Page 36 of Damned and Broken Gods
Araz and I woke to the smell of pancakes and bacon. I dressed quickly in loose gray pants and a cream tunic then hurried down the stairs to find a man at the stove, spatula in hand, cooking bacon rashers.
It took a moment to recognize him as Guru Chandra. I’d never seen him dressed casually before—loose, collarless shirt, which I’d come to know was called a kurta, black slacks, and leather sandals—and it made him seem less untouchable and more approachable. His hair was pulled back, slightly damp, as if he’d not long ago gotten out of the shower. And…then come straight here to cook for me?
O-kay… “Hi…” I ventured forward. “Um…need a hand?”
“No. Sit. I hope you’re hungry.” He didn’t look away from his task, plucking bacon from the pan and carefully laying it on a plate.
“I can do that,” Araz said, hurrying toward the stove.
Guru Chandra waved him off. “Sit, sit. It’s not often I get the pleasure of cooking. Let me indulge.”
Araz arched a brow my way, and I shrugged. We took seats at the oval wooden table, waiting as the Asura regent placed offerings of fruit, oatmeal, bacon, and pancakes on the table. He brought over a pot of tea and a tray of cups, then took the seat opposite us and poured himself some.
“The food won’t eat itself,” he said over the rim of his cup.
I grabbed a plate and loaded up before passing it to Araz.
Araz froze, staring at the plate as if it was an unspoken insult.
“What?” I studied the food. “Did I put on something you don’t like?”
“No,” Guru Chandra said, his lips twitching as if holding back a smile. “But you did insult him. A drohi feeds his demigod, not the other way around.”
Araz pushed the plate toward me. “Please…” His tone was tight.
Irritation licked at my chest. “It’s just food, why does it matter?”
Guru Chandra sighed. “You’re right, of course. It shouldn’t. But it does. This is the way of things.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Araz gripped my thigh under the table, squeezing in warning.
I swallowed my ire, clamped my mouth shut, and nodded.
Araz poured me some tea, adding milk and two sugars just how I liked it, while I burned with the injustice of this arrangement.
“Did Erabi explain the agenda for today?” Guru Chandra asked, setting his cup down.
“Yeah, she did, but what I don’t understand is, why?”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Yes,whyam I here a day early? And why do I have to attend this banquet?”
“You’re a smart woman.Youtellme.”
I hated when people threw my own questions back at me, but on this occasion, I did have an inkling as to the answer. “Is this your attempt to introduce me to influential people? To maybe…make them like me?”
He smiled, satisfied. “Very good, Leela. The Authority isn’t immune to the influence of the raees. If enough of the noble Asura find you agreeable, then they will assert as such. Enough pressure and the Authority will have little choice but to give the Asura what they want.”
“The Authority doesn’t want to grant Leela immediate ascension, do they?” Araz asked, his voice low.
Guru Chandra pressed his lips together. “I’m not sure we have the support we need. Yet. Leela is a demigod, not a born god; therefore, she is influenced by mortal ways. She has mortal ideas. Some do not believe she would make a worthy queen.”
Araz and I had considered this possibility. “But can they do that? Stop me from claiming a birthright?”
Guru Chandra grinned. “Birthright. That’s the keyword. That’s my argument. The rules are clear. Royal blood must take the throne, and the throne must lead. That is what we will anchor our argument on. The Authoritycannotkeep your birthright from you, but theycandelay it. They can force you to work for it.”
By making me take the labyrinth… “So you want me to charm a few raees?”
