And perhaps one day she’d be able to see it all—as just Esha.
The smile on Esha’s face didn’t disappear until the noble had turned his back.
“Tired?” Arpiya said, appearing at her elbow as she stifled a yawn. They’d stayed up all the night before, checking and rechecking the plan for the next day’s mission to case the citadel’s defenses. They’d get only one shot to do it correctly. Security was growing tighter around the citadel and palace as they approached the Victor’s Ball, but they had no choice. The real Reha had to be rescued before the Victor’s Ball, before her marriage to General Panak.
“Not really. What’s the news from the boys?”
“The citadel really is locked down as tight as we thought,” Arpiya said, lowering her voice. “Without Kunal and his access to the citadel, it would take us weeks to figure out a way to get in. And it would probably be messy.”
“Messy?”
“There’s a hawk’s nest at the top of the citadel, where the messengers are trained. It’s the only place with an entrance to the citadel that isn’t guarded by armor-wearing, spear-wielding humans.”
“Ah,” Esha said. “Then our new plan for Kunal will be the best one.”
Arpiya nodded. “Speaking of Kunal, I meant to tell you earlier . . . When we were scouting, there was another man, one he let into the palace.”
“A soldier? Not Alok?” She tilted her head at Arpiya, and they moved over to a corner of the room, where moonlight streamed in through the glass windows.
“Someone. I couldn’t be sure.” A faint blush crept over Arpiya’s face.
“Someone you may have liked?” Esha said, her voice singsong even as she tried to decipher what it meant that Kunal was letting unknown people into the palace. She couldn’t remember the last time Arpiya had fancied anyone.
“Perhaps. There was something about him . . . But that’s not why I brought it up,” Arpiya said hurriedly. “We’re trusting Kunal with a lot in this rescue. And I do trust him. Especially after he responded so well to my threats.”
“Arpiya!” Esha exclaimed.
She shrugged, a gleam in her eye. “What? You thought he’d get away without one of my talking-tos? The boys probably pray for that. But I thought you should know, as our leader.”
“I’m sure it was a fellow soldier, Arpiya.” Esha’s grin turned wicked. “Which means you think a soldier is intriguing.”
Arpiya made a face. “I think no such thing.”
“What don’t you think?” Harun said, appearing at Esha’s side.
“Nothing,” Esha and Arpiya said at the same time.
Harun frowned.
Esha craned her head, searching through the crowd for Kunal. At least during this party, it wouldn’t be odd for Kunal to introduce himself and talk to them, especially not as the famous Archer. Once she spotted him, she pulled a servant aside and asked him to bring Kunal over to them, at the request of the prince.
“That’s sure to give him worry. We don’t have the best relationship,” Harun mused.
“That’s up to you, my prince,” Esha said, knowing that he only preferred his title in certain situations. “And probably because of you, if we’re being honest.”
“You know, if you call me your prince, doesn’t that also mean you should be kind to me? Or risk punishment?”
“And what punishment would that be, my prince?” Esha said, a grin on her face.
“Please stop. I don’t know what direction this is about to go in,” Arpiya said, and pointed at the approaching maid. “We also have guests.”
Esha realized she had stepped closer to Harun, and he to her. A natural sort of thing for them when verbally sparring. She coughed and moved back a pace as the maid returned, Kunal in tow.
“The Arch—the champion, Kunal Dhagan, Your Highness,” the servant squeaked out before bowing low and running away. Kunal looked perplexed and a little unnerved.
“Don’t worry, soldier. She called you over,” Harun said. At least he wasn’t glowering at him like he used to.
Kunal relaxed, his shoulders dropping from around his ears. “What is it?”
“We thought this would be a good opportunity to talk in the open. Pretend like you’ve just been introduced to us, Kunal,” Esha said.
“That would mean a bow, soldier. Isn’t it great how I can call you that now and it’s still accurate?” Harun said, his voice light. Ah, there it was.
