Get to Lyle.
What the hell is going on?
Tie down my boat.
Why does she have Nana Ama’s cuffs? Did Ada invite her here?
She’s not ready to lead.
I tried everything to push the thoughts out. They were coming at me fast and hard.
This girl can’t run this island. I’ll get Lyle off again. And then I’ll take care of her.
My steps halted, that stream of thought different, more treacherous, than the others infiltrating my mind.
Meanwhile Effie grinned horribly. She was enjoying the fear snaking from her to all the people approaching, as sick and poisonous as the kwandamu that she inflicted on the people on the mainland.
“Surprised to see me?” Effie grinned, looking around like she was taking in the scenery.
My mind whirred with questions. How had Effie gotten here? Had I really failed the island so much as to not consider the protections at all? I had, whether the protections held or not. I had failed the island.
Maybe Awuraa Effie will do what Ama could not. Keep Golden Isle pure with only Kinfolk. Build our power. Keep outsiders out. Keep that damned child from inheriting the throne. A new Abotisa, with me as the lady’s counsel.
I gritted my teeth as I heard James’s snake voice.
Effie bared her teeth in an ugly smile, the length of them making the growing crowd gasp and fall back. These were things they hadn’t seen. It was one thing to believe Nana Ama and me were medicinal women with direct lines to the gods, the founders of the island; it was another thing altogether to see the teeth and glowing red eyes in the light.
“This place,” she drawled, advancing toward me slowly, methodically, like she was stalking me. “This little island is quaint. I shall be comfortable here when I do some… renovating.” She knelt down, placing her slender fingers on the ground. She dipped her head, turning it to the side, listening.
“This island lives,” she said, practically purring. “How is this so?”
“You have what you want, Effie,” I finally said. “You have the cuffs. Just go. Leave the island alone. This is not your home.”
Effie’s eyes flashed at me. “Any place I am is my home. No one will ever tell me what I can or cannot have again.”
She rose from her kneeling position.
“You let your little pets have too many liberties here. They do not see you as their leader, Addae. Let your rightful grandmother take the burden from you. I will get everyone back on track. Restore the order of what a queen’s kingdom should be.”
“Stay back!” I commanded the Kin.
She held her hand out, and one of the Kin, a man, was lifted off his feet. His legs pumped in the air, finding no ground to stabilize himself on. His arms flailed as he was brought close to her.
“Stop it!” I yelled. I launched myself at her in an attempt to break her focus and release the man. I crashed into her, propelling her into the trunk of the tree behind her. The tree shook violently, the leaves rustling and falling, a storm of foliage. Effie grunted at my impact, pinned between me and the tree.
Effie looked at me incredulously, her eyes blinking as she sought to understand where my strength and speed had come from, realization hitting her that I had done it.
Behind us, Sekou finally arrived with Lyle and approached, yelling at the rest of the Kin to fall back. They obeyed, bumping into one another in an attempt to get out of Effie’s line of fire.
With a push of strength, Effie overpowered me. She flicked her hand and threw the Kin man, smashing him into one of the peach trees.
I launched at her again, and we tumbled backward, heading fast toward the cliff at speeds I couldn’t clock, fast enough for the wind to cut as we fought each other for control. I had to keep heroff track, unbalanced, and not knowing what was coming next. That was the only way I could win this, I thought. Throw her off before she had a chance to react and recover.
With one final, massive shove, I sent Effie careening off the edge of the cliff, her arms outstretched to me, her red eyes glowing and scared. She keeled backward and screamed as she went over. The wind reduced and everything was still.
I dropped to my knees, my chest heaving in and out, pulling in mouthfuls of air. My hands hung at my sides.
The first thing to come from the void was a streak of lightning. It shot up from the darkness into the air. Everyone dropped except me. Another bolt zipped its way past us, striking the ground. Beneath me the ground bucked, the island groaned, reacting to the attack on it.
