The Baobab Throne

d chang

m the inside. Their trunks twisted like they were in pain. No birds sang here. No cricke

it "The Bo

place warriors go t

against her skin, curled around her breath,

a place where the

-

Bone

ance - just dead wood and ash. But

e dust - the remains of a thousand fallen warrio

ngs in red ochre - n

ese are memory trees. Marked

om what?"

s where the final battle was fought, when

ees. "So this is where

where some spirits still wait

-

ght Gr

d heavily, as though the trees resisted burning

this place,"

his knife. "

around it?

claimed it. That stirred things up. The Bone Forest was always

cross it before the dea

d to the sk

y a

-

its Begi

footprints ar

long. Too narrow. And

o barked. "W

hel. Tano bent over one print, his gr

t began t

names. Her name. Over

. Imani...

mmered with a

ng hunted,

his jaw tight. "W

-

l of the

they reache

its center, its bark blackened wi

a strange pull in her chest. Her pe

he sky

wind

oots of the ba

ollow, skin made of ash and shadow. Some had spears. Others b

oman with braided silver hair

was Queen Zalika. Her mother. Or

hoed like thunder

you must carry the w

erstand," Im

hey died for. And what yo

-

Vi

, light

ce of Nyambele, marble floors slick with blood. Outside, d

a throne carved from baobab wood, p

e doors, his eyes dark

She didn't run

ay take my crown, but n

e charg

sion c

into the present

ood in the clearing once again,

r now," sh

r. The child of the last Que

f Zalika bo

ted their spears

anished into smoke - the

-

d the

hinned. The

pped into sunlight again

e for a l

, "You faced your

orest tested you.

ed back on

orest stoo

pers had

time, the wind car

an emp

cred