“I’ll take it as a compliment, Prince,” Kunal said, the tone with which he said Prince indicating what he truly thought.
“Now, now, aren’t you two cousins or something?” Esha shushed Arpiya, and the girl shrugged her shoulders. “Everyone keeps beating around the bush. But you two have more in common than you’d probably like to admit.”
“Like what?” Kunal said.
“Both royals, loyal to a fault, hotheaded, territorial, insistent on protecting your land and people, both lost parents at a young age. I could go on.”
Harun and Kunal looked ill at the comparison.
Harun reached a hand up to his hair before dropping it. “She’s right,” he said. “Though I’m not sure I care for the characterization of being hotheaded.”
“Same here,” Kunal murmured.
“I’m sorry I haven’t properly welcomed you to the family. Even by marriage, you’re my aunt’s son and there’s too few of us already,” Harun said, lowering his voice to a whisper.
Kunal responded with a deep bow.
Paces over, a group of nobles broke out into loud laughter, a good reminder to them all that they were still in the nest of their enemies. No matter what they might think, they were constantly being watched.
“The two of you, look pleased. We have things to discuss and we don’t want the other nobles to notice anything amiss,” Esha whispered.
The two obliged as best as they could.
“Kunal, we’ll need you to check the outer walls tomorrow when we’re stealing the schematics.”
Kunal nodded, though he kept looking away, distracted. Recently, he’d latch onto any indication there was information that wasn’t being shared with him. The only thing Esha could see that was interesting around them was Yamini, and that made her frown.
A few other competitors were nearby, and from their hungry looks they were eager to get their own time with the prince of Dharka, if only because Kunal had. It wouldn’t do to monopolize his time anyway—they didn’t need to draw any more attention.
Esha tucked a note into Kunal’s palm as she leaned over, making it look as if it were nothing more than an accidental touch. To his credit, he didn’t startle, but he did turn to look at her, his gaze searing and inquisitive before he walked away.
Two days. They had only two days before their game board would be set.
Which meant she had far less time to accomplish her own goal.
Esha palmed the side of her dress where she had attached a small weapons holder to her thigh, under the stiff folds of her silk sari.
Harun’s warm chuckle brought her back to attention, a look around telling her what had brought mirth to his lips. The other competitors were circling like attentive men eyeing a bride to court, nervous, yet eager.
“If you had to pick one of the competitors to back, who would it be?” Harun asked.
“Not that one,” Esha said, glancing over the rim of her cup at one who kept darting back and forth. “He looks too nervous. I’m waiting for one of them to take courage and approach us. And you know the answer anyway. Kunal.”
“You always did like an unfair advantage,” he said lightly.
“True,” she said, avoiding the bait. It wasn’t Kunal’s fault he had royal blood or that he’d been forced into this competition. “My whips are rather unfair.”
“Are we talking about you now? Oh no, Esha. There’s far more deadly things about you than your whips.”
She returned his gaze, lifting an eyebrow.
“You know, if you were in the competition proper
ly, I’d bet on you,” Harun said.
One of the circling competitors gained courage and walked toward them.
“Your confidence in me is inspiring,” Esha murmured as he approached. Her tone was playful, but Harun’s words provided her heart the layer of steel she needed. In the corner of the room was a group of Senaps, chatting and drinking, looking far too happy for her own taste.
She was the Viper, Dharka’s legend.
She delivered justice, and she would finish this—tomorrow.
Chapter 27
Esha skittered over the rooftop of the merchants’ guildhouse and came to a stop, looking for her target.
There.
She started to climb down the wall of the guildhouse, but her foot caught on a few loose bricks, and they went crashing to the ground. Her head jerked up, alert.
When nothing happened for a few minutes, she finished climbing down the wall, landing squarely on the dirty alley floor. She patted dust off her dhoti and made sure all of her weapons were concealed.
