Page 102 of The Divine Lies We Weave

You have grown to care too much for her.

Says you?

What does that mean?

You’ve barely done anything to the Viperess. What happened to this vengeance of yours?

The Scorpion fell silent.

Rajesh shook his head. He couldn’t stand having to explain what desire did to someone. He knew the Scorpion hadn’t tried to kill the Viperess yet, and whether that was because the Scorpion had a secret plan he wouldn’t divulge, or because he secretly loved the Viperess still, Rajesh would never know. When the Viperess came at Rajesh, the Scorpion had barely stepped in as she nicked his throat or threw him across the room. What puzzled Rajesh more was that the Viperess had just stood there, leering at him.

Almost… smiling.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he focused on the dunes ahead. The ship sailed over the sands as Navya continued to sweep them toward Kithium at a steady pace. While they could use the wind and enchanted sands to guide their way, Navya allowed for a quicker trip.

“Captain,” Tanmay said, halting at the stairs.

“Yes?” Rajesh asked.

Tanmay wrung his hands. “I… well, the crew was wondering when we might be stopping for supplies. And if we do, well, ugh, would we stop in Kithium?”

Rajesh had gone over the maps all last night. The farther north they went, the farther they went into Kithium, the red sands turning a sluggish yellow. He had no idea what would happen—whether the Nihikian kingdom would catch wind of their plan and come after them, or Kithium would lock them up in cells after finding out about their lie. He was adamant that if they stuck by their hidden truth, they would make it through.

“We keep heading north. Tell them that.”

Tanmay bit his lip but nodded and scampered back onto the deck.

Rajesh thought of the maps from last, knowing the desert kingdoms became even more distant from one another when the sandstorms raged three centuries ago. It was inevitable when monsters plunged the world into chaos, and people had to learn to survive behind fortified walls—it was the quickest and most sensible decision the kingdom leaders could make until they knew what the monsters could do.

Three centuries later, many walls had crumbled. But many held their ground, and now towns and villages were safely guarded.

It was why the passage between the dunes was quiet. Rajesh kept an eye on the horizon as the sand swept against the edges of the hull. His thoughts were a mess; why wouldn’t they be when the feeling of Leela’s hands were still warm and all over him? He could still feel the pinch of her fingers on his skin and taste her lips against his own.

His fingers clenched around the wheel. He didn’t regret what he did with Leela. In the beginning, it was meant to lure the Viperess out, but the Viperess never came. The Viperess never wanted to, and now all Rajesh could think about was what if the Viperess didn’t want to kill the Scorpion? Which raised the question: if the Viperess didn’t want to kill the Scorpion, what did she truly want?

Stop thinking, the Scorpion said, emerging from the shadows with glowing purple eyes.

How? How can I when I can’t focus?

What happens between the Viperess and me is between us.

You know, you never told me what happened.

The Scorpion clicked his pinchers. Did you not listen?

I did. Just refused to.

The Scorpion scuttled around inside Rajesh’s brain. The Viperess was cast out of the Awakening because she betrayed me and tried to come back to me.

Why was she cast out?

She was unfaithful. She was lured into another man’s arms and did not think to tell me. But I knew. This man threw her into the Netherworld himself for her callous actions, and I helped him.

You threw your own lover into the Netherworld? After she… cheated on you?

She turned on me! The Scorpion’s voice boomed. She was the one who trampled on my heart. She deserved everything she got.

Rajesh didn’t really care about the specific details on why the Scorpion threw the Viperess into the Netherworld. All he cared about was when the Scorpion would kill the Viperess. When was he going to strike? How was he going to do it?