Page 73 of The Burning Mountain
HEART’S TURMOIL
Veer spotted her from the roof of his quarters. What a satisfying coincidence. Here he was, having spent all day inquiring about her and trying to track her down so they could have a long, overdue talk, only to find her waiting for him. If he had known, he wouldn’t have wasted several hours at her quarters.
Even her beloved brother had gotten only a cursory visit and a fleeting inquiry about his health. She had been hiding from everyone.
He didn’t blame her. They hadn’t exactly been quiet during their argument, and he was pretty sure everyone heard what she had said.
He wasn’t exactly blameless in all this, as his conscience was fond of reminding. Unable to face coming back to his lonely rooms, he had decided to spend some time up on the roof.
One of the merits of the palace at Sumedh was the spectacular views of the sea, no matter which part of the palace you were given for residence. It was built to take maximum advantage of the bracing sea air and the mesmerizing vistas.
He watched as she tested the bolt and found it locked—he had given his assigned guards off today—so there was no one at the entrance. Her shoulders drooped, and she stopped trying the door, sitting on the plinth instead.
As always, he found it fascinating to watch her. She couldn’t keep still, shifting her posture every few minutes, fidgeting with her saree plait and tapping her feet.
He wondered what she was thinking. Did her last words to him play on her mind as much as they had for him? He still didn’t know how to feel about it.
No. He knew what he felt. A fierce joy at her confession, blending into the quiet contentment of attaining something he had lost hope of. He just didn’t know if he ought to feel such happiness. When he didn’t give her the absolution she deserved from him. When she appeared so miserable immediately after she had said those words. He was pretty sure, then, that she had never intended to say them aloud.
The confrontation from a few days ago with Virat’s appearance had shaken him more than he cared to admit. Virat’s excuse that all he had wanted on the day Chandra killed him was only a small amount of blood, certainly not a human sacrifice, sounded increasingly implausible even to his own ears.
The lack of any proof compounded the problem.
When called to deliver a verdict in such a case, Veer had no choice but to do so based on his impressions of the people involved.
As painful as it was to admit, Veer knew that Virat was susceptible to the lure of forbidden magic, forgetting morals and bonds. This was in stark contrast to the princess, whose actions were directed by emotions and love. And a strong sense of what was right.
He had tried to give his friend the benefit of the doubt, to give him a chance to explain his side of things. But he was forced toconcede, there was no excuse for Virat’s deliberate deception in promising a woman marriage and then betraying her. No excuse for why he had to use his powers on the princess.
So why didn’t he tell her all that? Why did he keep his thoughts to himself when it only hurt and confused her?
Because doing so would mean he had to forsake all his prior attachments to his friend. That he had to admit he was thoroughly hoodwinked by someone he called a friend for years. That he had trusted a person who had no qualms about betraying one of the core tenets they agreed on as children—that their magic would only be used for helping others.
It was difficult to let go of some things.
As difficult as letting someone in.
34
THE SEA BREATHES CLARITY
The lights were out in his apartment. The doors locked. Disappointment sat in her gut like a lump of coal. All the inspiring talk she had given herself was useless if he wasn’t there to speak to her.
Where could he be sleeping if not here? A coil of jealousy gripped her in its talons. She never gave much thought about how Veer was spending his nights. A man like that had no reason to be loyal to his wife. Especially if said wife had forbidden him from her bed.
She sank to the ground to wait, pulling up her knees, her throat dry with unshed tears.
She wouldn’t cry, damn it.
She had no right to demand this from Veer. She thought she had been clever when she made that request months ago, but now it had come back to bite her.
“How long are you planning to stay like that? You’ll catch a cold,” came a voice from above.
Chandra scrambled to her feet, squinting up into the night.
Veer jumped down from the roof of the apartments and landed lightly on his feet.
“What are you doing up there?” She stumbled back as he landed in front of her.
