Panic seized her, and she rolled out of the way, grabbing the bow off the ground and shooting arrow after arrow at him. Only one found its aim, in his arm, but it barely slowed him down.
Esha decided to hold her ground as he came again at her. She dropped to the floor at the last second, slashing at his leg with the knife she had hidden on her. The captain grunted, stumbling, and Esha heaved forward, using the momentum to land a crack against his skull with the hilt of her knife. She struck one blow, but before she get another one in, he grabbed her wrist.
He seized her neck with his other hand, using his height and weight to lift her off the ground. The air escaped her lungs as she struggled to reach for the whip tucked under her waist sash, hidden so as to not give away her identity.
But it wouldn’t matter who she was if she wasn’t alive.
Esha fought against his hands, driving her foot into the soldier’s groin. He dropped her, grunting in pain, and she fell in a heap, gasping as she dragged herself away.
She took in a welcome breath and got to her feet shakily, preparing to square off with the captain again. A noise sounded from behind her, but Esha kept her eyes on the captain. That is, until he let out a piercing whistle.
Esha spun around and decided it was a good thing she had kept the whip in her sash.
Kunal let out a nervous chuckle.
“Where did I come from?” he said, repeating the question. His hands were still up, the two spears still pointed at his jugular. “A few of us soldiers are returning to the Fort from a mission and have camped farther into the jungle. I got a bit lost, I’m afraid.”
The soldier on the left scoffed, his spear wobbling. “Lost? Fort soldiers should be trained better than that.”
The soldier on the right shot a recriminating look at his partner and dropped his spear, offering an arm. Kunal grasped it, forearm to forearm. “Mohit, drop your weapon. I’d heard that there was another squad on its way back from the coast.”
Mohit didn’t look happy, but he did lower his spear a few notches, giving his fellow guard a half nod. Kunal lowered his hands but made sure to still keep them in Mohit’s sightlines as he moved forward.
“So, what is this?” Kunal asked, keeping his tone light as he assessed the caravan. “A weapons shipment? I heard there was a new set of Harran steel being sent to the palace before the start of the Sun Mela.”
The chariot was tilted, leaning against a tree. Kunal furrowed his brow, trying to see if he could make out any sounds from inside the covered chariot.
“No, nothing of that sort. Would’ve loved to get a look at a set of new Harran steel—those desert blacksmiths are unparalled,” the soldier said. “Though we are on our way to Gwali.”
Mohit gave his partner a sharp look, but Kunal pretended not to notice, stumbling a bit and using the side of the caravan to catch his fall.
And that’s when Kunal spotted it. The caravan wheel had an extra compartment that indicated the cargo being carried wasn’t cargo at all. And in the back, he saw the metal pin that every royal transport had, one that would separate the chariot from the caravan.
Mohit was now advancing on him, suspicion across his face as he ignored the sputtered words of his partner. Kunal straightened himself and pushed away from the caravan after reaching a hand behind to yank at the metal pin in the corner of the broken spoke. The pin tumbled to the ground, outside of Kunal’s grasp.
“Tell me, if your squad was returning to the Fort, why are you on this road? Wouldn’t it be better to go south?” Mohit asked.
“It would. But my comrades wanted to avoid the Tej rain forest, so we took this longer route.”
“That will delay you.”
“We planned on making up the time,” Kunal said, walking to the left as if he was aimlessly pacing. But he was positioning himself closer to the edge of the jungle. Away from the caravan, which was teetering now, the latch and small metal pin having loosened.
Another minute and the pressure alone from the caravan would cause them to weaken.
Mohit finally gave him a nod of approval. Kunal gave him a nod back, feeling the slow warmth of shame filling him. If he hadn’t agreed to find Reha, if he didn’t know what he knew . . . Mohit might have been a friend.
Suddenly, a shout pierced the air. It took him a few seconds to realize it was Esha’s voice.
And she was shouting his name.
Esha burst into the clearing, her hair flying, blood streaked across her clothes, a deep welt around her neck. He didn’t even have time to feel shock at the bruising around her throat.
