Page 121 of The Divine Lies We Weave

When she opened the door, she half expected Hema not to be there.

“I thought you went back to sleep.” Hema straightened her spine after inspecting her fingernails and smiled.

“Tempting, but no,” Leela said. “Some fresh air will be nice.”

Hema clapped and wound her arm through Leela’s. They went through the hallway plastered with oddly shaped picture frames and up onto the deck.

Leela swayed, pulse quickening. She was grateful for Hema holding her.

Rajesh stood on the quarterdeck, shirt billowing in the wind and hands instinctively tightening on the banister. He looked like he’d aged years, like he hadn’t slept for days, and her chest pinched tighter at the reason why.

Rajesh avoided her gaze and glanced over his crew. “We need to get some more supplies. I’ll station a set of you on duties. The rest of you are free to do as you wish. Just be careful around Kithium soldiers or anyone else. State we’re here on business to find a rogue lustisha we saw cross these borders.”

A collective ‘aye’ swept over the crew.

Rajesh assigned people on crate duty, some to get loads of milk and others to refill their water supplies. Some were told to get wine, and others were told to get seeds to grow in their farming sets downstairs.

“What about Leela?” Hema asked as soon as the crew all moved into position.

Rajesh walked down the stairs onto the main deck.

Leela’s stomach tightened as she waited for him to catch her gaze. But he never did. He simply walked by, ignoring Hema’s question.

Hema huffed. “What in the Flames happened between you two?”

Leela glanced at the ground.

“Well, if he’s not going to answer, then we’ll just go, anyway,” Hema said. “Come on. I know the perfect place.”

Leela met Hema’s gaze. “How could you know anything in Kithium?”

“I did grow up in Kithium. Just because I work for Nihikia doesn’t mean I am Nihikian.”

“Oh…” Leela had never asked. She didn’t have any grudges toward Kithium, but there were clear tensions between the two kingdoms.

“What made you decide to join us, then?”

Hema shrugged. “You had a better fighting system. Plus, when monsters tore apart my village, no one ever came to help me. I ran off into a Nihikian village and was actually helped.”

Leela had to blink to keep the sympathy from showing in her eyes whenever someone told their sad backstory. She knew how frustrating it was to see the emotions swirling in their gazes, like they were sorry for it, when it had nothing to do with them.

“Let’s go, then,” Leela said, grabbing Hema’s arm.

Hema smiled so brightly it almost looked like it hurt her face.

29

RAJESH

The whiskey hit harder than it should. From his position at the back of the crowded bar, the mountain peaks in the distance glared at him.

And he glared back.

It was because of them and what lay between them that he was stuck here, downing his third glass of whiskey. It was because of the wish-fulfilling tree and this fruitless chase that he was unable to contain his emotions and was now suffering the consequences.

He had lost her.

Just like that.