Page 51 of Earthbound

Yeeran ran her fingers through the flowers, disturbing the star gliders who had already settled on the buds. She felt as though she should say something. There was no love lost between them, and if they had ordered the obeah killed then Motogo was not only obnoxious but heinous. But the loyalty instilled in her in the Waning army was hard to shake.

‘You were my general once,’ she said quietly. ‘And I didn’t always agree with you. Though I respected the chain of command, and in turn you respected me. For that I will always be grateful. Lay down your drum and rest now. The battle is over.’

She saluted, pounding her chest once with a closed fist. She looked to Rayan, expecting him to be doing the same, but his gaze was elsewhere, his mouth hanging agape.

‘Rayan? Are you all right?’ she asked.

He jerked as though coming round from a dream. ‘I’m fine…but Lettle is not. Alder, he is not either.’

Yeeran felt her palms begin to sweat. ‘What do you mean? How do you know?’

Rayan’s eyes focused on hers, and he said miserably, ‘Ajax.’

Yeeran sat back on her heels. The broken pieces of Rayan slotted into a shape she finally understood. She felt foolish for not realising it sooner.

‘He’s been with Lettle all this time?’ Furi whispered. Yeeran could see that she too felt guilty for not knowing. But they had been preoccupied and more inclined to pass Rayan’s disquiet off as lovesickness.

‘Yes. And there’s much to tell.’

Yeeran’s heart felt as though it was beating in her throat. ‘Tell us everything.’

Chapter Eleven

Lettle

Lettle opened her eyes and realised that she must still be in a dream.

‘Ajax?’ The obeah stood over her, concern emanating from his green eyes. He mewled softly and rested his head on her chest.

‘What a lovely dream, I’ve missed you so.’ She ran her hands through Ajax’s fur.

‘It’s not a dream, Lettle,’ Dart said behind her. Ajax raised his head so she could sit up, but as soon as she did her head began to pound.

‘Dart? What happened?’ The Wayfarer was rubbing his beard so vigorously she thought it might just fall off.

‘You fell through the pool of water that was concealed with human magic.’

‘The fourth fall.’ Lettle laughed for a bit longer than perhaps she meant to.

‘Careful now, don’t stand up too fast,’ Mortah said.

Lettle poked her tongue out. ‘Why does my mouth taste like camel dung?’ She giggled. ‘Camel dung, camel dung, camel dung.’

‘I had to give you nerba root to bring you round. You might feel a little…strange.’

Somewhere in the back of her mind Lettle acknowledged that nerba root was a stimulant, which, despite the pain, accounted for her slight mania.

‘I feel amazing,’ she said. Then she looked at Ajax. ‘You’ve always been with me, haven’t you? Ever since we left Mosima.’ The obeah dipped his head.

Oh, Rayan. You foolish, lovable man. She didn’t realise she’d spoken out loud until someone behind her said, ‘And who is Rayan?’

The voice sounded like Alder, but also not like Alder. The accent softer, with more of a staccato inflection.

She turned to look at him. He leaned back against the wall of the cave, his ankles crossed in front of him. His hands rested on his lap as though he were relaxing on the shore of a lake, and not in some strange underground room. The eyes that looked back at her were Alder’s, yes, but the grey in them seemed almost silver, touched with an intensity that was not entirely sane. His smile was lazy, almost taunting.

Whether it was the drugs, or her own discernment that brought her clarity, she knew with certainty: ‘That is not Alder.’

‘Something’s happened to him,’ Mia said. She sounded on the verge of tears.