‘Neither am I,’ Alawani added.
‘What?’ L’?r? could not believe her ears. Was he joking? ‘Do you know what I’ve risked, being here? Everything I’ve lost just to save you from this insanity? We are getting you out today.’
Alawani pulled her close to him, and she allowed him to pin her against the wall. ‘L’?r?, I’m begging you. I’m asking you to trust me. I can’t leave.’
The eerily quiet temple grounds felt like a graveyard – and it would be, for them, if they didn’t move fast. From themoment the temple maiden had taken him from her, L’?r? had believed with all her heart that he’d been forced, maybe even manipulated to accept the call. So, hearing him say that he wanted to stay was just not something she could understand. She searched his eyes for signs of the boy she’d raced through the town with all those years ago. The one who was always by her side. He was grown now – different. A voice higher than hers had claimed him and called him Àlùfáà. And he’d said yes.
‘Why am I the only one who cares about leaving this temple alive?’ Kyà hissed at them.
L’?r? shoved Alawani off. ‘I’m giving you a chance to keep your oath. And keep your life!’ She turned on Máywá. ‘Why would you want to die for these gods?’
‘I’m not like him,’ Máywá said, pointing to Alawani. ‘He is the ?m?’ba – the prince of Oru. He is untouchable. If he leaves, even if they catch him, the worst they will probably do is bring him back here in chains. If I defect, the priests will kill my family.’
She knew by the look on Alawani’s face that Máywá’s words had hurt him; even the friend he’d made here didn’t truly accept him.
L’?r? tugged at Alawani’s shirt, ‘Look at me. You leave with me, or I stay here and die with you.’
‘L’?r?, please,’ his voice broke.
‘Even he doesn’t believe you ought to be here,’ she said, glancing at Máywá. ‘What use are you to an Order that doesn’t want you?’
Alawani’s eyes brimmed with tears and L’?r? wasn’t sure if it was her words or Máywá’s, but she saw resignation etch soft lines on his face, and she knew her best friend was coming home with her.
Whatever he was trying to prove would mean nothing ifno one believed he’d earned it, even after surviving his first stripping ceremony.
The temple bells started ringing again, and the door Máywá was leaning on cracked open.
Máywá jumped back, and L’?r? brought out her blades so quickly she didn’t even remember saying the words to awaken them. They glowed red hot in her hands, ready to cut through whoever came through the door.
A young temple servant stood frozen at the door. There was no one behind her, but L’?r? could hear voices and footsteps echoing through the inner halls. The temple buzzed with activity. L’?r? considered tying the servant up and leaving her in the hallway. Before the thought fully formed in her mind, the girl had slumped to the floor. None of them had seen Kyà’s strike coming. They all stared at him.
‘Like I said. I’m leaving,’ Kyà replied to their unspoken question. He shoved the girl back in and closed the door. Then used his agbára to melt off the metal handle.
L’?r? reached for Máywá, whose mouth was still open from shock. ‘We need to split up.’
Máywá looked at Alawani, who still avoided his gaze, then back at L’?r?. He must have realized that they were his only way back to safety, whether or not he approved of their methods. He nodded slowly.
Still addressing Máywá, she said, ‘I’ll take you to the east wall on the other side to reach the tunnels so you can get back inside. You’ll never find the tunnel entrance on your own.’ She turned to Kyà and Alawani. ‘You two need to get horses. You know where the stables are?’
Alawani nodded.
‘Good. I’ll meet you at the maze. If we have a head start, we can be over the bridge before anyone reaches us.’
Alawani finally looked at Máywá, and even though theywere silent, they seemed to communicate in a way L’?r? couldn’t understand. Máywá moved in to embrace Alawani. And L’?r? saw Máywá’s lips move, hearing the softest ‘I’m sorry.’ They held on tightly and whispered the words in unison, ‘May your heart burn like the sun, bright, hot, and undying,’ before pulling apart.
L’?r? and Máywá moved fast and low, close to the temple wall, taking advantage of the shadows cast along its breadth. The entrance to the tunnels where Máywá would sneak back into the temple was on the other side of the building. Slowly, stepping as lightly as they could, they approached the main entrance to the temple. L’?r? surveyed the area. Just around the corner were steps that led to large golden doors – the king’s entrance, which Baba-Ìtàn had said was nearly always sealed shut. Each stair had fire lanterns on both ends, and two huge gold chalices had fire roaring out of them on both sides of the doors. The doors overlooked an open space with an archway that led to the maze. The tunnel was across the open ground in front of the maze. All they had to do was run across the courtyard and hope that the doors remained shut until they were safely on the other side. Then, she could send Máywá into the tunnels, wait for the others in the maze and finally be out of the temple forever.
‘Why don’t we see anyone?’ L’?r? asked. ‘There were at least a few maidens walking around when we came in.’
‘I think that’s intentional. They’ll be watching – so they see us before we see them,’ Máywá said, glancing nervously up at the various sun-shaped windows scattered across the walls.
‘Not if they can’t see at all,’ L’?r? said, looking around her again. ‘Take out those lanterns in front of the doors.’
Máywá peered to see, then pulled back in. ‘I don’t know if I can. The stripping –’
‘They didn’t take it all, right? At least not yet. You should still have some of your agbára until the last stripping ceremony.’
‘Yes,’ he said reluctantly, ‘but I haven’t tried to use it since. I’m afraid it’ll hurt. Why don’t you do it?’
