Blood at the Root

Malik decides he wants Professor Kumale’s help. He shows Kumale the notebook and the Kreyol phrase. Kumale explains that it is part of a forbidden transference spell. After summoning a god, the conjurer uses the spell to transfer the god’s power to themselves. The Bokor tribe has been seeking the spell for centuries, but the Divine Elam is tasked with protecting it. It is rumored to be held within the Scroll of Idan.

Kumale then takes Malik into the past. They watch the initiation of dozens of Divine Elam members over the years and end with Malik’s mother. She uses her magic, a brilliant gold, and Malik is awed by her ability.

Kumale explains that the Bokor lost their ability to do ancestral magic as punishment for seeking power from the gods. He reminds Malik that “magic always comes with a price” (216).

The next morning, Malik goes to his new advanced magic class. Malik hears other students talking about another missing student. Malik avoids eye contact with Alexis, still unsure of their relationship after their fight.

Kumale is with Dr. Akeylah, and they tell the students that they are going to teach them hexes and defense. Dr. Akeylah then transports them to a field. As Malik watches, Donja and Alexis practice their defense skills in front of the class. They build strong barriers and conjure attacks on Dr. Akeylah, who compliments them. Kumale then insists that Malik try.

At first, Malik fails to defend against Kumale’s attacks. Kumale throws him to the ground, and Malik is embarrassed when the class laughs at him. Kumale encourages him, insisting that Malik can do it if he focuses.

Malik kneels on the ground. He thinks of everything he has been through—losing his mother, losing Alexis, foster care—as well as the strong magical skill his mother had. He feels magic flowing into him from the ground and uses it to create a strong wind, almost as if a hurricane is swirling around them. He produces flames that whip around them all. Several students yell, but Malik ignores them, focused on building his magic. Malik floats in the air in the “eye” of the storm he created. At the last minute, Dr. Akeylah stops everything, leaving Malik to fall to the ground as he realizes the earth is scorched around him.

Malik wakes up an hour later. He hears Dr. Akeylah, Kumale, and Chancellor Taron talking. Chancellor Taron scolds them for letting Malik participate in the advanced class, but Kumale argues that they need to see Malik’s ability. They stop talking when they notice that Malik is awake.

Malik asks if he is in trouble, but Kumale insists that what he did was amazing. He compliments him on creating such a large storm and being able to control it with just his mind. However, Dr. Akeylah warns him to be careful about expending so much energy.

That night, Malik dreams of his mother. He is in her study, looking at her papers, when she comes in and explains that he is looking at parts of a map. She explains that the map will help her find the Scroll of Idan. She warns Malik that he has power inside of him that people will try to take away.

Malik goes to lunch with D Low. They talk about the Dorm Wars, a campus-wide dodgeball game. D Low insists that they have to beat the House of Devereaux, the “bougie” dorm that Donja’s family owns. Malik asks D Low how he feels about the missing students. D Low says that the school must be careful, as it survives off the magical energy of the students. With students missing and others not enrolling or leaving out of fear, it puts the entire university in jeopardy.

A week later, it is the night of the Dorm Wars. Malik is outside practicing with his dormmates. He heads to the bathroom but stops when he hears Taron yelling. He finds Taron, Dr. Akeylah, and another professor he doesn’t know—Dr. Akim—arguing. Dr. Akim is accusing Taron of not doing enough to deal with the disappearances. She brings up Alexis and comments on how the younger generation is doing more than the Kwasan to help the public. She suggests that the magic community put out patrols to protect everyone, but Taron insists it is not necessary. Dr. Akim storms away.

Malik’s dorm faces off against Devereaux in the first round of dodgeball. They use flaming balls that are hexed to not cause any real damage. Throughout the match, Malik watches Donja, who is the best player on their team. Eventually, everyone is eliminated except for Malik and Donja.

Malik and Donja face off, throwing a few balls at each other. Donja throws a ball past Malik, but it circles back and strikes Malik in the side. It burns Malik, and he realizes that Donja used real magic to make it hurt. In response, Malik sends out a burst of magic that throws Donja into the wall. The two fight each other with magic, each using shields to block most of it. An angry Chancellor Taron stops them, putting an end to Dorm Wars, and he demands both Malik and Donja go to his office.

