Page 70 of Lost and Stolen Gods
“But it hasn’t so…Are you saying that there’s someone else?” Dharma asked.
Chaya sucked in a sharp breath. “A true heir?”
“Speculation. Rumors. We do not know for…certain…” Bhoomika’s gaze flicked to the window for a moment before returning to us. “Regent Chandra is the sole heir to the throne, but the consensus is that his blood is too weak to claim it. Yet he carries the mantle of regent selflessly.”
Wait a second. A moment ago, she’d been telling us that there might be another heir to the throne still alive somewhere, and now she was glossing over it?
She continued. “The mass murder of the Asura royals sparked a civil war which Guru Chandra was only able to quell by executing the insurgents and claiming the Danava territory. The Danava royals were killed in retribution of their monarch’s crime. Regent Chandra brought peace to Aakaashand?—"
There was a crack and a fizzing sound, and a man ran into the tower. He wore jeans and a long-sleeved polo shirt, and his eyes were wild with panic. “No…This isn’t it either.”
Bhoomika smiled kindly. “Are you lost?”
“I was at the vault, and I…I have to get back. I have to save her.”
She approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Did you find what you needed in the vault?”
“I…I can’t remember.”
“You’ve been in the passages too long. I’m sorry. I do hope you find your way.” She pushed him, and he fell back and vanished with a pop.
“What the fuck was that?” Dharma asked.
“We call them seekers.” She took her seat again. “Travelers through the passages that connect all the hubs of knowledge in the universe. The vault is the central hub, and there are various doorways hidden in various worlds for those that seek knowledge. But being given admittance doesn’t mean that you will return. Some remain in the vault, driven mad by the knowledge they consume. They become addicted to it. Others lose themselves in the passages.”
Just when I thought I was getting a grasp on the whole multiverse thing…“So that man was from another world?”
“Yes. I hope he finds his way home.” She clasped her hands together. “Now I’m sure you have more questions. I’ll be happy to answer them.”
I considered pressing her about the heir issue, but my gut warned me against it. What I really needed to know more about were the drohi. I was about to ask, but Dharma spoke first.
“So the gods sowed their seed in the multiverse?” Dharma said. “Like, they actually went out and had sex with?—”
“Oh no! Goodness no.” Bhoomika’s cheeks went red. “There is no physical contact required for a god to sire a child with a mortal. In some cases, gods did venture forward to locate viable bloodlines—warriors by nature—and offer them the boon of gods’ blood before gifting them the seeds of divine power. In others, the seeds of power were scattered, and it was purely random where they took root, although only the strongest, most viable wombs would have succeeded in carrying to term.”
“And the drohi?” I had to know more about them. “How did they come into it all?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did they get a choice?”
“Oaths were made,” Bhoomika said curtly.
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
She pressed her lips together for a beat, considering her response before speaking. “Choice is a luxury only a handful have in this endless war.”
“So that’s a no then?”
She shifted in her seat and clasped her hands in her lap. “The drohi are content. They are born for war.Aggression runs in their veins.” She smiled tightly at Chaya. “Does it not?”
Chaya nodded. “I will admit that I thirst for battle.”
Shit, I’d forgotten Chaya was with us. But if she was upset by my line of questioning that highlighted the impotence of her people, she didn’t show it, which emboldened me to ask, “Is there a way to dissolve the binding?”
Bhoomika blinked sharply. “Why would you want to dissolve it?”
“I don’t. Not now, but surely there must be a way to reverse it. I mean if we decide we want to. Nothing should have to be forever. There should be a choice, right?”
