(Book 6) Hayden Mackay and The Third-Eye of the Pancharatna

10.2. Step over the Game

Naag shook his head. "This is only your hatred towards her speaking."

"I know you wouldn't believe me. I can only advise you to follow her, Naag. Just follow her moves every day and night and you'll know what she's up to." Figure it out for me, Naag. It will make my job infinitely easier. "Well, anyway, for now, let's just talk about Yajna and the consequence it may cause that I don't think you're aware of. Your master is making Parthiva believe that her job as a mother will be fulfilled if Yajna's absolute."

"There's nothing wrong in that."

"That's what she wants you as well to believe. But the truth is Yajna is the most dangerous dark magic ever to be practiced in Paramarashtra. It has the power to create invisible beings. It can make humans and non-humans, living and nonliving, just anything invisible. You understand what I mean, right? The similar beings that we once went on a journey to exterminate? The Great Hunt, we call it now. Remember how cruel they were? How savagely monstrous. The funny part is, they are just like any other beings who walk on earth. They breathe, they consume, they sleep and oh, they procreate."

"I...I don't understand."

"Almourah," she replied, clean and straightforward. "This country cannot afford the wrath of more beasts like him."

The snake slithered around, and Naag put his hand on its hood before it interrupted.

"I'm telling you the truth," Haima urged, keeping her face as innocent as she could. "Almourah is born of magic too. One of those cruel beings is his father."

"You knew this all along?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I regret keeping it a secret for so long. But I am not alone to be blamed, Lady Chandrika knows this too. She has always known the truth, but she refuses to accept it. Even if you go and ask her face, she will only reprimand you, so I suggest you better don't. Trust me Naag, your master did not hunt these beings for the sake of the country, but for her own integrity. For the family name that was tarnished after Endira returned bearing the child of an unknown."

His chest heaved up and down. "I'm finding this hard to believe."

"Even I couldn't believe Lady Chandrika when she decided to invent Yajna and take up the risk of producing more such beings. Perhaps that is why I couldn't divulge this information to anyone..."

"Milady, how can I help you stop Lady Chandrika?"

She smiled sadly, part of the reason for it was to display her sympathetic nerve. Her insides, in contrast, burst with refreshingly new enthusiasm for finding a strategy to play on the Diamond and the Cornelian User. "You have to protect the invisible man in order to prevent the rise of more such beings who could be uncertain. Just provide him with a small space to hide. He is not dangerous I assure you that, but a small hiding place is all he needs. A place where Cornelian User cannot reach him. And what could be a better place than the Parallel Universe? As long as he is alive, our country is safe. You should protect him until I find a way to demolish Yajna myself."

"Will he meet the requirements for entering the Parallel Universe?"

Is he considering my proposal or detecting a flaw in my otherwise perfect plan to hold out on me? "He is a poor powerless ghost, Naag," she said, "with an undefined shape and form. He drifts gently, like a whiff of an air. Don't you worry, I guess he can follow you safely to the Arena on my say?"

Naag bit his lip and quizzically peered aside into the space beside the table.

"I just need your permission to commence," said Haima. "Just allow me to do what I can to keep the invisible being safe. I will work up to the goal and do my utmost to make things work."

Naag remained silent, tapping the head of his snake. Sssss!

Haima sighed. "Right. You are bound by the principles of serving your master. I honestly respect you. And I don't want to put your relationship with Lady Chandrika in jeopardy. So, I'm willing to take more risks. You must tell Lady Chandrika yourself that the invisible being is hiding in the Arena."

Naag gave a dazed look of bewilderment. "Wouldn't that ruin your plan?"

"No. You don't want to be on bad terms with your Master, believe me, I am facing her wrath every day. It's safe to do the right thing, always, and that is to tell her the truth. You can even tell her that I planned to show the invisible being the way to the Parallel Universe. Lady Chandrika herself has sent you here to talk to me, and she is no fool like her son. The moment she receives the news from another source, she will guess that we talked more than you insist to break my friendship with Singh. And before she gets to blame you, you should tell her the truth yourself. Tell her that I did mention something about sending the invisible being into hiding. That will do."

"This may anger Lady Chandrika."

"More than she already is? The least she could do is complaint against me in the Panchayat, put me on a trial, or worse, impeach me for conspiring so much. Oh, I've so made up my mind to let her do the worst. But we must look at the bright side, Yajna will forever be imperfect. Shouldn't that be our main end goal?" And I will never become Parthiva's object of desire, nor Lady Chandrika will ever have her command over the throne...as per the contract.

"But then the location will be revealed," Naag mentioned.

"Oh Naag, you are worrying too much. Have you forgotten? No human can enter the Parallel Universe."

"Yes! Yes!" said Naag. "Unless a miracle happens, that is. This is Paramarashtra. And as far as I know, mages of this country have stretched beyond their limits to attain the unimaginable. They have proved that anything can happen in Paramarashtra. What if this provokes a thought to have humans travel through the Parallel Universe?"

Haima's smile faded, but her confidence in the plan didn't. Only she could travel from one place to another without a need for formal transportation. Only she could make herself available at two places at once. Nobody has been able to perform at the level of her craft yet. "Just like I mentioned, you're worrying too much. This may provoke an idea but none will be able to put it into effect as long as I am alive. Naag, all you have to do is permit me and keep trusting me since I know in my heart that everything is for the best. Also, please be mindful. The game has just begun. So, what do you say? Will you be my partner?"

Ssssssss!

"How many times do I have to tell you? She is not a threat to this country!"

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