Chapter 31
THIRTY-ONE
They arrived in Dharati under the cover of night.
It hadn’t taken much convincing—Rabin was proving true to his word about following wherever she went—his only reservations were about her safety, but after a bit of coercing, he’d agreed but only if she listened to his orders.
She’d consented but also had no intention of doing so if it didn’t suit her goals.
She had to take this risk if something in that library could help with Operation Starbreak. After transforming into his dragon, he flew them over the trees, keeping them as low as possible.
From her perch on his back, Zarya surveyed the distance and the effects of the blight still evident across the landscape. It would probably take many years for the rot to grow over and a healthy forest to reclaim the land. She thought of the forests outside Ishaan and wondered if Daragaab would ever get that chance.
How close to the surface was the darkness sitting, waiting to return? The burden of this secret was growing heavier and heavier. She needed to do something about it, but fear and worry left her paralyzed with indecision.
Instead, she focused on what she could do—namely helping the vanshaj and continuing her work. Despite everything that happened with the blight, their cause was still more important than the darkness and its distant threats.
They landed softly in a clearing, far enough from Dharati’s walls to escape notice of the sentries. Row had mentioned in his letters that the Khada had been reduced in numbers, with only a handful remaining on watch.
Once Rabin shifted into his rakshasa form, they picked their way through the trees and towards the walls of the city, heading for the concealed opening the vetalas had used when they’d snatched Amrita from the peri anada. They hoped no one had thought to block it during all the resulting chaos, and they exchanged a relieved glance to find the way clear.
“Behind me,” Rabin said, drawing his sword from his back. Zarya rolled her eyes but let him go first, reasoning that if some horrible creature ate him, she wouldn’t have to decide whether to officially forgive him or not.
They entered the dark tunnel, and he cast out a glow of his coppery light. After looking over his shoulder, they plunged into the darkness, feeling their way along the path until they reached the door at the end. Rabin pressed on the latch, but it held firm.
“It’s locked,” he said, looking up as though he could see through the layers of wood and stone over their heads.
“You think the house is still abandoned?” Zarya asked, realizing that while it had been in ruins months ago, that had been right after the kala-hamsa attack. With the restoration efforts, it was more than likely that the owners had repaired the house and returned.
“Move,” Zarya said, putting her arm in front of Rabin and squeezing past. She bent down to peer at the lock, feeding out a thread of spirit magic and rooting around inside the mechanism. With her tongue between her teeth, she probed the metal until she was rewarded with a soft click.
“Ah,” she said with a smile before easing the door open. They exited into the basement, which had been tidied up since their last visit. Dust no longer clung to every surface, and the charred bits of wood and debris had been cleared away, suggesting someone definitely lived here again.
They looked up at the ceiling and then at one another.
“It’s late,” Rabin said. “Everyone is probably asleep.”
“Let’s hope,” Zarya said as she placed a gentle foot at the bottom of the stairs, and they slowly made their way up.
They paused at the top, listening for any of the home’s inhabitants.
“Can you hear anything?” she asked Rabin, who shook his head.
“Nothing. Let’s just do this quickly.”
Zarya slowly opened the door and then slid out, entering the dark main level.
“Come on,” she whispered, tiptoeing across the space and towards the front entrance. The floor was silent, free of creaks as they made their way across. When Zarya reached the exit, she stretched for the doorknob like it was her salvation and turned.
“Hey!” came a voice, and they both spun around to find an elderly man in his nightclothes holding a glass of water. “Who are you?”
“Sorry,” Zarya said as she flung out a hand, conjuring a cloud of black fog. The man began calling for help. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered to Rabin as they searched blindly for the handle. The man began shouting louder, probably rousing the entire neighborhood.
“Zarya,” Rabin said in a low voice.
“This way!” she said, grabbing his hand. They hit the door, stumbling outside. “Move!” She slammed it behind him, leaving her shadows on the other side. Thankfully, the street was empty, and Zarya hoped her magic wouldn’t cause any lasting damage to the house or its residents.
“Come,” Rabin said, taking her hand and dragging her into a dark alley. They navigated their way through the streets, moving towards the center of the city until they came upon Row’s haveli.
