Page 82 of Heart of Night and Fire

The corner of her mouth tipped up. “I’ll remember that.”

She placed a hand on his chest and slid it down slowly, caressing the taut muscles under her palm, and for a moment, her conviction wavered. Their gazes met, and he tipped his head in a hopeful question, clearly wishing she’d changed her mind.

She shook her head. No. Jumping straight to another man so quickly would be reckless. She would not make a fool of herself again.

With one more lingering look of regret, she pulled away. “Good night, Arjun.”

He dipped his chin. “Good night, Zarya.”

TWENTY-NINE

Tired and humming to the music in her head, Zarya strolled back to her room, still reeling from the strain of the last few weeks. A cool breeze greeted her when she entered her room. The balcony doors stood open, letting in the night air. Zarya stepped outside to cool off, still warm and flushed from dancing.

By moonlight, the gardens appeared even more alive. Floating lights bobbed in the air while jewel-toned peri glowed under the moon like fireflies. Delicate beams of illumination shimmered in the fountains and along the various stone pathways.

Zarya leaned on the railing, taking in the pulse of magic and mystery below. A soft knock sounded at the door, and she closed her eyes, already sure of who it would be.

“Can I come in?” Vikram had opened the door, half his body already in the room. At first, Zarya was tempted to tell him to leave, but she supposed this conversation was inevitable. She didn’t answer, turning back to face the gardens to let him figure it out himself.

Clearly, he took her silence as a yes, because a moment later, he stood next to her, also facing the night. Zarya trained her gaze forward.

“Zarya, I’m sorry—I’ve been a complete and utter asshole,” Vikram said after a few moments of silence.

Her answering laugh was a wry snort. “Is that what you came to tell me? I already knew that.”

“It’s not what you think,” he said in a rush.

She made a noise of disdain and straightened up from the railing. “What, you aren’t engaged to the princess?”

“No. Yes. It’s complicated.” He turned towards her, running his hand through his hair.

She folded her arms, squeezing her elbows.

“So, explain it, then. Why did you lie to me?”

Vikram shook his head and let out a deep sigh. “We aren’t engaged. At least not in the way you think. What we have isn’t a romantic relationship. I’m to become her steward when Rani Vasvi passes on and Amrita takes her throne.”

Zarya frowned. “What does that mean?”

“You’ve seen the queen. She cannot speak for herself. Cannot move from her position, so she relies on Tarin to be her voice. They can communicate through their minds, so he’s able to share her wishes out loud.”

“So, you’re not getting married,” Zarya said, something prickly loosening in her chest.

“Not technically, no.” His shoulders dropped. “The position of steward is highly coveted, and my father fought for this honor for years. It’s been his eternal frustration that yakshis have held the throne for so long.

“Daragaab has always belonged to them, given their original ties to its earth magic. The Jai Tree itself was planted after the Hanera Wars as both a symbol of their triumph over the Ashvins and a reminder of their power.

“But as the rakshasas’ own abilities grew thanks to interspecies mating, they shut us out from the highest echelons of power, keeping us just within reach of ruling but not quite.

“It became paramount to their survival to procreate only with their own to keep their magic pure. But it was a lack of foresight on their part as the practice has reduced their numbers to the point where only a few pureblood yakshis now remain.

“Tarin was the first non-yakshi steward to ever take the position. Astomi also have strong ties to the earth, and I suppose were seen as a lesser threat than allowing a rakshasa to take the position. Astomis tend to live quiet, reclusive lives with little taste for the demands of court.

“Because of that, my father saw an opportunity to finally claim what he feels has been denied our people for so long.”

Vikram chewed the inside of his lip and stared into the distance.

“When we are joined, Amrita will be queen of Daragaab and the effective ruler, but my role as her steward will give the rakshasas a position of power that is only slightly second to that. The queen is old, and she’s closer to death, now more than ever. The time is coming much sooner than I expected.”