Page 33 of Damned and Broken Gods
The clatter of hooves and the rumble of wheels echoed around us. I stepped back instinctively, leaning into Araz as a gold carriage drawn by ivory horses rolled into the stable. It drove past us, then turned, doubling back on itself to face the silver city before coming to a smooth halt. The horses pawed at the ground, as if impatient to be on the move again, their silver manes gleaming in the lamplight as if threaded with starlight.
The driver remained seated, his gaze fixed ahead, his posture stiff in his royal blue uniform.
The carriage door popped open, and a woman stuck her head out. “Leela? Araz? I’m Erabi, your escort and your companion during your stay in Shahee Kshetra. Please, join me.”
Araz helped me up, his hands warm on my waist, his grip firm. I liked it when he touched me. A little too much. Focus, Leela. Oh, the inside of this carriage was huge, so large in fact that it made Erabi look tiny…No, wait, shewastiny. Maybe barely five feet tall and extra petite. She sat with her hands clasped in her lap, feet barely touching the ground, body wrapped in a shimmery green shawl.
Araz settled beside me this time, his thigh brushing mine, solid and present.
I curled my fingers into my palm to avoid the temptation to touch him.
The carriage jolted into motion as soon as the door closed. Moonlight replaced lamplight, spilling into the carriage to paint my skin in silvery hues. I leaned toward the window, peering out at towering buildings connected by bridges and riddled with epic arched windows. If I craned my neck, I could see flying figures moving between them. Asura going about their day.
The streets were polished rose marble, and the air smelled fresh with a hint of floral, woody undertones. I’d expected the hustle and bustle of a metropolis, but there was only the song ofthe wind punctuated by the beat of wings, and if I strained hard enough, the echo of a melody that resonated deep in my bones.
Another carriage passed ours, not as large or opulent, the horses dappled gray with onyx manes.
We passed golden arches bracketing silver paths that led away from the main road, then slowed our pace as we wound through a market filled with colors so vibrant they made my eyes ache. Strings of lanterns hung in the air, suspended between posts that dotted the marketplace. Asura milled around, tall, broad, statuesque. Powerful.
It was impossible to take it all in, and I sat back, pulse racing, blood surging up to press against my skin as I forced myself to breathe, to calm the thrum of awareness that seemed to be taking over my body.
This place was too much for my mortal senses to consume, and I was afraid that if I looked too hard, it would consume me instead.
I pressed myself into my seat, blinking against the black dots swimming in my vision.
Erabi beamed at me. “It’s wonderous, isn’t it?”
I managed a nod.
“Are you excited to be here?”
I cleared my throat. “More nervous than anything else.”
“Of course you would be,” she said, her eyes wide and earnest. “It’s such a shocking discovery, but wonderful too. The whole domain is talking about it. A royal in our midst. Your presence could change everything.” Her gaze intensified, as if she was searching for something in my expression, but the moment passed, and she continued. “Guru Chandra has instructed that you be housed in the royal guest house for now. We can move you once the Sabha is over.”
“Move me?”
“Into the palace, of course.” She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe I’d had to ask for clarification. “I’ve been assigned to you for now as a royal companion, but you’ll be free to choose your own companions once you’re ascended and crowned.”
“And if I’m not crowned?”
She stared at me blankly. “I don’t understand.”
“What if I’m not allowed to ascend just yet?”
She blinked rapidly, tipping her head to one side. “But you’re royal.”
“And I’m sure Leela will enjoy having you as a companion,” Araz said smoothly.
Erabi beamed across at him. “Wonderful. Oh, look! Your first glimpse of the palace.”
The palace looked silver, but that could have been the moonlight reflecting off it. Hard to get details from this distance, only a sense of its magnificent presence. And it was meant to be mine? It didn’t seem possible.
Mist crawled across the sky, swallowing the epic sight.
“We’re approaching the Prakaash Maarg,” Erabi said. “It will carry us to the upper echelon.”
I looked to Araz for an explanation, but he shook his head.
