“We’d followed the caravan and were closing in on it when we found ourselves outnumbered,” Kunal said, coming around the corner of the cot.
“More soldiers?” Harun asked.
Kunal nodded. “We—I underestimated the security. I assumed there would only be ten but there were more than protocol dictated. Too many for us to take down, but they were protecting something important. That many guards wouldn’t be placed even on the most expensive Harran steel shipment.”
“Kunal also confirmed that the caravan was designed for a passenger.” Esha’s voice grew insistent. “It had to be her. Reha had to have been in the caravan. And if she was there, then she’s on the way to Gwali. We can’t let her be held there. Harun, she’s sixteen, and this is when her shape-shifting powers will come in. She won’t have anyone to guide her but that monster, and he’ll only use her. She needs us.”
“If you’re right, then my sister is on her way to Gwali right at the same time the Dharkan royal retinue has been invited for the Mela. The first time in a decade. Add in the peace summit at the end of the Mela and this is a camphor-soaked rag waiting to be lit,” Harun said.
He stood up and moved to the window. He paused there, the room in utter silence for minutes, before he turned around.
“We’ll have to scout out her location once we get to Gwali, confirm it’s her, and then coordinate a rescue. All while making sure it can’t be tied back to us—not with the peace summit at stake.” He looked at Esha, the team, and even Kunal. “If we let Reha fall into his hands, Vardaan will control the magic and the land. Worse, he might decide to kill her and our land will fall to the drought next if the janma bond fails and the Bhagya river fades.”
Esha struggled back onto the bed and into a sitting position, her face fierce.
“This is our next mission, team,” she said. “We’ll get her back, and we’ll bring balance to the land. We won’t let the bond fail. We won’t let Vardaan use her.”
“Esha, you have a hole in your stomach—”
“We’re doing this, Harun.” Esha’s face was stone, resolute in her decision. “I’m all in. I’ll bring Reha back, no matter what.”
“We are too,” Aahal chimed in, followed by nods from the others. Harun merely nodded, his shoulders sagging down, a burden released.
The prince turned to Kunal. It was the first time Harun had looked Kunal straight in the eyes. His hands were down by his sides, palms open, and he waited. He asked no question, but Kunal knew that he was expecting an answer, and, to his surprise, Kunal had already decided.
Reha was the key to saving his land, but in the wrong hands, she was also the key to its destruction. He might not be a soldier of the Red Fortress anymore, but he was still sworn to protect his land and his people. And after all the wrongs he—and his uncle—had done, this was one thing Kunal could do right.
Kunal gave a short nod.
Esha hadn’t expected that. A moment of hesitation as Kunal weighed both sides, analyzing everything behind those amber eyes—that she had expected.
“First, we need to find out where that caravan is going,” Harun said.
“There will be a shipments room in the military garrison of Gwali,” Farhan said, moving forward. “I’ve been reading up on the recent renovations the king did to the royal and martial sectors of Gwali ever since the start of the War of the Brothers. Some light reading for the journey.”
“Light reading,” his twin, Aahal, mocked, using air quotes. Farhan was the more serious and studious of the two, while Aahal was glib enough that he could charm anyone.
“Perfect, book brains has already figured it out. We break into that room,” Bhandu said.
Kunal shook his head but held back from saying more. Harun cocked his head at the other man.
“Why are you shaking your head, soldier?”
Kunal hesitated for a moment. “It could easily be falsified. Many of the infantry are trained to have multiple versions of such records to protect the army’s goods.”
“Then we bribe them for the real records,” Bhandu said.
“Won’t work. They won’t have access to the real records.”
“Then we threaten them,” Bhandu finished.
“Martial punishments are gruesome already. Not sure any threat you delivered would outweigh their desire to save their skin.”
There was a beat of silence in the room.
“Okay, then what? If all records in the palace could be falsified and we can’t outmatch the army in cruelty or money, what do we do?” Arpiya asked, breaking the silence. Everyone looked at each other before finally turning to stare at Kunal.
