Chapter 39

39

Jai dove to the side and rolled to his feet. Priya let out a screech of outrage and spun to the door. Mamta kept her focus on him. Jai dodged her magic, but she was getting too close. Hope sprang in his chest when he spotted Dain and Ravi .

Both went straight for Priya , Dain with magic, and Ravi delivering several punches and kicks. From what Jai could see while dodging Mamta , Priya held her own. No one, not even he, saw Yasmin sneak into the room and slam a bowl against Mamta’s head. The old elf crumpled to the floor with a yelp.

Priya turned at the noise. She looked from Mamta to Jai . The fury that filled her eyes promised payback. Behind her, Dain’s spirals of black magic raced toward Priya . She spun at the last moment, dodging the magic that slammed into the wall and sent dust raining down.

Jai started for her when she straightened and threw out her arms, sending magic all around the room. Everyone dodged and evaded. Jai landed on his stomach and rolled in time to see shadows enveloping Priya . Their eyes met. And then she was gone.

“ I’m really beginning to dislike her,” Yasmin said breathlessly, rising from the floor.

Ravi held his shoulder. “ Fuck . That hurt.”

While Yasmin went to see to her lover’s injury, Dain dusted himself off. Jai got to his feet and looked out the door. He knew Priya was long gone, but he looked anyway.

“ The stones are hurting,” Yasmin said as she ran a soothing hand over the wall.

Jai turned to Dain . “ We need to find Arya . There might be time to reach her before the Masters ca?—”

“ They let her go,” Dain said over him.

Jai frowned as he looked at each of them. “ They want her dead. They wouldn’t just let her go.”

“ What if she joined them?” Ravi asked.

Jai shook his head. “ Arya would never do that.”

“ The stones said she did,” Yasmin said.

Jai slid his gaze to Dain . “ Do you think she turned?”

“ I think she’s an excellent agent who will do what she must to stay alive. I don’t want to believe it.”

“ But ?” Jai pushed.

Dain shrugged one shoulder. “ We don’t know what was done to Arya when the stones wouldn’t tell Yasmin where she was.”

“ Mamta there,” Jai said, nodding toward the unconscious elf, “was about to erase my memories of Arya .”

Ravi raked a hand through his hair to get it out of his face. “ Bloody hell. Is that even possible?”

Dain walked to the table and looked at the open book. “ It shouldn’t be.”

“ Priya believed it was possible,” Jai said.

Ravi grunted. “ There’s no telling what was done to Arya then.”

“ I wouldn’t touch that,” Jai said when Dain went to touch the book. “ Priya said Mamta taught her skills. One of which was jumping into shadows as she did with Arya and me. I think it all came from that tome.”

Ravi’s lips twisted. “ This isn’t magic elves have seen before.”

“ Nothing we’ve fought either,” Dain added. “ We need to know what all they can do.”

Yasmin motioned to the book. “ Perhaps we should take that so we can find out.”

The whispers returned the moment Jai looked at the open book. His stomach roiled, and he had to force himself to look away.

“ Agreed . What do we do with her?” Ravi asked about the old elf.

Jai moved away when Mamta opened her eyes and sat up. She laughed and got to her feet, spryer than someone her age should be.

“ You’ve ventured to a part of the fort few dare to enter,” Mamta said as she looked at each of them.

Dain pointed at the book. “ What is this?”

“ Nothing of significance,” she answered blithely.

Jai snorted. “ She’s lying.”

“ Of course, she’s lying,” Ravi said.

Mamta’s yellow eyes narrowed on him. “ You hear them, don’t you?”

“ What is she talking about?” Dain demanded.

Jai couldn’t look away from her. He shook his head. “ I don’t know.”

“ You can lie to the others, but I know the book calls to you,” she said and stepped toward him. “ It has chosen you. That is a great honor.”

Jai forced himself to stand his ground and not retreat as she neared. “ Nay .”

Dain slammed his hand on the table, drawing Mamta’s attention. “ I don’t recognize the writing. What is it?”

“ An ancient dialect you won’t be able to decipher,” she said as she backed up until she reached the wall.

Ravi walked to the table and reached out to touch a page.

“ Nay !” Jai shouted, his hand out as if to yank Ravi’s arm away from across the room.

Ravi stilled and looked at Jai before sliding his gaze to the woman. The Sun Elf dropped his arm to his side as he peered down at a page. He and Dain exchanged a look before Ravi asked Mamta , “ Who taught you to read the text?”

“ It doesn’t matter. I’m the only one who can understand it,” Mamta answered. She cut a look to Jai . “ For now.”

Yasmin quirked a brow. “ So you say. Why should we believe you?”

“ I have nothing to hide. Well , not much, anyway.” Mamta focused on Yasmin . “ A human. But you aren’t just any human. Curious . What are you, child?”

“ Human ,” Yasmin answered.

Mamta grinned. “ Now who’s lying?”

Jai watched Mamta’s hands. She kept them at her sides, but he wasn’t fooled. The elf was powerful, and they would be wise not to underestimate her. “ My guess is the book taught you magic not known by others.”

