Chapter 30
THIRTY
Zarya slowly blinked awake to the soft chirp of birds, the rush of a breeze through the leaves, and the soothing trickle of water. Wrapped in Rabin’s arms, she stared at the translucent white curtains and the leaves beyond, recalling every vivid moment of the previous night.
Take things slowly, indeed.
Maybe it had been foolish to jump into bed with him again so quickly, but when she thought about the way he had worshiped her body, she was having trouble feeling bad about her choices. Especially as she snuggled down in the soft white sheets, luxuriating in the feel of Rabin’s warm breath dusting the back of her neck.
She’d just lie here forever if she could, but she couldn’t ignore the fact that she’d just hightailed it out of Ishaan two days ago. She’d sent a note to Yasen explaining that she was fine and that she’d be back soon, but her responsibilities weighed on her conscience.
Rabin shifted, and she turned around to find him awake with a soft smile on his face.
“Morning, Spitfire.”
“Morning,” she said, returning his smile.
His hand landed on her hip, sliding over the curve and down her thigh.
“Hungry?” he asked, and she nodded.
“I’d kill for some tea.”
“Your wish is my command.”
He slid out of the bed and flipped open the curtain before descending the steps. She watched as he held out a hand, and a moment later, a tiny colorful bird landed on his palm. He brought it to his mouth and whispered something before it flew off, swooping towards the house.
When he returned, Zarya stared at him.
“What?” he asked.
“Who are you?” she asked, and his expression turned sheepish in a way that made him look almost boyish.
“I’m here to make all your wishes come true.”
She grinned as he slid back under the covers before cupping a hand behind her head and drawing her in for a languid kiss.
A few minutes later, they pulled apart at the sound of a chipper “Hello!”
“Breakfast has arrived,” he said. Zarya spotted Sarika through the curtain, her eyes down as Rabin tugged on a pair of soft pants from a drawer next to him. With his back to her, she noted the jagged ‘freak’ scar carved into his skin, her fingers digging into the blankets at the grim reminder of everything he’d endured.
She heard him thank Sarika, and then he returned with a tray that he placed on a table in the corner.
“Do you have something for me to wear?” she asked, gesturing to his pants.
“No. You’re forbidden from wearing clothing in my presence for the rest of your life.”
She rolled her eyes and scooted out of bed. He watched her hungrily as she tugged open the same drawer to find a mound of soft grey fabric. She pulled on a light kurta that fell to her knees and smelled exactly like him.
“There,” she said, folding her arms.
He cocked his head and raked her from head to toe. “Actually, seeing you in my clothes is almost as hot as having you naked,” he purred, and she nearly grew lightheaded from the falling pit in her stomach.
“Can we eat?” she asked, shaking it off. He gestured towards the table before pulling out a chair. She settled into it and helped herself to an array of fruit and a giant mug of tea.
“Tell me about what you’ve been doing all these months?” Rabin asked. “Other than fucking other men who I’ll now have to hunt down and kill.”
Zarya smirked and took a sip of her drink. “That’s pretty much it. Just all day, all night, every day. Seems a shame you’ll have to wipe out such a large portion of the population.”
A growl rumbled in his chest, and Zarya laughed before she rolled her eyes.
“Yasen and I have been exploring the city. Making new friends.”
She stopped and wondered how much more she should reveal. Could she tell him about what she’d been doing with the vanshaj? What would he say? She also had a part to play if they were ever to trust one another.
“But?” he asked, picking up on her hesitation.
“We’ve made some specific friends.” She picked at the tablecloth, suddenly nervous.
“What kind of friends?”
She looked up at him. “Yasen and I joined the Rising Phoenix.”
He held still for a moment and then blinked. “I thought they were only a rumor.”
“You did?”
“That’s what they claim in Andhera.”
She shook her head. “No. It’s real. That’s just what they want everyone to think.”
“They?”
“The royal family.” Her gaze met his.
“As in your family?”
“Yes. I’ve seen them in the streets of Gi’ana, but I haven’t spoken with any of them yet.” Heat rose to her cheeks, wondering why it was so difficult to admit that. She’d dreamed of this family her entire life, but she was ashamed of them. It would take some time to reconcile that.
He nodded. “And what else?”
