Page 107 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin

Again, she blinked, her dark eyes brimming with something he couldn’t name. “He insisted.”

Then she returned her gaze to the window without another word.

The king. He’d forced her to join him. But why? To punish Rabin further? To punish her?

“Give me something,” Rabin said. “Some clue about where we’re headed. I don’t care about myself, but I must protect Zarya.”

With her gaze still focused on the landscape, her lips parted gently on the softest breath. “I don’t know,” she said. “If I knew anything, I would tell you.”

“Why should I believe that?”

Her head shook ever so slightly. “He’ll use the bond against you. He will free the darkness. He will gain the power he’s sought for centuries, and you and your bride will help him.”

“That tells me nothing. I already know all that.”

Again, she blinked before inhaling another deep breath. “You’ll see soon enough.”

Rabin glared, studying her profile. He watched as the last of the sun sank beneath the horizon and the first stars illuminated the sky. When it was apparent no other answers would come, he sat back, staring out his window, wishing he could see Zarya.

They rolled through the foothills as the terrain became even more rocky. The carriage tilted as it bumped up a curving mountain path, and Rabin clung to his seat to maintain his balance. The moon sat high, the sky inky black, and the wind had picked up, rattling gusts of snow against the windows.

They climbed for a short while before the carriage leveled off and then came to a stop.

Rabin sat up straighter in his seat, trying to peer out. All he saw was snowy mountains and nothing else. His stomach rumbled, reminding him it had been hours since they’d left the city. Gods, he wished they’d departed for Ishaan just one day earlier. They would have been fine—the Bandhan had never been tainted, and Rabin would have recovered once he was no longer subjected to the king’s poison.

But Abishek never intended for them to leave.

They would have been trapped here regardless.

He would have found them no matter where they ran.

A moment later, the carriage door swung open, and Ekaja immediately leaped out to confer with her guards.

“Come,” she said to Rabin, holding the door and waiting for him to descend.

His feet hit the hard-packed snow, and his chest expanded with relief when Zarya exited her carriage a few feet away. Immediately, her gaze found his. She gave him a quick tip of her chin to indicate she was okay.

He thought about what Kishore had promised regarding their magic and wondered if it was true. But how could they prove it? When they got the chance, he’d convince her to try it, just a bit to be sure he hadn’t lied.

Rabin scanned their surroundings. They stood inside a sheltered plateau bordered by mountains. On the far side, a narrow path led up a steep incline. Two massive men flanked the entrance, wearing furs from head to toe and clutching spears nearly twice their height.

Rabin recognized them as members of the clans who inhabited these mountains. Abishek strode over to confer with the one on the left, their heads tipping together. He could only presume Abishek had hired them as guides.

Once the king appeared satisfied, he peered over at Rabin, their gazes locking momentarily before Abishek arched a brow.

“We go on foot from here,” he announced.

The first mountain man turned and began easily making his way up the tricky path. The guards flanking Zarya urged her forward while Ekaja gestured for Rabin to follow.

He placed one hand on the wall as he took the first step, peering up. Zarya looked back before she turned and began the ascent.

He searched the heavens, seeking strength in the stars and the moon, nearly blocked by the soaring snowy peaks, and wondered if they’d ever see the sun rise again.

THIRTY-THREE

Zarya stamped her boots, doing everything she could to keep herself from falling apart. Night had come, and they’d been walking for hours. Her toes and fingers were numb, her cheeks frostbitten, and her ears chilled from the falling snow.

She could sense Rabin’s presence as he marched closely behind, catching her when she stumbled. Every once in a while, she looked over her shoulder to ensure he was still there. It might have been silly, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d disappear at any moment.