“That magic back there,” Rabin said as they huddled against the walls. “Was that…it? The darkness?”
She nodded. “You’ve never seen the king use it?”
“I haven’t. Though he shares many things with me, he’s very private about that.”
Their gazes met, and Zarya nodded. “Do you feel differently now that you’ve seen it?”
The corner of his mouth crooked up, his eyes sparkling. “Not at all. It looked dangerous and powerful, and I didn’t think you could be any sexier, but…” He shook his head and ran a hand down his face. “I’m looking forward to the next time I get you alone.”
In spite of herself, Zarya snorted. “You have a death wish, Commander.”
He shrugged and ran the tip of his tongue over one of his sharp canines. “You love it.”
She rolled her eyes and then stared up at Row’s haveli and the darkened windows. He was more than likely asleep.
“You think this is a good idea?” Rabin asked.
“It’s fine. He won’t tell anyone we’re here.”
Rabin passed a skeptical eye over the building. “Are you sure?”
“Of course. He’s my father.” She paused and gave Rabin a look. “My real father who raised me, no matter what our blood says.”
“I would never argue with that, Zarya, but he lied to you, too.”
She pressed her mouth together, thinking about how far they’d come. “We talked it out. I’ve forgiven him.”
Rabin dipped his chin. “Good. I’m not the only one who wants what’s best for you.”
She narrowed her eyes and then huffed before gesturing towards the house. “Let’s go.”
They entered through the back terrace, where Zarya had often sat during her short time in Dharati. She still had her key, so she let them in through the sliding doors into the quiet living room.
“Row?” she called, hoping to wake him up without startling him too much. “It’s me!”
It didn’t take long for them to hear movement upstairs. A light turned on, and Row appeared in the doorway, dressed in his nightclothes, his long hair unbraided and spilling over his shoulders.
“Zarya? What are you doing here?” His gaze moved to Rabin before it darkened. This was the scary version of Row she knew so well. “And why is he with you? Is everything okay?”
Zarya raised a hand at the thunder in his expression. “I’m okay. I promise. He’s with me because…well, we’re discussing things.”
“But Zarya?—”
“I’ll tell you everything. I promise,” she said. “I’m sorry if we scared you, but we couldn’t let anyone know we were in the city.”
“Why not?” he asked, coming closer, his brow now furrowed with concern.
“We’re here to break into the restricted section of the palace library.”
There was a beat of silence as Row absorbed those words.
“Zarya,” he said, his voice already low with warning. “Why? Do you have any idea what trouble you’ll be in if you’re discovered?”
“I know,” Zarya said. “That’s why I’m hoping you’ll help us?”
Her voice pitched up at the end as she took in the cavernous groove between Row’s eyebrows. He huffed out a breath, his suspicious gaze sliding back to Rabin before turning and heading for the doorway.
“Then come and tell me everything.”
They followed him into the kitchen while Row hunted through the cupboards.
“I have a feeling I’m going to need a drink.”
“Ha,” Zarya said as she pulled up a chair and dropped into a seat. Though she’d only lived here a few months, this place felt like returning to a warm hug.
Row produced a few glasses along with a bottle of something dark and strong. He set it on the table and then sat down. He and Zarya looked over at Rabin, who hovered in the doorway.
“Come on,” Zarya said, kicking a chair out. “Don’t be shy.”
That earned her a glare as he stalked forward and settled into a seat.
“Before we get into why you want to break into the library, I have to ask,” Row said, clasping his hands together. “What are you two doing together? He lied to you, Zarya.”
“Remember when we suspected he was my paramadhar?”
“Of course.”
“He figured out how to enter our mind plane.” She thumbed at Rabin. “And now he won’t leave me alone.”
“Zarya,” Row said, his eyes darkening on Rabin. “If you need help?—”
“It’s fine,” she said. “I agreed to meet with him in person, and he’s explained some things.”
Row’s eyebrows drew together. “But the king?—”
“Doesn’t want anything from her,” Rabin said, cutting him off. “I know what you believe, but none of it is true.”
Row stared at Rabin for several long seconds before he said, “I’ll need more than that.”
Rabin went on to tell Row everything he’d revealed to Zarya, and when he was done, he fell quiet.