Behind her were four soldiers, the pairs that Kunal had hoped weren’t there.
Kunal reacted before he could think. He rushed at the nearest soldier and tackled him to the ground, only to look up and see Esha sprinting toward the caravan.
It was poised to topple over.
Mohit was running toward the caravan as well, his eyes on the wheels. And another soldier was heading after them both. Kunal landed a well-placed blow to the soldier’s face, hearing a crack as he fell to the ground. Before he could get up, Kunal was tackled and hit the ground, hard.
Hard enough that his extra senses erupted around him and Kunal had to hold back a scream. He heard the labored breaths of every person, saw the pores on the face of his attacker.
And it was the only reason he heard the pin being slotted back into the chariot.
Sun Maiden’s spear. Kunal took another blow to his cheek, but he didn’t stay down. Gathering up his strength, he lifted and smashed his head into his attacker—a Senap captain who looked vaguely familiar. Kunal pushed away the terror at having hurt a ranking member of his—the army—and focused.
Two down.
Kunal ran back to the caravan. Mohit jumped into the chariot driver’s seat as Esha battled the remaining three soldiers. One of them turned, and Kunal followed his frantic glance to see Mohit lashing the horses to get away.
“Mohit,” the soldier yelled. “Mohit, help us!”
But Mohit didn’t spare a second glance.
The chariot sped away, and Kunal’s heart plummeted. The remaining soldier, the one who had first offered him his forearm, let out a frustrated yell before turning to look at Kunal. Mohit had followed the rules, put the mission first.
“Traitor,” the soldier spat. He charged at Kunal.
Moon Lord’s fists.
Esha took a ragged breath, cursing softly in Dharkan and Jansan.
Ahead, a soldier advanced on Kunal, and they circled each other. Esha tried not to let panic set in—Kunal would be able to run after the caravan. This was their last chance. They were supposed to rescue Reha, not let her slip through their fingers while battling a bunch of cursed annoying soldiers.
Esha brushed sweat away from her eye and felt a sticky wetness against her brow. She looked down at her hand, noticing the red that dripped from her fingers but not registering it.
The short, squat soldier pulled a knife, and Esha snarled.
She unleashed her whip, deciding then that none of these soldiers would be able to leave alive, and circled the attacker’s arms with the metal tip. He let out a cry as he went down.
She cracked her whip again, almost as an invitation. The second soldier pounced forward from the left. Esha spun out of the way before the soldier could land, then lashed upward with her whip, wrapping around his torso and launching him forward.
He flew into the nearby tree, groaning.
Something rammed into Esha. She pitched forward but couldn’t roll into the fall. Instead, she landed in a sprawl. Kunal took down the soldier he had been facing diagonal to her, cracking him over the head.
She turned back around, scrambling in the dirt away from the first soldier, who looked angry.
Well, that made two of them.
Esha reached down her leg and grabbed the secondary knife she wore on her calf. She threw it, knowing it wouldn’t kill her attacker.
But it would slow him down.
He
gasped as it found its mark in his thigh. Esha got to her feet and lashed her whip again as her attacker grunted and yanked the knife from his thigh.
He tried to throw it at her, but she knocked it out of his hand and then lashed him. Once. Twice. He fell back on the second one and she bounded forward, using the momentum from her running start to take him down.
Before he could get up again, Esha wrapped her whip around his neck and pulled tight. She waited. One, two, three, four, and the man collapsed.
Esha rose to her feet. Kunal was facing the last soldier, in a deadly dance of knives, before he took a deep breath and simply barreled the attacker into a tree.
The soldier slumped down the bark and Kunal stepped back, catching sight of her. Kunal backhanded him with the hilt of his sword.
“Are there any others?” she said.
Kunal shook his head, dragging the three attackers together. “No, and I can’t hear any other troops in the area. I think we’re clear.”
Esha stopped behind him, a faint pain climbing up her side. She ignored it and grabbed her knife to slit the soldiers’ throats. A strangled sound came from Kunal.
