Legacy of Orïsha, #1
Children of Blood and Bone
by Tomi Adeyemi
Contents
Chapter Eleven: Inan
Overview
Inan witnesses the razing of Ilorin and realizes he is experiencing magic-linked visions of Zélie after their contact with the scroll. Desperate to conceal this, he misleads Kaea while using his new senses to guide the hunt south. A brutal interrogation yields little, underscoring rising civilian terror and Inan’s inner conflict.
Summary
Prince Inan surveys the catastrophic burning of Ilorin, wracked by failure and guilt as civilians lie dead and survivors wail. Clutching his father’s sênet pawn to steady himself, Inan confronts the collapse of his plan to seize Amari and recover the scroll without harming the village.
Amid the chaos, turquoise wisps wash over Inan with the scent of the sea, triggering vivid visions of Zélie sinking beneath dark water. The sensations prickle under his skin, convincing Inan that contact with Zélie and the scroll has “infected” him with magic. Nauseated and afraid, he hides this from Admiral Kaea and lies that a villager reported the fugitives went south, while his strange sense pulls him toward the forest.
As Kaea presses for answers, more turquoise clouds flood Inan’s mind with disjointed screams and thoughts from the crowd. Fighting to maintain control, he orders silence and initiates an interrogation. When the villagers refuse, Kaea threatens an elderly woman at swordpoint, drawing blood to force cooperation.
A young villager, Yemi, breaks, offering what she knows: details about Zélie’s family and skills, but no destination. Inan frees Yemi’s wrists and promises the survivors’ safety to secure information. Yemi meets his gaze with searing hatred and answers in thought and tone alike that “Safe ended a long time ago,” leaving Inan to face the cost of the crown’s brutality and his own emerging powers.
Who Appears
- InanPrince and POV; reels from Ilorin’s destruction, experiences magic-linked visions of Zélie, hides it, and drives the pursuit south.
- Admiral KaeaRuthless commander; enforces order, beats a soldier, and threatens an elderly woman to force information from survivors.
- YemiYoung villager; reveals only Zélie’s skills, rejects Inan’s promise of safety, embodying the villagers’ trauma and defiance.
- Zélie AdebolaAppears in Inan’s visions; her contact with the scroll seems to awaken magic within him and guide his pursuit.
- AbeniGrieving child crying over his father’s corpse, illustrating the personal toll of the razing.
- Abeni’s motherTerrified villager trying to quiet her child as guards approach, reflecting the survivors’ fear.