Chapter Thirty-Two

Nana brings me and Zahra down to the living room, where two strangers sit on the sectional, I would guess, to see me. Unk and Lennox are there, too, and he has as much of a confused expression on his face as I do. He shrugs when I stare him down, which doesn’t help me out at all.

“Good afternoon, Yasir. I have been told a lot about you. I know my appearance might come as a shock to the system, but I promise, this meeting is long overdue.”

Okay, so what in the unexpected intervention is this?

While the stunning woman wearing a purple sleeveless pant suit with a black-and-gold corset belt and absolutely flawless copper-bronze skin is not familiar to me in the slightest, the man wearing a black, two-buttoned suit to almost match his sable-toned skin and long, flowing dreadlocks sitting next to her is very familiar. He’s been in different parts of my nightmares when I’m in Kindara.

Zahra pulls me down to whisper into my ear. “They’re Kindaran, baby. Something’s going on, for real, if they’re here to see you.”

I pretty much have to take her word for it. How the hell am I supposed to know who is who, and for what? I just found out I’m Kindaran a week ago, and suddenly folks come through and I’m supposed to do what exactly? “I wasn’t expecting you. From the look on Unk’s face, he didn’t get the memo, either. So anyone wanna help me understand what’s going on?”

Nana steps in front of me, taking my hands in hers. I search through her gaze to give me some sort of comfort. Having strangers around only amps up my anxiety. “Listen to me, Ya-Ya,” she says. “This is the man who saved you from the invasion in Kindara. His name is Hassan, and he brought you to me when you were younger.”

I flinch, shooting my eyes in his direction. “Is this true? You were the one who brought me to my nana? I vaguely remember your face.”

“Yes, Yasir, I am.” Hassan rises from his seat, then walks toward me until he stands a couple of feet from me. He studies my face, looking up at me as he gives a knowing smile. “It has been so long since I have seen you. You have grown so much over the years.”

“That’s funny, because I don’t remember ever seeing you.”

“Yasir.”

I turn to my grandmother and take a deep breath. “Nana, I get it. I’m supposed to be in debt to this man for saving my life, but where has he been all these years? If he has been in contact with you, why couldn’t you have at least put me in front of him so I can have an idea of who he is now?” I stare at him, frowning as I keep my emotions in check. “All I see is a stranger telling me about events that I have no way of remembering, and you’re backing him up? I’m not feeling this, seriously.”

The woman rises from her seat on the sectional, slipping into my field of vision and almost commanding my attention without saying a word…yet. “Please forgive the abrupt intrusion, Yasir. My name is Kynani. I am a Vodaran priestess, sent to help clear up some of the confusion that may be happening with you.”

“Well, you’d probably be the first to try,” I reply, releasing Nana’s hands from my grip and turning my body toward her to give her my attention. “I’m doing my best to keep from sounding ungrateful or disrespectful, but if you think you can clear things up, I’m all ears.”

Kynani extends her hand for me to shake. She…I don’t know how to explain it, but she stares into my eyes, and every aggression inside of me melts away. “My apologies, Yasir, it is obvious that no advanced notification was sent to alert you to our arrival. However, upon learning of your recent awakening, time is of the essence, and I am personally hopeful that you will be agreeable to setting up a time for the two of us to begin your acclimation process.”

Despite her ability to calm me down, I’m wondering why the conversation between us has such an air of immediacy to it. “What I’m having a hard time understanding is why is everything being sped up? It’s like everyone expects me to put my life on pause, but no one is giving me a reason.”

“I assure you, Yasir, things will be revealed as quickly as possible.” Kynani nods as she responds to me, keeping eye contact the entire time. “There is a lot to discuss, and I am hopeful that it can be done as soon as possible.”

I shake my head, feeling like I’m in the middle of a bad movie. I turn to Zahra, matching her hesitant expression, feeling every bit of the chaotic energy that’s suddenly swirling around us. “How soon are we talking? I mean, I was kinda in the middle of something before y’all showed up.”

Kynani raises an eyebrow, switching her glance toward Zahra. “You have already found a suitable mate? Is she aware of your awakening?”

“Yasir, maybe we can talk after whatever is happening here is handled.” Zahra squeezes my hand, taking her free hand to get me to look at her. “This is all a bit… We can find time to sort through things later, I promise.”

“Um, nope, not when I literally went through hell to come back to you,” I protest. “We need to talk now.”

Kynani places a comforting hand over my forearm, looking into my eyes again before nodding. “This is an intricate process, Yasir, and we need to get to it as soon as possible. Allow me to ask this question: is this young lady standing next to you a fellow Kindaran? This is important information for me to help with the acclimation.”

Zahra grins, blushing as she stands in front of me. “Yes, I am from the Kua Tribe, as is the rest of my family. My father, Kairo Assante, is a Kindaran historian. Are you familiar with him?”

Kynani smiles. “Yes, I am familiar with your father. If it is okay with him, I would like to reach out. There is much that I may need to discuss with him, too. The stars are aligning more than I ever imagined.”

Hassan clears his throat to insert himself into the conversation. “I may need to be involved with these discussions, Kynani. In fact, Xavion and Mama Johari need to be involved also, as Xavion is Yasir’s current legal guardian. Yasir is still a minor, and this is too important for it to be left up to him.”

