Chapter 8 #2
We discovered that we didn’t have to go outside to get into the main castle.
A narrow corridor connected the wing to the main structure, and after that, Blue’s excellent sense of direction was the only reason we didn’t get lost. How he knew which corridor to take, and which staircase to climb, was beyond me.
“I’m a rat, chickadee. We’re built for exploration.” He tapped his temple.
We passed through hallways and arches, from room to room, each more luxurious and sumptuous than the next. Thick velvet drapes hung from tall, arched windows, and stunningly intricate tapestries clung to walls. The floors were either polished hardwood or patterned marbles buffed to a shine.
A few twists and turns, and we ended up in an area where the walls were wood paneled.
“Ooo, something smells good,” Blue said.
I sniffed the air. “I don’t smell anything.”
“That’s cos you ain’t got my nose, chickadee,” Blue said. “Straight on, luv. It’ll hit you soon.”
He was right; a delicious, meaty aroma tickled my senses a few seconds later. I followed it around a bend and down a short corridor to a door that was slightly ajar. A low hum of activity made up of the bubble of water, the clatter of pans, and the low hum of conversation drifted out.
“Shall we take a peek?”
Blue shrugged. “I am kinda hungry.”
Some pari stood at the kitchen counters chopping vegetables while others stirred large pots on the stove. Erabi and Jahira sat at a table to one side, partially out of view, sharing a pot of tea, their conversation muted beneath the sounds of the busy kitchen.
“Are we going in?” Blue whispered.
Erabi turned to look at the door, her eyes lighting up. “Leela! Come, come!”
The hubbub died as everyone turned to look at me.
Jahira clapped her hands sharply. “Back to work now. Supper won’t cook itself!”
The pari ducked their heads and continued with their tasks, all except one, whose gaze lingered a little longer. I recognized her as the pari who Rajni had struck at the gathering that Chandra had taken me to months ago. She smiled tentatively before returning to the dough she was kneading.
What are you doing here?” Erabi asked, pulling out a chair for me. “If you needed something, you could have rung the kitchen bell hanging in your chambers.”
“We were exploring,” Blue said. “Ooo, is that cheese?” He leapt off my shoulder and onto the table, landing beside a plate loaded with neat cheese cubes.
“Help yourself,” Erabi said with a smile.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Blue picked up a large cube and sat down to nibble at it.
Jahira watched him curiously. “This…rodent is your anchor?” There was no disgust in her tone, simply curiosity.
Blue looked up from his treat. “You got a problem, lady?”
She arched a brow. “Actually, I do.” She reached across the table for a bowl of crackers and placed that by the cheese plate. “Romalia cheese is much tastier when eaten on a cracker.”
Blue’s ears perked up. “Now ya talkin’.”
I’d liked Jahira before, but her treatment of Blue made me warm to her more. I accepted the tea that Erabi poured for me.
“I heard what happened today,” Erabi said. “Chandra is not pleased with what the Authority is doing.”
“I know. But what choice do I have? I’ve got to go along with it.”
“You made the right decision,” Jahira said. “We commend your courage.”
“Courage? I’m terrified.”
“And that is what makes you brave,” Erabi said.
I sipped my tea. “Ah, yes, being afraid and doing it anyway.” I smiled. “My nani used to say that.”
“You must miss her terribly,” Erabi said.
“I do. She was killed by a pishachas the night I was taken from my world. She kept me safe all my life. She knew what I was. I wish…I wish we’d had more time so I could have understood…everything.”
“She had power, then?” Jahira said. “Enough to keep you safe?”
“Yes. She hid the mark that was on me…the one that helped the boat man, Rathor, find me. Nani was protecting me from being brought here, but that night, when the pishachas came, she removed whatever spell was on me and unveiled the mark. She saved my life and lost hers in the process, and now her soul is trapped wherever souls go when they’re devoured by those fucking creatures. ” My grip on my cup tightened.
The two pari exchanged glances, something passing between them.
“It cannot be, can it?” Erabi said softly.
I looked between them. “What?”
“What was your nani’s name?” Jahira asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“Please humor me,” Jahira said.
“Kumarali.” It was an unusual name. One I’d not come across in the community before, but it suited Nani’s sweet nature.
Jahira sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh…yes…that makes sense now.”
“What?”
“The queen had a companion, a pari who was with her always. Her name was Kumarali. We believed she’d died in the fire. We mourned her loss, but now…” She shook her head, her eyes misting. “She stayed with the queen. Following the Vijayroodra bloodline. Raising you when your mother passed…”
“Wait, you’re saying my nani was a pari?”
“Yes. She was also my great-grandmother.”
“But then she must have been…How old?”
“Pari are immortal beings,” Jahira said. “We can be killed by certain means, but otherwise we choose when to age and when to die.”
“But she didn’t have wings.”
“None that you could see…” Jahira said. “The mortal world would have hidden them. Our wings are not only physical. They are also resonance and energy. Maybe your world does not have the right frequency for them to materialize.”
I sat back in my seat, pulse pounding. “A pari…”
Erabi placed her hand over mine on the table. “You were raised by one of us, Leela. Loved by one of us, and therefore you are loved by us all.”
I looked up at her, my eyes hot with the threat of tears. “She gave up everything for me. For my bloodline. I will free her soul.”
“Yes,” Erabi said. “I trust that you will. We believe in you.”
The room had fallen into silence once more, and when I glanced up, I found every pari watching me. My chest grew tight with emotions I couldn’t quite define.
“Well,” Blue said. “Talk about a revelation. Now, how about a spot of tea for the thirsty little anchor, eh?”
Jahira let out a soft laugh. “Of course, sweet boy. We can do that. Let me find a thimble.” She pushed back her chair and crossed the kitchen to root around in a drawer.
Erabi squeezed my hand, her brow pinching in concern.
But I was fine. I was more than fine because I had some answers now, and the rest would come when I freed Nani’s soul.