by Andrea Ring
“You’ve healed his gout?” I ask. “How?”
“A carefully planned regimen,” Wadee says.
“Wow. What wonderful news.”
“Indeed. Now I must return to Saphala.”
“Wait,” Kai says. “She’s not in her rooms. Where is she?”
“I put her in an empty room near mine,” Wadee says. “I wanted her close to me, and I must stay near the king.”
“Thank you, Wadee,” Kai says. “You may go. Please let us know if anything changes.”
Wadee leaves, and Kai takes me in his arms.
“My father is healed,” he says. “It seems a miracle.”
“Doesn’t it?”
Kai pulls back and looks down at me. “You think it’s untrue?”
“Wadee didn’t lie, if that’s what you’re asking me.”
“Then what?”
“You can’t really heal gout,” I say. “You can manage it, but not cure it. And did you notice he didn’t say anything about gout? He said your father recovered from his pain.”
“And we already suspected that the pain was from something other than gout.”
“Yes.”
“So what?”
I sink down onto a cushion. “I don’t know. But Wadee hasn’t been able to help your father, not really. He’s only been drugging him. How was he cured?”
“Wadee didn’t say cured, did he?
“No,” I say. “You and I made that inference. I guess we won’t know until we speak to your father.”
XLI. LILI
Chained and splayed as I am, I’m sure Parvati expects me to be whimpering in discomfort.
She should know her husband better than that. I’ve been in this position quite a few times. My muscles are used to it.
Still, the indignity is tough to swallow. Every part of me is on display for her perusal. And she has looked, oh has she looked.
I suspect she’s searching for some imperfection, a mark of some kind that she can waggle in Shiva’s face: “Look, Shiva, she has a blemish on the bottom of her foot. She isn’t as perfect as me!” I welcome her to find such a blemish, if it means I can leave this damp little cave and see the sun again.
Pink smoke begins to swirl a few paces from me. I clear my thoughts. She can read them as clearly as if they were written on the cave walls, and I will not hurt my beloved for anything.
“Rat or snake?” Parvati says, waving one of each in my face.
I grimace. I can eat either, as many in my village do, but I’ve grown used to food from the sea. Parvati has no intention of making things easy on me, but she does not want me to starve. Yet.
“I will eat whatever is cooked and skinned,” I say. “I cannot digest fur or snakeskin.”
“Too much work,” she says, disappearing both. “I’ll feed you tomorrow.”
“I don’t know how long I’ve been here,” I say, “but it’s been at least a week. I haven’t eaten in two days. If you wish to kill me, do it now.”
Parvati’s grand plan is not working. Originally, she wanted to surprise Shiva with my presence, and then torture him with thoughts of what I’d been through. Then she wanted to kill me before his eyes.
But Shiva ignored her summons.
She knows she can simply alert him to my presence here and he’d come running. But she can’t do that now without losing face. How dishonorable for him to come instantly when his mistress calls and to completely ignore his wife.
Damn Shiva. I have no love for Parvati, but if he were a decent husband, I wouldn’t be here.
“He is a horrible husband,” Parvati says, nodding, having plucked my thoughts as easily as plucking a weed from the garden. “We are both in a trap. We love a man who cares for no one but himself.”
I hum a lullaby to keep from thinking about anything. Parvati doesn’t notice.
“I have a return letter from the prince. Shall I read it? I think I shall: My Lady Alexandra Oakton, Prince Kai himself swears he never had relations with you. You did bed others in our kingdom, and if you can properly identify the father of your baby, remunerations will be sent. But our kingdom is an honest one, and we will not be played. Your honesty in return is the only way we will be in further contact. Yours sincerely, Chief Advisor to the Prince Manoj Mitra. What do you think?”
“I think you need to come up with something else,” I say. “Obviously, Prince Kai didn’t play around with this Alexandra, so you’ve created drama where there is none.”
“I could have sworn I watched Kai bed her,” Parvati says. She conjures a divan and stretches out on it. “Perhaps it wasn’t Kai. What does he look like?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I’ve never been to the palace.”
“I should have been listening more closely when Shiva was telling me of his plans,” she muses. “No matter. Let us forget Kai. You grew up in Dabani. You must know Nilaruna.”
“Only when we were younger,” I say. “Since her accident, I’ve had no direct contact with her.”
“You’ve had indirect contact?”
I close my eyes. “I saw her once, sitting on her father’s horse while she waited for him outside the candlemaker’s shop.”
“And?”
“She was huddled under a veil, trying to make herself inconspicuous as several boys approached her. They tried to spook the horse by jumping out in front of it and poking its haunches with a branch. But she knew the animal and it trusted her. She was able to soothe it and keep it under control.”
“And?”
“One of the boys jumped up and grabbed the edge of her veil, and he pulled it off her head before she could react. You should have heard their screams — I don’t know what they expected her to look like, but she clearly startled them. Their surprise turned to disgust, and then to anger. They began to pick up pebbles off the road and throw them at her. She was terrified.”
“Was she hurt?”
