CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - THE STILL CASTLE.

Ekama’s house was uncharacteristically still when they returned to it. Uloma had the sense that it was holding its breath even though a house should not be breathing, in the first place. 

“They must be in the lounge. I feel them there.” 

Abali’s brows were furrowed as if he too was bothered about the stillness of the house. 

“The house is too quiet.” 

Uloma told him, and he nodded in response. 

“Mhm, a house should not be quiet. It should show some sign of life or death. It should at least breathe for one thing.” 

“Oh yes, absolutely, a house should breathe.” 

Uloma answered sarcastically, but Abali must not have heard the sarcasm, because he was nodding again in agreement as they made their way through the still house to the lounge. The door did not move when they reached it. It stayed where it was. Uloma eyed it suspiciously as she pushed it open. 

The room was theming as they stepped in. Ekama launched herself at Uloma, who, always expecting an Ekama onslaught, readied herself for the hug. 

“You are okay. Abali would not let us find you, and Asi cast herself to shield you from us.” 

She embraced Uloma and shot Asi a look. Asi shrugged at her, lifting the palm-wine cup in her hand to her lip. 

“She is fine, as you can see. Now can we drink in peace, in Death’s name!” 

Ekama rolled her eyes, returning her gaze to Uloma. She searched her friend’s face, her eyes roaming her body, searching for signs that Uloma was hurt; she would not find physical ones. Uloma thought, flashing her friend a reassuring smile. 

“She is right, I am fine, genuinely. Were you so worried about me that you made your house still?” 

“Oh, no, she Uloma-proofed it on the double in the hope that you would find it comfortable. If you ask me, it’s a waste, no true creature from the realm of Death wants to exist in a building that lacks common decency to breathe at the very least.” 

Uloma nodded her understanding. 

“Kama told you about our fight.” 

“Yes.” 

Asi told her. The rest of the room was nodding in agreement. Of course she did. Uloma eyed her friend, who flashed her a sheepish smile. 

“Everyone kept asking about the quiet and stillness. I had to tell them.” 

“Fine, un-Uloma-proof your house.” 

Uloma told her. She felt her friend breathe in, as the room roared to life in groans and rumbles. The walls shifted, turning into dark, moving clouds. Uwale rustled into life, doing a spin through Uloma’s legs, and tugging on Uloma’s wrapper. Clouds Uloma had not noticed before became visible, shifting and reshaping to reveal more of the lounge. 

“You guys are so weird.” 

Uloma informed the room. 

“Says the girl, with a house that resembled a house only a human would be caught living in.” 

Asi shot back at her, and the room sniggered in agreement. 

“Right? I could never invite her to my house.” 

Abali whispered to Asiya. 

“I heard that!” 

Uloma shouted at him, and Asi nudged Abali. 

“Why are you whispering? Nobody wanted to invite her. Mother warned us never to let her set foot in the place. Look at her face, she is just realising that we have a family house she is not invited to.” 

“I knew about the family house. I just never thought about it. Why are you all being so mean to me? I already told her to return her house to normal.” 

“But you were the one who was mean to Kama first.” 

“Now you like Kama? You wanted to end her death just hours ago. You guys are so annoying.” 

The room was shifting, like smoke expanding. Uloma realised why she had initially thought of the room as theming. There were more occupants of the room. The wall had swallowed or hidden them. The cloud parted, like a steamy room, ventilated. 

“Bickering siblings. The sound of home.” 

Ogba sat on a bamboo Kane chair, his legs spread apart and his wrapper sitting in the middle of his thighs. He resembled art sculpted by a gifted moulder. He was wearing his lopsided grin, which told whoever was looking at him that he, too, knew that he was beautiful. Behind him, Eligwe stood out of place. He was not wearing his usual cat-like demeanour. She tried to catch his eyes, but he was looking anywhere but at her. 

“A full house.” 

Abali noted. 

“That’s why I was canvassing for a party.” 

Asi said petulantly, staring down the room. 

“I second that.” 

Ogba laughed, his deep, throaty laughter that spasmed through his body—shaking his chest and making him appear more endearing than was necessary. He was already perfectly handsome. Uwale rustled his wrapper. Uloma could swear she heard that wind purr. The fickle, finicky beast. Yesterday, he was following her around; now, he is replacing her with the handsome dragon. 

“You have arrived, Ogba.” 

Uloma finally greeted. She shot a disappointed look in the general direction of Uwale. Ogba smiled in response to her greeting, winking at her. 

“I hear that you are raising a lot of dust these days.” 

He said this with pursed lips, looking at her as if he respected her for this. Uloma ignored him. He was here, which meant that the rest of his travelling clan were also here to help them make the journey to their realm. It was all becoming too real. This was happening; they would be traveling to the realm of the Dragons. The one realm that was known for its gusto for battles. This was her inner circle, the people she would be facing those things with. Ogba as well, because when he was near, Kama turned into an extension of him, and in the realm of the Dragons, she might never see them apart. 

“Before we decide on whether or not we are going to party, as it is the only thing Asiya seems to actually care about doing.” 

She eyed her sister. Asi flashed an innocent look and mouthed, “No argument here, sister.” 

“I’ve got something to tell you all.” 

