Chapter 18: The Final Seal

Amara was held inside an abandoned church near the edge of Lagos.

Dr. Obi found the location through old Covenant maps.

Zara found it through scent.

Babycat appeared and disappeared in the night air—vanilla, suede and pepper, faint enough that anyone else would have missed it.

“She is alive,” Zara said.

Adisa looked toward the broken church windows. “How can you be sure?”

“I can still smell her.”

The church had been closed for twenty years, but candles burned behind every window.

Zara went with Kofi and Dr. Obi.

Adisa followed, though Zara did not speak to him.

His Gris Charnel remained close and quiet. The fig and black tea she usually noticed had almost disappeared beneath wet stone and tension.

They stopped outside the church.

Dr. Obi opened the old map.

“The cage should be beneath the altar.”

Kofi looked at the dark windows. “How many spirits?”

“Too many to count,” Adisa said.

Zara moved toward the entrance.

Portrait of a Lady darkened around her.

“Then we stop counting.”

Inside, spirits filled the pews.

They wore the faces of dead people.

One wore Zara’s grandmother’s face.

Amouage Guidance moved toward her from the false body.

“Come home, my love,” it said.

Zara stopped.

The scent was almost perfect.

Almost.

But it lacked warmth.

It smelled like Guidance without memory.

Without love.

“You are not her,” Zara said.

The spirit smiled with Folake’s face.

Zara destroyed it.

Dr. Obi pointed toward the altar.

“Amara is below us.”

Babycat drifted upward through the floor.

Another spirit wore Adisa’s face.

Gris Charnel filled the aisle.

“You cannot save him,” it whispered to Zara.

Adisa heard it.

He moved closer. “Do not look at it.”

Zara studied the false version of him.

The fragrance was correct.

The eyes were not.

“I know it is not you.”

She broke the spirit apart.

Kofi burned a path through the creatures.

“Move!”

Dr. Obi reached the iron cage holding Amara and began working on the lock.

Amara’s eyes were white with visions.

Babycat covered her skin, but it had changed. The vanilla was almost gone, leaving smoke, pepper and scorched suede.

“Dr. Obi...” Amara whispered. “Behind you.”

Taiwo appeared behind Zara.

He held a blade made from black bone.

Adisa saw it first.

“Zara!”

He stepped between them.

The blade entered his side.

Gris Charnel burst through the church.

Fig.

Black tea.

Blood.

The sound Adisa made was small.

That frightened Zara more than a scream would have.

He fell against her.

His blood covered her hands.

Portrait of a Lady and Gris Charnel mixed between them, rose and wood turning metallic in the air.

“Adisa...?”

His knees gave way.

Kofi turned, throwing fire toward Taiwo.

Taiwo vanished into shadow.

Dr. Obi broke the lock.

“Amara is free!”

Kofi lifted Amara from the cage.

Babycat followed her like smoke.

Zara and Dr. Obi carried Adisa outside.

He was still breathing... but barely.

The Gris Charnel on his skin was fading.

Zara pressed her hand over the wound.

“Stay with me.”

Adisa opened his eyes.

“I am here.”

“Do not lie to me again.”

“I am trying not to die.”

It was almost a joke.

Almost.

Amara grabbed Zara’s arm.

“I showed him.”

Zara looked at her.

“Showed him what?!”

“The final seal.”

Kofi knelt beside Amara.

“Where is it?”

Amara began to cry.

Babycat softened around her, the vanilla returning beneath the smoke.

“It lives inside your grandmother.”

The sky above Lagos turned red.

Thousands of voices began calling from beneath the city.

Portrait of a Lady turned cold.

Dr. Obi looked toward the horizon.

“The Hollow One is waking.”