Hayden
"I do not understand Shashi," Pruthvi said, covering his nose with a cloth to keep the smell of the blood out. His cracked glasses caught the brightness from somewhere and showed his tearful eyes. A slight shudder in his body movements told the rising anxiety for his son. "Was not killing us a part of his plan? He had our stones, and he still has mine."
Yuvan set the bloody cloth wrapped around his forehead straight and moved along to help dress my wounds on the palms with a piece of his torn bedsheet.
The guest bedroom in Sharad's palace served as our temporary sanctuary. There was a desperate need for healing our wounds and for it, we'd blatantly torn down bedsheets and curtains and used them as our only emergency equipment to take quick first-aid measures.
Leena, who was injured more than any of us, was resting in the bed, while we sat on the couch and the armchairs nursing each other. She had refused to speak with us and quietly lay on her side, having her head turned away from us. However, I could hear a few muffled sniffling sounds. Pruthvi and Tyrell jerked their heads once or twice to check on her, but none of us brought up the topic that perhaps she was shedding tears.
"He is dead set on gaining Samagraha power," Tyrell said, his brows knitted in seriousness since all his efforts turned futile to reduce the blood leak from his right arm sliced to the bone. "Defunct stones will be of no use to him in whatever magic he's willing to perform. Keeping us alive is a compulsion, but he doesn't really want to let us live. The man is power-crazy."
"My alternative kinetic power will help me keep going only for a while," Pruthvi said. "I also have to figure out where my stone and Constellia are stuck...besides Viraj I mean."
"Shashi's intrusion may have delayed our plans, but we're still on," I said and caught Yuvan's eye who kept stealing glances at me. "We're leaving now to ambush the basement."
"Wait, clarify my other issues first," Tyrell said, urgently wiping the leaking blood from the cuts on his neck. "There were Sharad's knights everywhere, and possibly Sergeants. Panchayat may have been informed about Shashi destroying our apartment and temporarily holding us captive. My king must be waiting for me to give today's report. Shouldn't you..."
"No more Panchayat," I interjected, feeling the improved level of the healing process within me.
Tyrell frowned. "What?"
"Look, I know y'all are worried about Panchayat demeaning me or bruising my reputation or whatever, but the fact is I don't give a darn about them. And why should I, when I know that High King well understands my frustration with these kings? We need to find Viraj, Maiden's Cup, Shaatrumani, Nazira, Pruthvi's stone, and the tomb. Need to know where Breaking Samagrahas' Constellia and Makara have disappeared to. Find a way to annihilate the entire Shashi's clan. As Samagraha, we are already prepared to bite off more than they can chew in the given period of three months. And apart from this, we have to ensure that we don't shatter Panchayat's ego?"
"What's your intention? Are you implying that we keep them in the dark until Shashi's dead?"
Yuvan let out a muffled gasp, gave me a quick glance, and bend over to clean the blood off his hands in the bowl of hot water. Something's bothering the boy.
"Shashi abducted us once," I said. "What's the guarantee that he won't carry out a similar plan to keep us out of his way? Or let's just say...he already has. Understand?"
Tyrell flushed with apprehensiveness while Pruthvi sniggered mirthlessly. "Smart way to use Shashi's sense of criminality to your own advantage," he said. "You were right, you're one of these people."
YOU ARE READING
(Book 6) Hayden Mackay and The Third-Eye of the Pancharatna
Fantasy"Mrs. Zutshi, how different was Zarina Khan from you? She was a clairvoyant, that makes her a witch too, right?" "Mages have their own history, Hayden. They have categories too. Since the time of Lady Chandrika's authority over the sections of the p...
