The Archer at Dawn

by Swati Teerdhala

  He tapped the entire wall to no avail. His luck had run dry.

  Kunal dug his thumbs into his temples, sharpening his senses in the hope that it’d help, though he didn’t know how. Maybe the mistake was in thinking like his uncle. Vardaan and his uncle had been close friends, but in the end, they weren’t as similar as Kunal had thought. That he had seen firsthand.

  There was an arrogance to Vardaan, cultivated to mask a cunning that he didn’t want people to notice. As if he were hiding in plain sight.

  Kunal dove back to the desk, rummaging through the stacks of papers on its surface. An administrative map was laid across the top, what looked like a book of figures under it. Kunal picked up the stack only to realize it was a small box cut in the form of a thick book.

  It was hollow. Kunal quickly undid the lock and opened the box to reveal a carved-out inside in which the report was tucked, among many others. Kunal tugged out the replica scroll he had brought and quickly changed it for the real report. He noticed the other reports in the box and his heart skipped a beat as he considered all the information that could be in them. Kunal sorted through the scrolls, looking for anything that grabbed his attention.

  Taxes, taxes, bargaining with the merchants over a grain shortage, reports from the Senaps, an illegible note in a different dialect with symbols, more taxes. Kunal doubled back, picking out one of the reports from the captain and the letter with that symbol.

  It was hard to decipher, a mix of ancient Jansan and Dharkan. Whoever had written this report had taken the time to translate the contents into something almost indecipherable. The symbol on the seal caught his eye. He could’ve sworn he’d seen it before.

  Kunal tucked the information away for later as his sharpened senses picked up footsteps two rooms away. He could wait to see if they’d turn in this direction, or he could call it a night. He had the report, didn’t he?

  It would have to suffice for now.

  Something caught his eye out in the courtyard, and Kunal stepped closer to the railing, looking down below. A dark figure moved in the gardens, weaving through the intricate paths. Only his keen eyesight allowed him to narrow in, focus on the way the figure moved, and recognize the shape of her body.

  Esha.

  Kunal was getting tired of running after her.

  Chapter 30

  Esha crept through the outer gardens of the palace, darting behind shadows as she trailed the Senap out of the gates.

  Since the king’s reveal of the fake Reha, security had been tightened. He greeted another pair of Senaps, and Esha took the opportunity to vault herself over the gate, sliding down the walls.

  From there she ran along the street edges until she arrived at the location she had gotten from her contact. She would have to do things the hard way after her failed attempt to draw the Falcon Squad out at the citadel. No playing around, no games.

  This would end tonight at the ceremony. She’d have her justice.

  The Falcon Squad would be exiting this building before they traveled with the Senap squadron to the medal ceremony. She turned and ran in the opposite direction until she came to an alleyway.

  Esha clambered up the side of a sweets shop, inhaling the smells of pistachio and cashew, dates and jaggery, trying not to let her hunger get to her. She sped over the rooftops, crossing from the merchants’ quarter into the thieves’ and then on to the martial, tracing a circuitous path so she couldn’t be followed this time.

  Finally, she reached her destination and crouched down low over the rooftop, wrapping the end of her uttariya fully around her face so only her eyes could be seen.

  Then Esha drew out a smaller bow, one that was specially made for long-distance shots, and notched a short, poison-tipped arrow.

  Kunal ran through the streets leading between the palace and the citadel, knowing that Esha wouldn’t go down one of the main ones. But which one?

  Crowds of people were going in the opposite direction toward the medal ceremony. He cursed himself. Of course she would come here, choose tonight, the night her parents’ murderers were being honored for the Mela.

  He closed his eyes and sorted through all the various noises that surrounded him, as King Mahir had taught him, until he heard one that didn’t fit.

  The crack of a bow being pulled back, a crossbow by the sound of it. Not a weapon any of the Senaps would be using.

  Sun Maiden’s spear. If Esha was embodying the Viper tonight and he arrived too late, someone would surely be dead. And if the Senaps found her again, not only would she be in mortal danger, but the entire peace treaty could be tossed aside. The Mela potentially canceled and the citadel shut down. Their mission ended before it even had a chance.

  It hadn’t taken him long to figure out more about the squad of men Esha had been trailing the night at the citadel. And from there Kunal had slowly pieced it together with all he knew. There was only one thing that would make Esha endanger everything she was working for, that the team was working for.

  Her revenge.

  Kunal thought back to what Harun had said about Esha in Gwali and her need for revenge. That it was the only thing that would fill the hole in her heart.

  Was it even his place to stop her?

  But he knew the darkness of something like that would spread. It’d be a stain, a killing unlike the others. No matter the tales, she had said that the Viper didn’t kill for fun.

  But who was he to tell her how to mourn?

  Kunal turned the corner of the street and clambered up the building side once he saw her on the rooftop, clad in inky black. He landed on the roof and she turned to face him, only her chestnut eyes apparent through the misty moonlight.

  “Kunal,” she said quietly.

  Kunal stepped forward. “How do you keep escaping?” he asked lightly, his voice barely above a whisper.

  His attempt at humor didn’t do much to change Esha’s murderous expression.

