Page 126 of The Burning Mountain
“I’m not,” said Veer shortly, dashing his hopes. “But even if I were, I still don’t trust you.”
Virat was silent for a while. “Well, some of us don’t have that luxury, Veer. I have exhausted all my options here.” He marched up to the edge of the binding circle, and placed the tip of his magical staff-spear at Veer’s neck once more. “I have no other choice but to search for answers elsewhere. Maybe in another dimension I can find something.
“I’m fortunate that this event, this explosion of Meru, is to happen in my lifetime. This is my only opportunity to open the portal using the key. Who knows what will be left of me if I try to wait until the next time? After another thousand years, when Meru needs to be keyed again? I can’t take that kind of chance.”
Virat leaned closer and whispered, “I’d rather not kill you, Veer, but she doesn’t know that does she? Let’s see how much she loves you.”
He raised his voice. “Oh, Princess? A moment if you please.”
Virat heard a swift indrawn breath, and when he glanced toward the princess, saw her mouthing the word no, the absolute panic in her eyes as she scrambled down from the plinth that surrounded the mechanism.
“Don’t you love him, Princess?” shouted Virat, when she glanced back at the mechanism with uncertainty. “This fool has always loved you. Come here and do as I tell you, and I shall let him live. I don’t wish to kill my friend, but I will, if you don’t obey me.”
Virat shifted his gaze to Veer and observed a spasm of despair cross his friend’s face before he wiped it off. Chandra, evidently making her decision, quickly picked her way toward them through the broken debris of the bridge.
“Do you speak the truth?” she asked when she came closer. Her voice trembled in fear, her eyes wide in a face that reflectedthe orange glow of the magma around them. “You’ll let him go if I do as you say?”
“Of course,” said Virat. “What would I gain by harming him? He’s my friend. Even if he’s decided to paint me as an enemy. In fact, you both can go your merry way once you finish turning the key.” Virat quickly explained what she needed to do with the new key piece he had procured.
“Just think,” he said, when he caught the conflict on her face, dropping his voice low, and trying to eke out the last bit of persuasion he could muster. “The mechanism will be restored to its right state. Rajgarh and all its residents will be safe, your husband will be free, and so will you. I shall handle the portal that will open. We all get what we want. There is nothing you need to worry about.”
Agonized indecision shone on her face and Virat felt his chances slipping away by the second. Wind continued its flow in the crater and so did time. The clock was ticking down the moments until the midnight hour.
“Need an answer, Princess,” he yelled. “Or he dies.” He jabbed the spear, opening a shallow cut along Veer’s neck.
Chandra jumped. “All right,” she said shakily.
Virat felt a second’s worth of joy. Perhaps his cursed existence will finally be at an end.
“Chandra, no,” shouted Veer, the anxiety and fear in his voice carrying through the dense air. “Don’t do this. None of us can imagine what opening the portal can do. If King Amarendra went to such pains to conceal the key pieces, you know he must’ve done it for a reason. This is a bad idea. Think, Chandra.”
“Shut up, fool,” said Virat. Panicked that she would change her mind, he punched Veer in the mouth, feeling momentary satisfaction at his silence.
She wiped her eyes with one hand and sniffed. “I can’t let you die, Veer. I love you. You are so very important to me.” Her eyesflickered toward Virat, and she nodded. Virat extended the key piece, and Chandra wetted it with her blood.
The red petal floated up slowly and inserted itself into another gap in the Lotus Key. Red now enveloped the lotus.
Chandra turned her back to them, making her way toward the mechanism once again.
“My life shouldn’t come before humanity,” said Veer in a last-ditch attempt to get her to change her mind. But he said it so quietly that the words almost didn’t reach her, but Virat saw her pause, nonetheless.
Thankfully, before he could issue more threats, she started moving again, her dark figure silhouetted against the orange glow of the magma around them.
She walked straight, no hesitation, no falter in her steps, as she climbed the plinth and waited, her back turned to them. It was down to a few seconds now.
Virat watched her progress raptly. Something about their interaction didn’t sit well with him. It felt too easy.
The star-shaped opening for the Lotus Key came into view. She raised her hand with the open lotus cradled in her palm.
Virat tensed when she glanced back toward them. Her eyes appeared flat and dead, but resolute, as if she had made her decision already.
Virat understood with the suddenness of a thunderclap, and a scream of rage erupted from him, even as he watched without blinking. She deftly plucked out the red key piece and flung it, a red streak disappearing into the heart of the volcano. The Lotus Key bloomed with a blue light once more.
She inserted the flower into the slot and turned it.
Nothing happened.
There was no change in the vibration, no indication that the key had worked. Feeling confused, Chandra glanced back. Both Veer and Virat stood motionless, appearing as shocked and bewildered as she felt.
