Black Avatare

36 | LEGEND

The storm raged outside, showing no sign of ceasing. Diyan sat cross-legged next to Binara, his gaze focused on the lantern, which had now attracted insects.

The metallic scent she associated with him wafted up her nose, and her sixth sense tuned in to his ectoplasmic signature—familiar and pleasing. It was hard to believe that he was her mortal enemy not so long ago. As she sat surrounded by the dark and cold, she resisted the impulse to scoot closer to him.

He's a demon. He's not even human. Even though she repeated the words in her head, all it did was make her heart sink.

"Binara?"

She started and glanced up at him. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" he asked, his quiet voice barely rising above the wind and rain. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing." She cleared her throat and flipped the hood over her head in one nonchalant move.

He watched her for a moment. "That's a versatile piece of clothing."

"It's called a hoodie. It's good against the rain or if you're sneaking out—"

"Or when you prefer to conceal what you don't want anyone to see."

She crossed her arms. "About Mahasona..."

Diyan let out a sigh. "Well, Mahasona's origin is a legend that I heard from Garuda, so you can imagine how far back this was."

"That's...hard to imagine." Her forehead furrowed while curiosity bloomed within. "Thousands of years even before King Mayadunne's time?"

"Yes."

Binara shifted to a more comfortable position and angled herself towards him. "Go on."

His lips quirked up—barely visible in the dimness.

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"I could get used to that," he said.

"Get used to what?"

"Your curious kitten look," he whispered. "It's definitely better than angry kitten, though that is also...endearing."

Binara was momentarily lost for words. Heat blossomed in her cheeks like a runaway fire and spread all the way to her ears. Is he playing with me? She wasn't sure how to respond, so she glared at him.

Diyan chuckled. Then he got up and extracted a flask from the cart.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Kottamalli." He took a drink and handed it to her. "It's still warm."

"Oh, thanks." The spicy liquid warmed her, leaving a mild burning sensation in her throat.

"This journey is going to be very difficult, especially when we use up the supplies." His expression turned solemn. "So we have to make the most of it while it lasts."

The words made her spirits sink again. She took another drink and handed the flask back to him. His fingers brushed hers and lingered a second longer than they should, sending tingles up her skin. Her eyes ticked up to meet his—twin moons that pulled her into their unknown depths. She quickly withdrew her hand.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "It's just...the fact that you're here by my side is—I wish the circumstances were different."

Binara cast a sideways glance at him while her heart fluttered away. "What do you—you want me here with you?"

"For one thing, you're the only human I've interacted with since Mayadunne." Diyan closed his eyes. "And you just happen to be his descendant. In my mind, everything was so recent that you might as well have been his daughter."