Chapter Eight

A guy that can handle sharp blade without making a mess. Insane.
D'ziko looks intimidating, mysterious, seductive.
He sighs and beckons behind him again. Of course he had a backup plan. He must've known I won't accept his gift.
This time the same lanky boy from my shop comes over to where I'm standing. He hands me another neatly wrapped package but this one is a bit heavier, longer. Then he disappears out of sight.
I unwrap it.
There's another note.
Hope you like this better, enough to find space for it in your collection, the note reads.
It's another knife. Blue and Gold this time. Its handle has two dagger shaped talons. The blade is sharper than anything I've ever made, just the way I prefer my knives. I wish I was seeing it for the first time in daylight, just to see how the sun rays bounce against the blade. I place my finger against the tip of the knife and it cuts my finger so deeply. What the hell?
I place my finger in my mouth and suck on it. He throws a small round thing at me. It a merryz. At first I thought it might be a grape.
How did D'ziko know I'll accidentally cut myself?
I squeeze it's violet juice unto my wound and bite my lip as it heals me. This process is always so damn painful.
"And look," he says, unable to contain his excitement any longer. "When you tag at the talons the small hole underneath releases venom. Plus, like the bakantwa, only you can weld it."
I examine it. Naturally. To no surprise at all, I love it. I don't know if I'll ever use it in a real fight, but I can actually picture myself giving a final blow with it. Plus, it's one of those ancient blades that totally destroys other blades, cuts them in two the second they make contact.
"You engraved it with your magic?" The bakantwa really is the sword of D'ziko. But why hasn't he claimed it? Why wouldn't he want to lead?
He nods.
I frown. "Why?"
His head jerks up. "What?"
"I mean, why didn't you get me flowers?"
"Am I missing something here?"
Staring and silence.
He sighs. "You prefer flowers?"
I shake my head violently. "No. No," I say. "I hate flowers."
He frowns. "Then I don't understand."
"How'd you know what to get me?"
He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. He then staffs his glasses in his back pocket. He clears his throat but doesn't say anything.
I wait breathlessly for him to respond.
"Oh." He looks at me for a long second, then shakes his head. "It's my job to know as much about you as I possibly can. It's the one thing I'm good at."
I look away from him as a smile tags at my lips.
"What is that?" He asks.
I turn around to face at him. "Nothing."
He flashes me a brilliantly white smile and my skin prickles. "You're smiling."
"Of course not."
"Aw, come on, Imani," he says, and his grin widens. "I just wish you'd smile more often. Everything around you significantly brightens when you do."
I want to tell him that he has this thing all wrong. He's the one with a blinding grin. He's the one that made people stop what they were doing to come see him earlier. I close my eyes and bite my bottom lip to keep myself from saying something stupid. When I open my eyes, D'ziko is standing right in front of me.
"Hmm, Imani," he says, his breath fans over my face. I close my eyes again.
I can't even croak out response.
He picks up my hand, turns it over and kisses my palm. "Go on a date with me," he says. "Please...?"
"Uhm," I say, completely incoherent.
"Tell me that's a yes," he begs.
I nod. Then open my eyes.
"Is tomorrow after school good?" he comes closer. And looks into my eyes. "Say around four?"
"Ja," I say. My voice comes out breathless. "Yes, absolutely. Yes. Yes. Yes."
"Great," he says and steps away from me. "So what are you doing out here in the dark?"
I pick up my shovel and as I start digging, anxiously hoping the soil was softer so I'd get done with the grave sooner, D'ziko rolls the sleeves of his pullover and says, “My mother taught me better as a man than to let a woman do a job herself when I can help." He stretches out his hand. "Allow me...?"
I want to refuse and tell him I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself but I suspect he already knows this. And is not the type that takes no for an answer.
He takes my shovel and digs the grave. He's done in minutes. He buries the cat and I pick a couple of roses and lay them on top.
D'ziko gestures to the grave, but hesitates."Ya aren't the one killing these kitties, are ya?"
I give a startled choking noise. "There's been others?"
"Ja," he says. He disposes the shovel, backs up and wipes his hands over his cloak. "I've seen three already. Fourth one this."
"Why would anyone kill these peaceful creatures?"
"For their blood, of course," he says through clenched teeth. "Everyone knows drinking cat blood prolongs life. Nine lives, remember?"
He's staring at me with the strangest expression. His brows are creased and lips parted. Then he lifts his hand, places it on the back of my neck and tags me to him. He dips his head and whispers. "I'll see you in the morning."
I'm frozen for about a minute after he's gone, clutching my hand to my neck where he'd touched me. My chest keeps constructing.
"Hey, Brownie," the neighbour Kamva says from across the yard. She works at the royal palace. "I'm going to the shop down by the road, ya need anything?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks."
She smiles and waves. I mimic her.
I walk back to the house. Kaseke is praying under Leza's portrait. I can't see Mama in the lounge. I check our small green kitchen. She's not here. She must be in bed already.
Our house is not big. It's a two bedroom house. It was all I could afford. At least I got us out of Grandma Noma's house. I sleep in the storage room near the back door. It fits only a single bed and small dresser. Most of my clothes are in Mama's room.
I gather my bathroom supplies and head back out. Our bathroom is an outdoor shack building that is as large as my bedroom. Once I've dyed my hair blue, I take a shower. I don't stay long as the water is ice cold. The geyser burst last week. I'm saving every penny to get it sorted out. Including D'ziko's F300. He's not getting it back.
Too tired to do much else, I pull on my pajamas and hop into bed.
When I wake up in the morning, the sun is glaring at me. I groan and pull the cover right up over my head. Bits and pieces of yesterday keep trickling into my sleep weakened mind. I remember stealing the Bakantwa (Hell ues!) but then I also remember it burning me and unearthing the essence thief. Who might this person be? Why is he stealing the magic? How is he doing it seeing as the sword's magic dies in another's use? He's probably watching me right now, following me, planning to steal the Bakantwa's magic essence. Only, he'll come to his death if he tries. I know he'll try.
Then my brains refuses to focus on the thief any longer. It moves straight to D'ziko.
D'ziko.
I jump out of bed. Today I have a date with him. I quickly get ready for school. When I'm done, I make my way to the kitchen. Kaseke meets me in the hallway and he nods once at me. I smile at him. He groans. And side hugs me. He smells like soap and hair gel. He never speaks until he's had his fix of special coffee. It's coffee-beans mixed with a healthy dose of gin.
We find Mama at the stove, flipping pancakes. She's making them the way Papa always preferred.
There's a cup of coffee on the table. Kaseke goes straight for it. He pours in his gin and sits down.
The second she spots me, she asks, "Ya not taking the bakantwa to school are you?"
"Nah." A lie. It's hidden under my steels.
"I won't find it under that ridiculous armour now, will I?" she asks. She's wearing the same steels as me and so she knows there's a secret component that hides a sword.
She stares at me. She waits.
My palms sweat. “No mama.”
She sighs. "Good. I bet you can't wait to finally move into the mansion. I know, I can't."
The mansion was specially built for the bakantwa owner.
No, but I tell her what she needs to hear. "Ja, Mama, and move out of this dump."
I need to get out of here before she mines the truth out of me. It's her specialty.
"I'll go there and make sure the place is all cleaned up nice for you." She smiles without showing teeth. "The minute I had you, I always knew you were destined for greatness."