“We blew up the Jadugara’s ink factory.”
He exhaled a sharp breath. “That was you? We heard the reports, butthat was incredibly dangerous.”
“I know,” she said. “But necessary.”
“They’re planning to rebuild it,” he answered.
“They’ve already started, and we’re planning to stop them again.”
When he met her gaze, she couldn’t interpret what she read behind his eyes.
“What else?” he asked, and this is where she hesitated. He’d insisted more than once that he didn’t believe the darkness was evil, but something stuck in her throat every time she tried to summon the damning words to the surface.
“I found a way to break the star collars,” she said.
His eyebrows arched at that. “You broke them?”
She twisted her fingers together and winced. “A few.”
“This has something to do with what happened in my forest?” he asked, studying her carefully.
“Yes. I think? Maybe.” She looked down at her hands, now folded in her lap before he wrapped his fingers around her wrist. She looked up to meet his dark gaze.
“You can tell me anything.”
So she did, expelling the words in a rush. Once she started, she wanted it out as fast as possible. The only thing she kept to herself was the full truth about her terrifying visions. She wasn’t ready to share them with anyone yet.
After she finished, she stared at him and watched as he blinked, his head tipping with curiosity, but she read no judgment in his eyes.
“You were afraid of what I would say,” he said.
“Of course.”
“Tell me what else,” he said.
“The vanshaj have magic.”
Rabin blinked. “Of course they do. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
“People seem to keep forgetting that.”
He nodded and leaned forward, folding his big hands on the table. “What kind of magic do they have?”
“Aazheri magic, of course.”
He blew out a long breath. “Zarya, this will result in chaos.”
“I know that, but you have to see this is right.” She gestured towards the house. “You don’t keep vanshaj in your household. You know .”
His shoulders hunched as he peered up at her. “Yes. I do know. But it’s one thing to refuse to keep vanshaj against their will, but it’s another to free them from their chains.”
“Why is it any different?” she demanded. “This isn’t right.”
“You’re correct,” he said. “But the world is not so black and white.”
“I know that.”
“They’ll kill you if they catch you. Your friends. Your family. Row. Yasen. Anyone who’s important to you.”
She set her jaw and lifted her chin, her gaze challenging. “I know that, too. Which is why you must decide if you actually want to be with me.”
“Zarya, I can take care of myself.”
She shook her head. “I’m meant to do this. I was meant to join the Rising Phoenix, and I’m sure I’m on the right path.”
He paused and looked down before looking back up.
“And I should get back,” she said.
“Back?” he asked. “To Ishaan?”
“You could come with me. If you wanted.”
He blew out a breath. “I want to be wherever you are, Zarya.”
“Really? Now that you know what I am?”
He grabbed her wrist and tugged her onto his lap.
“Zarya, I meant what I said that I will go where you go. And I don’t just mean that physically.” He picked up the pendant that lay against her collarbone, rolling it between his fingers. “I will go anywhere destiny takes us.”
She studied his face. She sensed his sincerity, but a tiny part of her still hesitated to trust him completely. What if he was still keeping things from her? What if he was wrong about Abishek? He spoke of the king with such reverence that she wondered if Rabin saw the man as clearly as he should.
Was she ready to forgive him for lying to her, regardless of his intentions? Lying for good reasons was still lying, no matter how you spun it. If she examined her emotions closely, she was afraid of being made a fool of again. People already thought her naive and inexperienced about the world, and the last thing she needed was another chance to prove them all right.
What if all of this was the same act as last time? She didn’t believe it in her gut, but her logical mind was urging her to be cautious.
He said nothing as she stared at him, thinking of the story he’d told her last night. Of how Raja Abishek had rescued him from the cruelty of his own father. Then another thought occurred to her as she recalled the conversation with Vikas and his query on whether someone might know a more efficient way to break the collars.
“The Jadugara…” she said. He blinked at the abrupt shift in topic.
“What about them?”
“The books you pillaged from Ishaan—could they have belonged to them?”
He shook his head. “Very likely many of them did. Why?”
She offered him a rueful smile. “You’re sure you’re ready to go where I go?”
His hand tightened on her hip. “Absolutely.”
“Then how about helping me break into the Jai Palace library?”