  “My lady’s maid. She thinks I have a secret lover.”

  Kunal shifted tactics. “What are you planning to do, Esha?” He stepped forward, and she still didn’t move a muscle. “Do you even know which soldier did it yet?”

  “No, but I’ll figure it out. I could kill them all. It’s not as if they’re innocent,” she said.

  “Five soldiers? Just like that?”

  “I’ve done worse, Kunal.” The way she said it chilled him. Her face was blank, lost in memories, and she was pure Viper. He couldn’t see a hint of Esha.

  “And endanger everyone? The team? Harun?”

  “Of course not,” she said, her eyes flickering in outrage. Esha pulled out a horse brand, one that looked like a Scales, tossing it between her hands. “I thought it might come in handy.”

  “You’re going to frame them?”

  “No worse than what they did to me.”

  “Yes,” he conceded. “But you are better than them.”

  “It’s not as if I had been planning it since the beginning,” she snapped.

  “What if someone innocent dies?” He drew closer, taking a measured step toward her.

  Esha gave him a look, like no soldier could be innocent, and his face flushed. “Collateral damage.” But he saw her grip on the bow loosen.

  “Esha . . .” Kunal’s ears caught the sound of a door cracking open and he shifted, walking over to the edge of the rooftop. If he distracted her long enough, the Falcon Squad would pass and there’d be no danger.

  He glanced down, sharpening his eyesight to make sure none of the Senaps surrounding the squad had noticed anything amiss.

  That was when he caught sight of a familiar face on the squad. Could it—

  No.

  Kunal didn’t have time to register the new information because Esha stepped forward, poised, her bow at the ready.

  “I’m the Viper. I was forged in the rage and grief of seeing my parents murdered in front of my eyes. And you want me to forgive? That soldier has haunted me for ten years. Even now, I dream of his face in that he
lmet. Those owl eyes and smirking grin. Never.”

  Esha expected a lecture, harsh words, disapproving eyes, but Kunal had none of that in his expression. His face was open, the understanding in it painful to see.

  “I can never forgive.” She kept her bow raised. If she dropped it, it would all be over. She would have failed.

  “We all deserve mercy. You forgave me,” he said quietly.

  “You didn’t murder my parents, my unborn sister. You didn’t strip my life away with two careless swipes of your blade.”

  “I’ve killed someone’s son. You’ve killed someone’s son. Is it necessary to keep this cycle going, Esha?” She tried to look away, but he strode up to her, cupping her face and forcing her to look at him. “End the cycle.”

  His eyes were as soft as the moon’s caress, coaxing her to believe him. That there could be peace in forgiveness.

  There had certainly been no peace in her anger.

  “And he gets away? No justice for his crime?”

  “Justice is an unsteady thing. It won’t return your parents. It won’t take away the pain you’ve endured. But you are more than your revenge,” he said.

  She pulled away. “You don’t know me that well, Kunal. I am not more than revenge. I am not more than this aching, gaping hole in my heart that this soldier left.”

  “What then? Will you take your revenge at the expense of our mission, your country’s peace and security? Or are you becoming your own nightmare?” She said nothing and he kept going, his voice deepening. “Is this who you want to be? Or do you simply not have the courage to be better?”

  Every word was a slap.

  “You chose this pain, and you can choose to let it go,” he said, reaching for her.

  “It’s not so easy for some of us to forget our pasts and abandon who we are.”

  “And who are you, Esha?”

  She was the Viper. An orphan.

  Or that’s what she would’ve said. But these past months with Kunal had shown her a glimpse of something more, something complex and whole and dangerous.

  Hope.

  And it was terrifying because the moment she reached for that hope was the moment she had to stop living in the past and had to face the future.

  Who did she want to be?

  Her grip on the bow faltered and Kunal caught it before it clattered to the roof tiles.

  “This doesn’t mean I’m going to suddenly forget what happened,” she said shakily.

  Kunal brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. “I never thought that. Your family is as much of you as your heart is.”

  Esha rose to her feet. Maybe she’d change her mind—maybe she wouldn’t. Esha didn’t know. All she knew was that Kunal’s words had struck a chord inside her chest.

  “You’re right,” Esha said softly.

  “Can I get that in writing?” Kunal said.

  Esha ignored him, her heart still pounding with adrenaline. “This was a reckless attempt. Unfitting for the leader of the Blades. Next time I’ll plan better.”

  “Esha.”

  “I’m not going to go after him. Not tonight, at least.”

  They stood there for a long moment, one stretched as far as the sea in the distance, simply staring at each other. Finally, Kunal nodded and turned around, but not before holding a hand out to her.

  She stepped forward and took it, letting him lead her away from the rooftop, the barracks, and her revenge.

  Kunal was saying she had a choice, that she could be the Viper or Esha.

  The question was, who was she?

  Chapter 31

  Esha entered the small closet of a room, slipping in and shutting the door behind her. She turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin.

  Kunal was lounging against one of the shelves, staring down at the floor as he did his magical exercises. His eyes were flashing between amber and yellow, his body rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

  He looked up at her and a moment of hesitation passed between them, mirrored in each other’s eyes. She glanced at his lips, the soft curve of them, and the set jaw underneath. His eyes were warm on hers as he took up the space between them.

