Chapter 9
brEAKFAST WITH MY CHAMPIONS
Blue perched on my shoulder as I followed Yudh and Keyton out of the east wing and into the gardens.
Keyton had already been awake when Yudh knocked for me and offered to accompany us.
He wasn’t Araz, but his company made the hollow pit inside me less…
well, hollow, and I wagered I did the same for him.
We’d picked up Blue on the stairs, fresh from the nest.
Chandra hadn’t joined us for supper last night, so I hadn’t had the chance to ask him about the anchors and whether there was a way for them to sleep outside of the nest and still recharge. I’d hopefully be able to speak to him sometime today.
The grounds were still bathed in the gray light of dawn, and my boots crunched on frosty earth.
Thank goodness I’d dressed warmly in fitted pants, a thick long-sleeved tunic, and leather boots.
I’d scraped my hair into a braid and coiled it into a knot at my nape to keep it out of the way.
The style left my neck bare to the chill, but I was sure I’d warm up soon.
“Looks like it’s gonna rain,” Blue said.
I glanced up at the overcast sky that signaled a miserable day to come, but the weather couldn’t temper my enthusiasm for training.
I’d completed trial after trial, but nothing had really given me the opportunity to fully test my strength in combat. The snake in the labyrinth didn’t count. That thing was a next level kind of beast. But this morning, I’d get to unleash on two Asura who’d won battles.
Asura who’d had their wings clipped and their faces turned to stone.
A flash of heat lit my chest. If there was a way to restore the brothers, then I’d find it. Heck, once I was queen, I’d order Asura Rajni to lift whatever fucking curse he’d laid on his sons.
Dhoona waited in the quad, hands loose at his sides. He was dressed in a short-sleeved tunic and pants tucked into boots. Mist rose off his skin eerily. He obviously ran hot when it came to body temperature.
Araz had been the same. The hollow place in my soul yawned wider.
Yudh joined his brother, and both Asura faced me, their stone visages impassive and unreadable.
Blue hopped off my shoulder and onto Keyton’s, and the two of them stepped back to watch me train.
“Today we will test your strength and agility,” Dhoona said. “Both are essential in battle.”
“All right. What do you want me to do?”
“You can start by hitting me,” Dhoona said, stepping forward. “Do not hold back.”
His words reminded me of Pashim. I’d succeeded in knocking him back with a single blow, and he’d been a drohi, the offspring of Asura and djinn. How would a regular Asura fare?
I was about to find out.
I took a deep breath and approached. “Are you sure?”
Dhoona tipped his head to the side. “I am sure. Hit me.”
I shrugged. “Okay.” I drew back my arm and palm-punched him in the chest. The impact reverberated up my arm and gathered in my shoulder, but all the blow did was send Dhoona sliding back a few feet. It didn’t knock him into the air like it had Pashim.
Dhoona looked down at the groves his boots had dug into the ground. “Yes. We can work with this.”
“But you barely moved.”
“But he moved,” Yudh said. “No other opponent has succeeded in knocking my brother back. You have the strength of a deva for sure, Leela, and now we will teach you how to use it.”
The next two hours flew by. Dhoona and Yudh were relentless in testing my agility. We played a game where they tried to land a light blow, or a tap, and it was up to me to avoid being touched. The trick was to anticipate your opponent’s moves by reading body language.
This would work with an Asura or humanoid opponent, but not all creatures held to the same rules when it came to body language.
And who knew what kind of bodies they’d have?
I said as much to Yudh, who explained that the training would sharpen my reaction times and create muscle memory that would allow me to adapt in novel situations.
By the time the session was over, I was sore and achy but exhilarated.
“Same time tomorrow?”
Yudh smiled with his eyes. “Indeed.”
Keyton joined us. “We should get you fed, Leela.”
My stomach grumbled loudly in agreement.
“Yes, go break your fast,” Dhoona said. “We will see you later.”
I headed back to the east wing listening to Blue chattering about how amazing I’d looked ducking and diving to avoid being hit. Keyton offered a few observations too. I filed them away to use in the next session, a grin tugging at my lips.
I could do this.
I could hold my own.
“Araz would be proud of you,” Blue said.
My smile dropped. The ache that his name evoked filled my chest, siphoning away all the feel-good endorphins the training session had produced.
“Hey.” Blue lightly touched my face. “We’re not going to avoid saying his name. We won’t let the pain force us to erase him.”
My throat pinched. “You never called him by his name.”
“I will now, chick. I won’t forget.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Fucking hell, Blue…” I blinked back tears.
“Blue is right,” Keyton said softly. “We honor Priti and Araz by speaking of them. By remembering them.”
I knew that, of course. But it was still so raw, and each time I allowed my mind to dwell on what I’d lost, it was like losing him all over again.
“We’ve got this, chickadee. We’re gonna make the bastard that took him from us pay.”
Yes. That was something we could definitely agree on.
Everyone was already at breakfast by the time I joined them. The clink of cutlery and the delicious smell of sausage and bacon filled the air, and my stomach cramped with hunger.
I’d showered and thrown on an embroidered tunic, pairing it with wide-legged pants. My hair was still damp, and I’d braided it to keep it out of the way. Fresh and rejuvenated, muscle aches from earlier all but gone, I joined my friends for the first meal of the day.
Dharma pulled out the chair beside her. “The porridge is delicious. You need to try it.” She piled bacon onto a plate and set it on the floor next to Ida, who was stretched out beside us.
I took the seat, and Blue hopped onto the table and headed for the sausages.
“Blue,” Keyton called softly. “Here.” He placed a plate of neatly cut-up sausage in front of my anchor.
Blue looked up at him, nose twitching. “I think I love you.”
Keyton smiled and added a hunk of warm buttered bread to Blue’s plate.
