She choked out a question. ‘I’ll return to the temple. But how will you take my powers?’
Àlùfáà-Àgbà’s eyes narrowed. ‘The Red Stone.’
Of course.Of course. A stripping. A gamble. There was no way to know if she’d survive. But if she could save her father and Kyà … ‘Swear to me that if I give you my agbára, you won’t kill me, and you’ll let them go free.’
Àlùfáà-Àgbà grinned. ‘You have yourself a deal. I swear by the gods of the sun and sands, by the light of agbára oru. Your agbára for your father and your friend.’
The clouds lit up with bolts of lightning, followed by a rumble of booming thunder. L’?r? felt her heart grow heavy in her chest, and then a sharp pain surged through her, and she screamed.
‘Hold her down,’ she heard a voice say as someone’s hands pinned her to the floor.
The sound of her own screams filled her head.
‘L’?r?, calm down, L’?r?, I’m here. It’s me. L’?r?!’
L’?r? opened her eyes to see Alawani above her, and for half a heartbeat, she saw the flicker of his grandfather’s face in his, and kicked him off. She jumped off the bed and crawled to the wall. Eyes closed. She whispered, ‘Wake up, wake up, wake up.’
A figure knelt before her, and only when L’?r? heard Ìyá-Idán’s voice did she slowly open her eyes and look around the room.
On the bed, Alawani still held his stomach. Groaning, he asked, ‘What happened?’
L’?r? couldn’t stop the tears from falling. She crumbledinto the woman’s arms, wailing and sobbing. ‘I – He – I thought I was going to die.’
‘Shh …’ Ìyá-Idán said, rubbing her head and holding her close. ‘It’s over now. It’s over. You’re safe.’
Alawani joined them on the floor, and L’?r? moved to his side.
L’?r?’s lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. She tried to speak, but the words would not come. She broke into sobs, heaving in his arms as he embraced her. ‘What have I done? What have I done?’
‘It’s going to be okay,’ Alawani breathed.
‘No! It’s not.’
‘Who did you see?’ asked Ìyá-Idán.
L’?r? placed her hand on her chest, feeling the pain thudding in her heart as fear and panic raced through her veins. L’?r? met the woman’s gaze and wondered if the mother of magic could feel the magic that had been used on her.
L’?r? turned to Alawani, ‘It was your grandfather.’
‘What did you see?’ Ìyá-Idán asked frantically.
L’?r? shook her head. ‘He showed me Baba-Ìtàn and Kyà,’ she sobbed. ‘He hurt them.’
Alawani wiped her tears. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’
‘What did he want?’ Ìyá-Idán said as she rose from the floor.
‘He said he’ll spare Baba-Ìtàn and Kyà if …’ L’?r? said, turning away from Ìyá-Idán.
‘If what? What did you agree to?’ Ìyá-Idán said knowingly.
L’?r? shook her head but didn’t speak.
‘That man would never offer something like that without a heavy price. What did you say?’
L’?r? opened her palms, and the blueish-white light of agbára òtútù glowed through. ‘I offered this for my father and Kyà,’ she said, looking up at this woman. ‘It’s my powers he wants, stripped from me on the Red Stone.’
‘No!’ Alawani shouted. ‘I won’t let you do that. You can’t.’ He glanced from her to Ìyá-Idán and back to her. ‘L’?r?, you can’t trust him. You’re not going back. And most of all,’ he let out a dry laugh, ‘you’re not going back to the stripping ceremony you saved me from. This is ridiculous.’ He turned to Ìyá-Idán. ‘Tell her she can’t do this.’
