Page 46 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin (The Nightfire Quartet #4)

FORTY-FIVE

When Zarya awoke again, it was to the sound of banging. Her eyes fluttered open as she blinked away the haze of sleep. The cavern was…vibrating?

She shook her head, trying to clear her mind as she thought of Rabin and the forest. She twisted her shoulders, relieved to find she could move without pain. She stretched her hand across her skin, feeling the ridges of remaining scar tissue.

He’d healed her. He’d overcome whatever Kishore had done to the bond and helped her so she could carry on. Another thumping crash sounded in the distance, rousing her from the floor. She checked on her clothing to find it was still damp, but it would have to do.

Another crash and bang echoed in the silence, and she cocked her head, listening.

Despite what they’d shared last night, Rabin was still trying to get to her.

She folded up her clothing with her boots, tucking everything into a bundle, and entered the pool. Holding the ball over her head, she did her best to kick across the water, attempting to keep everything as dry as possible.

Thankfully, the water was shallow enough to touch the bottom with her tiptoes most of the way. By the time she reached the other side, her shoulders and back were screaming. She would probably have died in this cold cavern without Rabin’s help.

She heaved her bundle onto the bank and climbed onto the ledge. Throughout it, she could hear crashes in the distance.

She shook off the water and struggled into her damp clothing. Thankfully, her boots were dry, which would make running easier. If her memory of the map was correct, she would soon arrive at the fortress guarding the trigger that would open the seal.

She tried not to think too hard about what lay ahead.

She only wished she could warn everyone about the horror coming their way.

Suddenly, her chest constricted with the knowledge that once she was done here, she’d find the Chiranjivi and convince them to kill her. When she died, Rabin would, too. This is what she’d been afraid of. This is what he’d been so certain he could handle.

He would try to talk her out of it—not for his life, but for hers. She already knew that. He would beg her not to do it, but how could they fight off an army of demons on their own? What choice did she have?

Maybe the bond could save them…he’d brought her back from near death once.

She shook the thought aside because near death wouldn’t be enough.

Could their bond overcome a true death?

It seemed impossible.

But for Rabin to even try, he’d first have to break out of Kishore’s curse.

She touched the ground and watched the surface ripple to reveal the colorful tiles.

A deep sense of premonition told her this was the end.

She felt it calling to her. Reaching out and begging her to find it.

Another rumble shook the cavern, and she focused ahead, picking up her pace as she ran through the tunnel.

Knowing it was close, she wanted to…get this over with. Waiting would only delay the inevitable.

The temperature began to climb as the path sloped up. She slowed as sweat dripped down her forehead and into her eyes. After wiping it away with the back of her arm, she noticed a bright glow at the end of the tunnel.

Slowly, she approached, one hand pressed against the wall as chalky white turned to grey stone. At the end of the tunnel, she found a road leading her into another high cavern. In the distance, a massive fortress stood surrounded by a high fence.

Everything was made of the same white material, and more of Amrita’s roots crowned the roof soaring above her shimmering with a riot of rainbow colors, as if her magic were struggling to contain the evil trying to escape.

This was it.

On careful steps, she walked down the road, one foot in front of the other, while the never-ending silence sent a chill down her back.

She approached a tall gate standing many stories over her head. She looked up to another star—this one rendered into glittering black—hovering over the fortress, spinning slowly in the air. She swallowed thickly.

Crouching down, she placed her hand on the ground and watched as white gave way to more colorful tiles, only this time, the transformation didn’t stop. It rippled, spreading out and climbing across the floor, up the gates, and over the fortress.

A minute later, she stood before silver gates and black stone looming over her like a demon.

Licking her dry lips, she pressed a hand to the gate. It gave under her touch, opening on silent hinges. She inhaled a fortifying breath and then pushed . A stone path led to the entrance, and it took all her willpower to keep moving.

The air echoed with each step as she slowly approached.

Tall open arches framed the entrance, and she passed into a hollow space of rough black stone. The walls stretched for what felt like miles, and her breath condensed in soft puffs of white.

