Page 30 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

“I know you’ll do the noble thing, Zarya.” Amrita said the words pointedly, like she expected nothing less. Zarya winced at the idea of having to come clean with Vikram, but she knew Amrita was right.

Amrita had returned to watching her mehndi application, that impassive expression once more in place as she hummed to herself. It seemed the seeding really had changed her, and Zarya wondered if she was already losing her friend.

NINE

The sun was sinking over the horizon when Zarya and Yasen headed for the southern watchtower the following night. As they left the city, they nodded towards the line of Khada soldiers guarding the perimeter wall.

“You know,” Zarya said as they approached the forest, “this seems a little dangerous, doesn’t it? You and me out here all on our own?”

Yasen shrugged a shoulder. “You wanted to join the Khada. If you’d listened to me from the beginning, you could be snug in your bed right now while I suffered alone.”

“Hmm,” Zarya said.

“It’s okay,” Yasen said. “You can just admit I was right.”

“Over my dead body.”

Yasen chuckled as they fell into a comfortable pace, their horses’ hooves picking over the grass.

“Don’t worry. The watchtower isn’t actually inside the blight,” Yasen said. “It just offers a view of it from up high. And we’re not completely alone—we’ll be relieving the earlier watch.”

Well, that was reassuring.

“What trouble did they get up to that earned them this punishment?”

“They added food coloring to the toothpaste of a rival squad, turning everyone’s teeth lime green for days.”

Zarya huffed out a laugh and covered her mouth. “That’s actually pretty funny.”

Yasen smiled as they continued.

“It’s been quiet, though,” Zarya said. “Out there.”

“It has. Ever since that night.” Yasen gave her a side-eyed look that wasn’t judgmental, but it was curious.

“Since I obliterated them with my weird ancient powers, you mean.”

“I always knew there was something off about you, Swamp Girl,” he joked, and she gave him a wry smile. Somehow, he always knew the right thing to say to dispel the pressure cresting behind her ribs.

They turned east, heading towards the shore, and then rode along the beach, staring out at the water. By now, the sun sat low across the ocean, a million points of light reflecting off the waves while the moon and stars peeked out from above.

“How much longer until we get there?” she asked. “Does someone come out to the watchtower every night?”

“Not much longer, and yes, it’s rare there isn’t someone who hasn’t been sentenced for some misdeed.”

Zarya snorted at that as Yasen came to a halt.

There it stood in the distance, a tall tower made of white stone that rose many feet over the forest surrounded by blackened trees and bushes, the ground beneath turned to the mushy bog she’d traversed so many times.

“Not inside the blight, hey?” Zarya said softly.

“Not anymore, I guess,” Yasen said, studying the narrow structure.

“What should we do?”

“It’s quiet, like you said. Let’s just check things out. We don’t have to stay long. I don’t think Vikram was angry enough to ask us to risk our necks.”

He trotted forward, and Zarya followed.