“At least two rocks drew blood that I could see. Her father came out not long after and shooed them away. But I heard him yelling at her. He blamed her for taking off her veil, and he yelled at her the whole way home.”
Parvati stands and begins to pace about the cave. “Nilaruna must be sensitive to how she looks if she’s gone through something like that. How can I use it thwart Shiva’s plans?”
“You cannot,” I say. “Have you no compassion? Nilaruna has suffered in ways we cannot imagine. I thought you would sympathize with her if you heard that story.”
“I care not for the suffering of mortals,” she says. “Their lives are short. Imagine my suffering! And I have no way to end it!”
“I am sorry, Parvati,” I say. “No one should suffer. You will not feel better by hurting others who have done you no harm.”
“I don’t intend to hurt her. I just want to break up her betrothal to the prince. For some reason, this marriage is important to Shiva. And he needs to know that his will is not the only one in the universe.”
“When he finds out I am here,” I say, “he will be well aware of that.”
XLII. TANAYA
“Did you hear that?” Anjali whispers, burying her lips in my ear. “Another wolf.”
“They’ll not harm us,” I say. “They are letting us pass.”
Anjali shivers. “I’m cold. Can’t we stop and light a fire for the night?”
“Not until we are three leagues beyond the pass. I want us out of the dragons’ territory.”
We press on through the darkness, the sound of the churning waters of the Swifty our only guide besides our horse. Luckily, he is mountain bred and willing to help us. I pat his neck as we travel.
“How much longer?” Anjali asks. “We’ve seen no one. Shouldn’t the others be traveling the same direction?”
I shrug. “They should, but I don’t know who got away. I don’t know if they simply rode off in blind panic. Maybe some went straight to Bhutan.”
“I hope Devan got away,” she says.
Devan. I don’t want to thi
nk about him or any of the others. If any of them died…it is my fault.
Hours later, we enter a tunnel of ice and snow. Two hundred paces and we are out the other side. Only a few more leagues to go.
Suddenly our horse rears up. The torch flies out of my hand and goes out with a hiss as it lands in the snow. Anjali cries out, and I feel her slide off the back of our horse. I grip the reins tight and whisper to him.
An animal growl rumbles in the dark, and the growl rolls into a roar. Something lunges at the horse, and he whinnies, rearing back again and kicking out with his forelegs.
I search the dark with my mind, trying to connect with this creature.
A mountain lion.
I sense hunger and little else. I try to communicate that we are not food, but he ignores me, lunging again at the horse. I sense pain and fear and know my horse has been bitten.
I need a weapon. Anjali is on the ground, a much easier target than my horse. I want to protect them both, but my sister comes first.
As the horse rears and bucks, I untangle my feet from the stirrups and slip off the far side away from our attacker. I bend down and search the ground around me, hoping for something to fight with. I dig through the snow and find a fist-sized stone.
The horse gives another loud war cry, and I know I must hurry.
I find Anjali a few paces away, her cheek pressed into the snow. I try to rouse her, but she’s out.
The ground trembles as the horse falls.
As the mountain lion snuffles and growls and digs into his kill, I grab Anjali’s arms and try to drag her away. To where, I don’t know. It’s completely dark. I have no torch, no real weapon, not a hope.
All I have is a prayer.
“Oh gods, help me,” I whisper as I pull my sister’s body. “Please help me.”
XLIII. MAJA
I roll Aaliyah over and stretch my body atop hers. Our mouths are locked together, our tongues entwined, and I am in her so deep I know not where she stops and I begin.
She wraps her legs around my hips and locks her ankles, stilling me in place. I pull back and look into her eyes.
Hers widen. “Why are you crying?” she asks gently, lifting her head to sip at my tears.
I blink. I hadn’t noticed I was crying. I certainly do not feel like crying.
“I do not know,” I say.
She cradles my head to her chest. “When was the last time you were with a woman?”
“Not that long ago,” I murmur.
“Is it over?”
“Completely.”
“But not in your heart,” she says.
I lift my head. “She is marrying another. It is not meant to be.”
Aaliyah looks at me with sympathy.
I sigh. “My head knew it was over. I guess my heart needed you to send it a message. I’m sorry. This is a beautiful moment for me, and I haven’t thought of her once. Truly. I am just an emotional man.”
“I would call you passionate, not emotional,” she says. “Let us not talk of others. We both have a past, but I wish to live in the present.”
I smile down at her. “At present, I am making love to an incredible woman.” I laugh. “I believe I’ve spent the entire day making love to an incredible woman.”
She laughs into my neck. “We’re not going to be late for the wedding are we?”
“I wouldn’t let us—”
Please help me!
I cock my head. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
I pull out of her and jump up. I stand by the window, listening hard. Dear gods, please help me!
“Someone is crying out for help.”
I grab my trousers and shove my legs in.
“I don’t hear anything,” Aaliyah says. “Are you certain?”
“Yes.” I push my feet into my boots and throw on my cloak. “Keep the candles lit. Keep the knife next to you. I won’t be long.”
“Be careful, Manu.”
I lean down and kiss her soundly. “I will.”
