Share
Chapter 23
“THIS WAS TOO EASY,” Iditan was saying to Thabiti and the middle aged captain of their nighthawks, Jaal, after the battle, when I joined them. Their only other two witchlords—a gangly boy and a mousy girl with thick huge glasses—introduced as Ben and Lilla, also stood with them while their Nighthawks cleared the battlefield, moving the body parts of the cursed ones littering the field to be thrown in the fire. The Kenyans were not as lucky as we in Nigeria, having found only three of the five witchlords, the remaining two yet unknown.
“Yes, we hit them pretty hard,” Thabiti replied energetically, a smile on his face. “Finally, Kenya is free from these damned pests.”
“I don’t think so.” Iditan shook her head in disagreement. “We won way too easily even with our superior strength and all, and since we found no tangible evidence or leads here my instinct tells me this is not the last of them.”
Bab terkait
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 24
Nub’s smile widened at their reactions. “You all missed his bastard son that year, Jap, born to his servant girl. Somehow he escaped before you came to destroy them, and having learned a little of the magic from his father and from some other evil spirits he became stronger over the years. A little over four years now, he captured me, seeking to turn me towards his magic and use me for his plans. I spent four months as his captive, and he was every way as mad as his father.” Nub’s countenance turned sour.“My best friend who was with me when he took me could not continue and she took her own life, but I made him pay in the end, when he thought he had me under his finger. He died begging for death.” “That was about the time she changed,” Iditan muttered, her words opening my eyes to see a bit of why Nub seemed so bloodthirsty during the battle against the cursed ones. The darkness in Nub’s eyes at this mom
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 25
I TOOK A BREAK FROM OLOFI for the next few nights, and then when I returned it was to hear that all witches currently writing their school leaving exams had been given a pass to practice only for an hour each night, and spend the rest of the time studying—since keeping up with our lives outside was just as important as witching.Iditan was away for most of the time and so I had to train by myself or spar with Ramatu, Chike and the others for the one hour—which held little or no challenge now that I could win against them easily—and whenever Iditan was around she would arrive when the spar was on, and leave before I was free to chat.Lara who had recently been promoted to the sixth point and was aiming to join me at the seventh point before school was over also had me training her for thirty minutes more in our chosen secluded corner away from the mountains before we dug into studying mathematics and numerous equations—which to me w
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 26
Sunday night, Lara and I were done for the day and were heading to the entrance of the training ground where we would open a portal to our different homes when I sensed Iditan inside the forest below. A surge of happiness ran through me because I was sure it was her act of reaching out to me. I wouldn’t have sensed her if she had not wanted me to.“Go ahead, I have somewhere I must go first before heading home,” I sent to Lara.“Ok,” She replied, too tired to ask questions.I headed down to the forest to meet Iditan seated beneath a great oak tree on a patch of green verdant grass, her eyes closed and her body relaxed as she leaned against the tree. I stared at the Oak tree which was the size of a small house, surprised to be seeing it for the first time. Ever since I have learnt to morph and fly I have never passed the way through the forest, choosing to fly over it, but still I should have seen a tree this big from above, or so I
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 27
I HATE CALCULATIONS!I exhaled hard, looking wearily at the mathematics exam paper on the desk before me. I connected to the magic sight for the umpteenth time since the exams started, having the faint hope that something would change, but no, nothing does. The answer doesn’t just appear on either the question paper or the answer booklet, and I have even tried looking at the white board up in front with magic to the same result.“What then is the use of all the magic if it can’t help me with my exams?” I muttered angrily to myself. I raised my head and my eyes caught sight of Stephen ahead, a seat before me to my immediate left. He caught my gaze, staring back with utter hatred, scowled, and turned away. He looked nothing like he used to, his confidence and springiness was gone now having lost majority of his popularity and allure after he had his leg and that of his team broken, resulting to them unable to play and the school losing the year&rs
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 28
RAMATU FLEW INTO THE AIR as I breached her defense by piercing through her magic shield with a strong concentrated burst of magic. She leapt back to her feet seeking to quickly return into the fight as I took the opportunity to face off against Chike, striking hard against him, only for her to fall again as a spell I subtly threw at her feet entangled her—one of the few tricks I learnt from watching Nub fight.Chike held his defense tight with a sword and a dagger as I attacked with two small swords, up and down, up and down. He met all my attacks with a tight look of concentration, only defending against me as I built a powerful momentum with each strike. I smirked at him. He was trying hard to by time for Ramatu to get back on her feet. I changed my movements, striking in a crisscross pattern with the two weapons.Chike stepped back to take a breather as he heard Ramatu’s growl signaling her return to the battle. I quickly triggered the illusion I h
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 29
We sensed the changes in the air from the distance before we got to the castle, it seemed to be glowing in a soft greenish hue as we looked at it from a distance, and we finally arrived there to meet the castle gates wide opened. The path to the steps was lined with colorful flowers, with the statue of two huge birds right at both sides of the entrance—an eagle and one other I couldn’t place—the beauty of everything beauty taking the breath out of us.“They finally opened the Castle,” one of us hissed.“Yes, and it was high time,” Iditan replied. I took my eyes away from the castle and turned towards her, seeing a soft smile on her face. When did Iditan become one for such a dramatic flair? Seeing the surprise on Ahmed’s face, I could guess the castle had not been opened when they both came to the mountains, it was definitely not open when I flew over to the mountains hours ago. That means it was she and Ahm
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 30
WE ALL STAND QUIETLY on the path leading up the dark-gloomy castle entrance as the three matrons carry out a ritual. Seven small outcropping rocks lie spread wide apart in a horizontal line at the path leading to the castle steps and Oniko with the assistance of Bashir and Biola moves to each of the rocks, taking one of the seven rams that had been made available for the ritual, slaughtering the rams upon it and letting the blood spill upon the rock while the matrons follow them from behind chanting incantations. They step back after spilling the blood of the last ram over the final rock, leaving the rest to the three matrons who begin a singsong incantation. Powerful magic ignites on the rocks, and the bodies of the ram and their blood catch fire, burning till nothing is left of them. We all sense an invisible barrier before the castle lifted as the fire goes out.“Opening the castle does not demand much from your magic, it is only a matter of your will p
CRIMSON SKY Chapter 31
FOURTEEN WITCHES SEAT in a round circle, five blacks, five reds, and four whites—which we sense more from their aura than from their clothes ranging in different colors from green, blue, white, black to purple. They are all women, and there are two empty seats in the circle. “The council of sixteen,” Ramatu announces. “This is not Nigeria. This is not Africa.” Ahmed states the obvious. “But how—” Chike begins. “Quiet,” Iditan hisses softly. The five of us are still connected. We can feel ourselves but we can’t see each other, and we are hidden within the shadows by the right side of the clearing. Why are we here? What’s this all about? I try to take a step forward out of curiosity but I find I can’t move. I sigh and then take the time to study the faces of the witches. There are a few young women amongst them, youths in fact. The fear on the face of the fourteen women mirrors each othe
Bab terbaru
