Yishume nesishiyagalolunye

I stood outside of my girlhood room and hesitate slightly before knocking on the door. I was getting eaten up by an intense feeling of guilt about what happened to my best friends. I don't recall a lot of what happened after I ran into the forest. What I will never forget is the sight of my best friend and proxy brother tied to a wooden post like a dog and drenched in his own blood. That image will be burnt into my mind forever.

I knocked twice on the door and when I moved to knock a third, the door swung open. Two muscular arms wrapped around me and brought me into a suffocating embrace.

"Sa…amm. Saa…m," I wheezed out. He mumbled something into my hair, but I couldn't make out what it was. I tapped his shoulder and he finally let me go and put me back on the ground. I scanned his face and saw that he was still scratched up and a bit bruised. At least he was up and walking around – that was a good sign.

"Jeg beklager at jeg forårsaket deg smerte, bror," I cried out, I could barely meet his eyes.

"Nei, Nikky, Nie," he said. He lifted my head to meet his eyes. His crystal blue eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. He kissed the crown of my head once more before bringing me into the room. He wiped away my tears and said, "You did not do this, Nikky, this is not your fault."

I bit the inside of my cheek. I knew he was set in his opinion about me never being at fault, but I knew that I should have been there to protect him like I promised I would. I looked behind him to see where Lissa was. Where was she? I wondered.

"Sammy, Where is Lissa?" I asked. He said that she was out on the balcony. I squeezed his shoulder and moved towards the balcony. Lissa looked gorgeous. She was wearing a floor-length satin dress with bead word along her waist and up her back. It was probably due to the humidity in the air if so, I had never been more thankful for the weather in my life. I walked up behind her, grazing the base of her spine. She stiffened for a second and then relaxed under my touch. She turned her head and met my eyes. Her usually vibrant lilac eyes had dimmed into an eerie lavender.

"Lissa, what's wrong?" I asked. She looked at me with an unplaceable look. I raised my eyebrow up at her. She bit her lips and looked out at the forest again. I moved closer to her, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her shoulder softly. She turned in my arms, shaking her head and putting on a forced smile. I tried to ignore the weird feeling in my gut, but she silenced those thoughts with her lips.

I allowed myself to submit into the kiss and enjoy the warmth of her touch. She grabbed my face and kissed me more passionately than she had in a while. I brought her closer to me and felt her sigh into our kiss. I felt lightheaded and my heart pounding and when I realized that I felt scared. I realized that what happened to Sammy could have easily happened to her. I was losing control. I needed to get stronger so I could ensure their safety. Because as much as I respected my ancestors, I couldn't sacrifice my family. I would rather be stripped of all of my gifts than lose Melissa or Samuel to the anti-ghost bigots.

I needed to find out who was the real person behind the attack on Sammy and if they stumbled on him by chance or if there was something more to it. I could not allow them to wander around unchecked and risk either of them getting into more danger. I pulled back from our kiss and brought her securely into my arms. I kissed the crown of her head.

"I don' feel safe here, Nik," she whispered into my neck. I squeezed her slightly. I didn't reply. I couldn't reply or think of anything to say. I just wanted her to feel safe and happy and with every second, I felt like a failure. I needed to step up my game. I had a plan, but I needed to get outside of the territory without having the Mpande pride or any other interested parties knowing where I was going. I knew who to go to for this, but he was off the grid and not the biggest fan of the current kings.

"It'll be okay, schatje. I will make it all okay," I said firmly. I looked into her eyes and kissed her once more before whispering once more, "I promise.

--

I have already concocted an idea of how I was going to get the three of us out of the territory but first I had a meeting with Junaid and Riley to find out what the hell happened to my brother seven years ago. I was already having trouble calming my heartbeat, but it was pointless. Whatever they had to say would only compound the effect.

I knocked on the solid mahogany double doors before being invited into the office by Junaid.

"Chief," I said respectfully. He motioned for me to sit down. Riley was already in the seat to my left, so I slipped into the one beside her. She looked smaller than I remember her ever being. Given the fact that she was a child when we met, that is saying a lot.

"Nbtombazane, Riley tells me that she has finally opened up about your brother, yes?" He asked. He was shifting in his seat and that only made me more uncomfortable. I looked at Riley, but she refused to meet my eyes.

"Ewe, tata, I told her," she interjected.

The Chief gave her a pointed look, under which she shrunk further, before looking at me for confirmation. I nodded in agreement. At this, he straightened his posture and exhaled deeply.

"I am sorry that you that you had to hear it like this," he said. I bit my cheek. I wanted to be angry at him but with the flood of thoughts all vying for my attention, I couldn't find the energy to muster up anger for the elderly man in front of me. I simply nodded at him.

"Maleek was a great young man with a lot of promise but life has a way of putting too much on the shoulders of the strongest among us. In the end, it was too much for him," he spoke as if he was delivering a long overdue eulogy but only this was his poor excuse of an explanation and it pissed me off. Still, I remained quiet and let his words waft in the air, untouched.

"Why would you tell me he was killed… chief?" I finally asked. It was weighing heavy on my chest, but I knew that any hopes of answers would be in payment for my patience, so I waited for twenty fucking seconds before Junaid finally spoke.

"I did not want to bring shame onto your family's name. I ensured that your brother died a hero instead of a coward. This was the least I could do for you and your father, who in many ways was like a bother to me," he said.

I blinked at him, my jaw seconds away from unhinging. I was summoning all of my remaining energy to translate the stupidity coming from the man I believed to be the wisest in my life. On one hand, I could see why he would think it was a good way to protect my family's image but that would be a story for the world – not me, Maleek's only fucking family. Why would he rob me of the last act of my brother? Perhaps he didn't want me to feel like a failure. For failing my brother and former king worse that I already had.

"Where do you fit into any of this?" I asked Riley. She was the one to see him go over, according to their story, so why was she even there if not for him to rescue.

"I was trying to talk him down from the edge, but I couldn't," she said.

"Clearly," I said sarcastically. That was cruel but I couldn't bring myself to care about her feelings at that moment.

"He found out about my father's plans for us and I thought if I explained that it wouldn't threaten his position in as King it would help but he wouldn't listen… he kept screaming and calling me horrible things. Then he just," she whispered the last part, looking at me with tears in her hazel eyes. Tear and guilt.

"What about us?" I asked. That was the root of this. What about me and Riley could have been such a trigger for him that he would think his throne was under threat.

It was Junaid who replied, "he found out that I was planning to marry Riley to you instead of him." I looked at the chief in shock.

"You must understand. You are an Orisha. With you as the queen beside my daughter. The people of this Chiefdom would not only inherit her our ability to shape shift but your ability to harness the power of the blue flame. They would be safe. You were always the best choice which is why I was so happy you were chosen as her protector. Even the ancestors are conspiring to match you two together." The chief sounded happy as he spoke. As if he was presenting me with the solution to all the problems in my life.

I didn't bother to look at him. I just got up and walked out of his office. I rushed to my room and met the confused eyes of the Nøkkenson twins.

"Get your stuff. We are getting the fuck out of this place!" I said to them and watched their eyes go wide and skin go pale. This was ridiculous. If the ancestors thought it was okay to mess with me, I would have trick some other idiot into protecting their precious princess.