Page 48 of The Burning Mountain
His gaze darted around, as if seeking help, but his vision was shrinking. The pain was unbearable now and seemed to spread like fire, across his front and down his spine. A primal fear, like a distant echo, beat in his heart. Some premonition told him he was going to die here.
“Who…who are you?” he finally had the presence of mind to ask.
“I already told you who I am. Haven’t you guessed at my identity?” The man crouched near him and kicked away the sword from Ketuvahana’s limp hand. Ketuvahana felt his eyes go in and out of focus. White foamy spittle formed in the corner of his mouth.
His mind was shutting down, but it provided him with a last bit of clarity. Earlier, he had suspected the imprisoned woman might be the princess of Amaravathi, however far-fetched itmight be. And if it was indeed that bloodthirsty woman…then this man—who had introduced himself as her husband—must be the prince of Rajgarh. The scourge of the north. No less bloodthirsty or ruthless.
The man—who he realized far too latewasPrince Veer—fastened thenagamanion Ketuvahana’s wrist, and his next actions filled him with an even greater dread. “Perhaps this will give you a clue.”
Veer tookout a short knife and waved it in front of Ketuvahana’s face, watching with satisfaction as his eyes widened with a horrified understanding. He tipped the blade and sliced Ketuvahana’s face open in a wide arc from the angle of his mouth to his jaw.
Ketuvahana screamed, his hands going to the gaping wound. Veer pried them away, and then pinned his quarry’s wrist and sat about dislocating each finger from its joint, sawing through the tendons. Unheeding of the screams that thickened the air. Until nothing remained of Ketuvahana’s hands, apart from stumps.
“If you keep screaming, then I’ll have to do something about it,” said Veer mildly as he angled the knife again.
Gurgles filled the chamber as Veer ruthlessly cut out Ketuvahana’s tongue. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he slumped, unmoving.
Veer stood, gazing down at the now mutilated man. Blood stained the floor and his clothes in splotches.
A red tide of rage swam in Veer’s blood, still running strong, despite finding his revenge. When he recalled Chandra’s ruinedface and the shadows in her eyes, it threatened to break the embankments.
His mouth curled in a wrathful grimace. “By all rights, I should kill you for what you did. But this is a better punishment. Neither can you ever speak to make your wishes known. Nor will your hands be able to inflict pain on others. You’ll suffer the same torture that Aditya and countless others had to endure at your hands.”
The silence that filled the chamber was broken only by the distant thunder and the sizzle of coals. The snakes had all but disappeared.
He thought he would feel better, but the revulsion toward himself wouldn’t let him have a moment’s peace, ever since he heard Billadev’s remarks. Disappointed, Veer sheathed his knife and turned to leave when he suddenly remembered the wizard.
He stared into the shadows and found him watching, surprised to discover that thenagamani’spoisonous fumes didn’t seem to affect him either. The wizard had a wide smile on his face. “I see you have lost none of your bloodthirstiness, Veer.”
Confusion made Veer stand rooted to the spot. There was something so achingly familiar about that statement. He peered closely at the wizard’s face to see if he recognized him.
“Been a while,seheri.”
There was only one person who’d ever called him that. And he thought he’d never hear it again in his life.
“Virat?”
PART II
SUMEDH
22
THE CONFLICT BETWEEN KINGDOMS
Queen Archana Devi of Rajgarh leaned her aching head against the backrest of her seat as she watched Kalpana leave, taking her son with her. She closed her eyes as an ache bloomed at her temples.
The maid had come all the way from Amaravathi to Ujjaini, the capital city of Rajgarh, bearing a secret, whose revelation had her reeling with implications. Archana Devi had always had her own misgivings about the past—a suspicion that strengthened when her spy, Sameera, refused to divulge what she had learned in Amaravathi. Instead of forcing her, Archana Devi had chosen to trust her employee and allowed her to keep it a secret. Even if it went against the original intent of the mission.
But she never anticipated Virat was the culprit behind everything. Or guessed at his duplicity all these years.
She had to give kudos to the maid, though. It took gumption to not only make the long, treacherous journey with a young child, but also to appear before the queen and demand clemency for both her and her son. Along with a plea to consider the princess’s motives behind the murder.
“Amma, see this pattern. It’s so pretty, like a tree.”
Archana Devi opened her eyes at the comment and saw that Sarun and Kalpana had paused under the ornate entranceway on their way out. Sarun was reaching up a hand toward the unique melted lac patterns extending from the corbels situated on either side of the doorway, fanning up to the ceiling in branching leaf-like fractals.
A red flare climbed up the design. “Look, its magic!” said Sarun in an excited voice. “What do you think it does?”
