Page 92 of Lost and Stolen Gods
“Sleep.” Lips on my brow. “Sleep now, little mortal.”
The fire ebbed, taking the pain with it, and I finally slept.
I wasin my childhood bedroom, tucked into bed, nightlight on and Nani sitting by my hip. “Come along now, drink up.”
I made a face at the china cup in my hand. “It’s gross. Why do I have to drink it, Nani?”
“Because it will strengthen your body and your mind.”
“And make the nightmares stop?”
“Yes, beti.”
I sniffed the herbal tea then glugged it down. Nani always made sure to get it the right temperature.
“All done.” I passed it to her, but she was no longer sitting on my bed. She stood by the window.
“It will begin soon,” she said. “The pareekshan unique to you will begin, and the path will lead you here. Do you see?”
I joined her at the window, and she pulled back my pink polka dot drapes to reveal a battlefield littered with bodies. The air was red, and a lone figure walked between the dead bodies. A woman with long, dark hair. There was an axe strapped to her back and another in her hand.
“You see, beti. It has begun, and here it will end.” She turned to me, her eyes misty with tears, and gently cupped my face. “You can stop it if you have the heart.”
“I don’t understand. Whoisthat woman?”
She put her arm around my shoulder and drew me close to her side as the woman beyond the window stopped and slowly turned to face us.
My heart skipped because I knew that face. Eventhough I was a child in this dream, I knew who the woman was.
It was me.
I surfacedto voices speaking in hushed tones.
“So, you’ve changed your mind then?” Pashim said.
“No. But I’m not a monster,” Araz replied.
“She needs her bonded drohi, the bond?—”
“Is forced. The feelings are not real?—”
“But—“
“What you feel for herisreal, brother,” Araz said. “I cannot, will not, succumb to this lie. I have done my part. The rest is up to you.”
“You still hope?” Pashim said. “Why pain yourself?”
“I pain myself if Istophoping,” Araz replied. “She’s your problem now.”
I must have breathed too loudly because they both went silent. A door opened and closed, and then a shadow fell over me.
“You’re awake,” Pashim said.
No use pretending otherwise. “What happened?”
“You were poisoned by flowers. Blue told us they were left on your doorstep.”
“Yes.” I pushed myself up on the pillows, looking for Araz, but he was gone. “They were toxic?”
