Page 20 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin

Rabin led her to another door and opened it to reveal a massive library. She noticed how comfortable he was within these walls. How he entered rooms without invitation and walked the halls like he knew every corner.

Her eyes widened at the sight of dozens and dozens of high shelves crammed with books. They stretched back as far as she could see. It was massive, nearly rivaling the Jai Palace library in its scale.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention to Abishek, also dressed in black with his hair tied at his nape. She stared at him for several long seconds, again searching for a resemblance in his features. Everyone claimed she looked like Asha, but Zarya found herself in the slope of his nose and the shape of his eyes, too.

Her thoughts wandered back to the tormented Asha she’d seen in her dreams before she shook the image away.

“I see you’re admiring my collection,” Abishek said with a pleased smile. “It’s taken many centuries to gather these texts. It’s one of the most comprehensive magical resources in the continent.”

She scanned the shelves, wishing she could spend hours losing herself in the pages. “How does it compare to Dharati’s library?” she asked as she ran her hand along a shelf, reading the various titles stamped in gold.

Abishek chuckled at that. “Let’s just say I could give them a run for their riches,” he answered. “However, their collection includes a few items I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on.”

Zarya glanced at the doorway where Rabin stood silently, thinking of the night they’d broken into the restricted section and lost Vikram’s trust.

Abishek swept out his arms and then gestured her towards him. “Let me show you around.”

After touring the library’s different sections, he directed her towards his work area, filled with long wooden tables covered in an array of glass jars and various instruments. She studied the bubbling liquids, the vials, and the packed shelves crammed with an astonishing variety of magical ingredients.

“This is amazing,” she said, admiring every inch of the space. This must be where she’d earned her love of learning and reading, and the thought fired a wave of acute longing in her chest.

“I’m so glad you like it,” Abishek said. “Come, sit down, and let us talk. Rabindranath, you, too.”

Zarya glanced at Rabin and frowned, wondering why he seemed so stiff. He hadn’t said a word since they’d arrived, and she wasn’t sure what to make of his behavior.

“I want to know everything we didn’t have a chance to discuss last night,” Abishek added.

Zarya understood what that meant—her nightfire. Row’s warnings flashed in her thoughts, but she reminded herself that Rabin trusted the king. He would never have brought her here otherwise. If Abishek wanted to steal her magic, then he had no reason to spend time getting to know her or answer any of her questions.

“Sure,” Zarya said as they settled into the chairs arranged around a fireplace situated a safe distance from the precious books. Abishek sat on her right, and Rabin on her left, where his knee kept bouncing.

Zarya began by explaining the night in Dharati when the kala-hamsa attacked and her nightfire first appeared. The king asked many probing questions about how it worked and what combination of anchors the magic required. They were the clinical questions of a scholar, and with each answer, she was trying not to feel like she was giving up a piece of herself.

“There’s something else nightfire gives me the power to do,” she said, suddenly nervous about offering up these words. She checked in with Rabin, who gave her a small nod of encouragement.

“Yes?” Abishek asked as he sat up in curiosity.

“I used my nightfire to break the vanshaj collars.”

She said nothing else, letting the silence stretch.

Abishek blinked and shook his head. “You broke them?”

She nodded and went on to explain the entire process, first by wielding the sixth anchor and then the more efficient route using her nightfire. When she was done, the king silently watched her, saying nothing for so long that she thought he might not answer.

Was he angry?

Finally, Abishek exhaled a sharp, surprised breath before he sat forward, balancing an elbow on his knee and rubbing his face.

“You must cease this madness at once, Zarya. You are upsetting the natural order of things. You see what’s happened in Ishaan. If you continue on this path, it will only result in so much worse.”

Those words crushed something delicate in her spirit.

“That isn’t my fault. They started this. They are the reason this is happening.”

Abishek waved a hand. “Everything was fine until the resistance in Ishaan began stirring things up⁠—”

“Everything was not fine. Thousands of people in Rahajhan are forced to work in servitude against their will. They are without rights or freedoms. They are treated as second-class citizens and deserve the same rights we have. In fact, they deserve more.”