Black Avatare

28 | RUNAWAY

Binara blinked, trying to orient herself to the change of scenery. Late afternoon sunlight slanted down through the jackfruit trees, and leaves crunched underfoot. She was in the fringes of the Mayadunne estate.

Diyan relinquished his hold. "We're lucky I could open a portal so close to your place. Especially at day time."

"What do you mean?" she asked, staring up at him.

"There's a reason demonic activity escalates at night."

She scrunched up her brow. "What happens now?"

"I have to get back. You need to walk in that direction."

Binara turned to the direction he indicated. When she spun around to ask him when he would be back, he had already disappeared.

A bout of uncertainty gripped her. Her hope of returning to Holmanloke lay on a mere hunch that he would be back for her. Frowning, she took in her surroundings again. She had a long walk through the wilderness to get to the walauwa.

As Binara trekked through the undergrowth, she wondered if Raya was tailing her that very moment. She couldn't see the leopard no matter how much she looked. At least the tiredness eased ever so slightly. At this rate, she would be back to normal in a few days.

Within half an hour, the foreboding hulk that was the manor loomed into view. Even the sunlight failed to brighten up the iron and stone. When she climbed up to the verandah, Vesak lanterns swayed in the breeze, their long tails moving as if they had a life of their own. No one had taken them down, even though Vesak was over.

Binara pushed through the front door, which groaned as if to announce her presence. Daylight flooded in through the skylight, illuminating the clutter of vases, antiques and candleholders. She barely took three steps across the foyer when Nayana arrived at the top of the staircase.

The woman's eyes bulged, and she gripped the banister. "Binara! Where in the world have you—what happened?"

"Hey, Miss Nayana." Binara chose her words carefully. "It's a long story."

"You've been gone for three days! The police is searching for you. And your mother—I must tell your mother."

The commotion summoned the cook, who stared at Binara as if she were a ghost. "We thought you might have fallen victim to the—are you alright, miss?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Binara said, moving towards the staircase.

"What happened?" Nayana asked, a frown clouding her face. "Did you...run away?"

Binara stilled. It occurred to her that she had no excuse for her absence. The true story might get her locked up in an asylum. She just walked on.

"Binara!" The governess exuded danger. "Answer when you're spoken to."

"I may have gone somewhere for work," she mumbled, pausing on the steps.

"Your mother called the Yakadura, and they had no clue where you were."

Binara sighed heavily. "Can we please have this conversation later?"

Nayana muttered something under her breath and then turned on her heels. "I'm calling your mother now. This is a serious—"

Binara didn't wait to hear the angry string of words. She bounded up the steps and down the hallway to her room.

The moment she entered it, a sense of calm enveloped her. This was her command center, and everything was as it should be—the dark decor, the quirky wallpaper and the four-poster with her purple pillows. She wanted to curl up in bed and forget all that had happened. She reached up a hand, searching for the hairpin, but there was nothing to grab onto. Her stomach flipped.