Page 14 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin (The Nightfire Quartet #4)

THIRTEEN

Yasen and Miraan arrived on the outskirts of Ishaan at the break of dawn. They asked the carriage to drop them off a safe distance from the city walls, using the forest to shield their approach. They planned to sneak in, hoping their arrival would go unnoticed. Picking through the trees, they kept their steps light until Ishaan came into view. They both stopped, listening to the hushed, distant sounds of the morning.

Most people would still be tucked into their beds, but the late-night crowds of Ishaan never slept.

“This is a bad idea,” Yasen said.

“Probably,” Miraan agreed. “But we have to help.”

Yasen sighed and ran a hand along the back of his neck.

Miraan turned to look at him as the first of the day’s light gilded the arch of his forehead and nose. He was beautiful—all regal lines and planes with those high cheekbones and that carved jaw. Those dark eyes designed to break his heart into a million pieces once the prince finally realized he was far too good for him.

Yasen had enjoyed his fair share of company throughout his life. But he’d rarely met anyone he wanted to open up with. He’d lost his family at an age when he’d been too young to remember, and maybe because of that, he’d grown used to this hole in his heart that never seemed to close.

He missed a mother and father he’d never known, and the idea of losing anyone important ever again sat in his stomach like a rock. This gnawing fear had always been his most consistent companion.

Then he’d been adopted into a family where he’d been treated as second best by a man who could have been a father but had chosen the path of his abuser. Sometimes, he wondered if he would have been better off growing up in the streets but then felt guilty for the sentiment when he’d at least always had enough food to eat and a roof over his head.

He’d let Vikram in. The bastard had made it impossible to keep him at a distance. He’d been so eager and happy to have Yasen as a built-in best friend. He’d treated him like a brother from the first day Yasen had stood in the Ravana’s great hall while Gopal had looked him over with a critical eye.

Yasen worried about his old friend, who no longer sounded like the man he’d known. He’d never made him feel second best.

And then, despite his best efforts to keep her at arm’s length, he’d let Zarya in, too. She’d also made it impossible not to. But she was destined for big things, and all he knew was that he was terrified the world might take her from him, too.

“You okay?” Miraan asked, slicing through his maudlin thoughts.

He tipped a wry grin at the prince, prepared to make a joke. This was his defense. The armor he wore. Always playing the role of the irreverent lest anyone think he felt or cared too much. It helped keep people at a distance, never coming too close.

It took a special person to see past it.

Yasen approached Miraan, wrapping an arm around his waist, deciding to confess the truth instead. They were nearly the same height, though Yasen had an inch or two over him. “I’m…worried,” he admitted as he ran his thumb along the line of Miraan’s jaw. His rough stubble pricked the tip with a soft rasp.

“I am, too,” he replied. “You don’t have to come. Return to Zarya if you want.”

Yasen blinked, searching for any judgment in that statement, but he found none. All he saw was Miraan’s worry and concern.

“You might be safer there,” he added after a moment. “It would make me feel better.”

Yasen shook his head. “And miss all the fun?”

Miraan gave him a severe look. He was very serious all the time. Yasen lived for those tiny moments when he actually loosened up, but this thing between them was so new. Surrounded by the chaos following them across Rahajhan, whatever they were building felt like delicate crystals, ready to shatter at the slightest breath.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Yasen said. “Zarya has Rabin to look after her.”

“And who’ll look after you, Yas?”

“I can take care of myself.” At that, he released Miraan and began stomping towards the city, done with this conversation. When Miraan didn’t follow, he called over his shoulder. “C’mon. We need you to do your magic thing to get us inside.”

After another moment, he heard Miraan following with a huff and mumbling something under his breath that sounded distinctly like “Wish he’d just let me in.”

Yasen chose to ignore it as they made their way around the wall, arriving at the same gate they’d entered when Miraan helped bust them out of the royal dungeon. He opened it with a thread of magic, and they slipped through the city’s quiet alleys towards Operation Starbreak.

When they arrived at the house, they used their secret knock and waited, hoping someone was inside. From their exchanges with Vikas, they knew most of the resistance had relocated to a secret spot in the forest.

It took a minute for the door to pop open, revealing Ajay, looking a bit rumpled and bleary-eyed but healthy and whole. His face cracked into a wide, happy smile.

“You’re back!” he said, stepping aside to admit them into the house. “We’ve been so worried.” He kept up a stream of chatter, barely pausing as he led them into the kitchen and immediately set some water to boil. “Tell me everything that’s been happening.”

A moment later, Row appeared in the doorway. He looked terrible, his complexion sallow and dark circles ringing his eyes.

“Yasen,” he breathed. “How’s Zarya?”

He strode over to the island where they were all seated, his hands clenching into fists.

“She’s fine,” he assured him. “I promise. Rabin is with her and won’t let anything happen to her. Abishek welcomed us with open arms.”

Row peered at him with a suspicious look. “You sensed nothing amiss?”

“I don’t think so.” He shared a look with Miraan, who nodded to confirm the same. “She seems quite comfortable with him, to be honest.”

“When is she coming back? Is she coming back?”

His expression was so full of tortured hope that even Yasen had to feel bad for him. He explained the issues with their Bandhan and Zarya’s sixth anchor and that as soon as they’d met with the king’s mystic, they would return to help clean up this mess.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Row said. “But I suppose any lore around the sixth anchor is secretive and rather unknown. I might visit Thriti later to discuss it with her.”

“I’m sure Zarya would appreciate that,” Yasen said.

“Tell us what’s been happening in the city,” Miraan asked. “We’re here to do what we can.”

Ajay and Row shared a careful look.

“None of it’s good,” Ajay answered. “The Jadugara have been given free rein to arrest anyone they believe is connected to the resistance, and they’re hunting down Taara Aazheri left and right. We’ve heard claims that anyone captured has been subjected to punishments too awful to name.” He fell silent. “But let me make us some tea, and then we can discuss everything.”

“My sister?” Miraan asked. “Have you heard anything more about her?”

“She’s looking for you. And for Zarya. She’s making no secret of it. You’ve both been branded as traitors of Gi’ana, and a steep price for treason is on your heads,” Ajay continued.

Miraan pressed his mouth together and nodded. “I figured as much.”

“They’re saying her injuries are severe. Her healers are doing what they can, but her scars were created by magic fire and thus are much more difficult to cure.” He hesitated before adding, “Koura has gone to the palace to offer his services.”

“What?” Yasen asked. “I thought he was on our side.”

“A Niramaya healer is duty-bound to offer help to anyone who requires it,” Row said. “It is a part of his code of honor. He could not live with himself otherwise.”

Yasen grumbled at that but had to concede that Koura was more noble than all of them put together.

“As long as he comes back if we need him,” Yasen said, and Row almost smiled at that.

“He’s still very much on our side.”

“What else?” Miraan asked, and then Ajay and Row took turns explaining everything as the sun rose over another bloody day in Ishaan.