“The Fort,” Kunal said. “The Fort keeps detailed records of every caravan and shipment.”
“You want to go back to the Fort?” Esha said before she could stop herself.
“No,” he said quickly. “You asked what could be done. I’m just saying the most accurate documents will be there.”
“If the soldier says the only place to get that information is the Fort, then that’s where we’ll have to go.” Harun walked toward Kunal, considering him. “Normally, I’d say it’s a mission for the Viper but . . .”
“They’ll be on high alert after the general was killed, especially as they believe it was at the hands of the Viper. Probably have new protocols that you don’t even know of, ones designed to look for rebels and the Viper, in particular,” Kunal finished. Harun nodded.
Esha looked between the two of them, narrowing her eyes.
“What if . . .” Kunal cleared his throat, a bright look on his face that Esha didn’t trust. “What if I went back? Got the information. Saw what the new protocols are.”
“Why would we let you go back to the Fort?” Esha said, her lips pursing.
Harun leaned forward. “I second that question.”
“Third,” Farhan said quietly, Aahal nodding next to him.
Kunal looked Esha full in the face, his amber eyes trained on her.
“You did turn me, didn’t you? I’d like to be useful.”
Esha tried not to make a face. He was using her own words against her, and, she had to admit, she didn’t particularly like being on the receiving end. “I can be your eyes and ears on the inside. I’m not suited to being idle.”
“How can we trust you?” Arpiya asked, arms crossed.
“I’m your best option for finding out where the caravan went,” Kunal said, though now his brow was beginning to furrow.
“I trust him,” Esha said. She trusted Kunal, but having him return to the Fort, be among his fellow soldiers . . . the idea didn’t exactly excite her.
“Why would you do that? For us?” Harun asked.
Kunal’s eyes flickered to Esha. “I want to . . . bring back balance. Reha is the best chance for me to make my country whole again. So if this is what it takes to get her back safely, then I will do it.”
Harun frowned, and Farhan and Bhandu wore matching looks of worry. It was Arpiya who spoke next.
“It’s dangerous, and it’s a risk. But he’s the only one who can get into the Fort—and he’s volunteering. Let’s not discredit that. Esha is out of the question after her last venture to the Fort, and the rest of you would be made in moments.”
Bhandu scoffed in the corner.
Arpiya continued. “We don’t have a lot of choice here. Esha can put together the best rescue plan this side of the Ghanta Mountains, but it won’t matter if we can’t find Reha once we’re in the city.”
“There’s always a retinue of soldiers that go to the Mela. We can plan to meet in a week’s time in the Pink Palace in Gwali, at the start of the Mela. By then I’ll have confirmation of where Reha has been sent,” Kunal said, color rising to his cheeks.
Esha tried not to shake her head. Soldiers. The minute he saw the outline of a new mission he was chomping at the bit. She hoped that’s all it was.
“How will you get yourself sent in the retinue, soldier?”
There was a lightness in
Kunal’s movements now, a bounce almost. “Senap,” Kunal said. “I’m not just a soldier. I’d just been promoted to Senap before leaving on my miss—leaving the Fort. And my new post was to be Gwali. The retinue will be a backup.”
Something flashed across his face, a tension, that Esha had gotten used to noticing in her soldier. She took note of it. Part of her thought the Fort wouldn’t be so kind to a soldier who failed a mission, even if it was an impossible one. But he knew the Fort better than she did.
Harun considered Kunal with those shrewd eyes. “But you’re no longer part of the Fort. Or at least, that’s what you keep telling us.”
“No one else knows that,” Kunal said. “For all they know, I’ve merely been busy. If I fail to check in three times, they’ll mark me missing or dead. But if I get to a garrison soon—”
“You’ll be back on the books,” Harun finished. “Gwali, you say?”
