Page 131 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

But she was wasting time looking for him, and she ground to a stop. She was sure he would find her, but she had to find Dhawan. He was the goal right now. The prize she sought.

She found a staircase that wound up, reasoning Dhawan probably wasn’t camped out amongst Amrita’s roots. The stairs deposited her into a quiet, empty hallway she wasn’t familiar with.

The surf pounded outside, gently vibrating the floors as she walked slowly down the pristine hall. Colorful marble gleamed brightly in the afternoon sun as her blood- and dirt-caked boots left a trail of grime.

Her strength continued to wane as her wound throbbed, causing her to stumble over her feet, catching herself just before crashing to the hard floor. The near miss impressed upon her the little time she had left. All she could do was press forward and hope she survived this.

But the palace was enormous. Finding Dhawan would be impossible. What if he’d already left? He’d told the soldiers he’d be along behind them. But he’d soon discover Zarya wasn’t on the boat, and then he’d return for her. Besides, surely he wouldn’t leave before securing Amrita’s death. He must still be here somewhere. She would accept nothing else.

Her crusted bandages were wet with blood again, and she heard Koura’s warning. She should have listened to him, but she had to finish this. Zarya uttered a quiet sob as she unloaded her weight against a wall, blood smearing on the priceless hanging tapestry, but she didn’t have the energy to move away.

Footsteps sounded down an adjacent hallway, and a familiar figure appeared before her. Aarav approached, covered in blood, his sword raised.

“Aarav,” she breathed. “I’m so happy to see you.”

It was true, she realized. After everything, it was finally true.

“I was looking for you,” he said. “I wanted to help.”

She winced at a stab of pain in her side. “I think I need to see a healer.”

“Let’s get you to the infirmary,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her off the wall. She limped as he ushered her slowly along.

“What happened?” he asked.

She tried to explain everything that had transpired since they’d left for the Bayangoma grove a few days ago. “Aarav, Dhawan killed Yasen,” she said, her voice sticking in her throat. “The last I saw of him—”

She couldn’t speak.

Aarav’s mouth pinched together.

“He was a good man,” Aarav said. “I feel lucky to have called him my friend.”

“Me too,” she said and then bent over as another wave of pain seized through her side.

“Would it help if I carried you on my back?” he asked.

She sucked in a breath through her nose and out through her mouth. “I’m not—”

BOOM.

The ceiling shattered, a hail of marble raining over their heads as Aarav shielded her with his body, bearing the impact. They hacked on the dust that clogged their eyes and noses, waiting for it to settle.

When the haze cleared, she saw Professor Dhawan at the end of the hallway with his fingers linked in front of his chest, wearing an ugly sneer on his ugly face.

Zarya and Aarav drew their swords as Dhawan approached, his boots clicking ominously against the tiles.

“How did you end up back here, girl? It seems I have greatly underestimated your abilities.” He stopped a few feet away, studying her. “I don’t understand—how did Row keep you so well hidden all that time? I spent twenty years searching for you, and I never caught a hint of your presence until you showed up on my doorstep. An Aazheri with your gifts should have been more detectable even when veiled by magic.”

Zarya took a step back, her sword raised. Aarav, jaw set, walked next to her. Finally, her protector and companion. Her family.

Zarya stared at Dhawan, willing his words to make sense. “What do you mean, you spent twenty years searching?”

The corner of his mouth turned up in a cold smile as he took another step.

“I knew your mother’s secret. I knew who her lover had been and whose child she was carrying.”

Zarya backed up as he took another step, wanting to maintain as much distance from him as possible.