Page 36 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

Zarya nodded reluctantly, and Kindle laid a hand on her shoulder before he squeezed it.

“If it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. The worst that happens is we lose a few hours of sleep. But if it’s a threat, we’d be remiss not to take every precaution we can.”

“Sure,” Zarya said, but she wasn’t convinced.

Any lingering reservations were brushed aside as everyone sprung into action. She noticed Rabin had also entered the room at some point during the discussion, but she turned away, ignoring the gust of warmth in her stomach. She wouldn’t allow herself to be distracted by him anymore.

Outside, the city’s alarms blared to life, shrieking through every door and window. Zarya headed with the others through Dharati’s panicked streets to arrive at the massive iron gates that guarded the city. A throng of armed soldiers had already gathered, and they shouldered their way to the front as they waited for every available body to assemble behind them.

Their army was well-trained, and collecting their forces didn’t take long. But could one made of bone and flesh contend with one cut from shadows that only she could see? From her vantage point on the ground, it was hard to be sure, but Zarya was certain this wasn’t enough to give them the edge they needed.

Zarya spotted Aarav weaving through the crowd. He made his way to where Zarya stood between Yasen and Row.

“What’s going on?” he asked, and they filled him in. He gave Zarya a strange look, and she expected a callous remark about how she was losing her mind, but he said nothing before he focused on the gates that were now slowly dragging open.

Zarya pushed to the front and exited the city. She felt it was her job to be the shield between these monsters and everyone else.

Suvanna stood to her left, while Yasen stood on her right, forming a line with Vikram, Kindle, Koura, Rabin, and Apsara. Behind them, the army waited for their cue as everyone stared at the forest in tense silence.

“Do you still see them?” Yasen asked.

She nodded. Not only could she still see them, they’d moved even closer while remaining immobile and silent, but for the subtle shift of their forms in the breeze. Her nerves stretched, and shivers spread over her scalp.

Row approached her.

“Zarya, tell me what you see.”

She described it as accurately as she could as the puzzled furrow between his brows grew deeper and deeper.

“What is it?” she asked in a whisper.

“Nairrata,” Row said, sending another ripple of apprehension twisting in her gut.

Zarya remembered the name. The Ashvins’ demon army. The twin brothers who’d unleashed the darkness on Rahajhan a thousand years ago.

“Your description sounds almost like those found in ancient texts, but I don’t remember them being spirits. They were always described as corporeal,” Row went on.

“What should we do?” Vikram asked. “How do we attack an army none of us can see? How do we even know they’re there?”

Vikram’s gaze slid to Zarya, and seeing the look on her face, he said, “Sorry. But we need to be sure.”

She shook her head and pressed her lips together. Of course he was right to question her claim. Everyone was staring at her now. What if there was nothing there, and this was all in her head? Was she losing her mind? She might have dragged half the city out here for nothing.

“Wait,” Apsara said a moment later, holding up a hand. “I hear a noise.”

“Everyone quiet!” Vikram yelled as all conversation around them dried up.

Zarya listened intently, trying to pick up on what Apsara was hearing. It took a moment to notice the tremors that vibrated up her body from the earth.

“I feel something,” Zarya whispered, and she couldn’t begin to describe her relief when several others nodded in agreement.

“It’s coming from the forest,” Yasen said. “It sounds like… whispers.”

Zarya still couldn’t hear anything, but she put it down to his superior rakshasa hearing. Yasen stalked forward, pulling out his sword and staring at the screen of darkness that spread across the horizon. Then, Zarya heard it, too. Whispers were a good way to describe the sound, but it was crisper than that. It was sharp and metallic, interspersed with clicks and high-pitched squeaks, like someone dragging a steel bed frame over a rough surface.

While part of her was relieved that she hadn’t convinced everyone out here for no reason, a much more significant part was terrified about what was coming this way.

She stared intently at the forest and the ghost army that remained unmoving.