Page 85 of The Divine Lies We Weave

19

LEELA

Leela took the next week to rest. She would lumber around the ship, however, her abdomen still aching. The nurses continued to put a strange, green ointment on her wound, now the swollen reddened flesh was turning pink. Her scar felt warm when she traced it.

It hurt the most when the cold air nipped at it.

Viperess?

Nothing.

There had been nothing since the attack.

Distracting herself, she faced the dining room filled with candles hanging from an arched ceiling. Cooks brought the food out on big silver trays full of fruits, vegetables, and fish.

The walls of the dining room were made of a dark timber. A line of arched windows stood to the side offering a view of the night sky. The ceiling too high for a ship that even the door looked miniature against it. She supposed, being on a ship with rooms that had the resplendence of a normal building was quite an extravagant thing.

“How are you doing?” Hema asked beside her.

Leela groaned. “As good as one can, I guess. I can’t believe I didn’t feel it.”

“That’s what adrenaline does,” Tanmay said. “Makes you survive until the attack is over.”

“Sometimes,” Hema explained. “Other times, it can hurt even more. Just depends on where the wound is.”

“Great,” Leela mumbled. “I’ll keep that in mind for the next attack.”

Hema smiled as she ate her dinner, which was a murky mix of vegetables, and mentioned growing food on the ship in one of their greenhouses.

Around her, the crew all lounged comfortably while eating a filling dinner.

By now, Leela had gauged the ship and the crew dynamics. Among the members, there were at least several people not aboard the ship anymore. She was pleased to still find Hema here—at least she had someone she could trust aside from Rajesh. Not that she trusted him either, not with the Viperess who could attack at any moment.

“Does it feel different having war scars? Did you have any from your time in the village?” Hema asked. She leaned her chin on her palm and focused on Leela with a broad smile.

Leela wriggled in her chair, uncomfortable with the question. She hated talking about herself, let alone anything about her life. There were things even she didn’t want to recall or remember.

“Shit. You?” she replied.

Hema rolled her eyes. “Give me details. I want to know more about the infamous Leela.”

Leela arched a brow. “What has he said so far…?”

“Rajesh?” Tanmay butted in. “Not a lot, but you are the Leela he was with at the village.”

Leela’s cheeks tinted pink. “I… I… I mean, well, sure. We were sort of set to marry.”

A few more ears tuned in. The warmth on her face trailed down her back.

“Marry?” Navya shot.

Eyes turned to her. Vedant sat back in his chair with a glimmer in his eye. Tanmay fidgeted with the cloth beside him, and Hema leaned in closer.

Leela shuffled in her seat. “In my village, it’s customary for people to find a lifelong partner. To ensure that a strong love exists between them. So they sort of get people to find someone when they’re sixteen and work their way through a series of tests together as they get older. It’s more of a ceremony that lasts multiple years, but it does ensure their lifelong partner is their lifelong partner.”

“Except for you two.” Vedant beamed. “Because no one expected Rajesh to harness the Purple Scorpion and for you to harness the Golden Viperess. Correct?”

“I guess,” Leela said.