Taron yells at Malik and Donja. Malik insists that he did nothing wrong, and then he and Donja start yelling at each other. Taron uses magic to bind them to their chairs. Kumale tells Taron that Donja started it by using magic. Taron suspends Donja for a week, then warns Malik that he is on “thin ice.”

Back in Malik’s dorm, Alexis, Savon, and Elijah are waiting with D Low. D Low says that they need to control Donja. Alexis defends him, and Malik again accuses her of having sex with Donja. She angrily tells him that what she does is not his business. Malik tells them all to leave, and Alexis angrily does so.

After they are gone, Malik gets a message from Taye telling him that something is wrong at Mama Aya’s house and that he needs to come immediately.

When Malik gets to Mama Aya’s, a police officer is there, warning Mama Aya that the Bokor tribe is back. He implores her to get the Kwasan tribe to do something about it. When Mama Aya responds, Malik realizes that the officer is Antwan Bivins—the third person inducted into the Divine Elam with his mother and Taron.

After Antwan is gone, Malik goes downstairs. He tells Mama Aya that he knows the Bokor is back. She explains that the Kwasan tribe is having a meeting, and they want Mama Aya there. Malik insists that he wants to go, explaining that he believes his mother is somehow involved.

The next day, Malik goes with Mama Aya to the Kwasan meeting. It is at a huge mansion, the home of Empress Bonclair—Chancellor Taron’s mother and the head of the Kwasan tribe. Malik is taken aback by the fancy dress, food, and “bougie” style of everyone at the meeting.

As the meeting starts, several people ask Empress if the Bokor is back. She insists that they are not and that they do not need to spread panic. Malik yells out from the back of the room that the Kwasan need to start doing something. Empress tries to get him to remain quiet, but he scolds the group for not doing anything while people like Alexis are out trying to help the community. Empress calls an end to the meeting.

Malik is overwhelmed by the magic he feels tingling in his body from all the people. He goes to a quiet room where he finds a portrait of Taron, his wife, and a newborn baby. Empress comes into the room and tells him that it’s her grandson Ade and her daughter-in-law Celeste who died 10 years ago.

Empress then scolds Malik for lacking “tact.” She says that both he and Alexis like to shout and make a fuss but don’t accomplish anything. She points out several people at the meeting who are important members of the magical community. Two are surgeons who saved thousands of lives, while another is a lawyer who has helped the Black community for decades. She explains that they are helping the non-magical community, even if they are doing so discreetly.

As they finish talking, Malik gets the feeling that Empress hates him for something he did. He asks what he did wrong, and she tells him that he has “no idea the extent of the things [he’s] done wrong” (263).

Back on campus, Malik goes to get food. Alexis comes up to him and apologizes for defending Donja. She heard about Malik defending her at the Kwasan meeting and thanks him for it. Malik is initially cold to her but then softens. He accepts her apology.

That night, Malik dreams that he is back in the woods with Miriam, Mama Aya’s mother. He watches as she flees from white men. They threaten to shoot her, but she uses magic to defend herself. She speaks an incantation that causes dead enslaved people to rise from the ground. They turn into werecats and attack the white men.

The scene changes, and Malik sees Miriam with Ephraim. She has a piece of paper, which Malik realizes is the Scroll of Idan. She tells Ephraim that they need to hide it, and then she cuts open her hand and drips her blood on it. She uses her magic fire to burn it.

On Friday, D Low hosts a party to celebrate queer Black students. He talks about his bisexuality and how taboo it is in the Black community. Malik thinks of how privileged he is as a straight man and praises D Low for his words.

Afterward, Malik goes to put a table away from the event. He goes into a dark room down the hall. The door closes behind him, and Malik feels a presence in the room. He lights up his magic, then he feels someone grab his neck and throw him. He smashes into the wall. As he feels magic coming toward him, he puts up his defenses. He sends out a ripple of magic that smashes the window, and he pushes the presence out.

Malik’s friends come rushing into the room. They ask him what happened, and he explains that someone or something was in the room. He then realizes that there is a mark on his wrist. As it starts to glow brighter, it burns his skin.