Page 13 of The Divine Lies We Weave

Two things Leela knew about, and the two things she really wished she didn’t.

Another wave of nausea washed over her, and she shut her eyes. She gripped her temples and swallowed down the bile.

No… She didn’t want to harness the Viperess. The very Flame said to have caused all this chaos between the three realms—the earth, Awakening, and Netherworld. The one who ripped the realms apart and scattered monster churning sandstorms across the world.

No…

Oh. Yes.

Leela jolted. A strong, silky voice reverberated within her skull. It coated her mind in hot oil, boiling with a tangible heat.

“Wh—who are you?” Leela whimpered.

Ishaan chuckled.

The Golden Viperess or Divine Flame. You choose, seeing as we will be together for quite some time, mortal.

Leela’s heart raced harder than a sandstorm, bursting against her ribcage and trying to break free. Leela wanted to break free of the thing inside her mind. She wanted the voice inside her head to disappear. What would happen if she didn’t appease the Viperess? What happened if… if… Too many thoughts swarmed her mind. She squeezed her eyes tighter, telling herself it was all a bad dream. No. She wasn’t stuck in a cell in a cave harnessing a powerful Flame.

She was dead.

Surely, she had fallen from the roof and died.

Not dead.

The words ground against Leela’s skull, each hitch on the syllable and drone on the vowel a stark reminder of whom she harnessed. A reminder of the danger Leela had fallen into and now had no way of getting out of. How was she meant to get rid of a Flame? Especially the Golden Viperess.

Her fingers loosened on the bars. There was no escape from being a Vessel, at least until Leela sorted out how to get out of the cave first. She’d only ever heard of Gilded Thorns harnessing Flames and using them for battle.

She didn’t think she’d ever become a Vessel.

“How is she?” the Raven asked.

Leela jumped back as Ishaan stood, a ravenous hunger split in his dark pupils.

“What does she sound like?” Ishaan urged. “Did I do her proud?”

Proud enough. He took his time.

“She’s pleased,” Leela said, unsure what else to say. Could he not hear her too? Or was she just inside Leela’s head?

Ishaan fell to his knees, a tear running down his cheek. “I did as you asked, my queen. I ensured I found someone perfect for you!”

He failed hundreds of times too.

Leela’s pulse raced. Why her then? How many mortals had died while Ishaan tried to absorb the Viperess into a body? The last thought struck fear into her bones. What had she been waiting for…?

“Is she pleased?” Ishaan asked. “I brought her back. I did as she asked!”

“She’s fine,” Leela said. “Happy, anyway. But I don’t want her. Get her out!”

Ishaan snarled. “How dare you!? You should be groveling at her feet. To harness a Flame like the Viperess is a blessing from the smoke. No mere mortal can harness someone like her. No one is worthy.”

“And why me, then?”

Ishaan smirked. “She will tell you when she is ready.”

Tell him to let us go.