The Windweaver's Storm: An Old Gods Story (TJ Young & The Orishas Book 2) by Antoine Bandele

Author:Antoine Bandele [Bandele, Antoine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bandele Books
Published: 2022-06-18T16:00:00+00:00

33

HARD TIMES, HEARTBREAKER

Adeyemi didn’t return that day, nor did she show up on Sunday. And when Monday morning rolled around, Oroma informed TJ that Elder Adeyemi could be away for at least a week as she “chased down those dirty dogs” as she said bitterly. The boy, whose hair she had been braiding at the time, yelped as she pulled his hair too tight.

So TJ walked with Ayo to the mess hall with Adeyemi and her whereabouts on his mind when a rustling came from behind. Immediately he seized up, but he was merely attacked from behind… by a huge hug.

A huge hug from a great mass of dark, bushy hair.

The crushing embrace made it hard to remember what he had ever been worried about with Manny. He coughed out a laugh at the sudden spike of joy, spinning around, with her clutching to his back. On the third turn, he caught sight of Ayo sprawled in a bush behind them and spluttering indignantly. TJ’s laugh turned into an outright wheezing fit until he and Manny finally stopped their whirling.

“I tried to sneak out last night,” Manny huffed, “but Oroma stopped me. Are you okay? Did the Keepers hurt you bad?” Manny tried to pull TJ up straight from his ungainly lean and patted him gingerly for injuries.

“Hey, we’re walkin’ over here, we’re walkin’!” TJ let out in another chuckle.

Manny cringed as she removed a leaf from one of her Dutch braids. “I see my book needs more time to work its magic. You still suck. The reviews did say it’d take a full twenty-four hours, you know…”

“Hey, it’s not my fault I got your gift late. Oroma was trying to wine down with Mr. Ikenna. Plus, you know… the whole kidnapping thing.”

Ayo coughed from the side. He jabbed at a branch that was clearly trying to wrap itself around his ankle. The familiar whistle of a giggle sounded from the willow. “So y’all really go’n leave me here tangled up in all these vines, huh?”

“‘Leaf’ you there?” TJ joked.

“Hey, hey,” Manny poked TJ at his side, “that reminds me. Why do trees hate riddles?”

They both looked at each other, and, at the same time, said, “Because it’s too easy to get stumped.”

Ayo rolled his eyes, still slapping away the branch that wanted to cuddle with his ankle. “Hah. Hah. Hah. So glad you two made up. Now get over here and help your boy up.”

TJ and Manny laughed, then went over to untangle Ayo from the clingy willow. It took a little while and a few kind words from Manny to the tree, but they coaxed him away from the smitten plant. Manny bent down to collect Ayo’s glasses, handing them to him with an apologetic smile.

“So,” she said as they continued to the mess hall, “after I warned Adeyemi with the water bowl she gave me, I didn’t get no kind of update. I read some of Eshu’s Messenger Press and I figured the stories about the Keepers was about TJ.

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