I take off my apron and wash my arms in a water basin, bathing away the blood.
“Adraa?” Mother rushes through the workroom door. “You’re still here?”
I point to the goat. “ ‘Adraa, don’t you leave until you get this last piece of liver for me.’ That’s what you said.”
“But I didn’t realize the time.” Mother wrings her hands and then reaches forward to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.
I jerk away. “Zara can help me. But Maharaja Naupure already knows I’m a mess.” I smile at that. “So you don’t need to—”
“Just Maharaja Naupure?” she scoffs. “Raja Jatin is home from the academy. You will surely see him. It’s very important you look…” She frowns. “Oh, you are going to have to change at once.” She points at my silk orange blouse and the slash of blood dripping down it. It looks as if I walked into the middle ofa gruesome murder. I had been careful too.
“Blood,” I swear.
“Don’t curse,” Mother reprimands.
Riya laughs behind me. “I think she meant it literally.”
“You look fine, stop fussing,” Riya commands.
“It’s not the style or fit; it’s the…” I unleash my hands from the folds of my lehenga and the wind whips the ornate orange fabric into my face. “This.” I gesture to my half-covered face, then thrust the skirt back down and pin it as I hold Hubris tight. I can’t even see my skyglider in the mess of skirts. Of course, it’s not only the outfit. With all the firelight business, I had almost forgotten about Jatin, but I don’t want Riya to know that. “Have you ever flown with a long skirt?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Well, I dislike it, immensely.”
“I can see that.”
I shoot her a look. Then the pink fabric wrapped around my hips and thrown over my right shoulder hits me in the face from the other direction. All the pins holding the silk in place are about to fly off, if they haven’t already.
“I think it’s great you are wearing traditional dress. You desperately need the practice wearing one on a skyglider.”
I detect something in Riya’s voice and spin toward her, which throws more fabric in my face. “You! You hid all my flying pants, didn’t you? No wonder Zara got confused and nervous.”
“You can’t prove anything.”
“Which is basically an admission of guilt. I hope you are happy. Maharaja Naupure is going to have a big laugh.”
“I bet Raja Jatin will like it.”
“I won’t be seeing Jatin.” Maybe if I say it enough I can conjure it into truth.
“Yeah, right. That’s what you think. Your mother knew better. And I know a setup when I see one.”
“Riya, I have important business to discuss with Maharaja Naupure.”
“Yes, I know that, and you know that. But Naupure and Jatin probably think this is a ploy to get to the palace and meet.”
“Oh Gods,” I breathe. Riya is right. And once again fabric slaps me in the face.
I’m worried Riya is right, so when we part ways on the front stairs, I don’t wait for Naupure to come get me. Hughes, Naupure’s main associate, asks me to wait in the main hall, but I can’t linger there like a sitting duck.
“I’m going to go up. Save him the trip down.”
“Lady Adraa, I insist!” Hughes calls after me. I lean over the thick stone banister. I do feel bad after seeing his panicked face. Hughes and I have had several great silent conversations as I’ve waited for Naupure in the past. We’re practically best friends.
“He’s expecting me. I promise you won’t get in trouble.” And I continue to climb, one set of stairs, turn, and then the other. I have to pass Jatin’s room to get to the office, or at least what used to be his room. The carved Jatin upon the door appears worn and reminds me too much of the nine-year-old I once knew. He sure doesn’t look like that anymore.
I’m so stupidly nervous that I consider muffling my footsteps with black magic so Jatin won’t hear me passing his room. He’s probably not even in there, I tell myself, but I still hurry by the door and make it to the end of the hallway. I knock and prayNaupure answers quickly. I’m still vulnerable out here after all.
