Page 101 of Damned and Broken Gods
He pulled up the dresser chair and sat next to me by the bed.
He’d made sandwiches. I took one, not caring what was inside, then waited for him to take one too. I took a bite and so did he. We chewed. We swallowed.
Eating sucked.
But we did it. Together.
And after the first few bites, my body remembered that sustenance was key, and I devoured my portion.
“How’s Dharma?”
Keyton shook his head. “Grieving deeply. Chaya is taking care of her.”
I recalled the look on Dharma’s face when Keyton told her about Priti’s sacrifice, the blank look that had morphed to horror and then the low keening cry that had shattered my soul.
“She never got an anchor,” Keyton said softly. “We talked about it a lot, wondering why, and now…”
“No. If the powers that wove the anchors knew she’d be in danger, surely they would have?—”
“I think they knew. And I think Priti’s purpose was never meant to be on this plane.”
“What do you mean?”
He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have no idea. I just have a feeling. As if…she’s not truly gone…As if I’ll round a corner and she’ll be there, waiting.”
Silence wrapped around us for several beats. Araz sighed softly, and I sat forward, alert and ready for him to open his eyes. To wake up and see me. To smile. But he remained silent and still, his breath evening out to the state of deep unconsciousness.
“He’s strong,” Keyton said. “He’ll survive this.”
I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. “Yeah, I have faith.”
“And when he does, you will have two drohi to watch over you.”
My gaze flew to his. “Keyton, you don’t have to?—”
“Yes. I do.” He swallowed hard. “Priti loved you, but she didn’t die to save you out of love; she did it for the greater good. She had this…sense…” He smiled softly. “This otherworldly ability of seeing things that hadn’t yet come to pass. And she believed you would do great things to rectify the balance of power in this world. She made me promise that if anything were to happen to her, I’d watch over you.”
Fresh tears burned my eyes as a new wave of grief washed over me. I was an endless sea of tears, an endless well of grief, and Priti’s last moments were seared into my brain, playing repeatedly.
“Remember her as she was,” Keyton said. “Smiling. Happy. Glowing.” His voice cracked. “This life is not the end. We will see her again.” He smiled through his tears.
“How can you…How can you be so fucking brave?”
He let out a broken laugh. “This isn’t bravery, Leela. This is a lifeline.Youare my lifeline now. For Priti. For my vow.”
I reached out and took his hand in mine. “Priti gave her life because she believed in me, and I swear to you now, I will not let her sacrifice be in vain.”
His face crumpled, and a raw sob broke from his throat. I pulled him into a hug, holding him as he fractured and allowing myself to fracture with him.
There wasa knock on the door later that night. Dharma stood on the doorstep with Chaya close behind her carrying bedding.
“Hey,” Dharma said. “You mind if we sleep in here with you tonight?”
I shook my head and stepped back to let them in.
They were setting up the bedding when another knock sounded.
Joe stood outside. “Hey, I wanted to check—” His gaze traveled past me to where Dharma and Chaya were making a nest of cushions.
