HIDDEN ─ marvel

XV. Jabariland

Chapter Fifteen:
Soroya

I watch Khari lift his head before standing up and looking firmly at his leader. "I have brought to you the queen mother Ramonda, the princess Shuri, Everett Ross, and Alexander and Soroya Roberts."

M'Baku nods his head to Khari. He takes that as his queue to step back, glancing at Alex as he does so.

The queen mother steps forward, her voice wavering slightly. "My son...was murdered in ritual combat."

"Were the odds fair?" M'Baku asks.

"Yes, but—"

"So it was less a murder than a defeat."

Shuri grows angry as she says: "Do not rub our noses in it!"

"Silence! I make the pronouncements here, girl." He says. I don't like the way he talks down to her, but I keep my mouth shut, knowing we need to persuade him not lecture him.

Ross steps forward next. "Look, uh, your highness, the new king is a U.S.—"

M'Baku grunts, and once Ross starts to talk again, he and the other guards grunt also. This is similar to what they did during the first challenge day, like they did when they found us on the mountain path. Khari does not join in on these grunts. He gives Ross a sympathetic look.

"You cannot talk! One more word and I will feed you to my children."

Ross looks deathly pale at this threat. I look to Khari to see if he means that threat, but he just shakes his head, giving me a look telling me to relax.

M'Baku confirms this moments later. "I'm kidding. We are vegetarians." He says, beginning to laugh. None of us join him, especially Khari, who doesn't find any of this amusing.

Now it's Nakia's turn. "Great Gorilla M'Baku!" She says, stepping forward and kneeling down, showing the small herb in her hands. "This is why we are here; to offer this to you. An outsider sits on our throne, only you can help us stop him."

All of the amusement drains from M'Baku's face. He looks away from Nakia, contemplating something, but he doesn't do it for long. He stands up out of his throne. I watch as Ramonda kneels down to the ground, then Shuri. I tug on Alex's arm and bring him down to kneel with me, and lastly Ross follows.

"Come with me." M'Baku says, walking past us. Ross, Shuri, and the queen mother follow immediately. Nakia and I are left in shock, sharing a look of confusion as we follow after them. I look over my shoulder and see Khari walk alongside Alex, the two sharing small smiles.

We follow M'Baku around the other side of the mountain, along a path lit by open flames. Nakia and I walk with our arms linked, watching the royals in front of us like hawks as we all follow after the man-ape. Khari still walks next to Alex, and I turn my head to whisper to him: "Where are we going?"

"This is where we have our medicine. It's a special snow we use to heal the wounded and sick."

I tuck some of my hair away, feeling more confused. "Why would he be taking us there?"

"I know as much as you, Soroya." He says. In his voice I can tell he wishes that weren't the case. I'm finding I like Khari more and more every time he speaks. And from what I can see, so does Alex.

The building the path leads to is guarded on either side of the entrance, and as we enter through it, I can see how it's dimly lit red from the dark wood they use.

I hear Ramonda gasp. Nakia and I both look to the body lying in the snow in the middle of the room: T'Challa.

All of us rush to him, with Shuri and the queen mother in tears and Nakia and I close to them. Ramonda touches his head, with Nakia, Shuri, and I gently touching his arm. He's so cold.