Chapter 10
THE PERFECT AIM
The day passed uneventfully. Blue and I hung out with the others in the sitting room, explored the palace a little more, and spent some time with Jahira in the kitchens before the evening meal.
Chandra popped in at supper to inform me that my training with Pakshiraj could begin tomorrow and that Dhoona and Yudh would take me to the thunderbird roost in the domain below.
By the time I got into bed, I was more than ready for sleep. I slipped into dreaming easily, drifting back to my childhood home. To the cozy cottage kitchen at sunset where Nani rolled out chapati for supper.
I sat at the table to watch her, mesmerized by the shimmer that seemed to surround her. A halo of light at her back that shifted as she moved.
“You saw it, but you didn’t understand it,” a male voice echoed around me.
I blinked and sat up straighter. I was dreaming. This was a dream.
A figure materialized on the other side of the table. Tall, broad-shouldered, dark hair mussed, a lopsided smile curling his lips.
I knew this man from the labyrinth. He’d kissed me and helped me remember who I was. “You…”
“Me.” He grinned. “My name is C’ael, and I’m here to help you.”
“You kissed me in the labyrinth.”
“Yes, I’m sure it was very memorable. I have that effect on women…I think.”
My gaze flicked to Nani, still rolling chapatis. A background element of this dream now. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“He loved you very much, you know. He gave himself willingly so that you could live.”
My throat pinched. “Who the fuck are you?” I shoved my chair back and stood. “Answer me plainly.”
“I’m a friend. I want to help you, and…maybe you can help me in turn…” He moved closer, and I backed up. He stopped, his brows pinching over bright jade eyes. “I won’t hurt you, Leela. I would never hurt you.”
“What are you?”
His frown deepened. “I honestly don’t know. But I was with him, in the hidden forever place. His only companion. And now I’m here. Connected to you through him, and I think…I think maybe I might remember if I can stay close. If you help me…”
My mind whirred. “Wait. You…You’re connected to it, aren’t you? To the primordial evil. You helped it take Araz!”
“What?” He took a step toward me.
“Get away!” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I want to wake up. I want to wake up right now!”
I sat bolt upright in bed, breath exploding from my lungs in a silent exclamation. Fuck…what the hell…
I slowly lay back down, waiting for my pulse to steady. The dream clung to me like cobwebs. The man…C’ael…The way he’d looked at me with longing and hope.
Not real.
He was a minion sent by the primordial evil to get close to me.
To play with my mind. I wouldn’t fall prey to his tricks.
Yes, C’ael had helped me, but only because Araz had made a deal offering his body and soul in exchange for my life being saved.
There was nothing noble about C’ael or the evil that controlled him. That much I was sure about.
I exhaled and willed my muscles to relax, waiting for sleep to creep over me once more. I wasn’t afraid of it. It and its minions couldn’t hurt me in my dreams. I was in control, and if it came for me again, I’d make sure it felt my power.
No more shirking and shrinking.
Long seconds passed, and I lay still, alert and wide awake.
The clock showed it to be coming up to rising moon, which in the mortal world would be almost midnight.
Gah! I threw back the covers and pulled on my robe, padding to the balcony. A little fresh air might help reset my nervous system and allow me to slip back into sleep.
The clouds from earlier were gone, the sky clear and filled with the brightest stars. I rested my palms on the balcony railing and looked out at the grounds. The nest gleamed in the starlight, housing the anchors, all resting and recharging now.
Blue would be back as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon. He was my dawn wake-up call.
Movement below caught my eye. A lone figure walking toward the palace. He got closer, and I recognized Chandra. He looked up as if sensing my regard, and I leaned over the balcony and waved. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I felt his smile an instant before he vanished.
“Leela, why are you still awake?” Chandra said from behind me.
I jumped and spun to face him.
“Dammit, Chandra! You can’t sneak up on people like that.”
He looked confused. “You called me up…didn’t you?”
I’d waved but… “Oh…I was just saying hi.”
His face fell. “Ah, my mistake. I’ll leave you to it.”
“No! Wait…”
He arched a brow.
I hugged myself feeling suddenly awkward and shy. “Can you stay a little while? I can’t sleep.”
His expression sharpened. “Another dream visitation?”
“Yeah…but not by it.” I slipped back into my room, and he trailed after me. “This was someone else. His name is C’ael…” I filled him in on the dream.