A minor? My dude, I’ll be seventeen in February, and by certain American laws, I can declare independence and leave y’all in the dust. Who the hell does he think he is, trying to act like he has a say in what happens to me?

Kynani turns to Hassan, then glances at Unk. “You are correct, his legal guardian is needed for such matters, and as such, I will bring him up to speed. However, as you are aware when we spoke to the Kindaran Council, your presence is not required. You are needed in the field with the rest of the priestesses to continue with the primary objective of locating the remaining Kindaran Nine.”

I focus on the irritated expression on Hassan’s face, wondering why he now wants to be involved on such an intimate level when he hasn’t been around in any capacity before. “I prefer my uncle be involved; he’s been the one dealing with everything down here in Oakwood Grove. I can’t see doing this without my family not being made aware of things.”

Hassan shakes his head. “Come on, kiddo, there might be some things that I can help with during your acclimation. I’m sure the Council can find someone else to assist the priestesses. This is too important for me to remain in the field now.”

Yeah, that’s a no. “So for years, you’ve been in the field while Nana was going through a confusing time with me, and now, when you realize that whatever I’m about to go through is taking you out of the mix, you feel like being in the field isn’t important anymore? Thanks for your concern, but I’m not feeling it. I don’t know you.”

Hassan protests further. “There’s too much at stake for me not to be involved. Let me see what I can do on my end to get things worked out.”

“How about this? Find out why I haven’t been able to go back to Kindara after all these years, since you’re so interested in helping now.” I keep my rising anger in check, but his insistence to be involved and the timing of it all puts me on edge. “Since you’ve been so invested in the process this whole time, and I’m still not convinced of that, and you’re supposed to have influence, find that out for the rest of us.”

Hassan winces, but then he nods in agreement. “Fair enough, Yasir. You deserve answers to those questions.”

Unk walks over to put his hand on my shoulder, giving a knowing wink as he turns his attention to Kynani. “I’m in. This will be a good thing for him. Everything will be opened up for him, and hopefully it will give us a clue of what’s been going on all this time.”

“Very well. We will get started as soon as possible.” Kynani takes her seat on the sectional near Unk and Lennox. “Xavion, there are some things that we need to discuss, especially if Lennox will be a constant in your life. I will also need to secure a temporary location until Yasir’s acclimation is complete, so I do not impose on your space.”

Well, looks like my work here is done. “Good, now that things have been settled, Z and I have some things to work out. I’ll leave you to all the details, and I’ll catch up later. There’s still a lot I need to know.”

“Whatever you have to figure out, do it quick,” Lennox opines as she slips her arm inside Unk’s. “There’s a glow, this aura that swirls around you when you’re in each other’s space. It’s addictive, and I, for one, want to see more of it.”

I notice Kynani’s inquisitive stare as Lennox continues gushing over me and Zahra. Her eyes dart back and forth between the two of us and trigger my curiosity.

Zahra smirks as she taps my chest. “From what I’ve been told about Vodaran priestesses, once they began studying their subjects, it was only a matter of time before an interesting convo pops up. I have a feeling that things are going to get a little more exciting around here.”

“Yes, Zahra, Ms. Lennox is correct. There is something swirling around you two, something…ethereal.” Kynani continues her assessment as we stand there looking all kinds of confused. “I feel the Divine Mother’s eyes on you both. That has not happened in quite some time whenever I have observed Kindaran children or young adults.”

I start tapping my watch, almost yanking Zahra out the door with me. “Whew, would you look at the time? Appreciate the extra pressure. We’ll talk later, okay?”

I walk her to the car, my nerves completely frayed thanks to the added voices in the house throwing their collective energy behind us when we haven’t had a chance to put our energy into each other fully. All I know is that I couldn’t let her go without telling her how I really feel. Everything else would have to fall the way they would fall. I send up a silent prayer for strength for whatever would happen before I stop her at her car.

“Are you okay? I know things were a little intense in there.”

“Intense isn’t even the word, but I don’t scare that easily. Why do you ask?”

“I feel like I have to apologize for what you had to see just now.” I rub the back of my neck, feeling the anxiety tingling up my spine whenever I think something bad is about to happen. “I mean, I’m still trying to process all that in there. It’s obvi that something big is happening, and I need to find out how deep this goes.”

“Then let’s find out, together,” she replies. “I know you want to figure out what this thing is between us, but it feels like there are some other issues that might be more important.”

“But we just got a chance to… Never mind.” Who am I kidding? My life has gotten complicated in two seconds flat. “I understand if you still want to be just friends. That’s a lot to deal with on top of everything else that’s going on.”

The look on her face throws me off-balance. “I said what I said. I’m yours. My soul has chosen you.”

Hearing her say those words somehow makes all the clouds in my mind disappear. Here I am acting like the sky is falling—let’s be real, it’s still falling—and she’s the one telling me she’s ready to face down the apocalypse with me.

“And mine has chosen you.” I kiss her slow, wrapping my arms tight around her, not wanting to let her go. “I want you with me when we figure this all out. Will you be there?”

“That’s not even a question, baby.” She kisses me a few more times before I tuck her into the driver’s seat. “Whatever is going on with you, I’ll understand.”

“Call me later. You have a whole house to clear out.” Zahra closes the door and starts Raiden’s engine. “I’ll be waiting for you. Promise.”