Page 130 of Storm of Ink and Blood

And that was it. He swept her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs as she directed him to her room. Still filthy from their nights in the dungeon, they spent a generous amount of time “cleaning up” in the shower and then fell into bed, exhausted and wrapped in one another’s arms.

While her eyelids grew heavy just before she drifted into sleep, she couldn’t help but think how right it felt to be here in this bed, cocooned in his warm skin and his comforting scent.

After getting some rest, they met again in the kitchen to discuss the problems and pitfalls plaguing every level of their plan.

“How do we convince the vanshaj to come?” Ajay asked Vikas, who sat across from him at the kitchen island. Ajay had woken early and picked up breakfast while Yasen made tea and coffee.

“I’m out of ideas,” Vikas answered. “My friends and I have explained what Zarya did. We’ve shown them the collar is gone. We’ve shown them some of us have magic.” He shook his head. “They’re too scared. Magic caged them. Why should they trust it to free them?”

“We need to find a way to prove ourselves,” Zarya said. “How do we mount a revolution without soldiers?”

Everyone fell into silence as they stirred spoons in their mugs and chewed quietly, lost in their thoughts.

When a soft knock at the back door broke through the quiet, everyone sat up. That wasn’t their secret knock, and their gazes met with worried looks.

“I’ll go see who it is,” Vikas said, sliding off his chair and disappearing around the corner. Zarya also followed, tiptoeing behind him as if that might shield any of them from royal soldiers standing on the other side of the door.

Surely they wouldn’t knock, though?

Vikas bent down to check the peephole while Zarya clutched the wall, holding her breath. He made a noise of delighted surprise and flung the door open.

On the other side stood two young vanshaj women, both looking extremely uncertain.

“Mina! Kajal! Come in,” he bellowed, taking each of them by the arm and closing the door behind them.

He herded them down the hallway to where Zarya stood. When she stepped aside, they eyed her warily, and Vikas directed them into the kitchen.

Perhaps that wasn’t the best move because as soon as one of them recognized the prince, she screeched and stumbled back, bumping into Vikas.

“Mina, it’s okay,” he said. “He’s on our side. Please, I promise you are perfectly safe here.” Vikas smiled at her, and after a moment, she slowly nodded.

“Okay,” she whispered before Vikas turned to everyone.

“These are two of my best friends. This is Mina, and this is Kajal.”

“We’re so glad you’re here,” Zarya said, pressing a hand to her chest. “Have you come to remove your collars?”

Mina nodded. “I think so.”

Zarya slowly approached. “I understand why you’re nervous, but I promise we only want to help.”

“We saw you trying to save them in the square,” Kajal said. “My sister is also in the dungeons. It’s why we’ve come.”

The two women’s expressions remained guarded, but at least they weren’t running away.

“Maybe we should take them to the salon?” Zarya asked Vikas.

“Right,” he answered. “Come this way.”

When they didn’t move, he grabbed each of them by the wrists and towed them down the hall, keeping up a stream of encouraging chatter.

This was a chance to try her nightfire, but she would have to explain the risks first.

She spun around to address everyone left sitting in the kitchen. “Miraan, you come and see how it’s done,” she ordered. “Rabin, I need you, and the rest of you stay here. I don’t want to overwhelm them.”

Rabin’s expression was smug as he lifted off the stool and passed her by, but not before saying, “I need you, too, Spitfire,” in a low voice that did indecent things to her insides. She shook her head.

The three of them joined Vikas and his friends in the salon. Zarya sat down and explained everything, including her fears and what might happen, and then asked if they were comfortable with proceeding.