Black Avatare

3 | AGENTS

"Binara?"

She stirred, awakened from her troubled doze, and pretended not to hear. The balcony door afforded her a bleary view of the morning. Leaves rustled on lofty boughs against a sky diluted to ash grey. There was no sign of the animal wraith, which she decided resembled a black leopard.

Her mind involuntarily conjured up the apparition before it slunk into the shadows, whipping its tail. Even though it didn't reappear, she couldn't sleep a wink. Through a haze of fear, questions gnawed at her. Is the leopard stalking me? But why? Could it be...the Black Prince himself?

A wave of panic crashed down. Her brain seized up, and the world momentarily tilted, edges blackening like a vignette filter. She whooshed out air and looped her quivering arms around a pillow. If it was the Black Prince, her fortifications would've been useless—nothing but pesky mosquitoes he could swat away in a nanosecond. Yet, she wasn't attacked.

Maybe he likes to play with his prey now. Maybe he's waiting for me to collapse from stress. Fire kindled in her turbulent vat of emotions, and she throttled the pillow. I won't die without a fight, you sick demon freak! I'm gonna—

"Binara," Nayana's voice called, louder this time. "Can you come down, please?"

"Give me a minute," Binara yelled back. "I just got up."

"Now."

As she scrambled to her feet, deja vu prickled within, and her stomach lurched on cue. Nayana always used that tone on school days to rouse her at the crack of dawn. She was glad that the final exams were over—life was crazy enough without having to deal with school. She wondered if the governess wanted to make her do cleaning or gardening before breakfast.

A few minutes later, wrapped in a cardigan, she traversed the hallway in the direction of the staircase. Rays of sun beamed down from the skylight and reached into the many nooks and crannies of the foyer. Mayadunne Walauwa maintained its brooding magnificence during day hours, with its dark furniture, antiques and ornaments, though only night-time brought out its eerie side. A bird trilled outside, mocking her with its cheeriness. In that moment, the terrors she had endured two nights in a row might have been nothing but her imagination.

As she passed by the paintings that hung on the walls, her gaze stalled on the portrait of King Mayadunne, clad in elaborate royal garments. His main line of descendants had died off with the death of Hevana's last king, leaving only her own family, though a few so-called scholars had questioned the lineage, much to her chagrin.

She was halfway down when voices wafted up from the living room, making her halt in her tracks. She knew the deep male timbre didn't belong to the gardener, the handyman or her batty great-uncle.

There were two unknown males in the house.

Curiosity played a tug of war with her aversion. In the end, she crossed the foyer, padded to the living room and peeped through the half-open door.

Inoka sat draped on an armchair, legs crossed, in conversation with two suited men who were seated side by side on the couch. On the sofa opposite, Nayana perched straight-backed and still, her finger tapping a silent beat on the ornate woodwork of the armrest. To complete the gathering, Great-uncle Senarat was positioned by the window in his wheelchair, mumbling to himself as usual as he stared out into the garden.

"—honestly do not see how we could possibly provide more information," Inoka said. "We told you everything already. Isn't that right, Nayana?"

"Indeed, ma'am," the governess replied, her tone curt, and turned to the men. "I telephoned your office yesterday. Binara didn't run into the man you're looking for, thankfully."