“This entity could be something else from the prison realm. A force that was born there. Created there maybe? I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”
He chewed on his cheeks. “You should try to get some rest. Piercing a dream threshold takes power, and I doubt you will be visited again tonight. I’ll go now and fetch you a talisman. Protection for your dreamscape.”
“Where are you going to get a talisman from?”
“There is a seller in the night market who I can speak to.”
“Night market?” I stepped closer to him. “You’re going there now?”
He peered down at me, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “Yes. Would you like to come with me?”
“Yes please.”
He chuckled softly. “Go get dressed. Something plain. Trousers, a tunic, a shawl. We want to go unnoticed.”
I was already halfway to the walk-in closet. “What about you? How will you go unnoticed? In case you haven’t noticed, you’re a public figure whose face is probably known by everyone in the domain.”
“I also have the ability to shroud my identity. You will see me as I am, but others will not.”
“Sounds good to me.” I ducked into the room and closed the door. Now what to wear…
I’d expected to travel by carriage, but Chandra surprised me by offering to teleport us to the market.
“I don’t often use the ability for long distance,” he said. “There is an energy cost to the skill, but traveling by carriage would take too long, and flying you there would draw attention. This way, you can be back in bed in a couple of hours and get some decent sleep.”
He took my hand and drew me close, wrapping one arm around my waist. “Close your eyes, Leela,” he said softly. “I’ve got you.”
I placed my palms to his chest, excitement simmering in my belly, and closed my eyes. My stomach dipped, and a moment later, cool air kissed my brow. A sense of disembodiment bloomed in my belly, my only anchor Chandra’s arms around me.
“We’re here,” he said.
It took a moment for my mind to feel connected to my body, to feel the solid ground beneath my boots. I opened my eyes to starlight.
“Look down.” Chandra gripped my chin gently, angling my gaze to the valley below us.
We were on a rise above a winding river bisected by several bridges, the banks on either side lined with brightly lit stalls. Colorful balloon lanterns hung in the air, suspended on invisible strings so that they looked as if they were floating.
People milled about, some small, some tall and powerfully built. “Chandra…do humans live here?”
“Yes, Leela. The royal domain is home to many humans who tend to the flora and fauna of the domain. The markets are theirs, and Asura often frequent them, so—”
“You brought humans here to work for you?” I pulled away from him, my neck heating as the sparkle and excitement of this trip dimmed.
He made to reach for me with a sigh, then changed his mind, dropping his hand to his side. “The humans here are well cared for. They’re safe. Tending to the animals and the crops is a small price to pay to reside here, don’t you think?”
“It’s still a price.”
“It is no different than them being on the ground. They would still work to survive. At least here they are safe from the devouring force.”
He had a point, but I wasn’t ready to concede yet. “Then why not bring all the humans up here? Or build more domains?”
“Because not all humans wish to abandon the Earth and live in the sky.”
That stopped me short because if I read him correctly, it meant…“They get a choice?”
“Yes, I make sure of it.” His lips tightened. “That is something I do have authority over.”
The churning in my belly eased. Choice was something that everyone should have, and at least the humans were getting it. Once I took the throne, everyone would have that most precious privilege.
“Shall we go get your talisman now?” Chandra asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I’d like that.”
He smiled, an upside-down smile, offering me the crook of his arm. I took it, allowing him to lead me down a flight of stone steps and into the valley below.
Some stalls were wreathed in delicate fabrics and colorful beads. Others showcased clay pots and wood carvings. While several sold fresh produce, the food stalls laid with freshly fried samosas and bhajis saturated the air with delicious aromas. No one looked twice at us as we wove between them.
Chandra kept me close, steering clear of the few other Asura who were here—easily distinguishable by their larger stature and the expensive fabric of their clothes. I assumed his glamour didn’t work as well around his own kind.
I kept the shawl up over my head, my face hidden in shadow, even though it was unlikely anyone would recognize me here.
Someone hurried past me, and Chandra moved quickly to pull me against this hard frame, his arms wrapping around me like a shield to stop the man making contact.
We came to one of the many bridges that connected the banks, and Chandra steered us over it. Lanterns were fixed to the railings, the reflection of light on the water bordering the walkway all the way to the other side.
“It’s so beautiful here.”
“Yes, it is one of my favorite places to come at night.”
“It is?”