23
KALINDA
We fly into the night, the mahati falcon undaunted by the dark. Glittering stars chase us, so close they promise the warmth of a thousand wishes but mock me with their unreachable light. The soul-fire I parched from Indah has long since receded, and as she cautioned me, I am colder than before.
My jaw aches from clamping my chattering teeth. Ashwin holds on to me, a rock against my tide of shivers. I thirst for soul-fire. The temptation to parch him or Tinley presses into my chest. If I move my hand to Tinley’s arm—
No. Remember Indah. I will not violate another friend’s trust.
Midway through the night, I drift off into delirium. When I wake later, night still stretches to infinity, and my shivers have stopped. I am not cold; nor am I warm.
I feel . . . I feel . . . nothing. Even the ache in my knee has gone.
Freedom from pain would be a gift, but the sudden emptiness unsettles me. My heart beats slow, a sluggish thump. I shut my eyes and search for the star in my private night. My soul-fire is so tiny, shrunken to a sapphire pinpoint, I nearly miss it.
Dreading what I will find, I hold one hand between Tinley and myself and call upon my abilities. My fingers glow blue. I wait for a shiver, but none arrives. I let the light fade. Udug’s powers have usurped my own, yet my soul-fire must still be there, buried far down inside me, or I would have perished. Or the prince’s heart’s wish is the only thing left keeping me alive . . .
I seek out the crescent moon, its silver illumination my only protection against the persistent night. I expect tears to come, to rise from a well of panic, but they, too, are frozen within me.
Gods, preserve me through the night. I repeat the plea until the sky lightens to dusky blue hues, and I utter a myriad of thanks.
The sunrise reveals grassy fields and a winding river. Chare is quick, even quicker than Tinley implied. We soar over the valley, trailing the River Nammu. Up ahead, a long line of vessels sail the waterway. My outlook brightens. We have found the Lestarian Navy. Deven and the others should be with them.
Ashwin yells for Tinley to pursue the vessels. She directs the falcon lower. Chare’s reflection zips over the river like a stream of fire. As we soar nearer to the last boat, a conch shell sounds. The sailors dash to their water cannons.
They don’t know who we are.
Tinley guides the mahati higher while Ashwin and I wave. Admiral Rimba stands atop the lookout platform on the lead vessel. He recognizes us and signals his crews to stand down. Seeing Indah’s father presses more guilt upon me. My hunger for soul-fire has passed, dulled by the numbness, but not my memory of what I did.
Chare lands along the riverbank. Tinley jumps down, and the falcon hunts for hares in the grass. I slide off and brace against the bird on rickety legs. Ashwin dismounts and rubs his sore thighs. He leaves his bearskin on to fend off the cool of the morning. The brisk dawn does not bother my already frigid fingers and toes.
The navy moors along the riverbank. Admiral Rimba comes ashore in his all-white uniform, Princess Gemi with him. She studies the large mahati falcon and her wild-looking rider with keen interest.
I scan the boat decks. “Where’s Deven?”
“His party wasn’t at the meet point,” Admiral Rimba replies, a lump of mint stuffed in his cheek.
A weight hammers down on me. Deven does not break his word. His search for Brac must have gone awry. Then why not send Natesa or Yatin?
Admiral Rimba chews the wad of mint in his mouth faster. “Where’s Indah?”
“She and Pons have gone to Paljor,” Ashwin replies.
“Paljor?” the admiral demands.
Tinley stiffens but keeps her back turned to us, giving her attention to her falcon.
“They’re safe,” I say, the last word sticking in my throat. I hope Indah is all right, but what if I hurt her more than I thought?
“Pons will look after Indah,” Ashwin says. He is so impatient to explain what happened, he misses the admiral’s granite stare. “Our meeting with the warlord was a farce. Hastin sent rebels to attack us, and the Samiya temple was destroyed. Chief Naresh saw the smoke and came to investigate. His daughter Tinley graciously agreed to fly us here. Indah and Pons have gone to Paljor to await word from Datu Bulan.”
“The rebels are still against us,” Admiral Rimba summarizes. “But you’re unhurt?” He has graciously extended his concern for his daughter to us, but I do not deserve his kindness.
“We are,” Ashwin replies, then answers more of the admiral’s questions. As he recounts our battle against Anjali and Indira, Princess Gemi interrupts him.
“You stood up to bhutas?”
“I defended myself and Kalinda,” Ashwin answers modestly. Princess Gemi considers him anew, raking her gaze over him. He clears his throat and resumes speaking to the admiral. “Any word about the imperial army?”
“Last we heard, they were nearing the desert. That was yesterday.”
I am pinned to my spot by panic. The army is ahead of schedule. They may already have reached Vanhi.
“We’ll arrive tomorrow,” the admiral says. “You may come with us, but I suggest you continue to travel by sky. The sea raiders are following a few leagues behind us.” Ashwin and I peer downriver but see no trace of Captain Loc or his vessel. “They thought you were aboard one of our ships. We’ve maintained a wall of silence to deflect their listening Galers, but they won’t have missed the mahati falcon. They’ll figure out you were never with us.”
“What . . . what will they do?” I ask.
“They have no means of flying, so they’ll probably continue to pursue us. Captain Loc isn’t one who gives up easily.”
Princess Gemi ventures up to the mahati and strokes her vibrant feathers. Chare peers at the princess and tolerates her touch.
Eluding the sea raiders is motive enough to fly, but Chare will also be faster than the navy. After a nod from Ashwin, I answer, “We’ll go with Tinley and meet you there.”
“I’d like to fly with you,” says the princess.
Admiral Rimba nearly spits out his mint. “Your father would disapprove.”
“I’m headed for the war front regardless.” Gemi strokes the falcon, undeterred. I look closer at her hand and see she has dyed the moon phases on her fingers. The henna marks match the patterns on her feet. “Can your falcon carry another rider?”
Tinley squints at her in distrust. “Chare can handle you, but it’s up to His Majesty.”
Gemi squares off with Ashwin. “You could use another bhuta.” Her tone lacks the confidence of her posture. It matters that Ashwin thinks enough of her to let her come along.
I would rather she not. We do not know what we will find in Vanhi. I cannot worry about protecting two royals. I have not performed a full test of my powers since the numbness has set in. My blue glowing fingers from last night have left me unsettled about what else has changed.
“We’re losing time,” Gemi presses.
“You may accompany us,” Ashwin says slowly, as though uncertain about his decision.
Gemi dips into a regal bow. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
I cannot decide whether to hit Ashwin in the arm or pat his back. He finally understands that Gemi has the right to make her own decisions, but I am impatient to find Deven. Having missed the meeting point, he would go to Vanhi, the next location where he is assured Ashwin and I will be. The princess had better not slow us down.