23. Leela
LEELA
Leela stood by the railing, watching the sands glimmer and glow silver underneath the sleeping moons’ rays. Her time with Rajesh replayed repeatedly inside her mind. His fingers had left phantom touches through her as she pondered about whether or not sleeping with him had been the wisest decision.
This wasn’t just about the Viperess and Scorpion anymore.
Or Leela and Rajesh. This was about the fate of the world and the monsters Rajesh was tied to.
One wrong move and Leela would have created several more lustishas and more deaths.
She couldn’t be the reason more children were left orphaned or the reason for more walls to cave in, leaving villagers homeless.
“You have your thinking face on.” Hema sauntered to Leela’s side. “What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.”
“You say that every time I ask.” Hema sighed. “I understand that you’re quite a private person. I get that. But trust me, bottling everything up won’t do you any favors. It just comes back for revenge later in ways you can’t or won’t see coming.”
Leela bit her lip and let the cool desert breeze sweep back the wisps of her hair nestled against her cheek.
Hema’s words struck too close to home. It was on the quiet nights that Leela missed her family most. When she and Anika would sit by the fields and gossip about the other villagers and their meager lives.
Or when they’d try to find a way over the wall, imagining the distant fields and forests and if there was something bigger than the river flowing through the village.
Other nights, she missed making bread with her mother and hearing her instructions—short and simple, but straight to the point.
She’d say the weeds near the village were the finest and were the sweetest if plucked from the bottom, not the top.
Leela had always listened to her mother.
Always heeded her warnings and adhered to her teachings about respecting everyone, elder or younger, and looking out for her family first and never going to bed mad.
Leela wiped a tear as it fell. “Some nights I miss them. My family.”
“I totally understand. I miss my family too,” Hema said. “I think it’s the quiet nights that hurt the most. When your brain has nothing to focus on.”
“I need something better to focus on.” Other than Rajesh.
“We could go and practice if you want?” Hema suggested. “You’re getting better at sparring, but your legs are still flimsy.”
Leela chuckled. “Sure, why not?”
Hema smiled so wide that Leela couldn’t help but smile too.
Together, they wandered downstairs to the training room. By now, the twin moons were in their crescent glory, shining down on the red marble and glinting against the blades on the far wall.
“Pick your poison,” Hema said, swaying her arm across the weapons.
Leela reached for the H-shaped katars and strapped several into the sash she hung over her shoulder.
“You might need to learn to use a jawblade or a clawglove,” Hema said. “Might help strengthen you to use other weapons you don’t always use.”
“I need familiarity for now,” Leela answered.
Hema gave her a look that meant she understood. “Well, whatever is on your mind, don’t let it get the best of you. You’re right on the cusp of getting better with your techniques. Distraction is the last thing you need.”
“Distraction?”
“Such as a certain captain, perhaps?” Hema raised a brow with a smirk. “Or has the Viperess gotten to you?”
She is quite observant. Almost too observant, the Viper said, her tongue slithering.
What’s wrong with that?
I do not like it when people meddle too much. Not when they are not needed.
Don’t hurt her.
“She’s talking, isn’t she?” Hema questioned. “Your face says it all.”
“How do you know my facial expressions all the time?”
Hema shrugged. “I can read people pretty well. With the way they talk and their mannerisms.”
Leela wished she had the same astuteness.
She was not the best at reading people’s expressions or even understanding small talk sometimes.
It made her uncomfortable, like something was crawling under her skin, and afterward, she’d process every interaction over fifty times in her head.
Unless it came to Rajesh. He was easy to read.
How exhausting.
Sucks to be stuck in my head, right?
“I’m just concerned for you,” Hema said. “Having the Viperess plus Rajesh… I mean, it has to be weighing on you, right?”
Leela glanced at the ground. “Right.”
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but know I’m here and I’ll keep being here until you finally start talking,” Hema said with a supportive smile.
“You don’t have to do it alone. I… I know the feeling of going at it alone.
When I lost my village and family, things were hard.
Really fucking hard and… well, I guess, I wished I had someone there to even listen. ”
Leela’s chest tightened. She twirled the katar in her hand to distract herself from the conversation. Talking about her past wasn’t something she liked to do. She pushed those into the furthest reaches of her mind so she didn’t have to remember.
Hearing Hema’s story hurt more. Maybe, because of Leela, Hema had lost everything. What sort of monsters ravaged her village? The drakion? Angstent? Lustisha?
Fuck. Leela shouldn’t have messed around with Rajesh. She should have left it well enough alone instead of trying to mend their relationship and her broken heart. There were things she had to let go of, and Rajesh needed to be one of them.
For the sake of not making more monsters.
For the sake of not hurting him.
For the sake of Leela.
A flash of silver swiped near Leela’s eye, and she stepped back in time to save her nose. Gathering herself, she stared at Hema, who had a playful smirk.
“You were thinking. I’m distracting you,” Hema said. She swung again, and again, and again.
Leela caught each swing, connecting her blade with Hema’s.
“There’s my girl. Now, let’s distract you!”