‘He’s in my mind too,’ Alawani said. ‘He’s getting desperate.’
L’?r? jerked up, ‘What’s he saying? Are you okay?’
‘I’m fine. His voice has been in my mind for long enoughthat I know how to tune him out,’ Alawani said. ‘Nothing he says will stop us from getting out of this kingdom.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said.
Alawani shook his head, ‘My grandfather’s problems with me started long before you. Like you, I’ve considered going back and putting an end to all this, if only to save those we left behind, but as long as he keeps trying to hurt you, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you away from him.’
L’?r? smiled at that.
‘I love you,’ he said, with his hand on his chest. ‘I hope you know that. I hope you know that I’ve loved you from – well, I don’t remember when I started loving you, but it doesn’t matter because I don’t remember not loving you.’
His hands roamed from her neck to her hair and she leaned into his touch, allowing him to distract her from her nightmares. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him. He put his hand around her waist and pulled her closer.
‘I love you too,’ she whispered between breaths.
Something loud crashed outside, sending echoes and vibrations through their cell, and they jumped, scrambling apart and then together in a tight embrace. The shakes quelled, and L’?r? said, ‘Do you think it’s the storm?’
‘Maybe,’ Alawani said. ‘We need to get out of here.’
‘We already tried the door, there’s just one exit,’ L’?r? said, and Alawani put his hands over his face and groaned. Earlier, he’d tried using his agbára to melt the metal door but his agbára had burned him. They figured the doors were spelled with old magic just like the cuffs had been. Luckily, Rmí the guard had taken off their cuffs when he tossed them in, so Alawani was able to light up the cell occasionally.
‘When that door opens next, we attack whoever comes through. We can’t spend another day rotting in here. We’ll miss our chance,’ Alawani said.
L’?r? didn’t respond. She just rubbed his thighs to ease his nerves. If he got nervous then so would she. Again. And she was just about out of hope.
Alawani chuckled dryly. ‘Imagine if they knew they’d locked up the Queen of Oru in a dungeon.’
‘Don’t call me that,’ L’?r? said, playfully punching him.
‘I can hardly believe it,’ he said. ‘L’?r?, Queen of Oru. And to think Baba-Ìtàn kept this a secret.’
‘I think that’s the craziest part to wrap my head around,’ L’?r? said.
‘Do you want to be queen?’
‘Of this land trying to kill me? No. Not even a little bit. What do I know about ruling a kingdom? What do I know about anything? I’m just trying to not die.’ Then she added, ‘If I could though, the first thing I’d do is end the Àlùfáà trials.’
‘Then our agbára would disappear. Maybe not immediately, but over time, new generations would be born without it and it’ll be the end of our connection to the gods.’
‘Curse the gods,’ L’?r? said indignantly. ‘I’m sure there are other ways.’
‘After a thousand years, I doubt it,’ Alawani said.
‘I want nothing to do with this. The crown, the throne. None of it.’
‘We didn’t know it then but leaving at the time we did was the best decision we could have made. If you were anywhere near the capital when they figured out who you truly were, we may not have made it this far.’
‘I can’t believe my birth father is the Lord Regent. I can’t believe he’s trying to kill me,’ L’?r? said quietly.
‘I think we’ve got my grandfather to blame for that. The Lord Regent doesn’t seem like someone who wouldn’t at least want to meet with you.’
‘You can’t expect me to believe that the Holy Order is doing all this on its own. The Lord Regent knows and rules everything. Milúà has been hunting us like dogs, and your grandfather has been tormenting our dreams. Who do you think sent them all?’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ he said.
‘I guess whatever he felt for my mother died with her,’ L’?r? said dryly.
