Page 20 of Heart of Night and Fire

With a grunt, she spun and feinted before lunging towards him from the other side. That caught Yasen off guard, and he stepped back, nearly tripping in his haste. She brought down her blade, and he blocked it, but only at the very last second.

Vikram let out a whoop of support on her behalf, just as Yasen recovered and then leaped. But she was ready, blocking his thrust with a ringing clash of blades. They parried back and forth, talwars flashing in the sunlight.

She might have been imagining it, but Zarya thought she saw a begrudging shadow of respect dawn on Yasen’s face. She silently thanked Row for his unrelenting focus on her training all these years—the one concession she was prepared to give him.

The truth was, Zarya loved the feel of a weapon in her hand. It had given her some measure of control in a life where she’d had almost none. But even that had proven ultimately unsatisfying, with Aarav and Row as her only opposition.

Yasen was a trained soldier, and eventually, his skill and size overtook Zarya as he drove her back, knocking her down and pointing the sword at her heart.

The ghost of a smile appeared on his face before he tilted his head. “Well done, Swamp Girl.”

She narrowed her eyes. While Zarya didn’t care for the new nickname, she supposed this was high praise from the taciturn soldier.

He reached out a hand and pulled her up. She was dusting off her pants when a hushed murmur muted the din of the courtyard.

Every eye had swung to the fort’s entrance as four figures emerged from the brick building. They radiated a commanding energy that spread through the crowd, compelling everyone to stand at attention.

In the middle strode the two most striking women Zarya had ever seen. One was tall and willowy with a sheet of silvery white hair and bright silver eyes that contrasted vividly with her copper-brown skin. She wore tight leather pants and a short jacket, all in creamy white, but her most remarkable feature was a pair of snowy white wings.

Next to her was a woman so pale she was almost blue. She sported a wild mane of hair that flowed from sea green at the roots to turquoise at the ends. Her angled, hooded eyes were the color of the ocean, and she wore a dress in hues of green and blue that, like her hair, danced around her as if she were perpetually floating on an invisible current.

On the flanks of the women walked two men. One with wavy black hair and light brown skin, wearing a black velvet jacket trimmed in red, black pants, and leather boots. On the opposite end was a man with a deep brown complexion and eyes that gleamed like golden lanterns. A yellow cloth was wrapped across his muscular body and slung over one chiseled shoulder.

“The Chiranjivi,” Vikram whispered in Zarya’s ear. “Emissaries from the kingdoms of Rahajhan and the most powerful magical beings in the continent. They’ve been here trying to solve the problem of the blight.”

The Chiranjivi stopped in the center of the courtyard as the crowd cleared, giving them space for whatever was about to happen. Zarya pushed forward, hoping to get a better look.

“Are we ready for a demonstration?” the blue-haired woman asked, raising her hands to a chorus of cheers.

“That’s Suvanna,” Yasen said, coming up next to Zarya. “She’s a merdeva from Matsya and, as you’ll see, a powerful wielder of water magic.”

Zarya shivered as the air pulsed with anticipation, noting that Vikram was now conversing with the man in the black coat.

“And that’s Kindle,” Yasen added, indicating the man Vikram was speaking with. “An agni from Bhaavana—kingdom of fire magic.”

Zarya stretched on her tiptoes to get a better look as Suvanna spun around and flung a hand behind her, water springing from her fingers. It arrowed straight to where Kindle and Vikram stood, but the agni didn’t miss a beat. He sidestepped to his right before fire burst from his palms, melting into the wave as it dissolved the water into a fine mist that floated into the atmosphere.

A wild chorus of cheers and clapping accompanied Suvanna as she spun around and shot out another blast, this one aimed at the white-winged woman who swung out an arm as a wave of something Zarya couldn’t see slammed into the water, driving it upward. She realized it must have been a force of air as every eye in the courtyard followed the water’s trajectory.

“That’s Apsara,” Yasen whispered next. “Air and ice are her specialties.”

The winged woman changed hands, and Zarya felt the ripple of another invisible force before every drop of water crystallized into ice, forming a canopy of hovering crystals that hovered above the crowd amid squeals of delight.

Realizing those shards were about to come spearing down over their heads, everyone ducked, covering themselves until the dark-skinned man with the golden eyes stepped forward and raised his arms. A glowing yellow shield spread around him, forming an umbrella that sheltered the entire courtyard. The icy shards sparkled with gold through the haze of the translucent barrier as they gently melted away to nothing.

“And that was Koura,” Yasen said with a wry grin. “He’s into the whole protection thing.”

Zarya joined the cheering crowd as the four Chiranjivi lined up and offered a bow. Row could perform magic, but she’d never seen him do anything like this.

Vikram smiled as he shook each of their hands before ordering everyone to return to their training. They slowly moved to do his bidding, their eyes still focused on the Chiranjivi, who now strode through the yard towards the gates.

They all nodded at Yasen, who tipped his head in acknowledgment. As they passed, Kindle did a double take when he saw Zarya, his eyebrows pulling together as confusion flickered across his expression. Why was he looking at her like that?

A moment later, the Chiranjivi swept out of the courtyard, followed by a wake of silence before the tension broke and training resumed.

“What was that about? Why did Kindle look at you like that?” Yasen turned to her with his grey eyes blazing. Gone was the affable manner they’d shared only a few moments ago, and in its place was the surly guard she’d met yesterday.

“I don’t know.” Zarya stared after Kindle’s retreating back and was even more surprised when he cast another fraught look over his shoulder. “I’ve never seen him before.”