Page 88 of The Divine Lies We Weave

Vedant chuckled, head tilted to the sky. “You’re too easy.”

Leela snarled. She jumped to her feet and charged.

Vedant simply stepped right, then left, as she swung at him. She tried to injure him. Anything to feel a little slice of accomplishment.

Are you going to help or sit back!?

Patience.

Leela was over this. She thought of everything Hema had taught her over the past few weeks. She clenched her katar and, using all the strength and might she could muster, she stepped back and threw it at his leg.

Vedant’s eyes widened, caught off guard as the katar struck its target.

An overwhelming sense of heat flowed through her, and she knew she had to attack now. She lunged at him, and they both fell to the ground.

Leela reached back, tensing her shoulders to drive her fist into his arrogant face. Fear circled his hazelnut eyes, shocking her for a second. Vedant took advantage of her hesitation and punched her gut. Leela groaned in pain, and before she knew it, he was on top of her, his hips pressing her into the ground as he began to punch her. Leela wriggled, trying to loosen his grip. Each hit shuddered through her body, bone shattering bone, muscle bruising muscle.

Leela finally found a surge of adrenaline and felt it snake up her spine. Warmth flooded through her veins, igniting everything in a flow of fiery heat. Anger pushed the Viperess forward before Leela had the chance to stop her.

Leela was flung back into her mind. She stepped forward, expecting to snap back into her body, but she hit an invisible glass wall and fell back on her ass. She jumped to her feet and smashed against it. Let me back in! Let me back in!

All she could do was stand helplessly and stare as the scene before her unfolded.

Viperess!

Patience. You wanted this. Let me take him.

Everything inside Leela screamed at her to run. But she couldn’t. The Viperess was in total control, and all Leela could do was watch. Through the yellow haze of the Viperess’s eyes.

Vedant cursed and quickly scampered off. But the Viperess gripped him by the wrist and punched him in the nose. An audible crack resonated in the room. The Viperess then twisted Vedant around, pinning his hand behind his back, and shoved him to his knees on the ground. Vedant let out a nauseating cry, blood from his nose dripping to the floor, and tried to pull away as Leela stood over him.

“That’s not fucking fair! No Flames allowed. Only weapons!” he cried out, cowering.

“You wanted to see the Viperess. Well, here she is,” Leela said, except it wasn’t her. Her voice was wispy, darker…

She used her thighs to clench around him and twisted his arm further back, far enough that Leela felt his tendons stretching. Now, she had the upper hand.

Stop this!

The Viperess hissed. You wanted this. You wanted me to help! You can’t want it and not let me in, mortal.

Shit. Leela screamed, trying to regain control of her fingers. She wanted to let go of Vedant. Sure, she wanted to hurt Vedant—to even injure him. But if the Viperess pulled his arm any farther, she could dislocate it. Or worse.

Panicking, Leela did the only thing she could do.

People are watching. Don’t give them another reason to fear you.

The Viperess snapped, gaze flashing over the crowd in a swell of yellow haze. They were all quiet, mouths wide, some were even shuddering. She twisted her neck and locked gazes with Rajesh, who now had his hand on the hilt of his sword, gold forming in his pupils.

You don’t want to kill Vedant. You want the Scorpion. You said it yourself! Strike at the right moment. Or let everyone see the villain you are.

I am not the villain.

Aren’t you? Look at what you’re doing!

The Viperess hesitated, the grip she held over Leela faltering like a flutter of wings against her cheek. It was enough for Leela to take back control, and it was like working through a pool of honey, and she had to get out before it solidified.

Let me back in. Don’t let them see you like this.