[COMPLETE] African Pride

19. Be Who You Want

The days following the incident I kept my promise to Victoria and told her what she ever she wanted to know. Strangely, she had the opposite attitude about finding out about my powers than Baba. Rather than be horrified, Victoria was intrigued.

She wanted to know everything about the Ngai, our culture, our gods, their magic. Although I found it slight intrusive at first with all the questions, I realized that it was because she was curious. Victoria was like a sponge, absorbing everything that I had to say.

I found it a relief to have someone to talk too. Normally I would walk to Halima for matters such as this, but it felt good to have a human to speak to. For example, Victoria didn't get distracted by the flashing of lights moving on the walls.

The snow began to melt here as March approached, signaling the nearing to spring. The spring equinox was on March 20th, and when I saw March 10th arrive, worry once again shot through me.

I had less than ten days to return to Kenya and find Jiona, but I felt as if I was fighting an uphill battle. Although I knew that the Black Claw had her, I still didn't know what they wanted with her. According to toe Busar, the leader was trying to steal my magic, but how could he do that? He would need my necklace, but he would have to kill me first.

One thing caught my interest. Every member of this Black Claw that I encountered spoke with a British accent, which of course made sense as they were based out of Britain. However, every time I thought about Black Claw, my mind somehow drifted back to Scarlett.

Whenever I thought of the red-haired bitch, I wondered what she might be doing right now. Most likely she'd weaseled herself into Baba's life, something that I still firmly am against. There was something sinister about her that I couldn't put my finger on, and I refused to have her in my family.

Again, I considered calling my family, talking to them, but whenever I lifted the mobile, I would put it back down. I would speak with Bardu from time to time, but our calls were always cut short because of the different time zones. Before long I decided that it was best that I cease all attempts to contact them.

Instead, I put my mind on what I knew was the most important: finding Jiona.

I realized that the internet in the United States was faster than the internet in Kenya, and I could access much more than I could ever imagine. For the next week, I stayed up, researching this Black Claw as much as I could. Before I had left Kenya, in my final act of defiance against my father, I stole his police computer program and installed it into my laptop.

Once again, I ran it, more articles than before, appearing within a matter of minutes. The reports that I had gotten in Kenya were quite old, while these looked to be new. Like before it wasn't a lot, but it was more than I had before. My eyes scanned over the articles, absorbing the information before me.

Based out of England, the leader of Black Claw was someone named the Scarlet Sorceress. There wasn't a real name for this 'Sorceress,' but her record was blood-chilling. Usually, she would kill anyone who either got in her way or she perceived as a threat, with her calling card being a mark pressed to the temples of her victims made from bright red lipstick. The people she left alive had their tongues and eyes ripped out.

Talk about a woman who had issues.

I wasn't afraid of her; I couldn't be. I had faced things worse than this Scarlet Sorceress. This Woman knew who I was; she knew of my power and still came after me.

My hand went to the claw, wrapping around is protective as I held it close to my heart. This necklace was all that I had to remind me of Mama, and I'd rather die than give it up willingly.