A slow grin coiled around Harun’s face, one that Esha didn’t care for. She knew the way Harun thought, if only because it was so similar to herself.
Kunal nodded once, firmly.
Harun tapped the edge of Esha’s bed, tracing his fingers over the blanket. “I’m surprised you didn’t think of this, Esha. I’m assuming the soldier told you this when you turned him—it must have been one of the reasons you attempted something so risky, right?”
Harun’s voice was casual, but she detected the undercurrent of his words.
“Yes, exactly why.” There was more she wanted to say, how he shouldn’t be putting himself in this position, not when Laksh was still out there looking for him. Not when he was one of the only remaining Samyads alive. But she couldn’t say any of it, not without revealing Kunal’s secret.
“This is no simple task we’re asking of you. I can’t say I trust you, soldier. Reha is my little sister. She’s also the best chance both of our nations have at healing the land. Will you be able to do whatever it takes, even against your former comrades?” Harun asked.
The two men looked at each other, something unspoken passing between them. Something Esha couldn’t understand, and that annoyed her.
“Yes,” Kunal said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure Reha is safe. And to save my country.”
Only two weeks ago, Kunal had almost left when Esha had given him the choice to go back to his life. No one in the tent knew that. Was she enough reason for him to stay? To betray everything he had known?
Or was he truly a part of the team?
She knew which one she wanted to believe. Esha tried to catch Kunal’s eye but instead caught Harun’s penetrating gaze, which asked her the same question.
The hawk landed on Kunal’s outstretched forearm, and he inhaled sharply as his body thrummed. Kunal reread his scribbled note to Alok once more before rolling it up and attaching it to the hawk’s claws.
He was going back to the Red Fortress while Esha and the team would continue on as part of the royal retinue, taking on roles within the nobility. Once they were all inside the gates of the palace, they’d meet again and proceed from there.
He’d leave in an hour, making a stop at the nearest garrison to check in. If he rode fast he should make it back to the Fort within a day and a half.
Kunal had made up a story for Alok, stretching the truth a bit, but letting him know the bare bones of what had happened—Rakesh had been captured, Laksh and Amir had run away, and he was the sole soldier left. He also sent a similar note to General Panak, with a few of the details omitted.
He hoped it would set the stage for his return and minimize the questions he’d receive, though it would still be dangerous. He’d have to keep his story close to him. From one angle, he was the de facto winner. From another, it was quite suspicious that he was the only one who had returned alive.
Unfortunately, that was the sort of realization that would only make him more popular at the Fort. Kunal tried not to shake his head at the idea that being thought of as a murderer would add prestige to his name. He’d always looked away when the other soldiers talked like that, resolved that he wouldn’t act that way, think that way. But after meeting Esha he could see that that wasn’t enough.
It was as if a part of him he had buried had been able to breathe fresh air. This desire to set things right, to make a difference—it wasn’t new, not really. It felt unearthed. As if the years of loneliness and obedience had buried it under armor and bronze.
Kunal watched the hawk take flight, soaring through the reddened sky of the early evening, imagining how the air would feel against his skin—his wings.
A new beginning. A chance to do something, for once.
It was all he could really ask for.
Chapter 4
Kunal sneaked into the small tent, looking around before darting inside.
Esha was lying on her side, facing away from him, but he heard her soft snores and trod lightly inside the tent. In a flash, she sat up, her body twisting in what must have been a familiar way, the knife in her hand threatening. But instead of a knife flying past his head, he saw Esha double over, groaning in pain. Her knife fell to the ground.
Kunal rushed to her side and she swatted at him. “Don’t sneak in like that; I might’ve carved a hole into your chest.”
“I noticed,” he said. “Though it doesn’t look like you’ll be carving holes into anyone anytime soon.”
Esha gave him a look. “Injury or no injury, you know I could cause my fair share of pain.”
“Indeed,” he said mildly. “But maybe now you should focus on resting and healing. Then you can threaten me standing up.”