A pillar stretching to the ceiling stood at the far end surrounded by swirls of black smoke.

The seal.

And the magic leaking out.

As she moved closer, her mouth parted with a small gasp. She could feel the power shimmering from the seal, the darkness pressing in on her from every side, and that same voice calling her.

She remembered this feeling. In the swamps when the darkness had spoken to her. When Dhawan had nearly convinced her to embrace it. She’d rejected the sinister side of darkness then, and she would do it again. There would be no glory in accepting this fate. There would only be death and destruction. There would be only the loss of herself and everything she stood for. She’d rather be dead.

The darkness wasn’t inherently evil, but the Ashvins and the nairatta had poisoned it.

She didn’t realize she was crying until she touched her cheek to find the tips of her fingers were wet.

Continuing her journey across the cavernous space on careful steps, she became lightheaded from holding her breath. Finally, she stood before the seal. The material was smooth and featureless, except for an etched image of a flower with six petals, each decorated with the essence of the six anchors.

Just like the one Rabin wore on his back.

Abishek must have shown it to him, and Rabin had wanted to honor his mentor.

She stared at it, contemplating so many things.

Her father’s lies. The mistakes she’d made.

But this moment had been inevitable. The king didn’t know that breaking the seal would free the vanshaj and break the curse on the Aazheri. This would give every side something while taking so much away.

She heard Loka telling her this was her only choice. She heard her mother’s voice floating from the stone the night her entire course changed.

She will be the one to free them all.

She reached for the pillar, her hand hovering an inch away.

Her heart thundered in her chest, and her body trembled.

Could she do this? Could she unleash a scourge upon everyone?

A shadow swept over the room, and a heavy thump shook the ground.

She spun around to find Rabin standing in the archway, staring at her with his glowing red eyes.

They narrowed on her as he took a step, huffing as he approached.

“Rabin,” she whispered. “You’ll soon be free of this. I hope.”

Then she turned around, inhaled deeply, and slammed her hand against the pillar, calling on her nightfire. Her anchors spun, gathering in the center before a thick ribbon of magic blasted from her hand, channeling into the pillar in waves of power.

Magic as dark as night, sparkling with a million stars.

Tears ran down her cheek as the stone absorbed her nightfire bit by bit. She held on, waiting for some kind of signal. The pillar began to glow around the edges with silver light.

Slowly, it grew brighter and brighter until her magic cut off. This was it. Kishore had said all magic in Taaranas would stop when the seal was opening. It would free the vanshaj, break the mystic’s enchantment on Rabin, and…

She took a step back as the pillar became a beacon of glowing white light. Widening her stance, preparing for what came next, she felt the hairs on her head rising from static energy as the air around her vibrated.

A high-pitched noise filled her ears, and then…the seal shattered, exploding in a shower of silver radiance. The floor opened up, revealing a dark hole. She heard voices. Chanting. The sound of iron and boots striking the earth.

With a gasp, she stumbled back, barely catching herself as clouds of black smoke billowed up from another world.

She’d known it was coming, but nothing could prepare her for the horror of watching swirls of shadow transform into the demon army that had lived in her dreams for months. They screamed and wailed, the sound inhuman as they flowed from the seal in a rush of fire and fury.

She watched hundreds of them—thousands of them—emerge and enter a shimmering portal that opened in the wall as they approached. They were headed for Rahajhan. She stared up, imagining everyone at home, hoping this had worked. That the vanshaj were free and that everyone could hold on long enough for her to finish the rest.

As more and more demons flowed out of the seal and entered the portal, she felt her heart crack beneath her ribs.

It was then she remembered Rabin.

She spun around to check that he’d returned to his rakshasa form but instead of Rabin, she was greeted with three familiar figures standing in the doorway.

Her father stood flanked by Kishore and Ekaja while Rabin lay in a crumpled heap on the floor.

Abishek lifted a hand and blasted out a beam of fire, striking her in the chest before she went flying, and everything went dark.