Page 45 of The Divine Lies We Weave

Rajesh focused on the ship’s pull as he took the wheel, guiding the crew over the dunes between the scattered rocky peaks. Night enveloped them, only the stars and the light of the twin moons guided their way across the red sands.

“Captain?” Tanmay approached the wheel.

Rajash clenched the wood, watching as Navya flew the ship. “Yes?”

“I…. umm… Well, we, the crew, were wondering if… umm…”

Rajesh glanced at Tanmay and arched a brow. “Raven got your tongue, second mate?”

“Maybe a little.” Tanmay fiddled with his fingers, pulling at the joints.

Rajesh sighed. He knew what the crew were thinking. Leela was alive, and there was the lore of the Scorpion and the Viperess. It was quite common knowledge among the Gilded Thorns. What wasn’t common knowledge was their legacy and how devious the Scorpion really was.

Devious, am I?

The booming, honeyed voice had always caught Rajesh off guard.

Of sorts, yes.

I am honored.

Having the Scorpion in his mind since his father died the night of the attack had sent him into a pit of darkness for years. But he knew what the Scorpion wanted, or rather, waited for.

“Spit it out,” Rajesh said to Tanmay. “We’re about to fight monsters, and the last thing I need is for my crew to not trust me.”

“Will you kill the Viperess before she enacts her revenge? Like the tale says?” Tanmay asked.

Rajesh glanced over the crew, scattered over the deck. They were acting busy with their chores, getting the ship ready to land or hoisting weapons from below. But he caught the nervous twitch of several crewmates, and he knew they were all too eager to listen.

Rajesh forced the same pleasant smile he’d learned to mask his emotions and chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be a tragic tale? Kill the woman I was set to marry just because she harnesses the Viperess?”

Cruel indeed.

Your opinion doesn’t matter right now, Scorpion.

“Well, yes,” Tanmay said. “It would. And we want to support you in any capacity because, well, you’re our captain. And as the tale says, one must kill the other.”

Rajesh was aware of the tales. All too well. His entire life had changed ever since his father died from a severe sickness and he inherited the Purple Scorpion as the next leader of the household. He now had the beast living inside his head. He didn’t need to be reminded of how this was going to play out.

As selfish as it was, he wished it had passed on to Iravan. His brother would’ve better managed the harbinger Flame inside his head with his quips and charismatic charm.

“It will be fine,” Rajesh simply said. “There’s no need to worry about me and my future issues. The Scorpion wants what’s best for the kingdom, nothing more. Nothing less.”

“But—”

Rajesh let out a frustrated breath, cutting off Tanmay. “We don’t have time, Tanmay. We have people to protect. Monsters we need to kill. That is our job.” He turned to the crew, who were all tuning in. “That is our job!”

The crew nodded.

“Anyone else got an issue, or can we get moving?” Rajesh chided. He saw anger in his crew members’ gazes and grasped the wheel tighter. “No one is to touch her, do you understand me? If the tales are true, then I am sure the Scorpion will find a way on his own. No one touches her. Got it?”

The crew scurried off wordlessly. Some went downstairs. Others held onto the ropes to change the direction of the masts or the depth of the sails.

Navya’s eye caught Rajesh’s, the familiar glint inside stilling him. She arched a delicate brow and crossed her arms. He knew what that gaze meant. He had barely thought to talk to her since Leela arrived, and he really didn’t have time to fix this lover’s quarrel.

“Take the wheel,” Rajesh ordered.

Tanmay obeyed and swiftly guided the ship over the dunes.