“You sound like Harun,” she said. She pulled herself to an upright, sitting position with a grimace.
Kunal could tell she didn’t mean that as a compliment, so he said nothing. Instead, he helped her, using his hands to steady her. Her skin was soft and warm under his touch, and despite her state, he could feel the heat in his belly rising. It had been a while since they were alone together.
He knew he should drop his hands, let her sit back and keep resting, but his hands stayed on her waist, trailing up her arms and shoulders.
When he looked up, Esha was staring back, an eyebrow slightly raised. Color was slowly rising into her cheeks.
“Just checking to see how you’re healing,” he said.
Esha was lucky the knife wound had been clean and that Kunal had been able to get her to a healer quickly. By the time he had flown them close to camp, her wound had been sewn shut.
“Then you’ll see I’m healing quite well. So well, that you should really let me get some fresh air. Walk around camp, that sort of thing,” she said.
“Arpiya already warned me that you’d say something like that. Apparently, last time you got wounded you sneaked out and managed to run half a training session with the squads until she caught you.”
“And my injury then was much worse.” Esha tried to move up, but Kunal’s arms around her proved an obstacle. “So you should really let me go.”
He chuckled. “Arpiya also mentioned that when she found you, you had undone a quarter of the stitches, earning you a tongue-lashing from the healer.”
Esha sank back against the cot frame. “Also true.”
“Look, the more you rest now, the more useful you can be once we’re all in Gwali.”
“Are you leaving?”
“Tonight,” he said. “I told them it was so I could arrive by evening tomorrow but . . .”
“You mean to arrive in the morning,” she said, her voice quieting. “I’m not too fond of the idea of you leaving. Again.” A hint of something shy crept into her voice, and Kunal felt his conviction soften.
“I’ll find you,” he said.
Esha chuckled low. “Just like old times? But I’ll be in the Dharkan royal retinue.”
“I know,” he said. “But would it really be so strange for a young, beautiful Dharkan girl to catch the eye of a Senap guard?”
Esha leaned into him, before wincing in pain at the move
ment. “We can’t be obvious. Perhaps I’ll catch your eye, but nothing more.”
She paused.
“At least not in public,” she said softly, the hint in her voice enough to set a low simmer to Kunal’s blood.
Esha noticed the way Kunal’s eyes flashed; his body tensed, and she held back a little smile.
“We’ll have to set rules,” she said, lowering her voice.
“Harun already gave me a list—”
“Not for your communication with the team. For us,” Esha said. “We can’t tell the others.”
Kunal’s lips momentarily pursed, but he nodded. “I’ve just gained their trust. Plus, I have no interest in facing down an angry Bhandu.”
“How will we communicate? You and I?” He traced little circles over the skin of her knuckles. Esha shivered.
“I’ll leave you notes,” she said.
A quick glance around told her that no one was outside the tent. She leaned forward to cup his face, fighting back a groan of pain. She drew a thumb over his lips, her eyes flickering to them.
He took the hint and kissed her, slowly, gently, taking care not to put pressure on her left side. Her frustration and annoyance faded to the background. She could live in these moments, bathe in them, wear them like armor.
She might need to for this upcoming fight.
Esha tensed up again, and Kunal pulled back, looking at her. “Are you okay? Did I push into your wound? I knew I shouldn’t have—”
She shushed him with another kiss, a quick one. “I’m fine. I just started thinking about the task we have ahead of us. Do you remember being at court?”
“Not much.”
“Understanding the politics, making alliances, will be important. Tensions will be high with the Sun Mela now open to Dharkans. Not to mention the peace treaty looming over everything.”
“You’re really making me look forward to this mission,” he said.
“What’s not to like? Subterfuge and schemes. You’ve dealt with vicious vipers and snapping turtles. It’ll be fun,” she said. “Your first mission as a rebel.”
The Archer at Dawn Page 3
