Page 136 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin

Row’s cold laugh drew Yasen’s attention back to where Row and Abishek were still trying to kill each other. “Where is your sixth anchor?” he demanded. “Why aren’t you fighting harder?” He flung out a hand, striking Abishek in the shoulder.

The king retaliated with an arrow of fire, but Row ducked at the last moment.

“You were lying, weren’t you?” Row accused. “To Rabin? To Zarya? To make yourself seem more powerful so they wouldn’t suspect what you wanted?”

Yasen watched Abishek’s face pale as he took another step and flung out another flare of magic. He noticed the king limping and favoring his right arm.

“I knew it,” Row shouted. “You’ve never been able to touch the darkness. I would have known.”

Abishek scowled, shuffling back as Row advanced with his sword aimed at his heart.

“I should have been the strongest!” Abishek shouted, his voice cracking. “I was born for this.”

“I knew Asha was right!” Row screamed. “I knew she didn’t lie to me. You were the strongest. You’ve extracted astonishing feats from your power. Things people could only dream of. You are talented by all measures, but it was never enough. All of this because you’ve always been so fucking insecure!”

They continued circling while Yasen kept one eye on Zarya and Rabin. Whatever he was doing was working because her chest was rising, and he heard her groan.

“That’s it,” Yasen whispered in encouragement while Rabin focused on Zarya, his attention never wavering. As Zarya’s chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, Yasen’s own heart began to beat normally again.

While the fight continued, Ekaja stood over them, her fists bunched as she looked between Rabin and her king. It seemed like she couldn’t decide whether to intervene or stay out of it.

Row and Abishek were arguing, blaming one another for a litany of hurts and mistakes they shared over the years. Row’s eyes burned with anger and fire as they traded blows, both vying for an upper hand.

Abishek only had five anchors, and Row was one of the Chiranjivi, a role chosen by the gods. With Yasen’s limited knowledge of magic, he wasn’t sure who had the advantage, but he was praying it was Row.

A blast of air had Row flying back, tumbling end over end before he crashed into the wall with a thump. Yasen tensed, wondering if he should help, but something told him this was a fight that had been brewing for a very long time.

Row coughed as he tried to catch his breath, rolling over to face the king. Abishek’s manic grin sent a chill skating down Yasen’s back. He strode over with his hand outstretched, magic flashing at his fingertips.

The king raised an arm as a ball of fire formed in his palm. He hurled it, but Row flung out a bolt of shadow, striking Abishek in the stomach. The king was knocked off his feet as Row stood up, a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.

Yasen blinked. Had Row just used the sixth anchor? It looked just like Zarya’s magic.

“Why?” Row shouted, recovering from his shock. “Why would you kill her? All she ever wanted was a family that wasn’t me. I know that’s why she came to you. She would have loved you.”

“To free the Ashvins!” Abishek screamed as he struggled to a knee. They were both bleeding from several wounds and slowing down. “I wanted to spare her. I thought she would cooperate. It didn’t have to be this way!”

Abishek fired another shot of magic, striking Row in the shoulder. He stumbled, hunching over.

“You created a child only to use her,” Row said. “You manipulated the woman I loved, and I know you are responsible for her disappearance.” Row advanced a step, fury rolling off him in waves. “She was right all along. You wanted to hurt Zarya. I never wanted to believe it, but I did everything I could to protect her.”

Row advanced another step, and Yasen saw something falter in Abishek’s expression for the first time. Yasen wasn’t one for mushy stuff, but it was obvious Abishek was fighting with hate, but Row… was fighting for love.

For Zarya and Asha, and maybe that made him stronger.

“The day Zarya was born, I became a father,” Row said as he limped across the floor. “I never expected it, and gods know I made so many mistakes along the way, but I loved her like she was my own. I only ever wanted to protect her.”

Yasen noticed Zarya stirring as Row took another step. Rabin rolled off her, and somehow, he looked even worse. His pallor had turned to ash, and he panted with labored breaths, staring at the ceiling.

Yasen helped her sit up. She blinked heavily, noting Row and Abishek in the center and Rabin lying beside her. She fell on top of him, sobbing as she whispered, “You’re back” over and over.

The sound of shattering stone had them both looking up as Row and Abishek continued battling, magic flying in every direction.

“When I left Andhera, I did so out of disgust and a loss of faith in you,” Row shouted. “You had lost your way. You wanted to free the darkness, but you also wanted so much worse. You want to destroy everything in the name of restoring Aazheri power.”

He pushed a sweaty lock of hair from his eyes as Abishek stalked towards him. They fired again, their magic clashing in a bright flash.

“I should have stopped you then, but I was a fool,” Row said as he retreated. He was breathing heavily, his forehead shiny with perspiration. “Instead, I ran away and found a different purpose. Raising a little girl into the remarkable woman she has become, and when she came to you, looking for a father, this is what you did!”