The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Author:Namina Forna [Forna, Namina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2020-05-26T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

My favorite tree is the blue-flowered nystria on the next hill. It’s a towering old giant, its branches so broad, they block my view of almost everything else. The rest of the Warthu Bera always seems far away, a distant memory, once I slip into the small space under the branches and breathe in the delicate fragrance wafting from the flowers. That’s where Keita finds me some minutes later, lying quietly in the shade..

“My apologies for running off,” he says, crouching down beside me. “You were telling me about the most horrifying thing that ever happened to you and I fled like a child. I just…I could have never imagined that, what they did to you. I still can’t…” He looks away, struggling for words.

Finally, he composes himself, turns back to me. “I’m sorry, Deka,” he says. “From the bottom of my soul, I’m sorry for what was done to you, sorry for what was done to all of you. I know it doesn’t make a difference, but I just want to say it, so you know how I feel.”

I blink, startled by his words. Whatever I was expecting, it was certainly not this. This may be the most Keita has ever said to me in one go.

I nod as he takes a seat, then turn and smile at him. “I wouldn’t compare you to a child,” I say. “More like one of those tree lizards.” I point to a pale-green lizard scurrying across the nystria’s branches.

Keita’s mouth quirks. “I’ll take nothing less than a horned lizard,” he says.

“Horned lizard it is,” I agree.

His smile widens for a moment. Then he sighs. “I’m sorry,” he whispers again. “Sorry for what happened to you, sorry that I didn’t stay to hear you finish what you were saying.”

“It’s all right,” I reply. “I shouldn’t have told you in the first place.”

“You shouldn’t have had to go through such horror in the first place,” he says, his eyes grim. “What those elders did—that’s not what’s supposed to happen.”

“But what do you think the Death Mandate is?” I ask him softly. I know he knows about it. All the jatu in this unit do. They were once tasked with enforcing it if the priests failed. That was, of course, before alaki became necessary. “It’s there. It’s always been there.”

Keita looks away guiltily, so I move closer. I don’t want him to turn away from me, from this conversation. This may be the only chance I ever have.

“My kind, we don’t have a choice,” I say. “Fight or die—either way, our lives are not our own. Belcalis is right, you know. They call us demons, but are we really?”

Keita looks down. “I don’t know.” He sighs. “I don’t know anymore. When I first became a recruit, I thought that’s what your kind were. I thought I’d hate you as I worked with you, and even when I made the bargain with you, I still distrusted you. But now…”

“But now?” I echo.

“Now, when I look at you, all I can see is my comrade.

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