“Of course. I’m scared of us never getting the ritual done properly. I’m scared that Reha will leave this country with no real leader and a power vacuum for moons or even years. I’m scared Vardaan will find his way back.”
“Not just that,” Kunal said. “You’re afraid you might actually forgive me, see things from another perspective. You’re afraid you won’t be able to use your anger as a shield anymore. That you might get hurt. Well, Viper, we all have scars. We all have wounds, hidden ones, open ones, but you don’t see us hiding from the world.”
He was wrong.
A smaller part of her whispered of how right he might be. Fear was a living thing, shifting and changing to fit its host.
“Is that what you think this is? You think I’m afraid to forgive you?” She laughed. “No, I’d love to. I can’t.”
“That’s your choice.”
“You’re saying it’s my choice? Certainly not what you said on the night of the Winner’s Ball.”
Kunal hesitated at that.
“Don’t stop, soldier. This is the most honest you’ve been with me in a while. Why do you even care if I’m this person you’ve depicted? Afraid. Weak.” She heard her tone sharpening, looking for a victim.
“I never said you were weak.” Kunal shook his head. “Being afraid doesn’t make you weak. Courage isn’t the absence of fear. And you, Esha, are one of the bravest people I’ve known.”
That stopped Esha cold. She hated it when he did that, held her close with his words, saw through the veils and masks she donned.
How did one even respond to that?
“Which is why I know you’re scared, and no one else will tell you.” Kunal stepped in, so close she could feel the rough texture of his uttariya against her skin. “But I have nothing to lose. We’re nothing to each other, right?”
The latent fury in his words nearly took her breath away. She wanted to say she hadn’t expected this, but it would be a lie. Kunal and she were more similar than she cared to admit. Pushed too far, even Kunal wouldn’t back away.
Esha coughed. “I’m not—You . . .”
Kunal cocked his head in a very Viper-like manner. “You? You’re not the only one with something to forgive, Esha.”
The sound of clapping broke through the cocoon of their conversation, and Esha immediately stepped away, looking toward the noise.
Alok was clapping his hands and doubled over in laughter, a pleased-looking Bhandu next to him. Aahal stood to the side, shaking his head as he covered his face with a hand. He brightened as he caught Esha’s gaze.
“Can we get started?” Aahal said. “I’ve had about enough of these two.”
Esha cleared her throat. “Of course. We’ll be traveling to Mount Bangaar together, as a team, to try the ritual with the artifacts. Here are the assignments. . . .”
Esha didn’t glance back at Kunal as she took her place at the head of the table. It wouldn’t matter. It wasn’t like she ever forgot where he was in a room and now, more than ever, the distance would be good.
And if Esha kept telling herself that she might actually believe it.
Chapter 21
Esha rode with Harun to Mount Bangaar with as much haste as possible. The artifacts were securely in their possession, and for the first time in weeks, she felt a sense of relief. They were one step closer to finishing this, for good.
Esha had become more accustomed to travel by lion than she was happy to admit, and felt a a pang of loss as they stopped on a cliff near the top of Mount Bangaar two days later. If only she had been gifted with such powers. Though Esha wasn’t sure she’d ever want to be royal, having seen enough of Harun’s struggles over the year, she thought she would have been a fearsome creature if she had been able to shift.
Arpiya and the others were waiting for them. Kunal and Reha had flown the rest of the team to this meeting point and they would go up the rest of the way together. The Blue Squad had been stationed nearby at the base of the mountain for backup.
Harun tilted his head upward. “The others are here. Bhandu’s got a very distinct tread.”
“Early,” Esha noted, though she wasn’t displeased. Always good to know her team still ran well without her. They climbed the final rocks and emerged on the top of a huge flat cliff, almost one hundred paces long and wide.
Harun appeared next to her, holding out a hand to help her jump over a slew of slippery rocks. Esha turned her head toward the towering mountain in front of them and leaned back, trying to take in its majesty. This was Mount Bangaar, home to the Golden Mist and spirits and gods of yore.
Their potential salvation.
From his memory Kunal led the group through the pathway. His last trip up here was imprinted into his mind, whether he liked it or not.
They had intercepted the others—Reha, Laksh, and Aahal—farther down, and he could hear them whining behind him. It mostly came from Reha, who was not happy to be here and was shifting violently again. Esha was doing her best to distract her, but it was really Harun who was helping his little sister ease through the transitions—while also keeping her in a good mood. A difficult feat, which he knew personally.
He glanced back at Esha, and she quickly looked away.
“You know, it’s funny.” Laksh drew up next to Kunal so that they were shoulder to shoulder. Kunal glanced at him and sighed. He was too tired not to take the bait, and he could do with a distraction.
“What is, Laksh?”
“I was just thinking about how you ran off here without telling anyone and how it led to so much chaos,” he said simply, as if discussing a lovely morning.
“I thought it was the right thing to do,” Kunal said again, for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Oh, I don’t care,” Laksh said. Kunal knew Laksh did care; otherwise he wouldn’t be here, badgering him. “But it is interesting. You were so rigid in your hatred of me. Your dismissal of me. Dishonorable, disloyal, blah, blah. It’s not all so simple now, is it?”
