Page 2 of Damned and Broken Gods
The Rak twist mid dive, compelled by the command, but their eyes flash hungrily, their beaks snapping in agitation.
“You will sleep!” Guru Chandra orders them.
They let out a unified scream before rising into the air and flying away.
My ears ring as silence settles around us. I look down at Leela as she stirs in my arms. Blue clings to her neck, his eyes closed, his body rising and falling with deep breaths.
“Leela?”
She groans softly and cracks open her eyes. “Araz…what…” Her eyelids drift closed, and she falls back into unconsciousness.
I hug her to me, striding out of the circle. I need to get her back to the barracks. To keep her safe.
Chandra cuts me off and holds out his arms. “Give her to me.”
I take an instinctive step back, a low growl reverberating in my chest.
Chandra’s eyes narrow. “Do not forget your place, drohi.”
My place? My fucking place. I can’t defy him. Not now. Not yet. I take a deep breath and school my features into submission. “Apologies. My desire to protect sometimes overtakes me.”
His shoulders relax. “Understandable. And I assure you that Leela will be safe with me.” He arches a brow, his arms still outstretched as if waiting on a prize, and it takes every ounce of willpower I have to hand her over.
“What happens now?”
He cradles her to his chest, his brow furrowing. “Now everything changes.”
Chapter 2
Well, I Wasn’t Expecting That
LEELA
Iwoke to ears ringing with the echo of commotion I didn’t recall. Something momentous had occurred. Something that left my chest tight and my pulse humming.
“Urgh,” Blue groaned in my ear. “Is this what a hangover feels like?”
I sat up and swung my legs off the narrow cot I’d been laid on, and Blue gagged.
“Think I’m gunna be sick…Wait, nope. I think I need a shit…Nope…all good.”
My stomach felt queasy too. I gently plucked Blue off my shoulder and cradled him in my hands. “You’re okay, buddy. Just breathe.”
“Ain’t I the one s’posed to be comfortin’ you?”
“We got each other’s backs, remember?”
He groaned and sat up. “Always.” He squinted a beady eye and glanced around. “This ain’t our quarters.”
Yeah, I’d surmised as much. We were in a small room with white walls. A patterned rug added a little color to the space, andthe only other furniture aside from the cot I was sitting on was a small round table with two chairs. I’d have called it a cell if not for the window.
I crossed to the door first and twisted the handle, pushing then pulling. It didn’t budge. Okay, so we were locked in. No need to panic.
I moved over to the window next, looking out onto the vast expanse of sky filled with frothy clouds—clearly no escape that way unless you had wings. Not that I was contemplating escape. Like, where would I go? And why? I’d done nothing wrong.
Had I?
Blue hopped out of my hands and onto the sill. “D’ya remember what happened?”
