“Well, are you going to introduce our queen-to-be to your generals?” the woman asked.
Iblees tipped his head her way. “You can introduce yourself, Walia. In the meantime, I have business to attend to. A ceremony to prepare for.” His gaze flicked back to me, lingering on my mouth as he spoke, his voice lower now, almost intimate. “Until tonight, Leela.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak past the pulse in my throat.
He smiled knowingly as he backed away and vanished, leaving me with a fresh ache of longing. Yes…something was waking between us, our connections reforging as my body and soul let down their guard.
“Would you like to spar some more?” Walia asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Hardly any point,” one of the men behind her said. “Nothing will beat sparring with a djinn god.” He smiled at me. “I am Farid, and this is my brother Sabha. It is an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is mine.”
“You ready to leave?” C’ael asked, joining us.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
I turned toward the sound to find two Asura shooting arrows at dummy targets. “Actually…I’d like to do some target practice, if that’s okay?”
Craven’s face broke into a grin. “I think that can be arranged.”
I met his gaze. “I was good with a bow…wasn’t I? Back then…when you knew me before.”
He nodded. “The very best, and I cannot wait to see you shoot again.”
Chapter 29
THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET HAIRY
BLUE
The Vidya tower in the royal domain is a monstrosity attached to a mountain. The air’s cold, but Erabi’s pocket is warm. I peek out from it as she climbs the last of the stairs, taking us into a majestic entrance chamber where a sacred hush surrounds us.
The floor gleams, marble, the kind that’s probably slippery as feck for a little guy like me. Light streams in through several narrow, vaulted windows set high up in the wall behind us. It spills across the chamber like golden butter on toast. Toast…I could devour a slice or two right now. Breakfast seems so long ago.
Several arches lead off from this room, and sitting at an impressively large desk made of silver rock is a woman in a green cloak, spectacles low on her nose, quill clutched in her hand, watching us with an inquiring patience.
“Let me do the talking,” Erabi whispers. “Chandra’s letter should help too.”
“I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.”
It wasn’t difficult to convince Erabi to bring me here. A few tears and all she wanted ta do was cheer me up, and my stint at the Vidya tower in Prashikshan is no secret. So when she asked what might help me, I immediately said a distraction. A job like the last time my Leela was gone, and ’ere we are.
We cross to the sage at the desk, and Erabi hands her the letter. A request from Chandra to allow me a position here.
The sage’s eyebrows shoot up. “The absent queen’s anchor?” Her gaze drops to me nestled in Erabi’s coat pocket, and something in the hard depths softens. “You must be worried about her.”
I nod, keeping to my promise not ta speak.
“And it says that you worked in the Vidya tower with Bhoomika for several weeks…” She chews on her cheeks. “Archiving…”
“He did,” Erabi confirms for me.
“You’ll need to speak to our head sage,” she says to Erabi. “I can take you to her office, but I’m afraid little Blue will need to remain here. We have a small waiting area through the arch to the left.”
Erabi looks down at me. “Will you be okay?”
I nod and give her a thumbs up.
