“Maaka, come forward.”
The man did as he was commanded.
“You are my first now, and Feyou my second. Swear your fealty.”
“Until my death, and into the afterlife.”
Feyou swore the same, and then the rest in turn.
When Serapio was satisfied, he spoke: “You are my Shield now called Tuyon, and we will unite Tova and become both weapon and wall, so that when the forces of the Meridian swarm at our gate, they will know their mistake. But first, we must meet the matrons. Go, gather the clan mothers to me. Let them tremble as you do, and we shall see who rules Tova now.”
CHAPTER 34
TEEK
YEAR 1 OF THE CROW
Live as a Teek, die as a Teek.
—Teek saying
“Land ahead!”
A cheer went up from the half dozen women who crewed the tidechaser, and one of them, a woman named Alani, nudged Xiala with her foot as she climbed over her to secure the boom on the triangle-shaped sail. Teek racing ships were small and crowded, built for speed and not comfort, and Xiala had found herself mourning the loss of her Cuecolan canoe that easily held fifty men. It was not fast, but at least a woman could stretch out.
The sky above her was thick with rain clouds, gray as the belly of a triggerfish, but so far they had avoided any spring storms. And with land sighted, it looked like their luck would hold and they would make it home dry.
Home.
The word curled tight in Xiala’s belly. She had believed she would never see home again. And now that it was before her, she wasn’t sure how she felt. She had longed to return, but not like this.
Alani leaned over and gave her a grin. “Come look.”
“I can’t.” She lifted her foot, and the chain that held her secured to the deck rattled.
“Ah.” The woman scrambled down and pulled a key from a string around her neck. “Mahina’s not here to see. Just promise you won’t try to get away.”
“Where would I go?”
“You can swim, can’t you? I hear you’re good at running.”
Xiala thought of the last time she had dived into the sea. Black scales that shimmered in the light, gills on her neck.
“Next time I run, no one will be able to catch me.”
Alani laughed. “That’s the spirit.”
The chain fell off, and the woman beckoned Xiala to follow. She climbed after her until they both sat hunched in the bow. Wind buffeted their faces, sending their long hair streaming back behind them. Xiala tasted salt on her lips, felt the cold flecks of ocean water strike her face, and whispered a prayer to her Mother. Not the woman who had birthed her and had forced her onto the ship at knifepoint and in chains, but the one who kissed her now and welcomed her back into her arms.
“There she is.” Alani pointed.
Xiala could just see it. A stretch of white sand, and just beyond it, thick green foliage she knew teemed with palms and mahogany, orchids and hibiscus, secret coves and endless waters. It was home, and for all she had not wanted to come, she could not help but be grateful she was here.
Teek.
The wind shifted, a flash breeze that rattled the sail and sent the crew into motion.
“Shit!” Alani shouted, and went to help.
Drops of rain bit at Xiala’s face, the storm catching them after all. She closed her eyes, and for a moment she was on a different ship on the Crescent Sea, sitting beneath the stars, drawing a sky map on the hand of a god.
“I’m sorry, Serapio,” she whispered. “Just a little longer.”
Thunder rumbled above them, and the sky cracked open, the rain falling in earnest.
CHAPTER 35
CITY OF TOVA
YEAR 1 OF THE CROW
Do not confuse your past for your future.
—Exhortations for a Happy Life
Naranpa watched from atop the celestial tower as Serapio built his fortress. She could see the magic now, waves of shadow that inked the air around Sun Rock. She wondered how she had ever thought magic had no place in her life or the lives of the Watchers. It was all sorcery, her very being. So much potential throttled. So much power wasted.
She watched as the Odohaa came, and later as they left transformed into strange, disquieting warriors.
She watched as the clans came from their districts, adorned in their colors, their sigil banners raised. She smiled to see Coyote come, too, trailing across the bridge from Titidi.
She worried she had left them to a difficult future, but trial made one stronger. Tova was soft, spoiled. As they were, they could never survive against their enemies.
She thought of the young man she had met on Sun Rock, both god and human. He was not soft. He would break them and rebuild them into something that could withstand what came next. They would never thank him for it. In fact, they would hate him. But only he had the potential to save them.