The room fell silent, even the whooshing sound of the house fell silent as if in anticipation, they had been patient waiting for her to be ready to tell them the truth about what was going on with her, well, not all of them, Ekama was not one for patience, no matter how much she defended her to Abali. 

“Okay, you guys have to stop looking at me like I have grown a third head like Ishi and her brothers. I know I have kept a lot of things to myself, but...” 

“Uloma, will Mother be happy about what you are about to tell this bunch of losers?” 

“Hey.” 

Ogba protested. 

“Oh, not you or Eligwe, you two are fine.” 

“I will hurt you.” 

Ekama shouted, her eyes sparking. Uloma patted her on the shoulder. 

“She is trying to get a rise out of you.” 

She told her friend, shaking her head in disappointment at her sister. 

“Asi, be nice, and Mother is not here, and everyone in this room will be facing things they are not prepared for with me. They deserve to know.” 

Asi’s smile was dreadful. She chuckled, her hair and beads shaking with the motion. She lifted the keg of palm wine without even looking at it, and it floated towards her, refilling her cup. 

“When Mother finds out, just promise me I get to be there, ooh. A front row to your execution is all I ask.” 

Uloma ignored her sister, but she knew Asi was right. Mother wanted to keep everything a secret, from her as well. Look what that has left them, as infallible as Death was; sometimes, maybe she was not always right. 

Eligwe was sitting beside Asiya. She let him sip from her cup. He was still avoiding her eyes. Was he still mad at her? He came here to take over from Abali, to protect her. Had that deal with her mother included the kiss? She felt rage and embarrassment rising through her chest. Secrets were a problem. 

“Uloma?” 

Abali was watching her with concern. His owl had appeared and was perched on his shaved head, and she was watching her as well. 

“You don’t have to tell us if you don’t feel comfortable.” 

“I am fine.” 

She smiled, she was fine, she could do this. She could admit to her friends that she was cut from the same cloth as those things. 

“I have a twin sister, and I met her when I was unconscious.” 

She started, whatever it was that they were expecting to hear. This was evidently not it. 

“What did you just say?” 

Eligwe asked her, and he was finally looking at her, but the look of bewilderment on his face made Uloma wonder if she preferred it more when he ignored her. Ogba was frowning; his face looked like frowning was not an expression he was familiar with. 

“Uloma.” 

Ogba called, his brows raised on his beautiful face. 

“How do you mean? Death does not come in pairs.” 

“I know, but as you can already tell, I am not your usual Death. I cannot go into details; this is Mother’s tale to tell. But Oma is me, as well.” 

“The prophecy.” 

Ekama whispered and gasped, her words echoing and bouncing through the moving walls, like lightning on a stormy night. The air in the room dropped dangerously. Any lower, and they would all start to freeze. 

“How long have you known?” 

Ekama asked Uloma. 

“Not long, I promise, and I wanted to tell you all, the second I found out, but Mother did not think it was the wise thing to do.” 

“Because you should not trust us?” 

Ekama’s eyes broke Uloma’s heart. She looked around the room, trying to show them how sorry she felt for keeping them in the dark for this long. 

“No, I trust you with my death. You know that. I worried that the more you knew, the more danger you would be in. And I was also trying to protect Mother.” 

“So why are you telling us now?” 

Ogba asked her, and she shrugged. 

“You are already all in danger. Those things are out to extinguish existence. I have been following their progress.” 

“Uloma, what are you saying?” 

Asi asked her. Uloma saw the look of shock on her sister’s face. It takes a lot to surprise her sister. 

“You know how Mother can bridge my mind directly? I can do the same with those things. But their mind is a hive. They are not individuals.” 

“How can you even do that?” 

Ekama questioned, staring at Uloma with an expression Uloma could not read. The only person looking at her as if she had not changed was Abali. There was nothing she could tell him that would make him see her as anything other than Uloma. She was grateful for that. It was the strength she needed to keep going, to keep revealing things that made her feel vulnerable and exposed. 

“When I woke up earlier, it was from a dream with Oma, my twin. She had bridged my mind, too. I am not sure how we can do it, but I am worried that if we can, maybe those things could also bridge both our minds.” 

“Nothing you are saying makes any sense. Please make some sense.” 

Ogba told her, and she nodded in response. She had felt that way as well. She understood what they were all feeling. Or at least she hoped that they were feeling only confusion and nothing negative about her, but even if they were, she would understand that as well. Hadn’t she blamed and hated herself so much for everything that had happened? 

“I don’t know, I don’t know if mother understands all of it either, but I dream about those things most nights, we share a mind.” 

“That is enough, Uloma.” 

Asiya shouted at her, letting her cup slip out of her hand. It fell to the floor, spilling the rest of her wine. The floor slurped up the thickish white spill and made a noise that sounded like lips smacking together. 

“Your sister taking over your mind is not supposed to happen this early. She is too young. Why did you not tell me earlier?” 

She stood from the chair and gingerly made her way to Uloma. 

“I..” 

Uloma stammered. Asiya waved her off. 

“Never mind that.” 

She grabbed Uloma’s wrist. Her hold, as always, was firm. 

“Let's go.” 

She spat and vanished into nothing with Uloma, before Uloma could protest. She only had time to take one quick look around the room; no one was moving, they were staring at her agape, as sparks zigzagged through the walls of cloud.