“They’re liabilities if they’re alive. They’ve seen us.”
Esha looked up and felt the weight of judgment in his gaze. She had become more aware of her own code now, how it differed from and converged with Kunal’s.
But she was protecting them. She would always protect the people closest to her first.
“They’re near death anyway.” When that didn’t seem to shake the frown off his lips she tried another tack, already thinking about the soldiers who had gotten away. “If a few soldiers in Gwali mention us, it could be ignored. But a squadron? We won’t be able to set foot in the city.”
“We shouldn’t be killing anyone. I’ve seen enough death recently.”
“Kunal, you’re a soldier. Don’t go soft on me now.”
Kunal looked as if he was going to turn away.
“It’ll be painless.”
And before Kunal even fully turned away, Esha had slit the soldiers’ throats. There was still one more in Gwali, which she’d have to clean up later.
“We let him get away,” Esha said.
“They ambushed us. It was ten men against two and we still managed to hold our own.”
Esha sighed, rubbing her eyes. “You’re right. I don’t have to like it, though. Do you think we should try to catch up?”
“They’ll be on high alert. It’ll be suicide,” he said. “They won’t be taking any breaks until they get to Gwali. Protocol will demand the shield formation I mentioned—it’ll be impossible to get through.”
“It sounds like we’re going to need help. They’ll be sure to double protection after encountering us,” she said. Esha looked down at her torn and bloodied clothing. “I don’t think we can do this alone anymore. Not after being outnumbered like that, even if it was mostly just infantry.”
“You know, infantry still train a lot. They’re decent fighters,” he said.
“Not enough.” Esha snorted. “You’re too kind, Kunal. How did you become a top soldier at the Fort again?”
Kunal gave her a sly grin. “I’m good with my hands.”
Esha let out a laugh, but she knew it must be hard for him to be on this side, fighting against men he had seen as comrades for years.
“I sent a hawk earlier,” she said slowly.
Recognition alighted in his eyes—he had noticed. Good for him.
“The rest of the team—Bhandu, Arpiya, and the twins, Aahal and Farhan—are accompanying the royal procession to Jansa. We can debrief together, figure out a new plan.”
“You could’ve mentioned you had written for backup. But I agree. We can’t do this alone anymore.”
“The note wasn’t about backup, actually. I had promised to keep Harun apprised of our relative location.” Esha raised an eyebrow at Kunal. “He’s furious with me, especially when another squad found our contact murdered and us missing.”
“He’ll survive,” Kunal muttered.
Esha held back a laugh.
“Let’s clean up and then head west toward their camp,” she said. Esha glanced back at the fallen soldiers. “Grab their weapons as well.”
Esha moved away, making a face as she realized she was a filthy mess. She loosened her tight waist sash and a sharp pain shot up her torso, adrenaline finally leaving her body. Her hands flew to her side as another stab of pain followed, a dull ache spreading through her torso. And when she lifted a hand, it was streaked in red.
Blood began to soak the side of her shirt, her waist sash no longer acting as a tourniquet.
Her vision began to blur, and Esha pitched forward.
Chapter 3
Esha woke up to the scowling face of Harun. She rubbed her eyes, willing the image away. It remained, and it might have been her imagination, but even his beard quaked in anger.
“How—how did I get here?” Esha asked, her voice hoarse.
“Your soldier found our camp,” a woman’s voice said from the back of their small tent. Arpiya. She’d recognize her friend and fellow Blade’s voice anywhere. “Apparently, Kunal was able to track us from the directions we sent in the note.”
Kunal winced as Bhandu came up behind him and clapped him on the shoulder. He must’ve shifted into his eagle form, large enough to carry her, and flown her here after she fainted. A risky decision, especially because the rest of the team didn’t know of his parentage—and she wanted to keep it that way.
“Care to explain what happened, Viper?” Harun said through gritted teeth.
A sigh came from behind. “Give her a few moments, Prince. How would you feel if you were startled awake by a snapping turtle?” Kunal said.
