Page 76 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin

Zarya opened her mouth, about to protest that they’d been waiting on him for weeks, but Abishek was already speaking.

“And what should we do now?” he asked.

“We must fix the Bandhan as soon as possible. We’ll detoxify the existing markings, strip out their magic, and redo the binding. It’s a difficult process, but I am obviously more than capable.”

Zarya resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What was it with these self-satisfied men who hung around her father?

“When can we do it?” Zarya asked, dread pooling in her gut. Rabin had already been affected. How long until it resulted in something more permanent?

At that, Kishore whirled around to face her.

“You would rush this?” he said, his tone sharp. “I’ve just explained that you are corrupted by the very magic running in your veins. Your Bandhan is tarnished. Toxic. It will eat at you from the inside if you do not address this. You think you can hurry this along?”

“I was merely wondering how long it might be,” she asked, gritting her teeth. “I’m worried.”

Kishore folded his hands at his waist and gave Zarya a smug smile. “It will take a few days to prepare the necessary ingredients. We’ll strip the markings first, which will be quite painful. Then you may need a day or two to recover before we reapply the Bandhan. Is that a sufficient enough answer for you?”

Zarya hardened her jaw—another few days at best.

“And then we’ll be able to enter the mind plane again?” she asked as he dipped his head.

“Then your connection should return.”

“Okay,” Zarya said. “We appreciate your help.”

“I will summon you when I’m ready,” Kishore said.

“Thank you.”

She looked at Rabin, and his expression suggested that he didn’t like it, but he understood they had no choice.

TWENTY-THREE

With their relationship out in the open, there was no further need to maintain pretenses. Thus, Zarya moved her things into Rabin’s room.

They shared a quiet dinner by the fire as the weather turned, a blizzard sweeping over the mountains with driving gusts of snow and howling winds.

“Maybe it was a good thing we didn’t try to fly in this,” Zarya said, gesturing outside.

“Hmm,” Rabin responded as he stared out the window. He’d been even more quiet since their meeting with Kishore.

“You okay?” she asked and turned towards him.

“I’m fine,” he said again before sitting forward with his elbows on his knees. “It’s killing me to know that this incredible thing that brought us together is tainted. It’s my fault—I’m the one who insisted we do this.”

“No,” Zarya said, shaking her head. “We aren’t doing that. The resistance needed us, and I wanted it, too. This was a decision we made together. You didn’t force me into anything.” She reached out a hand and squeezed his wrist. “It’s only the magic. Nothing between us has changed.”

He cocked a small smile, his gaze raking over her. “I just can’t shake the feeling Kishore isn’t being completely honest with us.”

“He does seem rather weaselly,” she remarked. “Do you know him well?”

“Not especially. He’s always been around, but he mostly sticks with Abishek. I get the sense that he thinks he’s too good for everyone else. He has his own workshop in another part of the castle where he spends most of his time.”

“Has he ever given you a reason to distrust him?”

“No,” Rabin said. “He’s the one who did this.” He gestured towards the dragon under his kurta.

“And you trust my father?”