Children of Virtue and Vengeance: Chapter Ninety Summary & Analysis

Zélie hears muffled screams for help as she and the elders reach the cellar. She finally sees Màri at the end of a hall. Kâmarū, Imani, and Khani free the maji and Zélie gathers Bimpe and Màri close. She soothes them, but then sees Inan run past. Zélie tells the girls to follow Imani and chases after Inan. She thinks of what he wrote in his letters and shouts for him. He stops and sends his soldiers on, and then raises his hands in surrender. Inan’s bronze coin burns around Zélie’s neck as she approaches.

Quickly, Inan tells Zélie where the treasuries are and reveals that there are majacite stockpiles in each fortress, which soldiers will try to use against Zélie if she doesn’t destroy them first. Zélie asks why Inan is saying this, but Inan says that he and everyone else who know these secrets will be dead soon. He almost smiles as Zélie approaches. Zélie puts her hand on his chest, trembling. She begins to pull on his lifeforce and watches everything they shared. He apologizes and chokes. Roën shouts for Zélie and races for her with a mask. A wall of white chases him. He throws her the mask and falls, but before Zélie can put it on, the cloud of white arrives and she faints.