Chasing the Sun

XXVI

|| - Faith - ||

“Faith does not eliminate questions…”

- Elisabeth Elliot

Even during its owner’s absence Lillian’s room carried strong traces of hers. There were a few fancy bonnets with ribbons left behind in the closet, sheets of practiced calligraphy littering the corners and incomplete embroidery of perfectly angled flowers sat on the armchair with its needles sticking out like claws. The bed was plush and full of over fluffy feather pillows. It was so comfortable that Kashi hardly managed to catch a wink of sleep. She gave up the attempt after an hour of tossing and turning and decided to do something more worthwhile.

The thought let her out into the dimly lit passageway, connecting the wing the foreigners lived in with the centerpiece of the fortress. The torches were dying out and the hour of night was silent. Since she was few floors above the ground she could catch a glimpse of the equally deserted outer Chandranagara through the windows that she passed and a desert of shifting sand, lamenting wind and moonlight beyond.

Kashi let her eyes stray for a moment, to the starry velvet of the night sky and the illusion of peace beneath it and thoughts stirred in her mind. She was reminded of Khan’s gaze from earlier – it had been a look into the moment when he reached the conclusion. Her return had been noted. Where she stood now was the eye of the storm that she did not feel the vibrations rippling around her. Soon everything will fall and chaos will begin.

A sack was thrown over her head the next moment, stealing the vision in front of her eyes. Kashi swallowed the instinctive yelp rising in her throat and tried to fight her captor. By the time she managed to free herself of the relentless hold the attacker had dragged her far enough from her original standing into the ruins of the older palace.

Spitting the dust that went into her mouth from that moldy old sack, Kashi glared at the man in the darkness before folding her hands defensively.

“That was hardly the greeting I expected Satya!” She said in a stiff tone. “Explain yourself!”

“I think you too have a part to explain Rajkumari,” Satya didn’t sound breathless with relief at finding her alive or his usual respectful self. Kashi blinked shifting her gaze to hold his glare but decided to remain silent a moment longer. “Do you have any idea who you have joined hands with? And what is this Keren McLane nonsense? Who is that – where is she? Why on earth would McLane call you his daughter? It makes me afraid Kashi Bai – I’m afraid you’ve changed your loyalties simply because that half foreigner saved your life!”

Kashi held up a hand to silence him her eyes flashing for a moment.

“Do you know where we stand Satya?” She asked him then casting a glance to their surroundings. “This is the edge of chaos – soon something will fumble and break the balance. Soon destruction will begin.”

“I don’t want a lecture on karma Kashi Bai. I want to know why you pretended to die and then returned with an enemy?” Satya sounded agitated and the look of betrayal in his face was unmistakable.

“Sparks light fire and deaths invoke wars – a war is coming Satya and I could very well end up being the sacrifice which started it!”

“I don’t – sacrifice? Death?”

Knowing that she had broken through his earlier front and now had his attention Kashi bit back a smile.

“At least that’s what helps my dear Choti Maa sleep at night.”

“Gayatri Devi!” Spat Satya. “That blasted woman! I knew she was behind this! Don’t fear Rajkumari I may have failed once but I won’t let anything happen to you again!” He urged her; the earlier emotion of betrayal being overtaken by his honesty. Kashi smiled at him her chin raised and eyes gleaming.