Page 90 of Her Soul for a Crown
“May the Divinity of Luck be with you,” Kama sang.
Anula wasn’t sure if she needed it more for what she did now or for what she’d do for Dilshan’s heart.
Down the stairs and through the tunnels, Anula wove past the Divinities’ statues, star-filled eyes forever pursuing her, silently judging, as though they knew what she’d just promised and they could shame her out of it. They couldn’t.
At the third convergence, Anula placed a hand over Guruthuma Thilini’s, the act now second nature. The portrait of the first guruthuma in history bowed to her in recognition, a demure smile forming, as though she were genuinely happy to see her. As if they were friends. Was that kindness a mask of the Kattadiya, too? It wasn’t as though all monsters came with fangs and claws.
The whisper of portraits crawled across her skin as the guruthuma led her deeper still, until the line of torches died off. Anula shivered. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were taking me to my death.”
Guruthuma Thilini said nothing.
“Though there’s something to be said of the strong, silent types, they aren’t my favorite,” Anula jested, trying to get the portrait to speak. It was too quiet underground.
A torch suddenly flamed to life, illuminating a broken maskhalf embedded into an iron door. Anula startled, clutching her necklace. “Premala’s in there?”
The guruthuma nodded and deserted her to the cold.
Anula pushed open the heavy door and found herself staring into the most expansive room she had ever seen. The amphitheater could have easily fit the entire court inside, including the concubines and a good portion of the army, too. Unlike the rest of the tunnels, these walls were smooth, as if polished by a craftsman, and the stone tiers glinted in the light of a hundred torches, which led down a set of stairs.
Anula’s gaze followed the line, past a host of angry women gathered on the last two tiers, to the floor where Guruthuma Hashini sheared the hair off a naked woman and shoved her into a pit, the focal point of the whole room. The guruthuma sneered down at the woman, whose cries bounced off the walls. She lifted a stone and aimed at her, catching her on the shoulder and drawing blood. The woman held in a cry and curled in on herself. Anula shuddered as one by one, the Kattadiya rose from their seats, picked up stones, stood at the edge of the pit, and threw.
“Anula.”
“Cursed Yak—” Anula jumped.
Premala reached out a flailing hand. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I—what in the cursed cosmos is this?”
“Shh!” Premala clapped a hand over Anula’s mouth, pushed them back through the door, and whispered, “You can’t be here. It’s a denouncement.”
Anula tore from the girl’s grip. “That explainssomuch.”
“Mayra is a caster. Guruthuma Hashini tasked her to perform a tovil ceremony, but she broke the blood oath by showing mercy to a bargainer, and now she pays the price. Stripped of Heavenly blessing, she must bear the brunt of her sisters’ pain for herabandonment and be banished from the city and from all ties with the Kattadiya.” Though Premala’s words shook with faith and fealty, her eyes shook with fright.
“Showing mercy?”
“We found the bargainer, thanks to a tip from a neighbor. The woman had been raped and fell pregnant. She bargained away the child. Mayra did not complete the tovil. She walked away to allow the bargain to be completed.”
Anula frowned. “What’s wrong with that?”
“I—it’s against our faith to ever bargain. No matter the reason.”
“I thought the Kattadiya did not act for themselves, only for the protection of others. Did she not act for the woman who was raped, giving her agency where it was stolen before?”
Premala drew herself up. “Wedoact in protection of others. We aren’t the evil ones preying on people’s pain, Anula.”
“Are you sure?”
“She took the blood oath,” Premala pushed. “It can’t be undone. Nor should it be. We are of the First Heavens, where your word is your word. There are no tricks. Only love.”
The sound of stone meeting bone reverberated through the chamber and into Anula’s chest.
Love did not demand blood.
If Auntie Nirma had known Anula would partner with this twist of faith, she never would’ve deemed her ready. Perhaps she shouldn’t have.
“Come on.” Premala tugged at her arm. “Since you’re here, let’s practice.Iwon’t be breaking any blood oaths.”
