Page 7 of The Divine Lies We Weave

Once she was dressed, she darted around the bed and ripped her pillowcase open, sending sequins all over the marbled floor. Reaching between the stuffing, she pulled out a tiny slip of paper and held it under the moonslight.

Ishaan. Secret godsbone harvester. T23 Avenue.

All month, Leela had stood before her window, tracing the sandstone buildings with her eyes to the place she needed to find the relic said to destroy any monster. It meant crossing over to the other side of the city, but it didn’t matter. This note meant hope, and hope was all Leela needed to enact her revenge, escape a loveless marriage, and find the monster responsible for destroying her world.

Folding the paper and tucking it between her blouse, she grabbed the duffel bag from under her bed and swung it over her shoulder. H-shaped katars rattled and squished the food Aarna had managed to swindle.

She glanced one last time through the door, smoothed her blouse, and slunk into the shadows, going down the hall until she reached the balcony at the end. Aarna had been thorough in her planning, ensuring Leela left at the appropriate time while the guards made their rounds.

She scurried over to the balcony and peered over the edge. Humid air swept her black locks from her face, cooling the thin layer of sweat trickling down her back. A shiver ran down her spine, and she gripped the edge tighter.

“Do not look down. Do not look down,” Leela whispered, forcing the bile down.

From behind a giant plant pot, she pulled out the knotted fabric Aarna had pieced together with stolen cloths and tossed it over the side. It unraveled until it hit the hardened sands on the ground.

She hoisted herself over the edge and gripped the knots with pale fingers. She used the mountain ridges to steady herself down. Each rope knot tightened the one in her stomach, and the overwhelming feeling of nausea swelled inside her. Not even getting caught had overridden her fear of heights.

“Don’t look down. Don’t look down. Don’t look down,” Leela muttered to herself.

With whatever strength she could muster, she lowered herself down the edge of the palace until she reached the second floor. Through an archway, she surveyed the elongated hall, letting out a breath when she realized it was empty. Aarna had been right. The guards were rotating shifts on the opposite side of the palace right about now.

Leela slid all the way down. When her feet hit the ground, she sighed in relief and wiped her sweaty palms on her pants.

Thank the Flames that is over.

She swung the bag over her shoulder and ducked into the scattered palace bushes. If she had planned this right, she should have exactly three minutes to make her way over the wall while evading guards.

From between the branches, Leela peeked at the guards rounding the corner, their godsblades glowing a deadly blue against the navy skies. Their emerald suits contrasted against the red sand and sparkled underneath the palace candlelights.

As soon as the guards disappeared around the side of the building, Leela ran across the courtyard. With her heart in her throat, she glanced up at the wall staring down at her. At least this one wasn’t as tall as the one keeping the city safe from the monsters.

Leela took a deep breath, steadied her heart, and then climbed the nearest tree. Once she was on a steady branch, she pulled out the next piece of rope she’d handcrafted and flung it at the wall, trying to lasso it around one of the pointed arches.

Grunting and groaning, Leela eventually snagged the arch and tugged.

“Thank the Flames,” she said.

Climbing up was harder than the way down from the balcony. Leela’s arms ached, legs shaking with each pull. Grunting, she hoisted herself onto the wall but glanced one last time at the palace, toward the second floor where the tiny arch of her window stared back at her. Lights spilled in from the furthest side of the palace, the smell of cardamom wafting through the skies as the incense began to burn. The festivities were beginning.

“So long,” Leela whispered. “Asshats.”

Shoving aside the thought of leaving Aarna and Sita behind, she flung the rope to the other side of the wall. Shoulders twinging, she skittered down the wall and landed with a gentle thud on the other side onto a patch of red sand.

She stared up at the wall and gaped. Her chest squeezed, and she let out a tiny cry of happiness. She had done it. She escaped the palace. Her years of careful planning and meticulous work had panned out well.

“By the Flames, I did it,” Leela breathed.

Her short reprieve was cut short when a twig snapped. Whipping around, Leela sucked in a breath as one of the guard’s gaze landed directly into hers as they rounded the wall.

“Shit,” Leela said.

“Escape! Breach!” the guard yelled, godsblade blazing.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

She bolted into the shadows of the nearest building and kept running until she had no more than a whisper of breath in her lungs.

Until she was far away enough from the giant blaring conch now raising the alarm.