Page 18 of Damned and Broken Gods (Labyrinth of Gods #2)

Fairytale Castles Can House Monsters

LEELA

T he carriage ride to the palace was short and sweet, taking us up a winding path bordered by silver-barked trees, then past open fields swaying with sliver-tipped grasses, washed in moonlight.

The higher we climbed, the more it felt like we were back in the sky above the domain, flying in a carriage pulled by moona.

Chandra moved his leg, and his knee brushed mine. I shifted to the right a little, which pressed me up against Araz.

Yeah, this carriage wasn’t built to house both an Asura and a drohi. Every breath filled my lungs with the contrasting aroma of cranberries and sweet vanilla. It was kind of intoxicating.

I stuck my head out the window and took a breath of fresh air.

I needed this ride to be over.

“You look lovely tonight,” Chandra said.

“Huh? Oh, this old thing?” I shrugged. “Been languishing in my closet for years.”

He chuckled softly. “Good. Your humor will serve you well tonight. If you can make an Asura smile, or even laugh, then you’ll have them intrigued.”

Great. I wasn’t funny, not unless I was nervous, which meant…yep, I could do this.

The carriage took a sharp turn, and the rolling sound of the wheels changed to a gravelly rumble.

“Here we are,” Chandra said as the carriage came to a halt.

He fixed his gaze on me. “Stay calm, think before you speak, and you’ll be fine. Araz and I will be by your side.”

I nodded, throat suddenly tight.

Chandra climbed out then reached for me. I took his hand, allowing him to help me get out. The lehenga was heavy and long, and the last thing I wanted to do was faceplant on the gravel, and?—

My thoughts stuttered as I took in the palace—a gleaming expanse of white and gold like something out of a fairy tale, except the turrets were domed, and the doors and windows were gentle arches, not harsh vaulted ones.

The porch was held aloft by fifteen-foot pillars, so wide it would take two people to wrap their arms around them, and beyond those was the entrance—dark wooden double doors reinforced with steel, flung open to let out white light.

Chandra looped my arm through his and led me to the steps.

I looked back for Araz. He was close behind us, his eyes reassuring me.

I faced forward, one hand lifting the skirts of my lehenga, the other snug in Chandra’s grip as we climbed the three steps onto the porch then stepped into the palace.

The entrance hall was high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and gold and white décor with a sweeping marble staircase that ascended into shadowy upper regions, but Chandra didn’t pause for me to admire it, guiding me left toward an archway and down a wide cream passage filled with music and the aroma of delicious food.

A doorway loomed, emitting a soft blue light.

“Are you ready?” Chandra asked, his jaw tight, clearly nervous for me.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Let’s do this.”

Chandra swept me over the threshold and onto a floor made of obsidian marble threaded with silver lighting. A hush fell, the weight of many gazes trapping the air in my lungs.

“Breathe,” Chandra said softly through the smile on his lips.

I exhaled, then drew a breath of sweet jasmine.

“Please,” Chandra addressed the gathered. “Eat, dance, be merry. It is not often that I open my home thus.”

His home? Of course it was his home. He was regent, after all, and when I took the throne, then this…this would be mine?

Chandra led me farther into the room, into a sea of polite smiles and eyes that cut like daggers. Red lips sipped at golden goblets, and slender fingers plucked at the fruit laden on silver platters, carried by beautiful servers—men and women with gossamer wings like Erabi.

The pari smiled, bowed, and circulated, returning to the long tables stationed on either side of the opulent chamber to refresh their trays or pick a new one.

There was so much to take in from the colorful tapestries depicting gods at war and play to the chandeliers carrying blue and purple flames instead of the regular amber.

“Leela, meet Thakur David.” Chandra introduced me to a tall man who had kind eyes. He looked like he was in his thirties, stocky and solidly built.

What had Erabi told me about him? Oh yes. He was one of the rare made gods who’d been taken from the battlefield and elevated to noble, then to thakur. He had a wife and two children who were both born gods.

I didn’t know why he’d been exempt from the battlefield, and it didn’t matter. All I needed to do was make him like me.

I fixed a smile on my face. “I’m honored to meet you, Thakur.”

“The honor is all mine.” His smile was warm and sincere. “Chandra has told me a lot about you. I hear you chose Dharti house barracks?”

“I did.”

“Can I ask why?”

This one was easy. “I considered each house and the traits aligned with it. Dharti is grounded. Stable. Much like me.”

He nodded. “Yes, it is. But learning that you were royal must have been a shock.”

I shrugged, offering him a cheeky smile. “I always knew I was special.”

He let out a bark of laughter. “Did you now?”

I laughed with him. “Honestly, though, this whole experience has been shocking. Getting taken from my world, being told I was a demigod, and then the affinity thing…” I sighed and shook my head. “It’s been a steep learning curve.”

His expression grew serious. “Yes. It’s not easy making the transition from one world to the next.”

Bingo. I’d known this was my way in with him. Common ground. “I miss TV.” I pouted a little. “I never got to finish my favorite show, Ghost Catchers .”

“I loved that show! I can’t believe it’s still playing.”

“Season twenty-one.”

“Did Clark McMannon ever get to lead a case?”

“Yes! And he did a terrible job!”

“I knew it.” He chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “You know, there may not be any TV here, but there are stunning theater productions. Reema and I would be happy to take you to one.”

“Really?” For a moment, I forgot that I was meant to be playing this guy, and genuine excitement bubbled up inside me. The theater was my second love, one Matt, my ex, had hated. “I would love that so much.”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll arrange it all and get an invite to you.”

