Legacy of Orïsha, #2
Children of Virtue and Vengeance
by Tomi Adeyemi
Contents
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: ZÉLIE
Overview
Zélie awakens in a bleak dreamscape with Inan and relives his betrayal and Baba’s death. Inan insists he tried to stop the attack and vows to make things right, but Zélie unleashes her magic, seizing control of the dream. She binds and chokes Inan with roots until he collapses, hardening her resolve and deepening their rift.
Summary
Zélie regains awareness in a desolate dreamscape of gray reeds and white haze, unsure if she’s dreaming or trapped. She finds Inan there, weakened and scarred, and the sight dredges up memories of their past connection and his apparent death. Touching the MAGGOT scar on her back, she recalls how this space once felt free of wounds.
Inan rushes to explain, claiming he ordered his soldiers not to shoot and believed he was doing right. His words trigger Zélie’s suppressed magic and the memory of Baba’s killing, now clearly linked to Inan’s actions. Overwhelmed by grief and rage, Zélie feels her power surge.
As Inan apologizes and promises to make amends even at the cost of his life, Zélie rejects him. Her magic reshapes the dreamscape: mammoth black trees erupt, roots coil around Inan, and she binds him against a trunk. Ignoring the echo of his pain in her own body, Zélie tightens the roots around his throat until bones snap.
Face-to-face, Zélie vows he will wish he had died that day. With a final squeeze, Inan’s eyes roll back and he goes limp. The dreamscape shatters, leaving Zélie’s fury and trauma crystallized and their conflict intensified.
Who Appears
- ZélieProtagonist; trapped in a dreamscape, relives Baba’s death, rejects Inan’s pleas, and violently subdues him with erupting roots.
- InanAppears weakened in Zélie’s dream; claims he tried to stop the attack and begs forgiveness before Zélie binds and chokes him.