65

“No and no,” he says, I can hear a smile in his voice.
“I must be dreaming.”
“ya’re not that creative, Imani.”
Levitation? Gods.
Before I can ask my next question he is placing me down, the exhilarating aura disappearing along with his warmth.
“Wow.” I sigh. “That's so cool.”
The cave is breathtaking; the stream outside the opening of the fissure seems to glow; the fireplace sparkling and crackling orange and red illuminating the cave in a dark glow.
"I hope ya like it." His dark eyes flash up to me again, their expression unreadable.
I’m not sure whether he means the levitation or the cave. I like both.
I grin. "No, it's great.” I mean both.
“ Hmm,” D'ziko says, ducking his head."Are ya hungry?" he asks, turning toward the blanket laid out on the floor.
“All this for me?" I ask. “When did ya get the time to do all this?”
"I called in a few favours. The gatekeepers owe me." D'ziko calls over his shoulder as my eyes wander around the cave; I can't believe something so simple could be so beautiful.
“Come here,” he says motioning with his index finger. He’s sitting cross legged on a blanket.
I walk to his side quickly and take his outstretched hand.
I sit down slowly crossing my legs under me, never once taking my eyes off of him.
“I see we have some salt.” I say. I lean towards him and he stills: his breathing ceases. “D'ziko?” I’m worried.
He gulps.
I breathe a nervous sigh and take his hand in mine. “Can I?”
He nods. He is just as nervous as I am. His eyes close the second I have a pinch of salt in my hand. I sprinkle the salt over his hand and gasp.
D'ziko is astonishing. I can't be sure if I'm simply dreaming, although I’ve been sprinkling salt over his hands all night along, the sight is still surreal. Whenever a grain of salt lands on the smoothness of his tan skin, sparks literally fly, like fireworks into the middle of the night. He sits perfectly still in the blanket, his lids are shut, though they flicker open every few seconds to watch me.
His skin seems to glow for a second before the grains fly in a wonder of orange, pink, blue, green, red, and violet, the colours blending together before exploding in vapour that shimmers like fairy dust.
When this happens his eyes become amused. When I ask, he says, it tickles when the salt touches his skin.
Hesitantly, I reach out with my hand to catch the glittering dust in my palm, thinking it will disappear, instead the glitter lands and tickles on my palm, shimmering for a second before disappearing into thin air.
I marvel at the phenomenal sensation. It is so foreign to me. When I look up again, he is watching me.
"How are ya feeling?" he asks.
"Fine. How are ya feeling?
"Good.”
“ya once said this” -- I gesture to the salt -- “helped ya fight off people from seeing yer face.”
He nods. “Ya see, people are afraid of the unknown. They'd see me explode and run. Everyone knows that fireworks are dangerous, I'm assuming they thought these sparks would hurt them. Only if they know that salt is actually my greatest weakness.”
“What do ya mean?”
“I think whoever killed my mother knew that salt makes us weak with laughter. It's like someone’s trying to tickle ya.”
“But how would anyone know that?”
“Maybe Ma befriended a human or two. I mean, why would she tell anyone what would potentially put others at an advantage of her, if it wasn't someone she trusted?”
I frown. “ I've always wondered how anyone would dare kill a God and succeed at it. Remember we were all Sabonis before Leza died.”
“Ja. I just wish I knew who my mother had befriended. I wish I knew why she'd trust someone like Mawu.”
“What if it wasn't Mawu?”
He sits up straighter. “Who then?”
“Queen Mother,” I say. “Notice, in Noddon the highest deity is the Queen. The King answers to the Queen. Plus she's a woman. I'd think Leza would find it easier to connect with her. They were both pregnant that year. They both lived away from their husbands. They had a lot in common. A whole lot. Leza probably thought she'd found a sister.”
“Kwezi was my mother's killer. It all makes sense.”
“And she's playing her cards just right. She likes being in the background, putting the King on the spotlight. She's our leader. We all know that but she's making us forget. Why is that if she's got nothing to hide?”
“But her brother might have helped. I think she was lying about him being a son.”
“I doubt it. I'm sure ya're encountered him before. His magic essence is weak. His Sabonis essence is weak. He just doesn't struck me as the type to kill someone. He's just in it for the role.”
Sky gatekeeper minokawa is suddenly standing behind D'ziko.
“KaNyamba.” D'ziko greets without opening his eyes.
“D'ziko.” His voice is low and deep as though it is made up of sand and honey that's been put in a blender. It is attractive, trained to lure prey.
“Imani, KaNyamba.” D'ziko introduces us, gesturing casually over my shoulder with his hand.
I’m a bubble of excitement and all things jolly, as though I can crawl out of my skin. Like when I’m high on merryz.
D'ziko flashes a dark look at Ka'Nyamba. “Lower yer waves.”
I frown. Is he doing this?
“Oh,” he mumbles. And then suddenly the feeling disappears. “Sorry.”
“Imani.” KaNyamba says. “Nice to meet ya again.”
“Likewise,” I say, ducking my head.
"When can I invite her over for lunch?" he asks D'ziko.
“KaNyamba, she is not one of yer science experiments,” he hisses.
KaNyamba shrugs waiting for D'ziko to answer.
“No.”
“But D'ziko… she’s human.” And then he turns to me, smiling sweetly. “My abilities affected her, ja but not like how they should've. That's worth investing, no?”
“Ja,” I say.
KaNyamba turns to look at D'ziko. “I’ve never met a shield before.” he continues. “So…can I? Invite her.”
D’ziko's voice is remote. "Soon."
“No, tomorrow. Breakfast. She needs answers,” KaNyamba says and waves a goodbye at me, before I can lift my hand to wave back he’s flapped his enormous wings and disappeared.
I sigh. “What is that about?”
D’ziko just shakes his head.
“It’s dawn already. Do ya want to go home first and then go meet my family or should we just go there first?”
“Mama will ask too many questions. I’m nervous but this meeting is long due. I wanna know why they helped me.”
D’ziko leaps to his feet. “C’mon then. Lets fly.”