“I know. But I’m not doing that. He comes with me as is. How large is the second carriage?”
“Large enough,” Erabi said. “But Leela, there are rules and?—”
“Some rules are bullshit.” My voice rose a little, the vise that was now ever present around my chest tightening a fraction. “This happens to be one of them. And I don’t want to hear the wordservitudeagain, am I clear?”
My voice rang in my ears. Loud and sharp in the deep silence that had fallen around us. The Leela from before, the one who’d had her drohi with her, would have been embarrassed to be the center of attention. She would have ducked her head, apologized for her raised voice…something. But not me. No. I lifted my chin and unflinchingly met the eyes of several of the demigods and drohi looking my way and was rewarded with smiles and nods for my courage.
Asura Ione cleared her throat and stood. “Back to your meals, please!”
The hum of conversation resumed but lower this time, and I willed my tense muscles to relax.
“You must watch what you say,” Erabi whisper-hissed.
My spine stiffened. “No. I won’t hide what I believe in. I’m a target already, so what does it matter?”
“She’s right,” Joe said. “Fuck everyone.”
“If anyone wants to hurt her, they’ll have to get through us first,” Dharma said.
“Us and our drohi,” Bina added.
Erabi sighed heavily. “Oh, Leela…” She shook her head, but there was a smile in her eyes.
Chaya and Mahira placed plates of toast, bacon, and eggs on the table in front of us.
Erabi beamed up at them. “Thank you so much. This looks delicious.”
The drohi joined us at the table, and everyone began loading up plates. Chaya served Dharma, Mahira catered to Joe, and Thanil filled a plate for Bina. My throat pinched, and the hollow place inside me that was the absence of him yawned wider.
If Araz was here, he’d insist on making me up a plate, and I’d insist on making one up for him. A dull ache bloomed deep in my chest. I reached for an empty plate, and a hand gently grasped my wrist.
I looked up into Keyton’s kind eyes.
“Allow me,” he said.
I opened my mouth to speak but snapped it closed when a sob threatened to spill from my lips.
He loaded up a plate and placed it in front of me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and shuffled up the bench to make room for him. He sat, and I passed him a plate, adding food for him like he’d done for me. When I met his gaze, it was to find him misty-eyed.
I nudged him with my shoulder. “We take care of each other.”
He nodded. “Yes. We do.”
My appetite was gone, but I ate regardless. Bodies needed fuel, after all. Small talk continued around me, but my attention kept drifting to the door. Bina caught me looking and smiled.
“They’ll be here soon,” she said. “Either way, we’re not leaving without saying goodbye.”
The anchors entered the kitchen a few moments later.
Blue was perched on Ida’s back, Lola padding in behind them along with the various other anchors that belonged to the other demigods of Dharti Ghar.
“Blue!” I waved, and he leapt off Ida’s back and vanished between the tables, appearing at my leg a moment later and scampering onto the table.
“Ya won’t believe what’s happening.” He stood, hand on his chest as if catching his breath. “Umbra says we’re movintomorra. Midday. Only one sleep, chick, and I’ll be with ya. We all will.”
Dharma stroked Ida’s head, and Joe scooped Lola onto his lap.
Garu’s head appeared over Bina’s shoulder, and she reached up to lightly caress his nose.
