The Cursed Princess of Suryagarh: Book 1

30. Already inside

Another round of utter quietude followed Jagdish's sombre announcement, and only when a raucous shriek tore through the air did everyone get a semblance of their sanity back.

Recovering from the momentary lapse, Aarush yelled, "What do you mean by that? You told me you had enhanced security all around. Even magically. How is it possible then?"

Jagdish exhaled sharply, ducking his head down because of the accusation and disgruntlement of the prince. "Yes, Your Highness, but from what our sources have gathered until now, his powers have grown beyond anyone's comprehension. I don't think our reinforcements were ever strong enough to withhold him. Our best bet is to quickly finish the ritual and get rid of him."

Aarush took a deep breath, and the scowl returned to his features as he began pacing the length of the mini estuary. He was busy placing a call to the security head stationed at the main gates of the fort, but it seemed like Jagdish beat him to it.

"I just received a message, Aarush." Jagdish let out a raspy breath. Once all eyes were on him, his ageing features getting highlighted by the illumination of the device's screen, he peered at Radha. "A man at the main gates of the fort just... appeared out of thin air, and all his cronies have begun infiltrating the fort at his behest. Our security and the police have been thrown back from their positions due to the befuddlement of someone materializing..."

Radha frowned. "Out of thin air?"

Adya gasped and held her heart. "Who is this? Our... our distant immortal uncle?"

Shreya's eyes widened. "The man who can't die?"

Aryan bit his lips. "What in the world!"

Aarush's gaze hardened as he gaped at Jagdish. "Adhyayan Singh Chauhan is here. In Suryagarh."

Jagdish could barely nod his head. "He kept his word. He was alerted of the ritual, and he came to wreak havoc."

The prince heaved a sigh and began raking his hands through his hair out of sheer exasperation. Toppling a nearby ancient sculpture of an apsara in his rage, he shrieked again, "And how did he know this ritual is happening tonight? No one outside of the few of us standing here knows it, right?"

Radha went ahead to place a warm hand on his trembling shoulders as his body shook with anger. "Calm down, Prince. He has gone too far into the world of dark magic. Perceiving the ritual about to unfold from the very confines of his palace is not unnatural. He didn't need anyone to tell him. He could gauge it, learn about it using methods you and I don't wish to discuss."

Another bomb went off in the vicinity, and the ground under their feet vibrated. Metal clanged against metal, and the resonation propagated far and wide, scattering in the air, thrumming against their hearts, and serving a palpable sense of damnation to the night. Shreya's eyes held a sheer pool of terror when she heard the screams of men and women, and she could tell they were fleeing for their lives, rushing away from the heat or the fragments.

Aarush didn't waste a second as he began ambling towards the exit of the premises. "All of you should carry out the ritual without delay. This realm of terror shall end once he perishes with the curse."

All of it happened in a very slow motion for Shreya. One second she was horrified due to the hollers and outcries floating from beyond, and the next second she saw the prince walk towards the exit—the very place where danger was crawling and baring its teeth for anyone to cross paths. She noticed how determined the crowned prince was in the face of peril, and she also discerned how resolutely Adya stood in front of the flickering flames of the Holy Fire. Jagdish had his brows furrowed in concentration as he typed furiously on his phone while a deep scowl was etched on Elder Woman's wrinkled face. Everything around her moved in a state of deliberate leisure, and she felt her head spin.