Page 65 of Dance of Stars and Ashes

Zarya looked away, staring at the Jai Tree’s wide trunk and flowering branches, not sure why she couldn’t face him.

“It was Rabin.”

She sensed Yasen’s surprise before she turned to gauge his reaction. “But I didn’t know that. He told me his name, but I had no idea that he was Vikram’s brother.”

Yasen’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“Honestly, I don’t, either. It’s been happening for months. Ever since I left Row’s cottage. One night, I found myself in this dreamlike forest, and he was there. At first, it was just a glimpse, but as time passed, we began to talk and get to know one another. And Yas, there was this incredibly strong emotion between us. A connection. It was so vivid.”

Yasen’s mouth hung slightly open. He leaned forward and held out his hands, moving them up and down as he spoke. “Are you telling me you’ve been having dreams about Daragaab’s most legendary commander for months? And you didn’t tell me?”

Zarya nodded, feeling contrite about the whole thing. Maybe it had been foolish to keep this from everyone all along. Rabin could have been dangerous, and she’d told him exactly where to find her. While he hadn’t physically harmed her, she still couldn’t be sure of his intentions.

“I didn’t understand what it meant—I still don’t. And more importantly, I had no idea who he was. For a while, I thought I was hallucinating or losing my mind. But then, when he showed up at the joining ceremony, I understood he was real.”

Yasen bit his lower lip, his expression thoughtful. “I’d forgotten, with everything that happened afterward, but he said something to you right before that giant bird dropped from the sky. Did it have something to do with this? I should have suspected something was up because how could he have known who you were?”

Zarya nodded. “He was furious with me. Somehow, he got it into his head that I’d been working with his father to spy on him. He accused me of bewitching him and creating the forest. But the thing is, I wasn’t entirely sure if what he was saying wasn’t true.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not the spying part, of course. That’s ridiculous,” Zarya said. “But the other part. I know so little about my abilities. Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea what I was. What if I did create it? What does it mean, and why does it bring him to me?”

Yasen shook his head, not that she was expecting an answer.

“But then he saved me during the kala-hamsa attack,” she said. “When I was falling, he was in his dragon form, and he saved my life, just like he did when he lifted the curse on my magic.”

“I didn’t know that about the night of the attack,” Yasen said. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

She shrugged. “We both woke up in the middle of the ruins of some building, and then he tried to carry me.” She snorted. “I got so mad because he was being such a dick that I refused. I could barely walk, but I made him nearly drop me.”

“Sounds about right,” Yasen said.

“Then, he dragged me into an alley and accused me of spying, and that’s… when I kind of threw myself at him.”

Yasen rubbed a hand over his face. “Very smooth, Zee.”

“Shut up,” she said and then laughed wryly. “I wanted him to admit why he’d come. The last time I’d seen him, I swear he almost kissed me, and then he showed up and was so… rude. When I asked him to admit what he felt, he told me in unequivocal terms that he felt nothing, and then he walked away. That’s when I ran into you.”

“Wow,” Yasen said. “Okay, so you seemed fine after that. What happened to set you off now?”

“It turns out the dream forest still exists. A few nights ago, we both ended up there again, both of us wearing our nightclothes.” Zarya dropped her face in her hands and let out a groan. “Have you seen him without his shirt?”

Yasen’s eyes grew wide as she looked back at him. He nodded sagely. “I have, and so far, this is a very good story, Zarya.”

She snorted, grateful for his humor.

“Anyway, we talked a bit, and he kept making these cryptic statements, and then he…”

“What? Tell me.”

“Then, he approached me, and he put his arm around me, and I could feel that he—”

She cut off, feeling her cheeks heat.

“What? His dagger was happy to see you? His dragon was stiff? His phoenix was rising?”

Zarya burst out laughing and covered her face with a hand.