“I’ve received word that the liege will be taking the throne at the equinox in two days’ time.”
“Wait, what? How can he do that? I’m still alive.” I shook my head.
“The throne cannot sense you while you are here.”
Chandra was my friend. At least I’d believed him to be. Why would he take the throne? He’d said he didn’t want it…unless…Had it all been a lie? A ploy to stay close so that he’d have my ear. And the attempted assassinations? Had he planned them? But why? To make himself look like a savior? Or had he expected his assassins to succeed?
Gods, could I really have been so wrong about him? “I need to get back and stop him.”
“I agree, you do. But you cannot go alone,” he said. “It’s too dangerous. They will kill you. But you can take me with you. Me and an army of djinn to protect you as you claim your birthright and as we claim peace.” He leaned across the table, his expression earnest. “You were right, Leela…there is no need for war. There is another way.”
“The obelisk?”
“Yes. We work together. You claim the throne, and I activate the obelisk and summon the deva.”
It was a solid plan, but there was only one flaw. “The royal domain is warded. There is no entry unless by invitation.”
His eyes bloomed with the light of triumph. “I know. But you have a standing invitation, and through you, so can I and the devouring force.”
“How?”
“Through a ceremony called the Aatala. It’s a binding. One that solidifies our twin flame bond and connects our souls so that the wards will see me as you and you as me and the devouring force as ours by will and resonance.”
“A binding?”
“We were bound against our will once, Leela. Let’s bind again, this time by consent. I know you need time to call me Araz. I understand that we must build on our intimacy. But saving our people cannot wait. Once liege Chandra takes the throne, it’s over. There will be no way to take it back. He will be too powerful. We must act. Now.”
My pulse hummed. I had no idea why Chandra would take advantage of my being gone like this. Maybe he planned to use the power to save me. But even if that was the case, what then? Could I trust that he would free the drohi and the pari? He was part of the Authority that kept the deva away. He must know about the obelisk, and yet he had done nothing to call the deva back and stop the war.
“Leela, will you help me?”
I met his gaze across the table. “Yes. I will.”
Chapter 28
RIPPLING MUSCLES AND GLISTENING PECTORALS…AGAIN
Sleep took its time dragging me under that night. Everything I’d learned, the revelations, the resulting emotions, churned inside me like stew in a huge melting pot, and my feelings toward Iblees…toward this new Araz were the seasoning that gave it all the kick it needed.
In the end, C’ael hummed a gentle tune, a melody that was the perfect white noise to send me into the dreaming.
I woke refreshed, and by the time we sat down to breakfast, I’d made up my mind as to how I wanted to spend my day. Question was, would C’ael let me?
I set my chai cup down. “Do the warriors train? Are they training today?”
C’ael looked up from his chai, no hint of surprise on his face. “Yes, they do. And they’ll be doing so today in light of what’s to come.”
I fixed him with my most firm look. “Then I want to join them.”
He shrugged and sipped his tea. “It’s just as well I brought your axes back for you.”
I sat up straighter. “What? Where?”
He tipped his head toward the wardrobe, and sure enough, my blades and holster were leaning up against it.
“Craven said he would be happy to train with you,” C’ael said. “He was Ilyarien’s second in battle, you know. He’s ancient and descended from an ancestor bloodline.”
“Wait…does that mean he knew me…I mean theotherversion of me?”
