitates.
I swing my arm.
Her eyes widen. She shrinks away. "Stop, stop. Please. Okay, I'll do it. I'll step down."
I lower my sword.
Mondo shakes his head. “Have ya lost yer mind?”
I don't answer, I just untie the Queen, take my shoelaces and make my way out of the forest.
Mondo follows me, mumbling complaints all the way to my bedroom. It's gonna be a long night.

Chapter Twenty-Two


When morning comes again, fog accompanies her. Today I wake up sweat soaked. I had a terrifying nightmare about my mother turning into a horned beast and chasing me through the evil forest.
I walk to the bathroom to shower and change. When I come back D'ziko is awake too. He's ready for the road.
"ya're going to the braai?" he asks as he fluffs the pillows.
"Ja." I laugh nervously but he's not discouraged by my week reply.
He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
I can't imagine what it's like for him. Living in fear everyday. Scared to interact with his people. Scared they might want to kill him. Confined to a life of solitude.
"I'm sorry," I say, walking over to stripe the bedding with him. Soon blue sheets replace the white, and brown pillowcases replace the pink.
"So am I," he says as he carries the pile of dirty bedding to the laundry basket in the bathroom.
There's a knock at the door. Before I can ask who it is, Kaseke calls out to me.
"Steel," he says. "I'm here to escort ya to breakfast."
I choke on my saliva and I scramble to get ready before my brother's patience thins.
"Well..." I hesitate. "Give me a minute."
D'ziko comes back to the room and he helps me into my necklace. His fingers linger on the curve of my neck and I can't help myself, I close my eyes and gasp, hoping he doesn't notice.
If he does, he doesn't say so. He just turns me so that I'm looking at his eyes.
"How beautiful ya are." I can hear his smile. His face inches closer to mine, his eyes don't leave my chin, nose or is he looking at my lips? He touches my face, delicate as always. Those lean fingers curve my lips and they part on a breath.
"ya're handsome too," I say breathlessly.
He smiles at me. It's so easy to 'see' when he smiles now. Even under his black mask.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Close yer eyes," he instructs. "Don't open them until I tell ya to."
I nod. "Okay."
His hands are off me but they return in seconds. D'ziko guides my hands to his face. He got rid of the mask.
I smile as I trail his lips curved into a smile.
"How do ya kill a God?" I ask.
Admittedly, this is the most inappropriate thing I could ask in this moment. In fact, no moment could ever be right for this kind of question.
His smile disappears. "ya take out the heart and freeze it."
Freeze it? As in put it in a refrigerator? Bury it in snow? I shake my head. I don't want to think about D'ziko's body, cold and motionless with the loss of life. I want him just the way he is now. Breathing the same air as me. And warm like a summer day.
I place a hand over his chest. It takes a minute but soon our hearts find the same rhythm.
"I will always warm yers," I say. "As long as the breath still fills my lungs, I will keep yer heart warm, okay D'ziko?"
"Hmm..." his voice softens. "I like the sound of yer voice." He touches his lips to my temple. "I like yer smile." His lips lower to my eyes. "I love the way ya hold me now." He kisses my cheek. "I like how I feel when ya touch me." He kisses my nose. "I love ya, okay?"
His lips hover over mine now. I can almost taste him. He sandwiches my face and I tense up in anticipation.
"Steel!" Kaseke. "What the hell is going on here? Who the hell is this?
It takes D'ziko and I a moment to realise that the reason Kaseke's voice sounds so close is because he's found us. He's in the room with us.
D'ziko and I jump apart. Thankfully he has his back to the door and when my eyes open, D'ziko is facing the wall, putting his mask back on.
Kaseke stands with his back to me. He's facing D'ziko, craning his neck in hopes he might get a glimpse of D'ziko's face. I can't risk my brother looking at D'ziko's face. His visions depend on his sight. Though the Essence Thief stole Kaseke's gift, I'll get it back. My brother clutches the doorknob in half surprise, half anger and half disappointment.
This hurts the most. I can stand him being angry at me. I can't stand Kaseke being disappointed in me. It's unacceptable and I will do anything to make things right again between us.
"Steel!" Kasske says, in unguarded horror. "There's a guy in yer room. He was about--what is he doing here, anyway?"
For a moment I'm tempted to just pull him inside and tell him everything. But anyone could walk in, anyone could see D'ziko and we'd both be in trouble. I hear guards coming down the hallway, toward my room. My stomach rolls.
I focus on taking long, slow breaths. Everything will be fine. Kaseke won't rat on me.
My only problem now is explaining what a guy is doing in my bedroom when I'm supposed to be single, not just any guy but D'ziko. I know Kaseke will understand. He will understand why I didn't tell him, right? Right?
I skip toward Kaseke, eyes narrowed. My brother's glare is solid on D'ziko and my life mate can't decide what to do. Look Kaseke in the eye or keep his eyes at his feet. He settles with the latter.
I would be looking at my feet too, if Kaseke was looking at me like that. I'm just surprised he hasn't punched something, or worse yet, someone.
The sudden stiffness in the air hits me with shock, and for a second I hesitate but just for a second. The next second I'm at the door, pulling my brother toward me.