Page 16 of Heart of Night and Fire

“Tarin,” replied Vikram. “He is the queen’s steward since she cannot speak for herself. She rules through him.”

“Why did he sniff us?”

“He’s astomi—they have poor eyesight and thus perceive things most clearly through smell.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t throw me out of the city immediately, then.” She gestured to her filthy clothes as Vikram laughed.

“I’m sure he’s smelled worse.” He winked, and her neck flushed as wings fluttered inside her stomach. Gods, he was handsome.

“And who was the woman sitting next to the queen?” she asked.

“The Princess Amrita. Rani Vasvi’s heir, who will one day take over the throne of Daragaab.” A strained look passed over his face that Zarya couldn’t interpret.

The servants paused at a door and showed them inside. Zarya noted that each servant was tattooed with a single line of interlocking stars around their neck. The stars marked them as vanshaj, or the “descendants,” those relegated to performing society’s most menial tasks. She’d read about them in books and knew they had apparently once been tied to a dangerous and ancient power. The enchanted ink was applied around their throats at birth to strangle their magic, preventing them from ever accessing it.

But as she watched the man and two women drawing aside curtains, fluffing pillows, and tending to various tasks about the room, it was hard to see how they could pose any sort of threat to anyone. Their eyes remained downcast, and their postures curved as if they were trying not to take up too much space.

She touched her stomach with a sense of unease, but Vikram and Yasen appeared used to their presence, their eyes passing over the three servants.

Zarya, on the other hand, watched them with a hot wave of fury, understanding a thing or two about what it was like to be caged against your will. Even if it was inside a palace filled with luxury and jewels.

After going about the room, the vanshaj seemed satisfied with their tasks and pressed their hands together before quietly leaving.

Zarya stared after them for a moment, then turned to take in her surroundings, the vanshaj still weighing in the back of her thoughts.

They stood inside a large room with a small turquoise pool in the center, surrounded by low divans laden with cushions upholstered in cream and gold.

The bedrooms branched off the central room. Aarav went left while Zarya opted for the one on the right, a wide, airy space where scalloped arches surrounded a huge canopied bed draped with heavy fabric. The large windows, some covered in delicate latticework, overlooked the sea. The waves crashed outside, churning up the scent of salt and reminding Zarya of her quiet corner of shoreline back at home.

“I trust you’ll find this suitable,” Vikram said, plopping himself down on one of the low white divans sitting against the wall.

“This is too much,” she said, dropping down next to him and examining the bandages on her leg. It was feeling much better, and she unwrapped the white strips, shocked to discover the cuts had almost healed, leaving only a few crusted scars.

“Enchanted bandages,” Vikram said, noting her surprise. He grabbed a bowl of cashews from the table next to him and popped a few into his mouth. “Courtesy of the palace healers, and particularly useful when you’re out getting chewed on by swamp demons.”

“Incredible.” Zarya unwrapped the rest of the bandages, marveling at her nearly unblemished skin. Row had some skill with healing, but he said only a mage gifted with the magic of Niramaya—a powerful branch of healing magic—was truly adept at it.

“Please make yourself comfortable,” Vikram said, standing and smoothing down his jacket. “I’ll have some food sent in. You must be hungry and exhausted. Yasen and I will pay you a visit in the morning. Would you like a tour of Dharati? Based on your reaction today, I think it’s your first time visiting?”

“Oh, I’d like that very much,” she said. “Thank you.”

Vikram smiled while Yasen continued to glare, his mouth pursing like he’d bitten into a lemon. “Make sure you take a bath,” he said, his nose wrinkling.

She rolled her eyes as he turned stiffly on his heel to leave.

After the door closed behind them, Zarya went to explore the enormous marble bathroom. A round tub sat in the center, and a large archway beyond opened towards the lapping sea. Water had already been drawn, steam curling off the surface and smelling of roses and jasmine. She undressed and sank into the tub, closing her eyes, realizing how tense and sore her body had become over the past two days. She washed her hair and luxuriated in the water for a while longer, before stepping out and wrapping herself in a thick robe.

In the sitting area, she found plates of food had arrived. Morsels of spiced meat, lentils, and chickpeas floated in copper bowls filled with creamy sauces. Mounds of soft flat naan brushed with butter and garlic and flaky samosas filled with spiced peas and potatoes accompanied bowls of fragrant saffron rice, glass jars of tangy raita, and spicy mango pickle. It was more than she could possibly eat on her own.

A decanter of pale, sparkling liquid caught her eye, and she poured herself a glass. The bubbles danced on her tongue, fruity and crisp, while the food warmed her rumbling stomach that, thankfully, had settled from her earlier nausea.

There was no sign of Aarav, and as she stared at the closed door of his bedroom, she wondered where Row was right now. Had he returned to the seaside? Was he desperately looking for her, wondering how she had escaped?

She hoped he was worried and distraught over her absence. He would deserve every ounce of heartache.

Zarya prayed she could evade Aarav and hide from both of her captors. She needed to get away from Daragaab and venture further into one of Rahajhan’s other regions. Disappear to a place where Row would never find her.

She didn’t know nearly enough about her surroundings. Row had kept her conveniently ignorant of the lands that lay beyond her prison, and she’d need to be resourceful if she didn’t want to lose her way completely. Perhaps during her tour with Vikram, she could begin to fill in the gaps of her education.