The door opened. “Sunny, you in here?” Sasha asked.

“Aren’t you supposed to knock?” Chichi asked.

Sasha cut his eyes at her as he leaned against the wall, shutting the door behind him. He was carrying Udide’s Book of Shadows. “I’m in the room downstairs near the front door,” Sasha said. “Someone’s got to stand guard, right? Especially with your . . . condition.”

Sunny rolled her eyes.

“I put up a perimeter, too,” Sasha added.

“Good idea,” Orlu said. “Hopefully no one notices all the lizards that’ll be on the outside walls.”

“Yeah, it’s not the most discreet juju, but it’s powerful. Nothing will come in without me knowing. Like last night.” Sasha looked at the door, locked it, and moved inside. He sat beside Chichi, and Orlu got up and sat beside Sunny on her bed. Sunny scooted up. They were all face-to-face, and for several moments, they didn’t speak.

“We go tomorrow,” Sunny said.

“Yeah,” Orlu said.

“The market in J. City,” Chichi said. “It’s the biggest in Lagos. We can take a kabu kabu.”

Sunny frowned. “But Ajegunle is . . .”

“Relax, I know how to deal with ‘one chance’ robbers and any other kind of stupidity,” Chichi said, holding up a hand.

Ajegunle District, nicknamed “The Jungle” or “J. City,” was the worst part of Lagos. Sunny’s father described it as a slum, saying that it was full of garbage, poisonous water, filthy shantytowns built on muddy land and in some places islands of garbage. It was a place of rough, rough commerce.

“One chance” robbers were all over Lagos, but they thrived in Ajegunle and with vehicles that were heading to Ajegunle. “One chance” robbers were guys who drove kabu kabu or danfo. Their vehicles would be nearly full, so the drivers would advertise that they were giving people “one more chance” to get in at a reduced price. When the victim got in, he or she would be set upon by a bunch of thieves. Sunny had heard all kind of Lagos horror stories. And of course, there was the added danger of her being albino, and thus the target for ritual killers.

“Can’t Adebayo just drop us off?” Sunny asked. Even as she spoke, she knew it was a stupid request.

“And bring all that attention to us with that hideous Hummer?” Chichi asked.

“And like your brother, Adebayo can’t know where we are going, either,” Orlu added.

“They can’t,” Sasha said, shaking his head. “Not even a little.”

They were quiet again.

“It’s New Year’s Day, the markets will be empty,” Sunny said, her throat tight. “It’ll be easier for strangers to notice us, too.”

“Some will,” Chichi said. “But they aren’t Chukwu and Adebayo.”

“Fine,” Sunny said. “We take a kabu kabu or danfo.” She sat up straighter. “I have the marbles.”

“Blue?” Sasha asked, looking pleased.

Sunny nodded. The juju required blue marbles to work.

“You’ve read it well,” Sasha said. “I’m impressed.”

“In the morning?” Orlu asked.