Page 121 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

Daragaab’s former commander hesitated, conflict swirling in his eyes before he turned to Zarya.

“Be careful. If anything happens to you now, I won’t survive it.”

Then, he reeled her in for a fierce, bruising kiss. As he pulled away, a moment of indecision flickered in his expression before it morphed into steely resolve. He turned to face the soldiers lined up in neat rows and began shouting orders before they stirred into action.

As he took control, she watched him, knowing something was changing. This tangle of feelings was solidifying into a warm pulse beating under her ribs that she’d soon have to reconcile with.

At last, Row appeared out of thin air, and Apsara landed inside the courtyard on one bent knee with a delicate whump, her chest heaving with effort. They all looked towards the palace, where Suvanna came storming through the doors, dripping with water and her hair sparking around her like ribbons of thunder clouds.

They were together again, and now, they could stop this. They had no choice. If they lost Amrita, not only would Zarya lose a friend, but they’d lose their last line of defense against the blight.

A grinding clash of swords and axes ensued as the Chiranjivi and Daragaab’s soldiers descended on the Kiraaye Ka. But they were outnumbered, and more grey patches bloomed on Amrita’s surface as life slowly drained away from the queen. If she held still, Zarya thought she heard a distant, agonized scream.

A bow lay at Zarya’s feet, the quiver still attached to its dead owner. She picked it up and fired arrow after arrow at the Kiraaye Ka in the trees, each shot aimed with deadly precision. Rabin was right. For her friend, she could do this.

They fought furiously, picking off the Kiraaye Ka, but Amrita was still suffering. Grey patches streaked up her trunk as branches quivered high above their heads. It took a moment to feel it. The ground beneath their feet trembled. The sounds of steel meeting bark vibrated under the surface.

“Her roots,” Row said, taking off at a run. Zarya followed behind, with Koura and Kindle on her heels. She heard Rabin rattle off a series of commands to the soldiers, ordering them to proceed underground.

“How do we get down there?” Zarya asked as they entered the palace.

“This way,” Row replied. “There are tunnels running below the building.”

At that moment, Zarya caught sight of Vikram running towards them, surrounded by guards.

“What happened?” she asked as he came to a stop. He had a black eye and a bleeding cut on his cheek.

“Dhawan locked us up,” he said. “Me and the rest of my family. We had to fight our way out. What happened to you?”

Row quickly recounted the events on Ranpur Island as Vikram’s eyes widened with alarm.

“What about Yasen?” Zarya asked. “Where is he?”

“He was trapped with us, too,” Vikram said. “He went underground with a squadron after we escaped.”

“We’re heading there now,” Row said. “Everyone else is in the courtyard.”

Vikram nodded and turned towards Amrita as Row led the rest through a door and down a stairway that spiraled into the earth, the air growing cool as the sounds of metal striking wood echoed louder the deeper they went.

Zarya emerged behind Row, peering over his shoulder to a scene of even more Kiraaye Ka hacking away at the thousands of roots that grew beneath the surface of Jai Mahal.

She choked back a sob at the horror of the sight.

A jumbled maze of tunnels and caverns and bridges all formed a breathing system that kept the Jai Tree alive. It was now easy to see why a mere fire hadn’t finished Rani Vasvi off immediately. Here, life flowed as solid as the earth itself. But that life was being choked away. This time, Dhawan clearly meant to finish the job once and for all.

Roots, some as fine as hairs and some as thick as a human body, shuddered with every chip of the axes. Amrita’s cries of anguish rang out louder and clearer as a thousand limbs were cut off at once.

Mercenaries spread in every direction, hundreds of them swinging their axes with indiscretion. But Amrita’s root system was a living thing, and the tunnels formed beneath the surface were sentient; they moved and shifted, closing off one opening and surrendering another. It was a mass of confusion as soldiers dispersed, the pathways changing, the cavern alive and breathing.

Zarya began attacking Kiraaye Ka, some so focused on their task that they didn’t notice until she was right behind them. It didn’t take long before the roots shifted enough that Zarya found herself separated from the others. She approached a broad man with a thick beard, hacking away at a frantic pace.

Zarya was nearly on him when he saw her. He swung his axe, but it was a large and clumsy thing. The momentum of his swing went wide, causing him to nearly stumble into the wall. As he recovered, she slashed at his leg, a deep slice opening on his thigh. He stumbled as he attempted another turn with the axe, this time gripping it with both hands and tossing it at her with all his might.

Zarya ducked, the axe clattering against the wall behind her. The Kiraaye Ka pulled out his sword as a wicked gleam formed in his eyes. Two more Kiraaye Ka noticed them and approached, their weapons drawn. Zarya was surrounded on three sides, the living wall of Amrita’s roots at her back.

She wouldn’t risk her nightfire as much as she needed it right now. Not after what she’d seen it do above. She would not be responsible for causing any more harm to the queen.

Their swords clashed as the first soldier lunged, the sound echoing through the tunnels. On her left, another Kiraaye Ka advanced at the same time. Afraid to use any of her magic now, Zarya risked only a tendril of air, tangling it through his legs, knocking him to the ground.