Page 118 of The Divine Lies We Weave

It means I am learning to forgive. But I will not forget.

Do you love him?

Not enough to not kill him, but not enough to also love him.

“Want to do some sword play after?” Hema asked.

Leela was jolted out of her thoughts. “I don’t know if I’m up for it.”

“You worried the Viperess will take over again?” Tanmay asked, finally piping into the conversation. There was a bitter undertone to his words.

Leela frowned. She thought the younger man was always warm toward her. She didn’t understand where the animosity suddenly came from. “No. I’m not worried. I can control her now.”

Tanmay raised a brow. “You sure about that? Is that why we haven’t seen the captain for days?”

“Tanmay!” Hema hissed. “The captain has spent longer in his room.”

“Is it not on everyone’s minds?” Tanmay snapped back as if Leela wasn’t there.

Leela gripped her cup. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Rajesh. He isn’t my main concern right now.”

“And neither, it seems, is the Viperess,” Navya said.

Leela glared at the woman. “What is your issue?”

“Navya,” Hema warned.

Navya’s emerald eyes gleamed. “Nothing.”

Leela’s stomach knotted. There was a lie in the curl of Navya’s lip, the way her eyes gleamed with a spit of jealousy.

Hema cleared her throat. “Why don’t we go and play a game⁠—”

“What is it?” Leela asked, not caring if she cut Hema off. “Why have you resented me from the moment I set foot on this ship?”

“Perhaps because of the monster you harness,” Tanmay interjected.

The Viperess hissed. Best be careful, or I will sink my teeth into him.

Navya’s eyes returned to their normal scrutiny. She leaned forward, purposefully taking a slow sip of her wine before smacking her lips. “Rajesh and I were somewhat friends.”

Leela scoffed.

“With benefits,” Navya continued.

Blood drained from Leela’s face.

A few of the crew tuned into the conversation and snickered, as if this were school all over again. Leela remembered the days when girls weren’t meant to hold hands with boys, or kisses were meant to be disgusting.

Except Leela didn’t like the way Navya looked at her now, as if Leela had stolen something of hers and she wanted it back. It was the look Navya had given her the entire time on this damned journey.

Rajesh was not Leela’s. Not anymore. She had to remind herself. If Navya felt threatened by Leela, then fine, Leela could let her pettiness shine. But Leela was not scared of Navya. She was simply a bitch with a bad attitude.

Navya leaned back in her chair, clearly satisfied with Leela’s silence.

Leela did not want her silence to come across as her having won this conversation. No. Leela was silent because her heart was still breaking over what had happened between her and Rajesh. How could it not? The look in his eyes continued to haunt her every blinking moment, and she hadn’t slept properly for days.

“You know what…” Leela stood, ensuring she had the crew’s attention. She focused on Navya, whose eyes glimmered with a nervous twitch. “You can have him. Rajesh and I were never going to work out, and it turns out fate intervened at the right time.”