guards and an excited Lanying, I roam the darkened streets of Lhasa again. The two men lead the way, surprising me again with their swift, agile movements while their frames are so stocky and broad. As it turns out, Lanying ordered her men to follow the ngakpa’s wife ever since we parted, reporting on her every step and breath.
“I can’t believe they stayed in town all this time,” she says. “The fools.” She hisses and points at an inconspicuous house at the end of the street. “There, in the back.”
Every muscle in my body tenses. My eyes shoot ahead, and the wiry shadows of my company lengthen as they’ve already turned the corner. Focus. I slow my breath to order my erratic thoughts.
The bitter midnight air bites at the edges of my nostrils. A gush of arid wind grates the tip of my nose. I pull my hood and clench my hands, my palms slippery with fear. Courage, my child. Palmo’s voice resounds in my head, so steady and clear. Courage. If only I knew how.
Lanying’s head appears around the corner. A pitched whistle calls me on.
“They’re here,” she says. “But they’re not alone.”
I skid next to her, my back slams against the roughened wall.
Her chin points at a raised window above us, and I turn on my toes. It’s too high, but I don’t need to look. I cringe as I recognize the low vibration in the muffled voices coming through—it’s Sonam; he’s already here.
My eyes fly from Lanying to her men and back. She nods, her eyes squinted into the crescents of a dark indigo moon.
“Karma’s there too.” She draws a sharp breath. “Didn’t count on that.” Her hand clenches under her silken coat, and my eyes widen with fear.
“You’re not seriously thinking...” I flinch as she bares her teeth.
“No use. We’ll have to outsmart them.” Her eyes dart up to the window, then to her men, standing ready at the door. On her curt nod, they position themselves next to us, their faces staunch, their hands resting on their long knives. She barks at them in short, tense whispers, their heads unmoving in sync.
“Hmmm.” She turns on her heels. “This is what we’ll do.” Her hand tugs at my lapel. “You go in and sweet-talk them, a heartfelt plea to let your uncle go.” I frown, but she flicks her finger at my cheek. “I know you can.” Her eyes flash to her men. “And act as if you came alone.”
She draws me in, her hand behind my neck, and her lips breath a certain danger in my ear. “Now listen up. Get Karma as far away from your uncle as you can, and make sure you’ll stand between them at all times—I don’t care about that snake.” Her hand slides down my collar, tugging again at my lapel.
“My men will snatch your uncle and take him away as soon as there’s a chance. Sonam won’t be a problem, and if so, I’ll deal with him myself.” She releases my coat from her grip, but her stare won’t let me go. “Just make sure you keep yourself close to Karma, for he won’t put your life on the line. That’s for sure.”
My mind went silent as soon as Lanying started talking, absorbing every word from her mouth.
“This is crazy,” I say, and my thoughts spin, envisioning the worst outcomes possible. I clench my elbows in a desperate attempt to stop myself from shaking.
“You can do this.” Lanying’s fingers dig into my shoulders. “We’ll be fast, in and out.”
At her sign, the two men set themselves beside the door and fix their eyes on me.
“I can’t,” I say, but as if entranced, I drift towards the door. My hands shake as I put my hand on the iron hinge. I slam my shoulder in the door and my knees sag.
With a jolt, my limp body tumbles in, and I scramble from falling. For a moment, all time suspends in a frightening silence as I raise myself and stare into the bulging eyes of Tennah, my uncle.
“Nordun!” Sonam’s voice roars in my ears. “What the hell…?”
A resolute hand seizes my belt from behind. I turn and shrink away.
It’s Karma pulling me in.
“I told you to stay put.” His eyes seethe an unnatural calm and his nostrils flare in anger. “You…” He hesitates, and I take my chance, my mind running at full speed.
I tear myself away and fling myself between him and Sonam, who’s tied my uncle with rope.
“Please!” My desperate cry fills the room. In one glance I assess the situation.
Sonam and Uncle are next to the fire, and I’m facing Karma with my back turned to them. Khandro’s squished into a corner. Where is it?
My eyes fling around the room, searching, and settle on the table. There it is—the pouch with the spell.
Khandro must have followed my darting gaze, as she leaps over to the table, her hands extended in an anxious grasp.
My eyes widen as Karma draws his knife and turns towards her, a whirl as swift as the wind. Panic soars through my body, and I duck under his arm to the table. I snatch the bag as the blade slashes into the table, drawing splinters as it’s raised up again.