“I never hated you,” Kunal said quietly.
Laksh cocked his head. “No? It seemed like hatred.”
“I never could’ve hated you. I loved you as my own brother, Laksh. I was hurt. Deeply hurt and betrayed. But hate?” Kunal shook his head.
“Is that your way of telling me that there might still be a chance for us to”—Laksh paused—“once again be friends?”
Kunal turned to face his old friend. “You can only feel betrayal if you once cared deeply. There will always be a chance, Laksh. Perhaps we can do it right this time. No secrets.”
Laksh shifted and looked away, but Kunal saw the flash of a smile. When Laksh turned back, his face was neutral. “I would like that. Seems a bit of a waste to toss years away.”
“If only that was how everyone felt,” Kunal said before he could stop himself.
Laksh’s expression softened, and he put a hand on Kunal’s shoulder. The touch felt comforting, and he realized how keenly he missed the way Esha would hold his hand, like it was hers to protect and care for. “Like you said, there can only be hurt and betrayal if there was feeling before. Don’t lose hope.”
Kunal nodded tightly, clasping his old friend on the shoulder.
He didn’t know how to tell him that he wasn’t sure if there was anything left between him and Esha, if he wanted it anymore.
But right here, right now, he was glad to put a small piece of his past back into place.
The temple entrance was unassuming, a pile of moss-covered stones stacked in uneven heaps, unusual for this high in the mountains. There were no signs or sounds of wildlife up here, only the soft rush of a river. Esha picked her way through the small opening to the cave below, stepping as carefully as she could.
Inside the cave’s mouth were hidden heights. The outline of a stone temple flickered in the shadows. Esha stepped closer. The temple of the ritual was carved directly into the mountain, an incredible feat of mastery. It was streaked with gold, glinting in the twinkling, dimmed
light of the glowing river inside.
Esha kept hopping and tripped on one of the rocks. An arm encircled her waist and pulled her back quickly into a hard chest. She glanced up.
“Saving me, are you?”
Harun grinned. “We have to change roles sometimes, don’t we?”
Esha chuckled, turning in his arms and pulling away.
Reha was ahead of them, hopping along the terrain with those goat hooves of hers.
It had been unusual to see at first, but Esha had quickly seen the advantages of having Reha’s powers. Though with two royals, Esha was now the slowest one in their group, which she was not happy about. She patted her back again, ensuring the artifacts were there.
There was a huge crack in the stone ahead of them, and Harun jumped ahead, landing nimbly on the ground below and offering a hand to her. He had taken to this mission, and though she had checked for every sign of continued blue-sapphire poisoning, he was recovering well. He still stumbled, but something about the fresh air here seemed to be renewing him.
Or perhaps it was all the magic. The temple teemed with it, and yet Esha could imagine a time when the magic had been even more vibrant.
They gathered together at the bottom of the temple, near where the river carved through it. Kunal, Bhandu, and Laksh stood on one side of the river and Esha, Harun, and Reha were on the other.
Esha took out the lamp as Harun took out the conch. They moved the artifacts closer to the river, waiting for the glow of the water to shine within the artifacts as well.
Reha ventured forward. “The conch to awaken the gods. The lamp to illuminate the dark.”
Esha’s eyes were drawn to the fading sun. “We don’t have much time,” she said.
Harun nodded and motioned at Reha to follow him. They walked into the water together and began the ritual, cleansing themselves and starting the chant. Reha followed in the chant a second behind Harun, but he waited patiently for her as he finished each stanza and step. Kunal watched them both with interest, and Esha realized that he had never seen it properly done.
Neither had Esha. It felt like a secret, one not for their eyes. An ancient tradition beyond any of them.
Esha took it all in with hunger, the beauty of the movements and the rhythmic intonation of the chants. Harun and Reha, brother and sister, united in their purpose.
At the end they cut their palms and offered up their blood into the river. It splashed into the blue waters, sparking and turning a deep vibrant gold.
A bubble of elation rose in Esha’s throat. They had done it.
Through moons of searching and fighting and loss, they had finally found a way to save the land and rebuild it. She could fight a thousand battles if she knew the people of the Southern Lands would have food in their bellies and water to nourish them. That their spirits would remain whole.
Jubilation rushed through Esha, threatening to overtake her.
But the cave wasn’t done with them yet.
The floor began to rock, and a steady thrumming resounded across the stone walls of the cave temple, rising to a high, keening pitch. The earth itself began to hum, and Esha stepped back in alarm.
The others looked around for the source of the sudden commotion. Esha pointed to the top of the river, which originated from a huge obsidian stone in the center of the temple. It had stopped glowing and was slowly splitting down the middle.
Moon Lord’s fists.
She broke into a run and yelled at the others to follow. Bhandu had already begun to mobilize.
Esha narrowly missed a huge stalactite as she dove toward the river, grabbing for Harun and Reha. She splashed through the water and pushed them both down just as a rock crashed to the ground. Reha struggled under her grip until Esha realized she wasn’t struggling but shifting.