Bhandu’s deep laugh rattled through her hazy fog, and Esha’s eyes eased open. She took in the full sight—angry Harun, a pleased-looking Kunal, Bhandu, Arpiya, Farhan, and Aahal.
Everyone was here. Esha groaned.
“Is it necessary for you all to be in this tiny tent? What have you been doing—staring at me?”
A chorus of weak noes went up in her team, and Harun continued to stare daggers at her.
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up so I can get a report. A full one. Not the spotty communications you’ve sent so far. And I expect an explanation for this injury and why you let a soldier escape a week ago. Remind me again why I even sent you out on this mission.”
Harun was at the top of his fury now. His hand flew to pinch the bridge of his nose, and he took a deep breath. Esha tilted her head at Kunal to speak before she realized they hadn’t agreed on their story.
“We were set upon by Fort soldiers before we reached the meeting place, and that’s where we found out the contact was dead,” Kunal said. “I was captured while standing watch.”
Kunal filled them in on the rest. How they had discovered the new Jansan rebel group run by Dharmdev and how Laksh turned on them—leaving out anything to do with Kunal’s newfound parentage or his relationship with Laksh.
“—and then Esha came into the battle and killed two of the soldiers.”
Harun looked at the blood-soaked bandage around her waist. “While you let a soldier escape. Not the best way to convince us you’re not also a spy, like this Laksh. Somehow Dharmdev got a soldier to turn while within the Fort. That’s pretty great work.”
“Kunal wants to help our cause. Would he have saved me otherwise?” Esha said, aiming for a patient tone. Harun looked at Kunal sharply, as if he knew another answer.
“And how does that account for the past week, then? Gods above, if you tell me you’ve been doing anything but trying to capture this Laksh, I’ll—”
“Harun, if you’d give us a chance, we could tell you the most important part,” Esha said, a heaviness returning to her chest. “It’ll explain everything. Why we’ve been gone, why I’m like this.” She waved weakly at her torso.
Harun huffed and gave her a terse nod.
“The s
oldiers were moving back to Gwali for the truce, but also to protect something. Someone.” Harun’s eyes narrowed as she spoke, and she could see his mind calculating all the possibilities.
“We heard something similar—rumors of a marriage. A noble-born girl from the east, maybe?”
Esha shook her head, staring at her old friend, hoping he saw what she wasn’t saying.
“That’s not it,” she said.
“Then what?” Harun said.
Esha hesitated, uncertainty flooding her. What if they were wrong? This news would hurt Harun, but it’d also give him hope. A direction to go in.
“Spit it out, Esha,” he said.
Esha inhaled and stared her old friend in the eye. “We found her. We found Reha.” And before Harun could say anything, before a glimmer of joy could shift across his face, Esha continued. “And Vardaan has her.”
Kunal knew in theory the lost princess Reha was the prince’s younger sister, but it wasn’t until he saw the raw despair on the prince’s face that he understood what this could mean to him.
What if he had a sister? Maybe someone to care for would have changed his path, given him something to fight for. For a fleeting moment, Kunal understood what had shaped the young prince.
Esha scooted to the bottom of her bed before enveloping Harun in an awkward hug, her movements hampered by her bandage.
“No,” he said. “No. If Vardaan has her in his grasp . . . There’s no time to spare. What if he hides her away, hurts her in his pursuit of power? She’s only sixteen. She won’t even realize she’s being used.”
He looked at Esha as if she were water in the desert. It annoyed Kunal, even though he knew Harun deserved that comfort right now. The others moved forward, offering their own comfort.
“We’re not sure, Harun, but it makes sense. Why else would Vardaan have come to a truce? He isn’t worried about us anymore, not when he has Reha and her blood. He’ll try to do the renewal ritual for the janma bond with her blood and keep ahold of his power over the country.” Esha took a deep breath, which made her wince. “We’ve been gone for a week because we were trying to end all of this, chase down the caravan we suspected had her. I wanted to come back to you with your sister in hand. That’s why we’re late.”
The Archer at Dawn Page 2
