“The path will be flooded and probably icy in places,” Bhartina said.
It sounded like it would be a nightmare climb, but C’ael was right; we couldn’t wait. “We’ll have to risk it.” I gave Bhartina a crooked smile. “Besides, I had an excellent trainer who taught me how to climb in shitty weather.”
Bhartina’s eyes lit up. “Yes. I suppose you did.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jasha said. “If this is truly Araz’s wish, then I will aid you in completing it.”
“There is something else…” Bhartina said. “There is a powerful artifact in the ocean a mile northeast of Shantivan. A sage who lived here years ago spoke of sensing it. She sadly passed a year ago, but we did investigate, and there is a structure in the ocean. Unanchored yet stationary. We could not get close enough to examine it fully. It is guarded by a vidyut jaksaanp. Her name is Ilyapani, and she will not suffer anyone to live if they come too close.”
“What’s a vidyut jaksaanp?” C’ael asked before I could.
“An eel,” Ramashi said. “A monstrous eel.”
Great. “Did you ask the Authority about the artifact?”
“Yes, we did, and we were ordered not to go near it. That’s all.”
“It has to be a portway,” C’ael said. “Didn’t you say there was one in the sea somewhere?” he asked me.
“Yes…this must be it.”
Every settlement I knew of was built near a portway to discourage the devouring force from attacking, because the Authority had known they wouldn’t want to hurt innocent people.
“Then we need to find out for sure,” C’ael said. “But first the temple.”
“The sun will set soon,” Bhartina said. “You cannot do this at night, not while the storm rages. Wait till dawn.”
I looked to C’ael, who nodded.
Dawn it was, then.
I wasgrateful when Bhartina showed us to a different room than the one I’d shared with Araz when here last. The slight smile she gave me left me in no doubt that this move was deliberate.
The stew that Ramashi had cooked up had smelled delicious, but I’d been unable to savor it, my mind going to Zarael and Jaantor to Falima and Dodi and all the people on the cloud ship who’d never made it to sanctuary.
I’d promised them safety, and I’d failed.
Zarael had stayed to help me and now was gone because of it.
Because ofhim.
The primordial evil.
The fucker had a lot to answer for.
I showered under scalding hot water, then changed into the soft linen pajamas given to me by Bhartina before joining C’ael in the bedroom.
He stood at the window watching lightning dart across the sky. He reminded me so much of Araz in that moment that it was hard to catch my breath. He turned to me, holding out his hand,inviting me to join him to take in the view. I slipped my palm into his, allowing him to draw me close.
“Tomorrow, we reach the flame,” C’ael said. “The flame that is a part of Iblees…An anchor to Araz.”
My stomach clenched. What if itwasn’tAraz that called us here? What if it was the primordial evil? Some plot to get me far away from where I needed to be? I held on to the words C’ael had delivered. The message about Araz having seen the kiss between me and the evil that held his body hostage. I held on to that as proof that the person C’ael had spoken to was indeed Araz. But the primordial evil also knew of that moment…What if he’d used it to lure me—No! Why send me to the flame? To Iblees’s flame? How could he even know about it? I couldn’t allow myself to doubt now. We were here, and we needed to see this through to know for sure.
I squeezed C’ael’s hand. “We should get some sleep.”
He turned toward me, looking down at me, eyes dark with emotions I couldn’t quite define. “What do you think will happen? Do you think he’ll speak to us? What will he say?”
Was that a flash of fear in his eyes? I reached up and placed my palm to his cheek. “C’ael, what’s on your mind? What are you afraid of? Talk to me.”
