“She told me no one held the Mother in more reverence. No one prayed to the Ancestors with more diligence, no one trained harder….”

“Shut up!” She flips backward and swipes.

I pivot sideways and catch the end of her rod. I yank and she stumbles forward, the crown on her head slipping. I clench her weapon in my hands and her eyes widen. I hold her there, glaring into her. A spell tiptoes through my mind, magic rushing into my hands. But the curve of her cheeks, the strength in her jaw, the tilt of her chin, even now, in this moment where I could end her, morphs into an image of the Ancestors.

They chose me.

For my reason.

For my way of doing things.

I can smell her, a mix of fear and desperation warring with each other. I look for her bare shoulder but realize there isn’t one.

I place a hand on my right shoulder, remembering Zora’s words about fighting from love versus fear. I don’t want to die out here, but that’s not what’s keeping me on my feet. I don’t fear failing my people anymore. I’m doing the best that I can. Being me. And being me is enough. I’m not standing here from fear or pride or some need to prove I can do this.

I’m standing here because I love my people too much to not.

And that fuels like nothing else.

“I will not kill you.” I push off, letting her weapon go as we circle each other.

She straightens her crown but pushes too much and it leans the other way, lopsided.

“You can’t want something so bad that you lose yourself getting it. You gotta remember who you are, Kai, where you come from.”

“Ahhh!” She twists on her feet, her anger erupting, and throws her javelin. It streaks through the air, a blur of gold.

“Feey’l.” I shove the air and the path of the arrow shifts, missing me by an inch. I step back, bumping into Taavi. Kai’s weaponless, but something other than fear or anger flickers in her eyes.

“Do it!” Kai yells… not at me… but to Taavi behind me.

Jhamal’s expression shifts.

I turn and am face-to-face with Taavi. Time slows, my heart thudding in my throat.

“I’m sorry,” Taavi whispers, and something presses into my side. I’m cold all over like ice has been injected into my veins. I see myself shaking as if I’m being tased, but I feel nothing. I try to pull away, but I can’t move. Words hang on my lips, but my mouth is stiff.

I’m weightless.

Frozen.

Paralyzed.