***
Out in the snow, I close my eyes and listen.
Gods, please hear me. Help!
I hone in on the voice and transport myself to its owner.
A woman, not half a league from the shack, desperately drags her sister through the snow, trying to get away from the lion feeding on her horse. I send the lion two leagues away and speak gently.
“My lady, have no fear. I am Maja the Protector, and I heard your prayers.”
She startles and turns to the sound of my voice.
“The Protector?”
I conjure a light in my hands so she can see me. She gasps, and tears fill her eyes.
“Oh, Maja, my lord. Thank you. Thank you for coming.”
“Your sister is alive,” I say, laying a hand on her forehead. “I will awaken her.”
The younger girl stirs, and the woman lets out a sob. “I thought we were dead,” she says. “I thought it was over. Oh, thank you.”
“It is my honor,” I say. “Let me help.”
I conjure dry clothing and furs for both of them and help them to stand.
“What are you doing here, without shelter or fire, in the middle of the night?”
The woman wraps her arms around her trembling sister. “We were on a mission for the crown. There was an accident in camp and we had to flee with only a moment’s notice. You must know all about it.”
“I’ve been occupied elsewhere,” I say. “Tell me.”
“We were part of the mission to train the dragons, my lord,” she says. “I am Tanaya Barun, and this is my sister, Anjali. Our father is Chief Advisor to King Jagir.”
“Training the dragons?” I say. “Impossible.”
“So we found out,” she says. “I don’t know if any of the others made it out alive. Do you know?”
“As I said, I’ve been busy. I will find out. So you were headed back to Indrapur?”
“Yes, my lord.”
I could easily escort them back with me, but they know who I am. And I want, no need, more time with Aaliyah.
I conjure two horses and packs with the necessities.
“Up you go, both of you. I have business, or I would help you further. These animals know the way. Trust them, and you will be home before you know it.”
I help them both settle into their saddles.
“Do not camp in the mountains,” I warn. “You may stop to rest at the inn in Dabani. There is coin in your packs.”
The young Anjali bursts into fresh tears. “Thank you, my lord. We cannot thank you enough.”
I nod. “Your safety is thanks enough. Go.”
***
I return to Aaliyah. She’s still naked, and her body glows in the candlelight.
“Did you find anything?” she asks.
I nod. “Travelers attacked by a mountain lion. I scared the beast away and helped them to return to the trail.”
Aaliyah shakes her head. “You are a hero.”
I smile. “No. But I’ve never been good at ignoring those in need.”
I kick off my boots and disrobe, sitting beside her on our makeshift pallet. Aaliyah is quiet.
“Did I kill the mood?”
“No,” she says. “It’s certainly not that. Manu, who are you?”
I take a deep breath. “I told you—”
“You’ve told me nothing,” she says. “Not really. You have the stamina of twelve men. You rescue travelers in the dark of night. You conjure as easily as you breathe. You know who I am, though you won’t admit it. Please. Whoever you are, wherever you came from…I need to know.”
“My name is not Manu,” I say softly.
She nods.
I stand before her. “I am known as the Hermit, and the Protector. My name is—”
“Maja,” she whispers.
I nod.
“The black dragon, brought to his knees by an untouchable village girl.”
I nod again.
“You want to stop
a war between your people.”
“I was honest about my goal.”
Aaliyah frowns. “What do you intend to do with me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Am I to be jailed? Executed for treason? Exiled?”
I kneel beside her. “Aaliyah, I am not here to do any of those things. I wanted to find a way to stop the war, and that is all. In the process, I…I came to care for you. You have free will. I would never take that away.”
“You did not come just to stop a war, no matter what you tell yourself,” she says. “You’re here to protect your beloved.”
“I came to do both,” I say. “I will do both.”
Aaliyah reaches for her tunic and pulls it on over her head. “What’s next?”
“Aaliyah.”
“Make your threats, and I’ll tell you what I know. We both know who’s more powerful here, and it isn’t me.”
“I am not here to exert my power over you,” I say. “I won’t do that to you.”
“You’ve already done it,” she says. “I’m already…was this all a lie? Did you bed me just to see what secrets I’d let slip in the heat of passion?”
“I would never—”
“You already have!” she shouts. “You stole from me the only thing that is mine alone to give!”
“Do you want my story, or do you want to yell at me?” I ask her. “I love you. You might not care, and you might not believe me, but I love you, damn it! Do not break my heart without hearing me out!”
She glares at me, but says nothing.
“I fell in love with Nilaruna. I’d never known a woman, Aaliyah. I’d lived like the hermit they call me for three hundred cycles, and I’d never known love, or a tender touch, or a kind word. We fell in love, and then the gods intervened, and the only way for me to save her life was to give her up. I became a god so I could save her, and in the process I lost her. My only goal was to ensure that she has a long and happy life.
“I wanted to find the assassins who threatened her and the prince. I wanted to stop a war, because Nili is going to be on the throne, and even if I stopped one threat, a war would bring many others. You are the key to the rebellion, so I found a way to get close to you.