My words would have to be enough.
After some interminable minutes, Yudhajit nodded. “Very well. You will stay here tonight. And if this was some sort of ruse, I will not be pleased.”
I recognized in his words a threat, and for the first time I wondered whether perhaps Kaushalya had successfully persuaded Shatrugna away from this plan. When the morning came… no. Any punishment for being wrong, any humiliation or pain would be more than worth it so long as there was no massacre. I gave a sharp nod. Against my protests, Yudhajit had me escorted to a small tent at the edge of camp and posted a guard outside.
With nothing else to do, I sat on the cold ground and began my wait.
CHAPTER FORTY
THE HOURS AFTER THE sun set felt like an eternity. I shifted uncomfortably as my body froze, and rose to stretch periodically, massaging out the aches. The camp slowly fell silent, and when I could bear it no longer, I poked my head out of my tent flap. The guard next to my tent had fallen asleep.
The wind pricked gooseflesh along my arms, and a chill of foreboding wormed its way down my spine. I was at the very outskirts of camp, near the forest, and farthest from where Kosala’s armies would attack. The moon was a small sliver in the sky, and I could see barely twenty paces in front of me.
I took a few hesitant steps toward the center of camp, and this time, when the wind blew, it carried the scent of smoke.
No.
I broke into a run, and it seemed that at the same time the camp erupted. Screams and clangs rang out, and then a gout of flame leapt up toward the horizon.
How many eyes had Yudhajit put on the enemy? Men came running out of their tents, and in the confusion, I managed to grab a large discarded spear. It hampered me, making my gait uneven, but I needed something with which to protect my brother.
The flames roared toward me, even as I ran toward them, and my mind took me back to the forest, to Bhandasura. I stumbled a step and then fell, my free hand breaking my fall. I pushed myself back up as men rushed past me, the swarm sweeping me along to the center of camp, where fighting had already broken out. I could not make out who was winning, because smoke billowed around me, stinging my eyes. But I had a sinking feeling that not many of Kosala’s men would be here, actually fighting. Shatrugna had contrived a horrifying plan, but he at least cared for Kosalans, and where there was a fire there was great risk. There were likely only a small number of our Kosalan soldiers here, ones who had volunteered to keep Yudhajit’s men distracted.
I made my way toward my brother’s tent. The guards posted there were gone.
“Yudhajit,” I shouted, coughing against the char of the smoke. “Yudhajit!” I crashed through the flap and stopped short, struggling to catch my breath as I took in the horrifying scene before me.
Shatrugna stood over Yudhajit with a sword in hand. My brother had fallen back on the floor, his own blade just out of reach.
When he saw me, my son’s lips twisted into a snarl. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.
“I—”
“What are you doing here?” He took a threatening step toward me.
“I wanted to—”
“Did someone tell you of our plan?” he shouted. “Did you come here to warn them?”
“I came here to convince Yudhajit to return home!” I lied, slipping into the Binding Plane. As I did, my bond with Yudhajit grew slightly. “To sue for peace. And then I heard screams, and—”
“So you’re a traitor, then.” Shatrugna took another step, and I backed up until I was flush with the tent edge.
“What?” I asked. “I came on behalf of Kosala.”
“You had no right to do that!” Shatrugna said. I recognized the intent in his eyes just as he moved, and I lunged awkwardly out of the way, bracing for the impact of his blade. Instead, there was a muffled thump as Yudhajit tackled him down.
“Run, Kaikeyi,” he shouted, but I could not. I remained rooted to the spot as Shatrugna and Yudhajit grappled. I tried to raise my spear, to prepare a strike, but my arm was leaden, unable to move. How could I strike my own son? Even if I had never known him as well as the others, he was still my child.
Shatrugna rolled on top of Yudhajit, who shouted once again, “Kaikeyi! Run, now!”
Under the dim light, everything looked gray, and in the Binding Plane, our bright blue bond was sparkling. He knew now that I was telling the truth, and he had just saved my life. We were in it together, he and I, once again.
“Get off of him,” I cried to Shatrugna. “He is your uncle. This is not the way you want to fight.”