Page 39 of Damned and Broken Gods
It was showtime.
Chapter 13
Fairytale Castles Can House Monsters
LEELA
The carriage ride to the palace was short and sweet, taking us up a winding path bordered by silver-barked trees, then past open fields swaying with sliver-tipped grasses, washed in moonlight.
The higher we climbed, the more it felt like we were back in the sky above the domain, flying in a carriage pulled by moona.
Chandra moved his leg, and his knee brushed mine. I shifted to the right a little, which pressed me up against Araz.
Yeah, this carriage wasn’t built to house both an Asura and a drohi. Every breath filled my lungs with the contrasting aroma of cranberries and sweet vanilla. It was kind of intoxicating.
I stuck my head out the window and took a breath of fresh air.
I needed this ride to be over.
“You look lovely tonight,” Chandra said.
“Huh? Oh, this old thing?” I shrugged. “Been languishing in my closet for years.”
He chuckled softly. “Good. Your humor will serve you well tonight. If you can make an Asura smile, or even laugh, then you’ll have them intrigued.”
Great. I wasn’t funny, not unless I was nervous, which meant…yep, I could do this.
The carriage took a sharp turn, and the rolling sound of the wheels changed to a gravelly rumble.
“Here we are,” Chandra said as the carriage came to a halt.
He fixed his gaze on me. “Stay calm, think before you speak, and you’ll be fine. Araz and I will be by your side.”
I nodded, throat suddenly tight.
Chandra climbed out then reached for me. I took his hand, allowing him to help me get out. The lehenga was heavy and long, and the last thing I wanted to do was faceplant on the gravel, and?—
My thoughts stuttered as I took in the palace—a gleaming expanse of white and gold like something out of a fairy tale, except the turrets were domed, and the doors and windows were gentle arches, not harsh vaulted ones.
The porch was held aloft by fifteen-foot pillars, so wide it would take two people to wrap their arms around them, and beyond those was the entrance—dark wooden double doors reinforced with steel, flung open to let out white light.
Chandra looped my arm through his and led me to the steps.
I looked back for Araz. He was close behind us, his eyes reassuring me.
I faced forward, one hand lifting the skirts of my lehenga, the other snug in Chandra’s grip as we climbed the three steps onto the porch then stepped into the palace.
The entrance hall was high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and gold and white décor with a sweeping marble staircase that ascended into shadowy upper regions, but Chandra didn’t pause for me to admire it, guiding me left toward an archway anddown a wide cream passage filled with music and the aroma of delicious food.
A doorway loomed, emitting a soft blue light.
“Are you ready?” Chandra asked, his jaw tight, clearly nervous for me.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Let’s do this.”
Chandra swept me over the threshold and onto a floor made of obsidian marble threaded with silver lighting. A hush fell, the weight of many gazes trapping the air in my lungs.
“Breathe,” Chandra said softly through the smile on his lips.
