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Back Master of Poisons
Chapters (102)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. DRAMATIS PERSONAE
  6. BOOKI
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. BOOKII
  30. 1
  31. 2
  32. 3
  33. 4
  34. 5
  35. 6
  36. 7
  37. 8
  38. 9
  39. 10
  40. 11
  41. 12
  42. 13
  43. 14
  44. 15
  45. 16
  46. 17
  47. 18
  48. 19
  49. BOOKIII
  50. 1
  51. 2
  52. 3
  53. 4
  54. 5
  55. 6
  56. 7
  57. 8
  58. 9
  59. 10
  60. 11
  61. 12
  62. 13
  63. 14
  64. 15
  65. 16
  66. 17
  67. BOOKIV
  68. 1
  69. 2
  70. 3
  71. 4
  72. 5
  73. 6
  74. 7
  75. 8
  76. 9
  77. 10
  78. 11
  79. BOOKV
  80. 1
  81. 2
  82. 3
  83. 4
  84. 5
  85. 6
  86. 7
  87. 8
  88. 9
  89. 10
  90. 11
  91. 12
  92. 13
  93. 14
  94. 15
  95. 16
  96. 17
  97. 18
  98. Glossary
  99. Acknowledgments
  100. Also by Andrea Hairston
  101. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  102. Newsletter Sign-up

The wild dog jerks awake. His big head tilts to the side and his tail slaps the dirt. He dips down on his elbows and sticks his hind parts in the air. An invitation. The Crow spreads iridescent wings (which hold only a memory of pain) and struts toward the dog who lunges. The Crow flies just out of reach of powerful jaws and lands on the dog’s back. Awa laughs as the Crow walks toward the tail. The dog twists around, catching a few wing feathers in his mouth. He tugs gently then releases. The Crow soars high and swoops down to tug the dog’s tail before flying off to join the feast. Some succulent flesh remains. Awa holds her sides, laughing. Meera and Rokiat are laughing too. The dog licks Awa’s fingers and trots into mist rising from the Amethyst River.

Rokiat and Meera take out a picnic of fruit bread and coconut wine. They enjoy a good meal in moonlight with the Crows. They leave many crumbs. There are warm updrafts and sparkly threads and stones from the yellow robes to play with.

Awa shoves the bones into a hole and covers them with rocks. “Green Elders bury the dead on high biers or in a rocky stream bed. This is where they buried Neth. Why take forever to become dirt?” She sings to the wind.

Meera and Rokiat listen before another roll in the grass. Awa has no human to roll with, not even the dog. She caws a lonely song. Crows answer and toss shiny stones at her. She catches one and smiles.

The Crows have seen what Awa did for the piebald one. They tell everyone her story. More Crows will follow her. She is famous, a friend to Crows, horses, wild dogs, and bees. As the moon rises, Awa sings human songs and hobbles away with Meera and Rokiat in a shower of glittery gifts.

6

Blood Conjure

Laughing with crows and the wild dog lifted Awa’s spirits. She was out of breath keeping up with Rokiat and Meera, but the ground was soft and the moon smiled. The temple-mountain’s ice-blue peaks looked serene, hopeful. Iyalawo Tembe had left Awa and Meera a pot of scraps and a sack of stale bread and bruised fruit instead of feeding it to the pigs. Perhaps Tembe was better than Kyrie. Awa and Meera might live through the week and dance at the Sun Festival. Rokiat was a fool for love and after the festival he’d have any key they needed.