Clutching the pouch against my chest, I thrust myself back at Tennah and heave as Karma draws in his knife.
“No, please.” My voice resounds a raspy prayer now, and my knees give in under Karma’s restrained stare. My mind bolts in desperation as his fist clenches the sword handle tight. Bang! The heavy door blasts open, Lanying’s men storm in, and the chaos is complete.
With Karma and Sonam drawing their knives to attack, Khando squirms her way past me. She lashes out. Her fingernails claw and tear the pouch right out of my hands. A crimson red flashes before me. She’s drawn my blood.
I wince, and the bag rips. A thin piece of parchment slips out among the commotion.
She shrieks and her frame dives for the paper. My bloody fingers snag the page before her eyes and crumple it into a wad. I topple back, and my head hits the hardwood–but I crawl up before she throws herself at me again. The spell. There’s no time, there’s no choice. With one decisive throw, I sling the paper into the hungry fire.
The instant the inked wad hits the flickering flames, a blaze erupts with a violent crash. Blistering tongues of red-hot smolder lick up to the ceiling, and the putrid stench of decay surges through the room. A loud rumble roars from the blaze, and I stumble back.
There, amid the flames of smoke and smudge, a giant serpent roars its monstrous head.
My body freezes, and horror floods my mind. It’s back! The snake, the demonic apparition that visited me so many moons ago, is back. A wave of nausea hits me as the serpent rocks back and forth.
Its fiery eyes seize me, and with a terrifying hiss, he rises, ready to strike. Om Tara!
“Sister!” A shriek pierces my ears, and a flash of silver strikes from the corners of my eyes. I dive to the ground, and my mouth fills with the taste of steel. I come up for air, my hands slithering on the splintering floor.
A bloodcurdling growl thunders from the blazing bellows of hell as Lanying’s sword slashes through the mighty viper’s coiling neck, striking its head off in one clean cut.
With a harrowing howl, the serpent comes crashing down, shreds of foul reeking gore surge through the billowing air, and columns of deep, ashen black whorl from the fire. Within the blink of an eye the entire room’s ablaze from the floor to the ceiling; a burning barrage of scorching splinters and blackened soot comes pouring down.
I scramble up within the thick veil of smoked heat, tears streaming my face, and throw my hands over my head. My mind on edge, I bolt for the door, but an anguished wail stops me in my tracks. I turn.
There, right behind me, writhing like a maniac across the floor, is Tennah, his twisted body engulfed in a frenzied orange flare.
In one strike, I haul the small knife from under my coat and tear the rope. His smoldering limbs drop limp to the ground. His twisted, blackened face wheezes for air. Another surge of my knife rips through the front of my coat. I tear off the stiffened silk to smother the flames.
“Here!” A heavy blanket flies through the air. “Roll him in.” Lanying lands beside me, and our rapid hands wrap the wool tight.
“He’s too heavy!” Lanying yanks the rolled blanket but falls to her knees. Her face flings to the ceiling. A loud cry echoes through the smoke.
I wipe the grime off my stinging eyelids, and her guard rises out of the thick smolder from behind. In less than no time, he flips the wrapped body over his broad shoulder and shoots away.
“Come on!” Laying’s hands grab my arm and drag me along.
We’re not going to make it! My mind screams as burning beams crash from the ceiling, and a rumble of ashen soot and fuming rubble comes plummeting down.
A violent draft surges from the affront, propelling me straight back to the ground. With a last desperate push, I scram for the door, my feet thrashing the crumbling lumber.
“Sister!” A powerful arm scoops around my waist and lifts me up to the light. Together we tumble out of the blazing fire, into the dark streets of Lhasa.
A huge hand extends, and I clutch it to scribble up, my mind dazed, my body shattered to the bone. It’s Lanying’s man—he’s seized me from the fire. I heave and gag. A warm gush of blood splatters in front of his feet. Cold sweat breaks on my face and I falter, sinking down, falling further, my head light, my body a dead weight.
“Come!” The guard bends his wide back and throws me over his shoulder, his hands bury deep into my thighs. My vision blurs, and all commotion fades as he speeds off, carrying me on his back. There’s only the smallest of voice remaining, ringing in my ears—Courage, my child, you must have courage—for it never left me since it was said.