Page 99 of The Burning Mountain
Veer nodded but paused before leaving, then spoke to him over his shoulder. “You were the one who taught me to never forget a wrong. I shall not forget this, Uncle,” he said. The next moment the mirror went back to its reflective state, showing him his own dismayed face.
Veer’s words pricked at Pourava’s conscience. He didn’t want to make a foe out of a person he loved like his own, but of course, it wasn’t enough to sway him from his chosen path.
The mirroron Veer’s side went back to its regular state. Veer unhooked it from the wall and stalked away, feeling helpless.
He paused mid-step in the hallway, his head bowing, as he struggled to beat down the angry beast that threatened to rip apart everything. This wasn’t the time for hasty actions he might regret later.
Veer looked at thedarpanin his hand, when the blunt edge cut into his palm. He had discovered, through a recent happy circumstance, someone who might help. But he knew it wasn’t going to be enough. His uncle’s prisons were reinforced; his methods of entrapment elaborate—it would be difficult to get someone out of his clutches.
His head came up on a sudden idea. He needed to speak to his sister.
Most of the royal rooms were on the upper floors of the palace, taking advantage of the amazing views, but Vireni preferred the lower levels as they were closer to the medicinal gardens.
Veer found her elbows-deep in mixing unguents and grinding dried herbs. A short pile ofsangrahastones lay on her worktable. He frowned when he saw them—it looked like she was making more healing stones. A glance around the spacious room showed her eclectic taste. Local handicrafts vied for place among the manuscripts piled over the tables. Herbs were drying on woven mats in the hot sun and shelves were interspersed with oddly shaped instruments that Veer didn’t know the purpose of.
His sister had a wide range of interests, and their father indulged her, so she tended to spend most of her time cooped up, away from people. It was exactly what she wanted. And though it made her naive, and too trusting, Veer knew her to be nobody’s fool.
“I need you to show me how you usually communicate with Revathi,” he said without preamble.
Vireni glanced up. On any other day, Veer might have noticed that her eyes were red, and she seemed upset about something, but today worry occupied his brain.
“Why? What happened to yourdarpan?” she asked, her voice sounding muffled.
“Revathi’s not answering my call. Do you know why?”
“Oh. That’s right. Uncle confiscated her mirror a couple months ago.” She got up and rummaged around in the shelves.
Veer pinched the bridge of his nose. “Should I ask why?” he asked, trying to strive for patience when it came to dealing with his cousin and sister. Vireni wasn’t so bad—preferring her diverse interests when alone—but when she teamed up with Revathi, they somehow evaded their handlers and went searching for trouble.
“You’re better off not knowing,” said Vireni darkly. She brought out a farseeingsangrahastone from a shelf and blew on it, dropping it gently into a shallow bowl filled with water. The reflection winked out and a different image replaced it. Vireni stepped away and motioned for Veer to talk to the person who had appeared in the water mirror.
Revathi rushed into speech. “Vireni, I’m so glad you called. Listen, I’m sorry about Sumedh. I didn’t mean to mislead—” She stopped short, noticing who was on the other side of the water mirror. “Veer? What are you doing in Vireni’s rooms?”
“Never mind that. I need your help,” he said. In a few short sentences, he explained what was going on.
“I’ll be glad to help,” said Revathi slowly. “I think I can get her out of the prison tower and past the guards all the way to the palace gates, but I can’t get her through the deserts that stretch across our lands. Billadev is still recuperating, so he won’t be of much use. And you know Father has sentries everywhere.”
“Let me worry about that part,” said Veer, palming hisdarpan, tucked into his shirt pocket.
They talked for a bit longer as they figured out a plan. Revathi kept trying to look past him. Veer realized that she was hoping his sister would join, but Vireni went back to her unguents and resolutely ignored their conversation.
Revathi finally left, her gaze troubled but determined. The water went blank again.
“Is everything all right between the two of you?” he asked, turning toward his sister.
Vireni glanced away, her mouth set in an obstinate line. “She shouldn’t have lied to me about King Samudra. I would’ve been only too happy to help if she told me the truth instead. There was no medicinal grotto in Sumedh—she just wanted to see her latest fancy.”
She set aside the unguent she had been making and said seriously, “Revathi is flighty, but I hope she helps you bring the princess safely here. She is good at that sort of thing, you know.”
48
GURUJI’S GAMBIT
Guruji watched Sameera read through the parchment he presented to her. The hour was late. Most people were fast asleep in their beds when he had sent an urgent summons for her presence. The light of thedeepatwinkled innocently as he sat on his favorite wooden swing. The ever-present chessboard in front of him had its pieces cleared away. For once, he didn’t feel like playing.
Sameera’s eyebrows climbed steadily, the longer she perused the document, until she looked up, her eyes wide with worry. “Is this true, Guruji?”
“Are you doubting my sources, Sameera?”