She burst out of the water as a gorilla, holding both Harun and Esha in her arms. Reha threw them onto the left bank of the river right as stones came crashing down where Esha had been.
“Go, get Harun out of here!” Esha yelled at Reha and Arpiya. Harun was coughing, looking around for her, but she pushed him forward. He stumbled but got to his feet.
Bhandu rushed back to help her, but she waved him away, pointing ahead. “Make sure we have a path out of here. I’ll get everyone,” she ordered. He looked unhappy but nodded.
“If you’re not outside in two minutes—”
“Bhandu, go!”
A bellow shot through the open cave, crashing out into the air beyond like a conch had been blown within the cave. All Esha could hear was silence—and below that, the steady thrum of her heart.
She rose unsteadily, brushing off the dust and crumbling rock that covered her body in gray.
The artifacts.
Esha ran for the spot on the left bank with the two artifacts. The stone was cracked in a circle around them, like someone had taken a sword to it. The artifacts themselves were whole. She was about to grab them when a hand shot out and held her back.
Esha whipped around and faced a dusty Kunal, blood streaking down one side of his face. She reached forward instinctively to check for a head wound.
He brushed his fingers against hers. “A flesh wound, no more. Wait,” he said, holding her arm.
The ground shook between them, slivers of stone falling to the ground all around them.
“Leave them. The ritual’s not complete.”
“Not complete? It didn’t work,” Esha said. “We have to escape.”
Kunal shook his head, his face insistent. “No, it’s just not done. It can’t be done.” He didn’t move, keeping his body in between her and the artifacts.
What was he doing? Had he lost his mind?
This was not the time for theatrics or hero antics, not when their lives were at stake.
“We have to leave, soldier.”
“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll finish this out and then I’ll shift and catch up.”
He almost seemed to believe that was possible, despite the entire temple crumbling around them. There was no time for this discussion.
“We can leave with or without the artifacts, but I’m definitely not leaving without you,” she said with finality.
And she realized she meant it. No matter what had happened between them, she didn’t want to see Kunal dead.
“The ritual didn’t work,” she said, pointing at the fissures in the rock below. “The cave is about to collapse; the temple has already fallen.”
She didn’t want it to be true either. She didn’t want to see all of their work engulfed in stone and dust. But something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Bhandu had snuck back and was moving toward the artifacts, signaling to her. She wanted to leave the cursed things behind, but they needed them. Esha grabbed Kunal’s hands and yanked him forward with all her might, drawing his attention away.
“Kunal.” He looked at her, a look of utter defeat written across his face with a deep rawness.
He never was good at hiding his emotions.
Those emotions would get him killed if he didn’t move in that instant. Esha knew it with a certainty that made her bones ache. If she left right now, he’d die, standing right here.
Esha did something stupid then. She reached up and kissed him, pulling him to her in all the rubble and ruin. It broke whatever spell he was under. He gave her fire back to her in their kiss and a feral life came back to his eyes.
At first it had been to give Bhandu time to grab the artifacts, but the connection between them sputtered and sparked to life, as demanding as ever. Esha let herself fall into him.
Suddenly, wings engulfed her as the temple ceiling fell around them. But the stone didn’t hit them. Instead, Kunal and Esha flew out a narrow hole in the stone ceiling just as the temple fell in on itself and crumbled into a pile of rubble.
They hit the ground and rolled down the hill, only coming to a stop when the ground flattened. Esha struggled to her elbows, dragging herself as up as she could, searching
for her team.
They were scattered across the mountain base. She did a quick count and breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone was accounted for, including Bhandu. She wouldn’t be losing anyone today.
Esha let herself fall back, breathing heavily as she lay on the dirt.
There was an intense pounding in her head, filling her to the brim with a sensation she had felt in only one place before: the Tej rain forest, the most magical in the Southern Lands.
It was only then that she noticed the land was different.
What was once brown sand was now a vibrant green, mixed in with moist dirt. And the air. It was how a rain forest was supposed to smell: vibrant, dewy, alive.
The last thing she saw before she passed out was in the far distance.
A spot of blue and the roar of rapids coming to life.
The river.
Magic had returned to the land.
Chapter 22
Kunal still couldn’t believe it, even days later.
The worst had happened. The bond was broken, shattered beyond repair. Reha’s blood had failed, as had their second chance, the artifacts. Every option they had tried had led them here, to the janma bond broken.
And yet, catastrophe hadn’t yet arrived. He had fought to go back and try again, had demanded they finish the ritual, but that was before they all realized the truth. They hadn’t saved the bond.
Worse, they had gone ahead and broken the bond for Yamini.
The crumbling of the temple should’ve told them everything they needed to know about the state of the bond, but it wasn’t until they had gotten to the bottom of the mountain that the three royals had been able to confirm it. Magic was rampant in the world again and it felt like a tilting seesaw, unbalanced and dangerous.
It was a feeling deep in his bones. He knew the prince felt it, too, the chaotic instability in this new world. Already they had gotten word from hawks about the dangerous shift of the land. It was green again, but the magic threatened to overflow. Another earthquake had struck, close to the western border. Without the bond, the magic had no tether, no balance.
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