Whatever it was, she hoped it was going to be only a temporary aberration.
* * *
Chandra’s tremors got worse the farther they walked. The temperature took an abrupt dip. Veer automatically brought her close to shield her with his body’s warmth.
“Aren’t you feeling the cold?” she asked.
“This is nothing, Princess. Real cold is the kind that you feel deep in your marrow. When you come to live in Rajgarh’s snow palace up in the mountains, you’ll understand.”
“Hear that? What is it? It sounds like water,” said Chandra.
“I don’t know. We’re now in the lower cave levels,” he said, wary about the rushing sound, persistent and faintly audible against the crashing backdrop of the sea, which usually indicated the flow of water. If they were in the lower levels, there was no telling when they would flood.
“We are?” she asked, taken aback.
“Yes, the passage slopes gently. It’s hard to notice. But still, it shouldn’t get this cold, either. Hold on a minute, let me get my bearings.” Chandra halted and leaned against the side of the passage while Veer connected with his kite companion.
Wind assailed his senses, his body turned weightless and buoyant as Vihari shared his senses with him.
“There’s a storm gearing outside,” he murmured. He opened his eyes, severing the connection with Vihari. “This is bad. We have to hurry. The lower levels will flood if the stormbreaks. I can’t promise that this passage will be spared, but I don’t want to stay to find out either.”
He frowned and turned to her when he heard no reaction. “Princess, are you paying attention?”
Eyes wide, Chandra stood transfixed at something behind him.
She gripped his arm in a fierce hold. “Look! Behind you.”
Veer turned, his hand going to the pommel of his sword, his senses expanding, seeking other animals to command to his aid. But he relaxed once he ascertained there was no immediate danger.
And once he realized there was no need to borrow the bat’s vision anymore.
Millions of lambent blue-green dots pinpricked the ceiling of the passage, like stars spread across the sky. It was almost like the cave had opened into the night sky.
The dots seemed alive, they pulsed, they glowed and dimmed, and as one cluster lit up, the next sprang to life, until the entire passageway ceiling was lit with them, illuminating the path they had walked.
“My God, what is it?” she whispered in awe. Her face was bathed in an otherworldly glow, the yellow-gold highlights in her eyes were eerie, clashing with a cyanotic hue reflecting off her skin.
Veer strained to make sense of what the cave insects were trying to tell him. The less evolved the creatures, the less sense he got from his probe into the animal’s mind. “I’m not sure, but it’s some kind of insect that uses light to ensnare other insects.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, they must have reacted to our presence and lit up. They’re harmless.”
Chandra seemed entranced by their beauty, but she wouldn’t let go of his arm either. Clearly, she was afraid ofinsects. Veer filed away the information for future use. With her, he needed any ammunition he could get.
“Would you like to touch one?” He couldn’t help teasing her.
“What? No.” She was aghast at that prospect until she noted his amused face. Her jaw clenched, and she turned her back on the mesmerizing spectacle and resolutely moved forward.
Although the light from the insects allowed them to see a few feet forward in the caves, it was a weak light, and their progress was slow. If nothing, the insects showed how big the passageway really was. Bigger than what he had estimated with his animal senses and surrounded by the blanket of darkness. The sea’s dull roar vibrated through the walls and that, coupled with the mysterious allure of the blue-green glowworms, created a surreal experience.
He hoped that the others in their group were ahead of them, safe. He was about to suggest they go faster when she spoke almost reflectively.
“You know, I think that, maybe, this is the King’s Pathway. What if my theory about jewels being symbolic was true? Maybe this is what King Amarendra meant when he said the jewels would be the guide to the path of enlightenment. These insects that glow are as brilliant and beautiful as any jewels I’ve ever seen.”
“Fascinating though it is, to delve into the secrets of what King Amarendra may or may not have meant,” said Veer dryly, “I’m afraid we must hurry. Here, hold this.” He pulled a torch from behind his back and stuck a splint on the patch of dry rock. It flared to life, illuminating the dumbfounded expression on Chandra’s face.
“You have a torch?!” she said, aghast. The glow from the insects had winked out against the bright light of the torch.
