d. He’d been so wrong about that. Everywhere he turned, his heart raced with un

was a

stry, but nothing else. Kuwin's immediate family was very different from the rest. Because, while other members o

e excep

family had groomed him to take up the mantel after his brother. His initiation had included a c

rosperity. But this was a responsibility that they held dear to their heart. Even Kuwin, even after he gave his life

had to have a hand in that, right? His ancestors couldn't have prevailed if God Almighty didn't make it so. His Christian faith

eved this.

alters and broke the bargain his ancestors had struck with the devil. He was a

the ancestors, especially when Kuwin wasn'

protect him. And yet a woman h

was alive. He'd engaged in sexual intercourse and unboun

ng? Or was he human for wondering? Did he deserve to still be in a constant state of pan

breaking down and going crazy because he really needed God to talk to him. Bu

bit, he prepared himself for a counselling session. The building was full of church members and they liked to visit at the oddest of hours. Even thou

s face, while the other was Kuwin's height, light-skinned and much taller and fatter than the other. The tiny man was dressed in casual clothes while the other was

p you?” Ku

in a handshake. “I’m Ahimad Elheji and this is Enechi Iz

ji?

d in whatever dummy crusade the other three families were trying to rope him into. He’d grown up seeing them throw fancy parties i

elite for decades. He even refused to go to his own cousin’s inauguration into office when he became the Prime Minister,

asked, barring them f

borrowed a key from yo

through his mind. He flinched away from it, pushing it to the nooks of his mind. H

ast Kuwin into his home as Enechi followed behind

However, when the bodyguards reached the

death. “Are you armed? I’m sorry. I’m very sorry but no weapo

re moving with so many armed men. Ahimad was an Elheji, which meant that he was a younger cousin of the woman who was

f at home, sitting at the centre of a couch with his legs spread out and his hands

you somethi

phone where there was a picture of a young woman. She was asleep and m

rom the looks of it, she was naked underneath that duvet. Naked in another man's

oo painful to ignore. Kuwin had meant nothing. His faith had meant nothing to h

earing his throat.

frowned

me her nam

t her name was

s doing me a fav

d that key, you would have died before

ted. Then

of all our good fortune, but it would have also been y

at the end, betraying what little lack of c

you're a man of g

the key back, you're welcome to pursue her

id, pushing his glasses up his face. “If you spend all your time castin

n it. I just don't want anythin

s moment. If he'd stayed steadfast then maybe God wouldn't have abandoned him. Refostering that relationsh

't want to acknowledge it because it might a

orces,” Ahimad said. "Oseki has taken all our

is head. Why was

o help you get it back?” He looked at Enechi. “If I’m to follo

s the key again, but at least your entire

oser to him. “What does my

our clans lose their influential edge in Usehjiki. Without it, what are we? When t

iabolical means to be in power

Ahimad and

says it’s time for us to gi

start killing

ill ki

they’ll ask for equal treatment. Then we’ll have a revolution on our

one can kill us. We're

he keys, the people will rise up. Witho

e privilege that being a clans-blood afforded him. Now, here he was, on the cusp of his death, forced to question everything he knew. How could such

mmed his small hands o

he second sister died and now all our keys are gone. If they're trying to do somethi

on, he went to the door, expecting the bodyguards, but was shocked

the one at the centre

nds in surrender as their eyes shifted from Kuw

e why and was shocked to fin

s in the

d, facing the other two men as Enechi’s hand we

epped forward, limping on an injured leg. “If we don

ad to

about that voice. He couldn't mi

right? I’m not imagining thr

y key,” En

ys anymore,” the woman

en the men and the women. “You're not going

both hands. “You don’t know what she's

nd with a suspicious lack of delicacy that she’d used when they just

n do, but you're not g

in a woman’s hand as she pointed it at Ahimad. The third woman wearing purple, seemed to be in a tussle with Enechi, who slipped out of the woman’s grasp, turned her ar

n the ground, while Osa remained on top of him

Pastor. You'

I will shoot your s

u can’t actually kill any of us,

f in Usehjiki. One that was held up by the fact that there was no record of a clans blood dying fr

fication ritual from centuries ago. And yet, there were those who tied their protection to the keys. T

chi had said, without those keys, they were all vulnerable. One of them could die if someone

d the gun to

her head will still

G

. NO HEAD.

iend go,” Blue said, pressing the nuzz

ot my f

y?” Ahimad

want m

ve it anymor

where

women shar

and we’ll tell

k his head. “Drop

do I

n,” Osa said, looki

so looked at Osa a

not go

imad and unloaded the gun before she tossed it across the room. “Your turn,” Osa said to

said. “I don’t owe you a

ood, using the couch. She held o

of us if you want, but we're not tellin

ue. He looked from one sister to the other, gauging

not like they're refusi

of the woman. As he stepped away, the sister he'd held hosta

s my key?”

in Ose

to believe that

and she wasn’t too happy ab

as Kuwin rushed to hold him back from the woman

m do

hat were you thinking? She’s go

gh for Kuwin's life to be upturned by a magical key. That complocation had t

things in history were too fantastical to believe, but there were still events that could be track by actual evi

tuality of a supernatural, super-strong, super-wise en

muttered und

should have kept a closer look on your mother. You people never listen to anythi

d a couch an

that out of

stare as she looked righ

en begun to v

cause sooner or later," Osa said. "We'r