  “How are you?”

  “I’m alive. No Senaps have discovered our plan and the mission is still on,” she said with false cheer. Last night might have been her only chance at finding her parents’ murderers and bringing them to justice. Even if she got their names after this Mela, they would disperse across Jansa and she’d have no reason to go after them.

  No reason that wasn’t utterly selfish.

  And she didn’t want to wallow in her own grief, allowing the past to steer her into the future. She didn’t and yet . . . the choice wasn’t easy.

  Kunal saw right through her attempt at positivity. He reached across to her, but she pulled away as the door creaked open and Aahal’s and Farhan’s heads poked around the side.

  “Did we interrupt something?” Aahal asked as he slid in, sounding gleeful at the idea.

  Esha glanced at Kunal. “Not at all.”

  “Good, because the others are right behind us,” Farhan said.

  Bhandu made a face as he squeezed in behind Aahal. Harun and Arpiya entered the room next, their heads bowed together, breaking apart as they took spots on opposite sides.

  “Let’s get started. We don’t have much time,” Harun said. “You said you had updates?”

  “Exit plan is set,” Arpiya said, tossing her short hair back.

  “And we’ve made some new friends down in the servants’ area,” Aahal said, shooting a look at his brother. “The night of the Victor’s Ball will be perfect with everyone else distracted.”

  Bhandu moved forward, placing a scroll on the table. “The names of the squad that will be on duty that night for the lower level in the citadel.”

  Kunal moved toward the scrolls. “That’s great work, Bhandu. I’d been trying to get that information for days.”

  “Did you ever try bribing them?” Arpiya asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure that’s how Bhandu got it.”

  “Close. I won it in a round of dice,” he said, grinning. Kunal looked appalled.

  Esha’s focus shifted to Harun as he read through the scrolls. There were hollows in his face that hadn’t been there weeks ago, a tension in his body that hadn’t left since he’d entered the Pink Palace.

  “This is a great start. Before we review our mission plan, does anyone have any concerns?” Esha asked, crossing her arms.

  “No. I do have a question, though,” Kunal said. “What’s the plan after the rescue? We get Reha, and then what?”

  Esha frowned, unsure why Kunal was bringing this up now. She’d hinted as much as she could to him already.

  “We’re planning on rescuing my sister, overthrowing Vardaan, and setting the real Reha on the throne,” Harun responded.

  “And that’s it?”

  “That not enough for you?”

  “It’s enough for me,” Bhandu said from the back.

  “And how are you planning on doing this?” Kunal asked.

  “Don’t concern yourself with it, soldier,” Harun said. “We have it under control.”

  Esha bit her lip, unsure whether to interject. She knew Harun was trying to protect his team, but for Kunal, who was tied to his duty and honor, it wouldn’t be a soothing answer.

  “I want to help—”

  “Kunal, we’ll pull you in when—” Esha cut in.

  “This is my land,” Kunal said, ferocity in his voice. “I’ve become the Archer, I’ve won the competitions, I’ve killed a man for this mission—I deserve to know. Do you think I can stand idly by while you decide the fate of it?”

  Esha felt her face flush. It was as if he didn’t trust them—didn’t trust her. But she also hadn’t realized how much being in the Mela as the Archer was weighing on him. It made her reassess his ability to be on this mission. Would he do what needed to be done?

  “No,” Harun said, stepping forward.
“I don’t. You’re a royal, and you want to protect your land. I can understand that, admire it, even. But there are things going on beyond what you know, and we need to focus on the rescue first, as a team. If you want to be a part of this team, then you’ll have to follow what we say.”

  A war raged across Kunal’s face.

  “Fine,” he said tersely.

  Esha found herself releasing a breath. Kunal was an instrumental part of their team now—an unofficial Blade, whether he liked it or not.

  She ignored the voice inside her that whispered that her feelings for him might be blinding her, that he was still a soldier.

  That bronze would always shine through.

  Kunal waited for her as everyone straggled out of the meeting room. Esha waved Harun ahead when she spotted Kunal.

  She stood in front of him, raising an eyebrow. “Spit it out, soldier.”

  He cleared his throat. “Are you going to tell me what the plan is after we break Reha out?”

  That wasn’t what she had expected. A comment on how much time she was spending with Harun, maybe. “We introduce her as the real princess,” she said. “The people will see reason.”

  “Will they? You’re planning on taking the throne,” Kunal said, his expression hardening. “You withheld the information from me before. I was looking for you during the musical contest and I heard what King Mahir said.”

  “I didn’t withhold. It was a need-to-know—”

  “And I didn’t need to know?”

  “No,” she said. “The squad needs to focus on getting Reha out. Only Harun and I can gather support—”

  “Oh, only you and Harun?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” She lifted her chin to stare him in the eye. Kunal exhaled sharply.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “I should’ve been read in on this. I’m not like the rest of the squad.”

  “No, you’re definitely not. You forget, Kunal, that I’m the leader of the Blades. I don’t owe my every decision to the team. My job is to lead and protect them.”

  “I’m not a Blade,” he said emphatically.