Page 19 of Heart of Night and Fire

“I’ve got it,” Vikram said, stepping between them and pulling a few coins from his pocket. The woman’s ire instantly melted away as she accepted them in her cupped hands with a tip of her head.

Zarya wanted to argue with Vikram about paying for her mistake, but she had nothing to offer, and he was already leading her away.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m so sorry. That was so careless.”

He waved her off. “It’s no problem.”

“But I—”

“Really. It’s fine.”

She nodded but wasn’t happy about the situation that had just transpired. It drove home the need to find a way to support herself and get out of here. She might be free of Row, but she was also helpless and, right now, relying on the mercy and charity of strangers.

As they moved down the street, Zarya cast a final look at the cart of mirrors, wondering what to make of what she’d seen. What was in the forest? Why did it call to her, and was it dangerous? What if this was what Row had been afraid of all along? She wasn’t sure why the strange mirror had shaken her so much, but it was hard not to connect the introduction of these new visions with her escape from the cottage.

Row’s admonishments that she wasn’t safe anywhere outside signaled a warning that she was trying to ignore. She didn’t want to go back, and she’d fight to keep her freedom. But she also wasn’t a fool and had no intentions of dying just when her life had finally started. She would just need to remain cautious, that was all.

She forced herself to put the encounter out of her head and enjoy her surroundings. After all, she’d been craving this for so many years.

Once they’d explored several more streets, Vikram guided her out the other side of the Maya Quarter, where they emerged near a squat, red-brick building that stretched over several city blocks. Inside a fenced courtyard out front, dozens of people were sparring, firing arrows, and aiming knives at distant targets.

Zarya caught sight of Yasen across the yard, dressed in a fitted indigo kurta with the sleeves rolled up to expose a pair of thickly veined forearms. He was shouting orders to various sparring pairs, either correcting their form or adjusting a grip on a weapon.

“What’s this?” Zarya asked.

“This is Ambar Fort,” Vikram said with a sweep of his hand.

“Tarin called you ‘commander’ yesterday. Are you in charge?”

Vikram smiled. “I am. Though Yasen and my other lieutenants do most of the hard work. I’m really just for show.”

He winked, and Zarya smiled, sure she didn’t believe a word of that.

She noted a line of armed people at the entrance of the courtyard. A woman at the front stepped forward, shaking hands with one of the soldiers.

“We invite the locals to challenge us,” Vikram said, nodding to where the woman had paired up against a male soldier. “It gives the citizens a thrill to see if they can best one of the queen’s guards. Some of the most skilled are even invited to join the Khada quarterly trials. It’s an honor to be chosen.”

Yasen had come to join them, his shoulders looser than they had been at breakfast. A light sheen of sweat covered his brow, which he wiped away with the back of his wrist.

“Daragaab’s former commander believed a populace that could defend itself was stronger,” Yasen added. “This is his legacy. It’s a stroke of foresight that’s benefited the queendom more than once.”

Vikram threw an annoyed glance at Yasen, who didn’t appear to notice, his attention still on the woman who’d just entered the yard. She carried a wooden staff, and she approached the soldier, who was easily twice her size.

“This is amazing,” Zarya said. “Can I try?”

Yasen’s look was as dry as desert sand as he eyed her up and down.

“Don’t look at me like that. I know how to use a sword. My… father taught me.” She stumbled on the unfamiliar term, and Yasen raised a dark grey eyebrow, obviously skeptical about her claim.

“Fine, but you have to fight me, then,” he said.

“Oh, you’re on.”

With a smirk, Yasen tossed her a talwar and chose one of his own.

“Don’t cut yourself with that,” he taunted. “The blade is sharp.”

Zarya glowered but said nothing, focusing on Yasen, who was prowling around her, his stance relaxed. She thrust the talwar, and he effortlessly dodged it, swinging around and bringing his blade down as she just barely managed to deflect him.