I could say no. I could walk away from this test and take the throne, but if they were telling the truth, if there was already unrest, which, based on what I already knew about the factions formed here, was probably the case, then taking this final trial was the right thing to do. My goal was to free the beings that the Asura had enslaved in contracts and blood oaths, and I couldn’t do that during civil unrest spawned by whether I had the right to rule or not. I would not give the factions who were against the monarchy any leverage.
If the Authority had ascended me already, then my twin axes would be astras—powerful weapons that could take down any threat. Perfect for navigating dangerous caverns. But my ascension wouldn’t happen until the equinox, so I’d have to make do with what I had.
I was strong, even without divinely powerful weapons. I’d find a way to survive this trial.
“I’ll do it.”
“Leela!” Chandra stepped foward, brows snapping together. “No.”
“Thank you, Leela,” Asura Jogyan said. “Vasuki resides on the red mountain in the valley called Puranee Ghaatee. You cannot miss it.”
“Okay, but what about the inside of the mountain? I’ll need a map of the best route to take to get to this gem.”
“I’m afraid there is no map,” Rajni said.
What the fuck? “You want me to go into a mountain filled with goodness knows what kind of threat to find a gem, but you have no map? Even though you say that royals have navigated it safely before?”
“I’m afraid so,” Rajni said. “No map was ever drawn. But we have faith in you. You have proven yourself to be resourcefulthus far.” It sounded like a dig, and it probably was, but he continued before I could point that out. “You will be given the utmost protection for your journey there and back.”
“You’re right, she will,” Chandra said. “Because I’m going with her.”
Stunned silence followed his declaration.
“Asura Chandra, you must remain in Aakash Sansaar. The primordial evil?—”
“Is free. It’s out there. And I will not risk my kin to it.”
His kin…Not the monarch to be. Not the channel to the throne’s power. But his kin…
“Youcannotleave,” Rajni said, his tone sharp with the kind of authority that made my teeth ache. “The bylaws are clear. The liege does not leave the sky domain. You will be forcefully detained if you attempt to do so.”
Chandra’s eyes narrowed, fists clenching tight, and it hit me that he was a prisoner here. Being liege wasn’t a privilege; it was a leash.
“This is wrong,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. “And you all know it.”
A woman stepped into the light on the balcony above, midnight hair piled high on her head, her slender face drawn in stern lines. “I offer protection.”
“Danava Arpita, that will not be necessary,” Asura Rajni said quickly.
“Nonetheless, I pledge it,” she said. “You will have my protection on your journey.” She looked across at Rajni. “It is my prerogative, as Authority official, is it not?”
Asura Rajni smiled thinly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It is indeed, and how fortuitous to have Danava protection on your journey.” He turned his attention back to me. “It is settled then. You will leave for Puranee Ghaatee four days before the equinox.Plenty of time to get there and back. The Authority thanks you for your cooperation.”
The balcony went dark.
It looked like we’d been dismissed.
Chapter 8
A LITTLE EXPLORATION AND ANOTHER REVELATION
“Why did you agree?” Chandra asked once the carriage was in motion taking us back to the palace.
“You know why.”
He exhaled heavily. “They want you dead.”
“Yeah, and they can go fuck themselves. I’m not that easy to kill. I hit hard, remember?”