“Yep, I definitely love you,” Blue said.
I spooned porridge into a bowl then added syrup. The first spoonful was delicious, warm and sweet with a hint of cinnamon.
“Good, huh?” Dharma said.
I nodded, mouth full. I wasn’t usually a fan of porridge unless Nani made it, but this was…it actually reminded me of hers.
I was halfway done when Chandra joined us, taking the seat opposite me. “Good morning, all. I trust you slept well.”
“Like a log,” Joe said.
“A log that snores,” Bina said. “I could hear you through the wall.”
“What?” Joe sat up straight, brows pinching. “I do not!” He turned to Mahira. “Tell her, babe.”
Mahira winced. “You know lying makes me uncomfortable.”
Dharma choked on her tea, and Chaya patted her on the back.
Lola hopped onto Joe’s lap, purring loudly and rubbing her head under his chin to comfort him. “Thank you, love,” Joe said, leaning down to rub his cheek against the top of her head.
Chandra chuckled. “It’s perfectly normal for a demigod. The air at this altitude could be causing it. Once you ascend, it will no longer be an issue.”
Was that because we probably wouldn’t need to sleep as much or because we’d be gods? I shook off the question in favor of a more pertinent one. “Chandra, I had a question for you about the anchors.”
Blue stopped chewing, his cheeks still bulging with food, gaze fixed on Chandra.
Chandra tipped his head slightly, waiting for my question.
“Why can’t the anchors just sleep with us? Why do they need the nest?”
The room was suddenly silent as everyone waited for his response. Even Garu, Bina’s python, who I’d been certain was asleep around her neck a moment ago, raised his head, turning it toward Chandra.
“They need the nest to recharge,” Chandra said. “I’m sure that was explained to you all.”
“Recharge how? They come from us, right? Our souls? So surely being close to us would be enough to recharge them?”
I caught a flash of what looked like unease cross his features. “I’m not sure about the mechanics of it, Leela. The shakti have advised that nesting the anchors at night is how we keep them alive and tethered outside of your bodies.”
Blue responded before I could, cheeks still bulging with food. “Are you sayin’ if we don’t sleep in the nest, we’re gonna vanish?”
“I don’t know,” Chandra said. “The creation of anchors is untested. This is all new to us.” He smiled down at Blue. “I’m sorry, Blue. I wish there was more I could do.” He looked across at the other anchors. “For all of you.”
The fact that he was addressing them all, treating them like they mattered, softened my irritation with the whole situation.
Blue shrugged and continued to chew his food, but I could feel his disappointment.
Chandra turned his attention to me. “I heard your training went well.”
I nodded. “I learned a lot. Yudh and Dhoona are excellent teachers.”
“They were formidable warriors.”
I sat back in my seat. “They can be again. With the primordial evil on the loose, we need all the formidable warriors we can get right now.”
Chandra’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, we do, and I know what you’re thinking, but it will take more than that argument to convince Asura Rajni to reverse his curse.”
“What will it take?”
“A threat. The loss of power…status…” Chandra shrugged. “Things a queen might be able to do.”
“So I have to wait to be crowned?”
“Unfortunately so. But once you have the throne, I will support you in freeing the brothers.”
“How do they eat?” Blue asked abruptly.
Chandra blinked sharply. “Excuse me?”
“How do Yudh and Dhoona eat?” Blue repeated. “I mean, they have stone faces.”
Shit, I hadn’t even thought about that, but now that Blue had asked the question, I was curious, and I wasn’t the only one. The whole table had gone silent once more, all eyes on Chandra.
“Asura do not need to eat food in order to survive. We eat for pleasure, not for sustenance. Food is a hobby to some. An indulgence to all.”
That would explain why I’d rarely seen Chandra eat anything but a few bites here and there.
“Food as a hobby…” Blue snorted softly. “Nice.”
Chandra picked up some bread and carefully slathered it with butter. “Speaking of food and indulgence…Leela, you and I have received an invitation to dinner. Tomorrow evening.”
I set down my fork, stomach sinking at the thought of having to mingle with the raees. The nobles would be vying for favor, no doubt. “Who’s invited us?”
“Asura Arpita.” Chandra arched a brow as if waiting for me to come to a realization of some kind.
It took a moment, but the penny dropped. “Arpita is Danava. Does that mean we’re going to the Danava domain?”
“We are indeed,” Chandra said. “And we will be protected. Do not fear.”
“Why? Do you think someone will try to hurt her?” Dharma asked.
“There is always the possibility, but Arpita is not an enemy of the monarchy,” Chandra said. “She despises the Authority and will happily see it disbanded or recast under a monarch’s rule.”
“So ya saying she won’t hurt Leela but someone else might?” Blue said. “Is it worth it, then? Going? I mean…if this Arpita chick is already an ally, why does Leela need to go?”
“To confirm to Arpita that I’m an ally, right?” I looked to Chandra. “And show anyone else who might be paying attention that I have support.”
He smiled and nodded. “The invitations you accept, the people you mingle with, speak volumes about the person you are and the policies you might bring into play. The Danava were persecuted for the actions of their king. You dining with his descendant sends a clear message. All is forgiven. The Danava raees have been given no standing in the Shahee Kshetra…but maybe with a monarch who is sympathetic…”
“Allies are important,” Keyton said.
“The Authority isn’t going to like this,” Bina said, a smile tugging at her lips.
I was going to be queen whether the Authority liked it or not. I no longer had to play at being pliable. What could they do about it, try to kill me harder? “Fuck them.”
I would be myself and find true allies.
I sat back in my seat. “Can we get a list of who’ll be there?”
Chandra smiled, slow and slightly wicked. “Yes, Leela, we most certainly can.”
There would be no charming and ingratiating myself this time. This time, it would be them who would have to charm me.