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

38.2. The Final Bargain

Something was burning at the corner, flames crackling as though a heavily lit fireplace. It was the Thribhuvan portrait, brutally smashed and torn and burning on the ground. Sparks sizzled. And there he was- Pruthvi-sitting on the throne, staring at the burning portrait and face lit with sort of a triumphant smile that wasn't even Pruthvi's. Without the glasses, his blue eyes seemed to glow brilliantly in the light from the fire.

And Shaatrumani was dangling down his neck, not to mention he was proudly displaying it.

Celina made several soft, barely audible sniffling sounds and I suspected that she was crying. Having our hands clenched, and fingers interlaced, Celina and I walked further inside. 

Shashi's eyes averted. "About time," he said, sitting straight and cautious. Then my eyes suddenly trailed to a patch of smeared blood upon the mouth, chin, and cheeks.

Breathe caught in my throat and I stood rooted to the ground, squinting. From the position where I stood, I saw her prone body laying behind the throne, facing the opposite side. She hadn't moved in many minutes. Pretending to be unconscious, perhaps. I wanted to believe in anything otherwise though, no matter how rare it was for a person to survive swimming in a lake of their own blood. And I thought I'd spotted some pieces of her torn saree and spilled guts, but my vision blurred with mist, and thoughts began to clash. I shuddered, my entire body retching in the pain of my head and my skull.

"Is that your aunt?" Celina gasped.

No word came out of my mouth. I couldn't speak. My mind wandered over a horrific image of my friend Pruthvi sucking the blood off my aunt and ripping her guts apart.

"This wasn't what we talked about," Shashi said, as he took a few steps closer. His eyes pointedly looking at Celina.

"You talked," I said, violently shaking myself out of a stupor. "I just listened. That doesn't mean I obeyed."

Shashi cocked his head. "You've decided to kill me then. You're killing your friend."

I blinked, feeling dazed and desperately trying to drag my eyes away from my aunt's still form and the sinister-looking blood pool. Shashi's blue eyes shone with remarkable vehemence and ruthlessness, which raked my nerves and made me internally delirious. I wanted to gauge those eyes out and feed them to my Constellia raw. "No," I said, staying externally calm. "Not unless you and I come to a compromise. We can swear allegiance to each other and make some arrangements that shall benefit both of us."

He laughed. A laughter full of mirth reminded me of the time when Pruthvi held his son in his hand. "Look at you, your aunt is lying dead there and here you are politicking your brains out."

"I'm a King, Shashi. Politicking is a part of my job. Besides, I should not carry my emotion up my sleeves, right?"

He scoffed and glanced back at my aunt. "I'm turning down your plea bargain, Hayden. But I want to see what sort of compromise you've come up with. What are you even left with to bargain?"

"Myself," I replied unhesitatingly, brazenly, and a bit tiredly as if wanting to get it over with.

Shashi paused. The air of seriousness around him intensified. Celina hung her head down and let go of my hand as a gesture that spoke of the tremendous pain my decision had been giving her.

"You've been a foolish man, Shashi," I continued, taking a step forward. "Thirty years ago, you had a glorious chance to take my grandfather's body and rule the dynasty, but you went for his knight instead. You were given a second chance to shift and you must have chosen me, but you chose my friend. Of course, you thought you'll hurt me and Nazira the same, but perhaps you must work on your priorities. But never mind, it's never too late for nothing. I'm standing here in front of you to give myself to you. Take me, and leave my friend alone. I'm ready for the truce. Just say the word and we rule the dynasty together."