Page 51 of Queen of Shadows and Ruin (The Nightfire Quartet #4)

FIFTY

Zarya and Rabin followed Row through Ishaan until they reached a quiet corner and exited through a hidden gate. They entered the forest, winding through the trees until they heard the sounds of the rebellion in the distance.

She exchanged a glance with Rabin as they turned another corner to discover the encampment. They’d clearly been hard at work evacuating vanshaj from the city. Her eyes burned with tears. She was so proud of everyone. They’d all come so far since the day she and Yasen met Ajay and Rania and were recruited to this cause.

She couldn’t think of a better way to spend her final moments.

People stopped to watch as they made their way through the temporary village. She noted the glasses in their hands and that a few had been dancing.

Celebrating. They were celebrating.

“Zarya!” Vikas called. “You’re back!” He ran towards her with Ajay in tow. They both hugged her.

“We were so worried,” Ajay said.

“We’re okay,” she said, even though that wasn’t really true.

He greeted Row and Rabin before Farida, Rania, Suvanna, and Apsara also appeared.

“The tattoos,” Vikas said, gesturing to several people watching their reunion. “We were training, and suddenly, they all just…disappeared. Do you know what happened?”

Zarya nodded and quickly explained everything except for the whole killing her thing because she didn’t have the energy to argue with anyone else. She could feel Rabin’s furious gaze burning up the back of her neck.

“An army of nairatta are headed this way?” Ajay asked as the blood drained from his cheeks.

She nodded. “We’ve alerted the palace, and they’re readying themselves.”

“This is what we’ve been preparing for,” Farida said. “It’s not the enemy we predicted, but the Army of Ashes hasn’t been idle during these weeks.”

“We have hundreds more Aazheri, freed from the collars,” Vikas said. “Surely, that gives us an advantage.”

“It might be dangerous using brand-new Taara Aazheri,” Row cautioned.

“Rabin will lead them,” Vikas said. “It will be fine.”

“No,” Zarya said. “He can’t. He’s needed elsewhere.”

She reached out and grabbed Vikas’s hand. “You became the face of this movement. You were the first to show them what was possible. And now you’ll have to do this next part on your own.”

They finished discussing their plans while they filled in the others on what it had been like to battle the demons. They might have no choice but to rely on the Taara Aazheri’s new magic.

“Are people safe here?” Rabin asked. “The children—anyone who can’t fight.”

Farida exchanged a look with Vikas.

“We’ll do everything we can to protect them,” she said.

“Good,” Zarya said before turning to Suvanna and Apsara. “We need your help.”

“Of course,” Apsara said.

“Then let’s go somewhere and talk.”

After saying goodbye and sharing their hopes of seeing one another alive on the other side, they headed for Zarya and Yasen’s flat in the city.

Her heart squeezed when they entered the quiet space. She’d been so happy here with him. She’d wanted to see the world so badly, and it had been even better with her best friend at her side.

She’d found the Rising Phoenix, and she’d made a difference. She’d forgiven Rabin, and they were married, and she loved him more than she could put into words.

But she was about to lose him.

She was about to lose all of this.

“Tell us what’s going on,” Suvanna said, wasting no time.

Zarya nodded and twisted her fingers together in nervousness.

“Zarya, please,” Apsara said. “You’re worrying me.”

She then explained the rest of Abishek’s deception and how Loka had visited her in her dreams. She avoided meeting Rabin’s gaze while she talked, knowing she couldn’t bear what she’d read on his face.

“You want us to kill you?” Suvanna said after Zarya was done talking, her expression hard. “No. Absolutely not.”

“There’s no other way,” Zarya said. Finally, she ventured a look in Rabin’s direction. A muscle feathered in his jaw, and his eyes were as dark as midnight.

“Zarya, I cannot support this!” Row said. “I’m sorry. I’ve been holding my tongue since we left Taaranas, but you can’t really mean to go through with this.”

“What choice do we have?”

He couldn’t answer, and they all fell silent. Zarya’s gaze wandered to the window and the balcony where she’d sat with Yasen staring at the distant view.

She’d spent so many years waiting for her life to begin. But she couldn’t have known what fate had in store.

“Supposing we did this,” Apsara said and raised a hand when it was clear she was about to be met with a chorus of objections. “I’m only asking. How do we kill the Ashvins without you? If all the Chiranjivi are needed?”

Zarya blew out a breath. “That’s where the paramadhar bond comes in.”

She paused as she let everyone put it together.

“This is why he was given to me,” she said. “Loka said I would need him at the end.”

“But won’t he die, too?” Suvanna asked, throwing him an apologetic look.

Rabin blew out a long sigh. “Not right away. I’d remain alive long enough to possibly save her. True death doesn’t come for a few minutes.”

“A few minutes ?” Row asked. “This is madness! What if he can’t revive you?”

“Row,” Zarya said. “ Everyone will die if we don’t do this.”

He roared in frustration. “I know that!”

“So, we…” Apsara swallowed. “Kill Zarya, wait for the Ashvins to exit her body, and hope Rabin can revive her quickly enough. And while he’s doing that, we contain the Ashvins until you return, and then we kill them so that an army of ancient demons doesn’t consume all of Rahajhan.”

Zarya winced. “When you put it like that…”

“This is a terrible plan,” Row said. “This can’t be the way.”

“It is the way,” she insisted.

“Are you so ready to die?” Row shouted. “Your life finally has begun, and now you want to throw it all away!”

“Of course I don’t!” she screamed. “I don’t want to die. I wanted to live. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’ve found everything I wished for. I’m married to the love of my life. I just…”

She broke off, sobs wracking her chest as she turned to Rabin, burying her face against him. He’d been so quiet during all this, but he was angry with himself for believing Abishek’s lies, and she knew exactly where he stood about her death.

She felt a hand on her back a moment later, followed by Row’s low voice. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just…I can’t bear to watch you die. We already lost Aarav and…”

She pulled away to meet his gaze. “I know. And I’m sorry that I might leave you, too.”

He shook his head, and Zarya hugged him for a long moment.

“We’ll need Kindle,” she said, pulling away, hoping Row wouldn’t continue arguing.

“He’s been in contact with us,” Apsara said. “He’s ready to help if we need him.”

Their gazes fell on Row, the only one who could retrieve him quickly.

“Please?” Zarya said, and he exhaled a sharp breath.

“Fine.”

“Then we’ll do it once you both return,” she said. “I was meant to free the vanshaj, but there will be no point to their freedom if the nairatta overrun us. We have to finish this.”

When no one argued any further, she took that as their silent confirmation.