Page 64 of Storm of Ink and Blood

“Now they know that isn’t true,” Ajay said.

“Exactly,” Yasen said. “If we want to thwart their plans, then we have to find other ways.”

Zarya waved a hand, indicating the manor house where they were all gathered. “Well, this is the start.”

“It is,” Ajay answered. “What else?”

“They’re trying desperately to root out members of the Rising Phoenix,” Suvanna said. “They’re gearing up for random searches throughout the vanshaj district. They’ve been holding back for some reason, but it’s clear how antsy the princess has become.”

“Is there anything you two can do?” Ajay asked.

“I’m not sure,” Apsara said. “While we’ve been welcomed as guests, we’ll have to be careful. It is not our place, and they may grow suspicious if we attempt to interfere.”

That was met with silence as everyone stewed in their thoughts.

“I wish there was something we could do to affect their rebuilding plans,” Ajay said.

“Like what?” Zarya asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “But there must be something.”

“In the meantime, let us show you how we have everything set up,” Vikas said.

He walked them through the house, pointing out the different rooms and areas.

“As we free more people, I’m hoping some can be conscripted to help us,” Zarya said. “It’ll be a slow process at first, but the vision is for this whole house to be full soon enough.”

Ajay stood in the foyer, staring up at the stairs leading to three more floors.

“It’s incredible,” he said softly. “I never thought we’d get this far.”

“It’s going to be glorious,” Zarya said, following everyone’s appreciative gazes.

This would be exceedingly dangerous.

The hardest thing they might ever do.

But also, the most important.

And, gods, how she hoped everyone would get their happy ending.

TWENTY-THREE

A week later, they all took a night off from Operation Starbreak. Yasen and Vikas, along with his friends whom Zarya had also helped free, had been assisting with clean-up and hauling in furniture and supplies. They were finally ready to begin receiving vanshaj.

Yasen and the others had decided to enjoy a few rounds of cards at the gambling den where they met while Zarya took the opportunity to finally curl up with the book Row had sent about paramadhar.

It had been almost a month since she’d last seen Rabin, and it bothered her more than she wanted to admit. Maybe she’d finally convinced him to keep his distance, and she hated when the thought caused a wave of disappointment.

Or maybe he was just waiting for her.

The book claimed she would need to enter the mind plane, and the easiest way to do so was to think of a place and imagine it as clearly as possible. It helped if it was somewhere that was important or had made her feel joy.

For some reason, the ballroom at the Ravana estate, where she’d danced all night long, had been the first place to pop into her mind.

She put the book down and imagined the resplendent room—the golden chandeliers, the marble floors, the walls covered in ornate green silk. Everything had been so new and wondrous that night. She could still hear the music and the laughter as people danced, twirling in circles.

It had been one of the most magical moments of her life, and it was his home. She wondered what Rabin would think. Did he have any happy memories of the place where he experienced so much pain?