Mamta laughed. “ You could say that.” The laughter died when she noticed Dain staring at the tome with interest. “ I would heed Jai’s words if I were you, warrior.”

Dain turned his head to her. “ And why is that?”

“ You’re meddling with things you don’t understand.”

Ravi quirked a brow at her. “ Then explain it.”

To Jai’s surprise, Mamta’s gaze returned to him. “ It has chosen.”

“ Chosen what?” Yasmin asked.

Mamta ignored her and continued speaking. “ Listen , and you will hear it.”

“ I don’t want to hear it,” Jai said.

She grinned. “ That isn’t your decision.”

“ What is the book?” Dain demanded again.

Mamta brought her hands together at her waist, her gaze still on Jai . His friends’ voices became distant and muffled while the whispers returned, louder this time. It felt as if they were moving around him. Getting closer, only to move away. He didn’t concentrate on the words. There was something wrong with the book, and he instinctively knew that once he understood the murmured words, he would be irrevocably tied to the tome.

He shook his head. Mamta’s smile widened. She knew what was happening, but he didn’t think she was doing it. Sweat beaded his brow, and his stomach grew queasy. He took a step back. The door was close. All he had to do was walk out.

“ It gets easier to bear,” Mamta said. “ Stop fighting it.”

She spoke softly, but he heard her clearly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yasmin beside him. Her hands were on him, shaking him, but he couldn’t feel her. Ravi was on the other side, snapping his fingers in front of Jai’s face and shouting, but Jai couldn’t hear him. There were only the whispers.

All he wanted to do was leave. Run and forget he’d ever seen the book or Mamta . But something held him there, bound him to the room more securely than the dangling chains. If he didn’t get away, he would be lost forever. He parted his lips to tell the others, but he no longer had control of his voice.

And then he began picking up a word or two from the whispers.

Shock went through him. Mamta started to laugh. His stomach revolted. He fell to his hands and knees and dry heaved. He was drowning. Nay . He was being engulfed and could do nothing about it.

Jai squeezed his eyes closed and shouted to drown out the whispers that were becoming clearer with every word. Then they said Arya’s name.

He went silent and still. His heart jolted. She was here because of him. Because he had been duped. He had to get her out and away before it was too late.

“ Save her,” the whispers said, drawing out the words.

Jai felt hands on him, trying to get him to his feet. He lifted his head and looked at Mamta , who was cackling wildly now. And , suddenly, he knew why. Once the book chose someone, they never left the room. Mamta had been locked away for the gods only knew how long. That would be his doom unless he broke free.

He turned his head to the side and saw Ravi . The Sun Elf was talking, but Jai still couldn’t make out the words. Ravi yanked him to his feet and took him by the shoulders, shaking him violently.

“…have to fucking listen…”

Ravi’s voice went in and out. Jai shook his head when the whispers returned, louder now. He shut his mind to them, refusing to hear what they had to say.

A loud boom of magic suddenly shook the room. It broke whatever held Jai . The whispers vanished, and Mamta quieted. Everyone looked at Dain to find him holding out his hands to his sides, black magic spiraling and swirling menacingly around him. His attention was locked on Mamta . A bolt of magic shot out like lightning and struck near the elder elf, but she didn’t so much as twitch.

“ Get Jai out,” Dain ordered.

Yasmin pulled him toward the door while Ravi was at his heels. They had only taken two steps when the book snapped shut and flew off the table straight at Dain . He turned, lifting his hands to block it, but it went through his magic as if it were nothing. Jai watched in disbelief as the book made contact. Jai felt the book’s satisfaction, its glee.

“ Nay !” Jai shouted and lunged for Dain at the same time the Dark Elf let out a bellow of agony.

The three of them rushed to Dain . Jai kicked the book from Dain’s hands, watching as he writhed on the floor before going still.

“ What the fuck happened?” Ravi asked as they knelt around a now-motionless Dain .

Jai looked at the seemingly innocuous book that now lay on the floor, but he felt its power. Its hold.

“ I warned you that you didn’t know what you were dealing with,” Mamta said.

Jai looked at her. “ What did the book do?”

“ Depends .”

Ravi rose to his feet to tower over her. “ Explain . Now !”

“ Ravi ,” Yasmin said in a soft voice.

Jai followed her gaze to see the book rocking back and forth frantically. “ Back away,” he urged Ravi .

“ You can end all of this,” Mamta said to Jai . “ All you have to do is pick it up. That’s all the book wants.”

Jai shook his head. “ Never .”

“ There’s blood on Dain’s hands,” Yasmin interjected.

Mamta laughed softly. “ That’s bad news for your friend.”

“ Why ? What did the book do?” Jai asked.

“ It took its vengeance,” Mamta replied.

Jai motioned to Ravi as he bent and looped one of Dain’s arms around his neck. Ravi did the same with the other. “ We’re done here.”

“ You don’t know what you’re leaving behind,” Mamta called after them.

But he did. Jai watched the elf and the book as he and Ravi backed out of the room. The moment they were clear, he kicked the door shut.