“Is Beckman—”
“He’s fine. Already gone. But he explained everything. He’s not—”
“I know. I—” I stop, seeing we are not alone. Behind Kalyan stands my best friend. So, I did see her in the crowd; that frown was real. “Riya?” I shout a bit too loudly.
She sighs. “Gods, I’m glad you are awake.”
“How…how did you find me?”
She stares Kalyan down. “I need to talk to her. Alone.”
Kalyan gives me a look of concern. He doesn’t want to go as much as I don’t want him to. But when I nod, he raises the curtain and I’m left to explain myself.
Riya doesn’t waste time. “You’re the Red Woman, aren’t you?”
The air in the room shifts. The thunder of noise from the Underground falls away. I consider lying for only a second. “Yes.”
She exhales slowly. “How…how could you do this, lie to me, go off by yourself?”
“I’m not doing this alone.” No need to tell her for months I was unaided in the Underground, beating up Vencrin and spying on how they worked, before Kalyan joined. Though I guess I had Beckman watching my back this whole time as well.
“Oh, not alone? I forgot. The Red Woman and Night. What do you even know about him?” Riya spits as she gestures to the curtain.
“What do you mean, what do I know? He’s helped me.” Helped me more than she can even imagine. And not because I’m Adraa Belwar, and definitely not because someone gave him a mission like Beckman’s.
“He’slyingto you. He’s not who he says he is.”
“What?”Where the blood did that come from?
“Have you seen his arms or the way he casts? I don’t think he is what he says.”
No. I can’t let her debase the one person who fought alongside me without a hidden agenda or mission. “What are you even—”
“Because if you let me for one bloody minute, Iwouldbe good at my job. I could protect you. But no, you have to run off and save the world behind smoke and masks.”
“I did this because of you, for you.”
“Because of me?” A fresh dose of anger streams into her voice. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
“I’m trying to find the men, the ones who hurt your dad, Riya.”
Her expression falls. Whatever she thought my explanation was going to be, this isn’t it. “Then who was it? What are theirnames?”
“After I started to investigate I realized how big this whole thing was. I focused on the drugs and then firelight was being taken off the market and—”
She scoffs. “Don’t pretend you did this for my father, then. Don’t you dare do that!”
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But all this is bigger than you or me or your father. It’s about Belwar’s entire future.” When she swings away, I tug at her arm. “Riya, I think it’s Maharaja Moolek. I have reason to believe he has corrupted our guards and is taking my firelight. I think your father, our teacher, was one of the first they silenced.”
She jerks as if I’ve sucked out all the air in the room. “Maharaja Moolek? Adraa, that’s why I’m here.”
“What?”
“You were summoned to the throne room. Zara and I searched and searched and we couldn’t find you, and then—” Her words spin faster until I think even she realizes they are out of control. And my best friend is never out of control. She pauses and I finally take in the strands of black hair falling from her bun, her wraparound skirt askew.
I lunge forward, dread filling me. “Riya, tell me, what has Maharaja Moolek done?”
“Nothing,” she breathes. “But he wants to talk to you. Personally.”
