Blood Warrior

unpredictable nature of a squall. Tallis slipped from her thoughts. She couldn’t stand remembering how much distance remained between them. No trust. No affection. Instead she reached out to find Chandrani. Was she safe? She couldn’t have made it home over the Rohtang Pass so quickly, but maybe she’d been able to find shelter.

Kavya closed her eyes, reaching out, concentrating. Searching.

Chandrani.

She exhaled softly when she found her dear friend well on her way to Leh. The snowstorm had passed to the south of her path. She would be home with family soon, perhaps free of the scandal she’d face if associated too closely with the attack in the valley.

But then . . . another mind found her.

Kavya flinched in pain. She pushed her fingertips against her temples. Dragon help me.

By searching for Chandrani, she’d given away their location. He must’ve been waiting for any opportunity when Tallis wasn’t dead center of her thoughts. Aside from the shocking pain, Pashkah’s invasion came in the form of a single sentence.

I’m coming for you, sister.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tallis jerked upright when Kavya screamed. “What?”

“Pashkah.”

“What? What happened to keeping you distracted?”

“I . . . The storm . . . I wanted to know if Chandrani had made it to safety.”

Tallis jumped out of bed and stumbled until he found the lamp. A turn of the wick and he could see where Kavya knelt on the floor. She’d been touching him. They’d been sharing barely formed ideas. Now panic turned her usually placid expression into one of abject fear.

“What happened, exactly?”

“I searched for her. Out in the world.”

“I thought only Trackers could search that far.”

“In most cases. But if you knew someone for twenty years, you’d know how to communicate with little more than raised eyebrows or a blink. Chandrani and I are that way with our minds. I have more range with her than with anyone I’ve ever known. But Pashkah . . . He barged in. Cut us off. He’s so powerful, Tallis. You have no idea.”

He kicked into what remained of his clean clothes. The rest he stuffed in his pack, along with their scant provisions. “Next time I’ll distract you with a game of twenty questions. Might be more effective than keeping the interest of a frigid snob who volunteers for trouble whenever she can.”

“Frigid?”

“That’s the word you focus on. Fantastic.” He pulled on another shirt, then shoved tired feet into his boots. “I hope whatever scattered bullshit is in your head has to do with surprise and being frightened out of your wits. The relative state of your sexual experience and my effect on it ranks well below getting the fuck out of here.”

“You’re vulgar.”

He thrust the blankets into her hands. “And you’re a dead woman if you don’t figure out some way to duck under his radar. How much does he know?”

“Where I am.”

“Dragon damn it. And there’s no way you can confuse him now? Focus back on me and my enthralling body? Maybe if I slap you for being such an idiot, I’ll scramble your gray matter.”

She surged to her feet. Anger hardened her features like a warrior being frozen by Medusa—Medusa, that ancient Trickster of the Tigony. The tale of a trusting, ridiculously empathetic young woman who didn’t account for her own safety wouldn’t become a story told through the ages. Instead Kavya would be a cautionary tale and a reason why the Indranan should remain a people divided.

Tallis wanted that. He wanted any attempt at their reconciliation thwarted, because it ran contrary to the figment infecting his mind. But he didn’t want to do so at this woman’s expense—unless it was absolutely necessary. She was still too much a part of the mystery of his dreams and, increasingly, the mystery of his waking hours.

“If you slap me,” she said, “we’ll be right back at the beginning. You’ll be facing off against one of your own seaxes.”

“You and what training, goddess? Get moving and think us a way out of this hell.”

“We stick to the plan.” She layered a blanket in imitation of her sari, using the same pattern of tucks and pleats. “We fly out.”

“Insane.” He shoved a finger toward the window. “Blizzard.” He shoved the same finger toward Kavya. “And you’re a head case. Forget being Indranan or a mind-witch or whatever. You’re not rational and you’re not stable.”

“Says you, of all people! Then go. Leave me to Pashkah and see what happens.”

“I can’t and you know it.” He threw her a spare pair of socks. She quickly stripped her slippers, donned the socks, and shoved the delicate shoes back on her feet. Better than nothing until he could steal her a new pair of shoes. “I’ll have wasted months here in India,” he said. “Worse, I’ll never learn the truth about the last twenty years. Forgive me if I find this topic worth pursuing. I don’t intend to die in a fiery crash before that happens.”

“So selfish. He will own the Five Clans if he kills me.”

“Bathatei. He’s not more powerful than the Giva. He’s as insane as you are, apparently, although with a penchant for chopping off heads. That doesn’t make him invincible.”

Kavya shut her mouth, but Tallis could practically see the effort she expended to stop arguing. The silence between them was knife-sharp, honed with worry and the threat of danger. Tallis didn’t like it. An enemy should be seen. Faced. Defeated with the whites of the eyes in clear sight as the life drained away. They were being pursued by a phantom. He wouldn’t see Pashkah of Indranan until the man appeared out of thin air to kill him and Kavya both.

Tallis strapped on his seaxes and threw his pack to Kavya. “It’ll help keep your back warm, at least.”

“We’re going. To the airfield.”

“No, you’re going to lead us into the snow and play rabbit. You’ll hide. No more calling out for lost friends like using a ham radio.”

She shook her head. “He’s nearby. Otherwise there’s no way his voice could be that strong and clear. Either he tracked me himself, or he had help. Doesn’t matter now. I’d never be able to construct an effective disguise with so little time.”

“Out in the woods, then. You’ll at least be distracted by the snow.”

“Are you being intentionally thick? He knows I’m here. He’ll only need to search for a woman shivering in the snow, cursing the cold.”

“That worked so well. As will flying away in a blizzard. How did you gather such a following? I haven’t seen a Dragon-damned thing to say you can take care of yourself, let alone lead hundreds.”

Eyes blazing, she struck him hard across the cheek. Caressing his face was one thing. Having his head rattled by a woman’s hard slap was another sort of provocation—toward violence rather than sex. “I am the Sun.”

“You’re a sham. Scared and running. Always. I wonder if that’ll ever change.