“I think we’ve monopolized Thakur David enough,” Chandra said smoothly. “We should mingle.”

“Of course.” David smiled down at me. “Truly a pleasure, Leela.”

Chandra steered me away from David, leaning in slightly to whisper, “Well done.”

I glanced across at Araz—silent, watchful. Present. He dipped his head slightly, giving me his approval.

“Okay, who do I have to charm next?”

Faces and names blurred. My cheeks ached from smiling. But Chandra was relentless, circulating me like a prize. Araz remained close, his shadow a comfort, a reminder that soon we could retreat to our room. Soon I could snuggle up to him and shut out the world for a while.

I spoke to both Thakur Gillian and Dhaani.

The former was cool to begin with but warmed to me when I spoke about my time working as a teaching assistant.

The dossier had revealed that Gillian had been a teacher in her former life, and we talked about my many jobs and my desire to learn and be taught.

Her eyes lit up at that.

Here I was, a lump of clay waiting for my next mold.

Yeah, I felt like I played it perfectly.

Dhaani was indifferent. It was hard to find common ground with the noble. This was his world, and I was an outsider, something which would only be overcome with time, and so I leaned into that. My desire to be useful, to be a part of this world.

I was beginning to flag when Araz stepped forward. “Guru Chandra, maybe a short break is in order?”

Chandra blinked down at me, his brows pinching. “Oh, Leela. Of course, you must be mentally exhausted. We should?—”

A ripple of excitement passed over the crowd, and a hush fell as everyone stilled, their attention going to the entrance of the ballroom.

Three figures stood on the threshold, dressed in black and gold. Two men and a woman, exuding power.

The trio stepped inside, and as if a spell had been broken, the Asura went back to their conversations.

“They came,” Chandra said, his voice low. “This is good.”

“Who are they?” Araz asked.

“Members of the Authority. I invited them all, but none replied to say they would come. This is good, Leela. You’ve spoken to many nobles tonight, and now they will speak to the Authority on your behalf. Three votes in your favor from these Asura could be enough if we can garner one more.”

“Wait, what about your vote?”

“Not permitted in this case.” He drew me across the room toward an alcove, to a padded bench seat beneath one of the windows. “Sit a while, I’ll send over some refreshments while I speak to the Authority. You’ve done well, Leela. Now all you need to do is relax.”

I sat, then patted the spot beside me. “Take a load off and tell me what you think.”

Araz joined me, his attention torn between me and the room. “I think you did well. You played to their egos, to their weaknesses. You became the person that you felt they most needed you to be. It’s all you can do.”

“I just want this to be over now.” I closed my eyes and exhaled. “I’m so tired.”

“It will be,” he said softly. “Soon.”

I opened my eyes to find him watching me, his gaze intense as it tracked over my face as if committing it to memory. As if saying goodbye. A fist wrapped around my heart and squeezed. Did he think I was referring to us…to our bond being over?

I opened my mouth to explain, to correct his assumption, when a shocked cry cut through the hum of conversation.

“Forgive me!” a woman cried.

“You’ve ruined it!” another woman yelled.

There was a crack, like flesh hitting flesh, followed by a cry of pain.

I shot to my feet, diving into the crowd and toward the commotion.

“Leela, stop,” Araz called. “Wait.”

I faltered, but another cry of pain cut through the hush, driving me forward once more.

I caught the scene unfolding through a gap in bodies. A pari lay on the ground, her mouth bloody, eyes wide, hands up—placating, pleading for mercy.

A man stood over her, his face stony as he raised his hand to deliver another blow.

Heat burned a path through my veins and up into my throat.

“Stop!” I pushed through the crowd and grabbed the Asura’s wrist, halting his blow. “Stop it!” I shoved his arm away, blood roaring in my ears.

The Asura male stared at me with eyes like chips of ice. “Is this the royal blood you’ve been telling me about, Chandra?”

Chandra appeared beside him, spots of color high on his cheeks, eyes bright with warning fixed on me.

I finally registered the black and gold outfit of the Asura whose wrist I’d just grabbed.

One of the Authority members.

I should back down. Apologize.

The pari on the floor whimpered in pain, attempting to pull herself to her feet, and the lava in my chest surged. I helped her up, and she slipped away, clutching her face.

“Well?” the Authority guy said, arching a brow, cool and calm as if he hadn’t just smacked the shit out of a defenseless woman.

A bitter tang filled my mouth. “Yes, I’m the royal blood, and you’re one of the Authority. I would have thought someone of your station would have more restraint when it comes to temper.”

“Oh, this was not temper, child. This was a lesson.”

“She ruined my dress,” the woman beside him whined.

Her dress, a rose-colored lehenga, was stained crimson down the front of the skirt, a spillage of wine, no doubt.

“Did she do it deliberately?”

The woman lifted her chin. “That’s hardly the point. She should be better trained. She’s a server .”

“And you sound like a petulant child unable to grasp what an accident is. Server or not, the pari doesn’t deserve to be struck.”

“Leela…” Chandra stepped forward and gently gripped my arm. “Come.”

I wanted to resist, but his grip was like steel, a final warning to stand down.

I exhaled, trying to get my anger under control as I allowed him to lead me away from the scene, but the Authority member’s next words struck like an arrow, halting me in my tracks.

“The pari must be reminded of her place,” he said.

My composure snapped. “Maybe someone needs to remind you of yours .”

Shocked gasps echoed around the room, and Chandra picked up speed, practically dragging me along with him now. Across the marble floor, out through a side door, and away from the gathering before I could say anything else to undo what I’d achieved that night.

I’d messed up.

I knew it.

But in that moment, I didn’t give a fuck.