Satisfied, Esha strode forward into the light of the main road, checking left and right before sneaking across.
She was so intent on her direction that she didn’t see the flash of bronze at first.
A Senap in a helmet grabbed her arm and stared down at her.
“We’ve been looking for you.”
Esha tugged at her chains, her wrists aching under the unfamiliar weight. Her vision was still fuzzy from being knocked out, blood dripping from a cut on her eyebrow.
She stepped forward, trying to keep pace with the Senap by her side, his grip firm on her chains. They approached the outer wall of the citadel, and the Senap nodded at the soldiers who stood guard.
“A prisoner. The one the Senap captain was looking to question.”
The two guards glanced at each other, one of them checking a small scroll hidden in his waist sash. He gave his fellow soldier a nod and waved the Senap through.
“The captain is out right now, but you can place the prisoner in the inner ring’s rooms for now.”
“When will he be back?”
One of the soldiers checked the sundial nearby. “He was called away to the palace but should be back within an hour.”
“I shouldn’t take him to the captain’s rooms?”
The other soldier snorted. “No. No one’s allowed into the inner tower if the captain isn’t there. Wait for him below.”
Her captor looked like he was going to argue but then nodded and yanked at Esha’s chains, making her stumble. She bit back a yelp as she lurched forward, following the Senap through the main gates of the citadel.
Memories hit her like a towering wave. She’d been there before, almost a decade ago, after watching her parents die and helping Reha escape. Her arm ached in response, the bone having never healed properly. A reminder of what the Senaps were capable of.
She slowed down, her feet growing leaden as they crossed the inner courtyard and moved toward the inner sanctum, where the captain’s tower and, if she remembered correctly, the dungeons were. The night was silent, except for the squelch of their sandals. Weapons were strewn about everywhere in the courtyard.
Her chains were yanked again, and Esha was only able to stop herself from flying forward at the momentum by digging in her heels.
She’d had enough.
“Stop yanking me about,” she said crossly. “We’re past the guards.”
Aahal turned around, his face contorting in apology under his Senap helmet.
“Sorry! I was worried they wouldn’t believe us, and then I got a bit into it. It’s kind of heady, having all this power.”
“Yes, I know,” Esha said, glancing around. “I spent plenty of time with soldiers who felt the same way, in this place.”
Aahal’s eyes widened as he loosened the slack on her chains. “I forgot. Farhan told me, and I completely forgot. You were kept in the citadel’s dungeons, weren’t you? After the coup?”
Esha nodded, finding her balance again. They drew close to the inner sanctum and tower.
“It’s fine, Aahal. We need to focus.” She needed to focus. Being in the citadel again was harder than she had anticipated. Her ghosts were louder here. “We have to get through the next set of guards. And then we’re in.”
Aahal squeezed at the chains in acknowledgment. Esha made herself smaller, slowing her steps and bowing her head like any other prisoner.
A decade ago, she had come here the same way, cowed.
But this time, it was her choice.
“We’re almost there,” Aahal whispered.
Esha prepared herself.
Kunal held back a sigh of annoyance, watching the nobles from the House Ayul chatter and bemoan the states of their shoes—again.
He didn’t know what the nobles had expected when they had accepted his invitation to a tour of the citadel. Perhaps they thought they were getting an exclusive look at where the champions trained and soldiers were made, one they could lord over their fellow nobles at the next party.
But they had forgotten that one hundred men had been living and training there, and though the number was dwindling, it was still an area for training and rest. Of course the courtyard would be muddy. This was a ground to practice the art of fighting, not the pristine marble of their palace quarters.
He tried to hide his annoyance with a smile. Why had they even said yes to his invitation? Perhaps they told themselves that it meant the Archer had chosen them as his patrons, was spending an afternoon off with their esteemed presences.
How would they act around him if they knew the truth of his birth and parentage? Would the geniality fade into competition and jealousy? As it was now, he was famous but still below them. Only a soldier.