“I see,” Row said before he turned to Zarya. “You believe all of this?”
Zarya’s eyes darted to Rabin, her shoulders tightening.
“I want to,” she whispered as doubt crossed Row’s face, rattling the fragile certainty she’d been building loose from its moorings.
“I understand that,” he said. “But—” He shook his head and ran a hand down his face before reaching for the bottle between them and pouring out three stiff shots.
“We can talk more about this later. Tell me what you’re doing here, then.”
Zarya nodded and drew in a deep breath, sharing the entire harrowing tale with Row.
When she was done, he stared at her as if he was seeing her for the very first time.
“Six anchors. You have six anchors and you broke the collars?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I was afraid.”
“Six,” Row breathed again before he picked up his glass and took a long, slow pull. “And the vanshaj, too.”
“It was actually a relief to find out I wasn’t the only one,” she said softly.
Row huffed out a breath, his shoulders dropping. “It creates your nightfire, too?”
“Not entirely, but I do think they’re connected. I can create the magic without it, but using my sixth anchor makes it stronger. Much stronger.” She paused as she spun the glass in her hand, idly staring at the wet ring it left on the table. “That day the blight tried to consume the city, I used it. I wouldn’t have been able to stop it otherwise.”
She looked at Rabin. “And you held my hand, and that helped, too. I think that must have been our bond.”
He nodded. “I felt something that day, too,” he said, and Zarya blinked. “You were so relieved when I told you it wasn’t evil.”
“Excuse me?” Row interjected. “You said what ?”
Rabin glared at Row and then turned back to Zarya. “It isn’t,” he repeated. “The only issue here is people’s prejudice.”
Row ground his teeth, his jaw hardening, clearly disagreeing with that assessment. After a moment, he tore his gaze from Rabin and returned his attention to Zarya. “Tell me what else you’ve learned.”
She then went on to explain her theory about the Jadugara and their lies about the sixth anchor. When she was done, Row couldn’t have appeared more stunned. “It’s been here all this time.”
“Can you feel it? You said once your power felt like it was brushing against a wall. Do you think that you might have it, too?”
“Me?” Row said, shaking his head. “No…I…”
He stopped and looked at her, several thoughts crossing his expression as though he was coming out of a fog. “Still, none of this explains why you’re here.”
“I’m struggling,” she said. “The process is difficult and dangerous and, most frustratingly, very slow.”
“And?”
“And I’m hoping that one of those mysterious books in the palace library might have some information.”
Row pursed his lips together, his gaze flicking to Rabin. “And you know the library contains a large number of rare texts stolen from Ishaan decades ago?”
“Exactly,” Zarya said. “I can’t get anywhere near the Jadugara, but if luck is on our side, then maybe something in that library can help.”
Row folded his hands and blew out a long breath. “I believe in this cause with all of my heart, Zarya, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“This isn’t about me,” she said. “You know that.”
She stared at him. He knew . He’d heard the prophecy in her mother’s stone. And he understood she couldn’t ignore that, even if she wanted to.
“Fine,” he said, though it was clear he wasn’t thrilled about it.
“Really?” she asked.
He cocked his head in a gesture that seemed to say he might not like it, but it didn’t appear that he had much choice.
Zarya shared a look with Rabin. “So, how do we access it?”
“You’ll need to find another way in. I can help create a distraction, but only strong rakshasa magic can open those gates.”
“You mean the magic of the most powerful rakshasa in Rahajhan?” Zarya asked, gesturing to Rabin, who lifted an eyebrow.
Row gave Rabin a narrow-eyed look. “You trust him to help you?”
She sighed and threw up her hands. “I suppose I do.”
That earned her a glare from Rabin, which she chose to ignore. He might have sweet-talked her the last two days, but she was trying to think with her head and not the unreliable emotions of her heart.
“Okay,” Row said. “I’ll pay a visit to the palace tomorrow and see what our best course of action might be, but I want it going on record that I don’t like any of this.”
Zarya cocked her head and wrinkled her nose. “Noted.”
Row blew out an exasperated sigh and took a long pull of his drink, muttering something under his breath that sounded distinctly like “nothing but trouble.”