Page 82 of The Divine Lies We Weave

“It feels… weird,” Leela whispered. “Wow, my first battle wound.”

A smile crept over his lips. “Yeah, it will for a little. But use the appropriate ointments and it will heal in no time. I swear it.”

“You swear it, do you?” Leela teased.

“I do,” Rajesh said. He swallowed and sat down on the chair, still clutching at his chest from the furybeast.

He had to tell Leela his plans. The Scorpion would find the wish-fulfilling tree, and Rajesh would do whatever he needed to do to kill the Viperess—as long as Leela didn’t get hurt in the process, because he couldn’t handle it anymore.

Rajesh grabbed and squeezed Leela’s icy fingers, working up his courage to speak. He braced himself for her to move away.

But Leela didn’t move and only steadied her gaze on his.

Rajesh wet his lips. “I have made a bargain with the Scorpion to find the wish-fulfilling tree. I said I’ll do whatever I can to save you and get the Viperess out of you, and the Scorpion out of me. Because Leela… that attack was torture, and I can’t do it anymore. I would rather fear losing you than fear never loving you.”

Leela held herself incredibly still, unblinking.

Rajesh didn’t care if she didn’t respond. All he cared about was that he was going to try, and Leela was worth every sacrifice. He should’ve known it sooner, but the fear of creating more monsters had stopped him. The fear of no escape. The fear of the curse. The fear of the Flames.

Fuck the curse. Fuck the Flames. Fuck it all.

Rajesh was done hiding. He was ready to stand and fight.

“Okay,” Leela said. “What does that mean then?”

“We will head to the wish-fulfilling tree,” Rajesh said. “Which also means I have to alert my crew and give them the chance to go back home. I wouldn’t want to force this on them. They should get a choice. As should you.”

Leela nodded stiffly. “I will do whatever I can.”

Rajesh pushed aside a loose curl by her face, and he grinned at the way she shivered. “I hate this distance between us. I can’t stand it. Knowing you’re there… I can’t let you go. I will do whatever I can to protect you. You know that.”

“I do.”

Rajesh nodded. “Then we find the wish-fulfilling tree and head home.”

Leela squeezed his hand back. “I am with you. Always. Through the flames of the Awakening and the Netherworld.”

Rajesh smirked, the words of their marital vows ringing through his mind. “Through the flames of the Awakening and the Netherworld.”

He grabbed her hand and planted a tender kiss on her knuckles. He lingered longer than he intended, but there wasn’t the obvious awkward distance between them like before, and all he wanted was to pull her in and kiss her. Instead, he held back.

“I’ll be back. I need to alert the crew.”

Leela nodded.

Rajesh forced himself to leave, taking his hand out of hers to do what a good captain should. His crew were his family and his home too. They deserved to know the dangers they were getting into.

Rajesh stared at the maps across the table. The three desert kingdoms spread out over the parchment, each one staring back at him in fine lines, jagged mountains and rocks, and dunes.

Do you have a way yet?

I do.

And…?

You won’t like the destination.

Did I ever say I liked anything about this to begin with?