“Citizens of Vanhi,” he begins, “we’re honored to gather today at the completion of the first Sisterhood temple in the City of Gems. Before the priestess dedicates this sacred home, I would like to say a brief word about forgiveness. As the brethren of the Parijana faith taught me, our godly purpose is to learn and grow into the greatest versions of ourselves. Along our way, we inadvertently and, at times, intentionally hurt or offend those in our path.” Ashwin speaks out to those in the roads and on the rooftops. His voice embeds within me. I am touched by the care and delivery of his words. “All of us have someone to forgive. Perhaps it is someone we love or someone we hoped would do better. I promise you, as we seek the finest versions of ourselves, the gods will give us strength and hope to believe in goodness. I will lead you in this journey as I aspire to become the rajah the empire rightfully deserves. Gods be with us.”
Ashwin passes the cone amplifier to the priestess. We applaud, Gemi beaming at him, and he swiftly rejoins her side. Priestess Mita and the head priest of the Brotherhood temple proceed with the ceremony.
I eye the temple wards dressed in their blue robes. Before when I used to see them, I could only think of the purpose behind all my teachings—preparation for the Claiming.
None of these girls will experience that humiliation.
The temple priestesses across Tarachand unanimously agreed to do away with the ritual. Even Priestess Mita acquiesced after she heard about Ashwin’s educational advancements. Gemi has been instrumental in the formation of these policies, using what she learned in the Southern Isles as a foundation. A new curriculum is in development for the wards. When they come of age, they may work in education, science, history, arithmetic, and the arts. Looking at them, tears brim in my eyes. They may choose who they become as they rise in strength together. The sisters will continue to teach them the godly virtues and train them in the sparring ring. Some wards may elect to join the all-female guard or the Sisterhood. They have so many paths to choose from, I can scarcely imagine how they will decide.
I am sorry I will not be here to view all their achievements, to see what the city becomes with their talents nourishing its future. Vanhi may finally suit its name as the City of Gems and deserve the reputation as the stronghold of the Tarachand Empire.
Deven’s fingers seek out mine. “Kali, it’s done.”
I join the closing applause. Healer Baka offers the benediction, and then the temple is open for touring. Children dart about the courtyard, playing. Deven and I seek out the refreshments for a chunk of ice to cool ourselves. Tinley rushes over.
“We’re playing toss the coin.” She grabs Deven by the arm. “You’re on my team.”
She drags him off. He looks back, shrugging. I saunter over to the sparring circle and stand around the perimeter with Ashwin. Within the ring, Deven and Tinley contend against Gemi and Brac in a children’s game.
“Your speech was moving, Your Majesty,” I say. Ashwin ducks his head modestly. “Have you settled on your honeymoon?”
He cheers for Gemi, then answers, “Out of the nine places we picked, we whittled it down to . . . nine.” He tousles his hair, bemused. “Gemi wants to visit them all. I haven’t the heart to tell her no. Can you and Deven stay until we return? I would feel more comfortable knowing Brac and Natesa are not left unattended. Lords know what I would return to.”
“We can stay,” I agree at once. Deven and I have organized a trip to Paljor before we survey the lower Alpanas for a piece of land to settle on. My mahati hatchling, which I named Chaser, is old enough to live with us. Tinley said she will grow happier and healthier in my company. I am certain I can write to Maida and ask her to bring Chaser along during her next visit.
“I’ll speak with Deven as well,” Ashwin says. “I know he’s looking forward to leaving the city.”
I wear a tight smile, but his attention has already returned to the game.
Gemi and Brac have collectively flipped the coin the highest. Tinley finishes her turn, accomplishing an impressive height. Deven must achieve a coin toss half as tall as hers for his team to win.
He steps into the middle of the ring and kneels beside the coin. Hands on each side, he slaps the ground. A pillar shoots up, lifting the coin above his head.
The crowd cheers. Deven pats Brac on the back, beaming. He outtossed his brother.
Gemi removes the coin from the pillar and shows the bhuta trainees. “See what Deven did? This is why you should practice.”
The first day back on his feet, Deven joined Gemi and the Trembler trainees for lessons. We had discovered almost immediately which bhuta powers he had acquired. While bedridden, he had dropped his spoon over the side of the cot. Before I could collect it, the floor had shot up and delivered it for him.
Brac calls for a rematch. He will play until he wins.
This could be a while.
“I’m going inside,” I tell Ashwin.
He sneaks in a quick kiss on my cheek, then sends me off.
I navigate the crowd inside the quieter, cooler temple. I bypass the chapel and go to the back stairway. The area is closed and dim. I pluck flames from the line of wall lamps. They spin together and form a lynx kitten.
Siva gazes up at me from the floor. I set her on my shoulder, and we sneak down the stairway. The lower corridors of the temple are half-done. I enter the biggest classroom, the art room. Pails of tiles and mortar are set around for a project I designed. I want a tile mural of the Alpana Mountains. The execution is taking longer than anticipated, but the result so far is spectacular. I shut the door to the classroom.
Siva jumps off my shoulder and sits in front of it. She sniffs around and finds a broken piece of tile to chew on.
“You shouldn’t be down here.”
I reel on Deven. “Are you going to tell the priestess?”
He strides up, his hands tucked in his trouser pockets. “Consider this your second offense of sneaking around the lower level of a temple.”
“Well, then.” I pretend to slip past him, and he snags me. “I like your new uniform. It makes you look taller.”
“Does it?” After he realizes I am teasing, he asks, “Why are you down here?”
“I was hoping the prince’s advisor would follow me so I could be alone with him.”
“Does he know about this scheme?”
“He’s about to.” I arch my chin, our lips close. My lighthearted mood evaporates. I cannot kiss him without first expressing my thoughts. “I like it here, Deven. I enjoy teaching the wards and trainees. My students are so talented at their drawings, and Basma is starting to get fevers. Brac wants to plan for her Razing before it affects her health. And Jala is still little. I want to be here when she says her first word. I miss the mountains. I do. But I want to stay in Vanhi.”
Deven strokes my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“When I was in the Void, do you know what kept me from giving up? Thinking of you.” Deven hugs me close, clutching the small of my back. “I don’t care where we are, Kali. Only that we’re together.”
His immediate agreement leaves me hesitant to accept. This is his dream too. I do not want to take it from him. “You won’t be upset if we don’t move to the mountains?”
“The lower Alpanas would be peaceful, maybe too peaceful. I’d miss my mother and Chitt, Natesa and Yatin. I’d even miss Brac . . . some days. If we stay, I could continue to train with Gemi. I doubt Ashwin would leave me as an advisor. I think he may promote me to serve as his Trembler Virtue Guard.” A bit of excitement resides in Deven’s tone. “In this role, I could really do some good. I could work with the Brotherhood and Sisterhood to teach the truth about bhutas.” Deven leans his head against mine. “We can visit the mountains on occasion for quiet, but this is home.”
He sounds a tad disappointed that our long-held dream is going away.
“Why don’t we have both? Within the year, Chaser will be large enough to fly. It’s only a day’s flight from here to the lower Alpanas. When Chaser is older, we can travel back and forth.”
“Spend fall in the mountains and the other seasons here.”
“Or summer north,” I say. “It would be nice to escape the heat.”
Deven squeezes me against him. “Would you leave Jala?”
“Once we build a hut, we can have visitors. Pons and Indah would like the lower mountains. The sky is so clear.”
Deven chuckles. “You cannot invite them before Natesa and Yatin. Natesa would banish you from the inn for life.”