Page 127 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

With her palms flat against the walls of the carriage, Zarya closed her eyes, pulled on her magic, and then… she exploded.

Nightfire erupted, blasting and searing, the walls shattering to pieces as she clung on with her fingertips. A roar tore through the air as the world ripped apart. The carriage shattered, and she flew, landing in a heap on the earth. Cool mud pressed between her fingers and against her cheek as she lay on the ground, panting. She blinked at the bright blue sky, noting the smell of burning flesh and the heaps of smoldering wood and metal surrounding her.

Somehow, she’d survived, and she would keep on surviving.

Slowly, she pushed herself up, surveying the damage, hearing only the wind in the trees. Almost nothing remained of the carriage. Her nightfire had obliterated it, leaving a circle of torched emptiness around her.

They were deep in the swamp, but had anyone seen the blast? Were they on their way already? Neither Dharati nor the warships were visible from where she sat. Maybe there was still a chance, but she had to get back to the city.

No longer distracted by the need to escape, her pain returned, and she clutched the wound at her side, blood soaking through the makeshift bandages. She struggled to her feet, sucking in a deep breath and willing herself not to faint.

A groan caught her attention. A soldier lay partially submerged in the muck of the swamp, half his face burned away, leaving a ruin of blood and blackened skin. He looked up at her, misery in his remaining eye, his soul barely clinging to life.

Zarya reached down, pulling the sword from his sheath.

“I should leave you here to suffer,” she said, her voice filled with sadness.

He made an agonized sound in response, pleading with his eyes. Please.

She already knew she’d never choose to be the one responsible for any more pain. Maybe none of this had been his fault. Maybe Dhawan had lied to him, too. With both hands, Zarya raised the sword high above him and dropped it down, spearing it through his heart as his body jerked and then went limp.

She choked on a sob, sparing only a second for him before she hobbled away, heading north towards Dharati. The effort of walking was monumental, and she had to rest every few steps, using the sword for support. It was going to take her days to get back to the city at this rate, if she even survived that long.

Her toe caught on a root, and she went sprawling face-first in the mud, agony cresting in white hot sheets. Tears escaped her eyes as she lay on the ground, gasping for breath, unable to muster the strength to lift herself up again.

She felt for her magic, wondering if there was some way it could help, but it flickered weakly like a candle held up to a strong breeze. Whether from the explosion or the lingering effects of Dhawan’s potion, it fluttered dimly in her chest. She had to get up, but she was so tired and heavy. She needed a few moments to rest.

If she slept for just a bit… Zarya’s eyes closed, exhaustion making her muscles seize.

A soft whinny came from her left, and she felt a caress of warm air as a velvety nose brushed against her cheek. Her eyes struggled open.

“Ojas,” she breathed, recognizing Row’s horse that had abandoned her all those months ago. How could he still be alive? “You stupid horse, you left me.”

Ojas huffed out a loud breath, shaking his head in response.

“Don’t blame me. I didn’t know those things were going to attack us.”

He let out a whinny as if telling her she should have known better.

“I need your help, Ojas,” Zarya said, tears coming again as she carefully lifted herself up. The horse looked a little worn out but mostly healthy. Row’s saddle was still strapped around his middle, though Zarya’s bags were long gone.

With a groan, she limped over to Ojas, pulling herself up on the saddle with a staggering effort. Once she was seated, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Take me to the city, Ojas. You abandoned me once. Now’s your chance to redeem yourself.”

The horse whinnied one more time, turned around, and began trotting in the direction of Dharati.

THIRTY-SIX

She felt him before she heard him. His wings stirred the surrounding atmosphere, ruffling her hair and cooling her skin as her eyes peeled open. For some reason, she was lying on the ground.

Ojas probably had done his best to get her back to Dharati, but she must have fallen off as she had slid into unconsciousness.

The earth vibrated beneath her as Rabin landed with a great thump, all sinuous limbs and gleaming scales.

Zarya watched him from where she lay on the ground, dazzled as his skin reflected in the sunlight, shifting from violet to teal to indigo and then black as he morphed into his rakshasa form on a curling puff of smoke.

She whimpered as he ran towards her.