He raises the crown, and the air crackles. “No!” I leap at him as he sets the relic on his head.
The air spits and pops, and I’m thrown across the room into the crowd. I smack into bodies that sway but don’t fall. No one acts to assist me. The silence remains unbroken as I scramble away from the Asura, whose gazes are still fixed onhim.
A glow washes over him from head to toe, the blaze of divinity tenfold. His skin glitters as if embedded with slivers of gold.
His voice is a deep resonant sound filling my head. “They’reallmine now. But not you. You cannot be swayed. Therefore, you must die.” He raises his hand, dharmik fire burning in his palm, the only element that can end me.
I try to shift, but nothing happens.
He lets out a bark of laughter. “You cannot escape me.” He raises his hand, ready to burn me into oblivion.
A figure rushes into the room, wild dark hair spilling about her shoulders. Leela? How is she here?
“No!” I throw out an arm to warn her to back away.
Hisbody tenses, and his head whips her way. She freezes, her mouth parting in shock as she takes in the scene.
Time seems to slow, and the fire inhiseyes dims a fraction. When he speaks, it’s with a voice I recognize only too well. “Save her. You…you owe me a debt. Go. Now. I cannot…hold…much longer.”
His arm trembles, the ball of dharmik flame pulsing as if eager to be unleashed.
“Araz!” Leela moves toward him.
“No!” Araz cries, his gaze on me. Pleading. Begging.
“Araz, you can fight him!” Leela cries.
“Now!” Araz bellows.
I tackle Leela and shift us both away.
Chapter 34
LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY…
LEELA
The world tipped as Chandra’s arms closed around me, and when it righted itself, we were in the sitting room of the east wing of the palace.
I shoved him away, my vision blurred with hot tears. “Why did you do that? He was there. Araz was there, and he was fighting and?—”
“Enough!” He gripped my shoulders hard enough to bruise. “We need to gather your friends and leave the royal domain now!”
“What’s going—” Keyton froze in the doorway. “Leela?”
“Leela?” Joe appeared behind him, quickly followed by Dharma, Bina, and their drohi all dressed in finery.
“There is no time to explain,” Chandra said. “We need to get your anchors, then get to the vortex and off the domain. There is an underground passage we can take. Come.” He led us into the corridor just as Erabi appeared.
“Chandra, what—” Her gaze flew to me. “Leela, oh my?—”
“No time, Erabi,” Chandra snapped. “You need to go. Remember the exit protocol.”
Her eyes grew round. “No.”
“Yes. Go now.”
She backed up, turned, and ran.