Kunal motioned at the crowd of Ayul noblemen and -women, mostly young, though a few old. He had gotten special dispensation for this tour. In fact, the captain had encouraged it, saying it would make their army stand taller in the eyes of possible benefactors.
“This courtyard is used for training, as you might be able to surmise from the discarded weapons. I promise we’re better behaved at the Fort,” Kunal said. They tittered in amusement.
He caught a glimpse of a Senap helmet and a man in chains down below and steered the nobles away.
One of the noblewomen gasped. “There’s a prisoner over there,” she said, aghast. “I thought it was only champions in the citadel during the Mela?”
“And the Senap captain, my lady,” Kunal said. That was something they had only discovered a few days ago, after one of Alok’s scouting trips. It was said that he had been positioned there to protect the soldiers, but Kunal knew better. “As added protection for the champions.”
“You don’t really need any protection, do you, Senap Kunal?” one of the ladies asked, her gaze dragging down his body. Kunal flushed, and he hid it with a cough, his discomfort only seeming to make her more interested.
“We could all use a little help. Did you know that last Sun Mela, a woman tried to capture three Mela champions?”
“Why?”
“She was a fan and had been following them since the start of the competition. The Senap captain caught hold of her, though, and released the champions.”
One of the noblemen huffed. “We never heard of this.”
“Of course. We didn’t want to alarm anyone.”
They entered the outer walls of the citadel, where the champions weren’t allowed at night. The guards there caught sight of Kunal and waved him in, a scroll with his approved request for a tour tucked in their belts.
Two guards at the outer door and two at the inner door.
Kunal noted it for later.
They turned in to the outer walkway, winding up a narrow staircase to what Kunal and Alok had identified as the only natural exits in the citadel.
A few nobles huffed and puffed behind him. Kunal strode up the long staircase as if it were a morning stroll, counting the arrow notches and taking note of how many soldiers there were
and where they were positioned as they arrived at the top, on the upper ramparts of the citadel. This was where the majority of the citadel’s impressive defensive advantage lay.
It had been Esha’s idea to lure the nobles in with a promise of secrets and danger, to use them as cover as they scouted. Kunal was already putting together a mental sketch of the compound’s defenses and number of soldiers stationed.
Aahal and Esha should be en route to steal the captain’s schematics of the citadel, which would reveal any routes or hidden tunnels they could use. Farhan and Arpiya were scouting the armory to determine how much weaponry the citadel had—just in case.
Despite overhearing Esha discussing the need to take the throne at the musical contest, she hadn’t come out and told him yet, only hinted. He couldn’t deny that he was frustrated at still not having her trust.
“And these are the men of the Kestrel Squad, strong infantry soldiers and honorable, good men,” Kunal said. He patted one of the soldiers on the shoulder. The men puffed out their chests and gave exaggerated bows to the nobles, who lapped it up.
He tried not to roll his eyes. He was now sure he hated politics, but he did see the benefit of understanding people and playing to what they expected—or wanted—him to be.
Kunal cleared his throat.
“Shall we continue?”
The nobles gave an enthusiastic response and Kunal continued ahead, scanning the walls as he went.
Esha laid the thin parchment over the schematics and rubbed the dark chalk in as Farhan had shown her, taking care to not disturb or mar the original schematic plans.
Aahal bounced on his toes nearby, looking out the window.
“Esha, we’re almost out of time.”
“One more second,” she said. The chalk trick was beginning to work. Dark lines and cross sections began to show through as Esha kept at it.
“Esha.”
“I know.”
“Esha.” Aahal’s voice was sharper now and she glanced up.
“What? By my calculation, we still have five more minutes.”
“And yet, I see champions coming back in. The Senap captain won’t be far behind.”
Moon Lord’s fists. Esha rubbed harder, willing the lines to solidify into the clarity of the schematics below.
The Archer at Dawn Page 23
