Heart of Night and Fire by Nisha J. Tuli EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: Nisha J. Tuli
- Language: English
- Genre: Asian Myth & Legend
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
Zarya always hunted the demons at twilight. They were at their weakest
when the sun was sinking over the horizon, in that nebulous shift between
night and day. For years, they had been spreading their taint along the
southern coast of Rahajhan, ravaging everything in their path.
The naga spent their days cowering in the murky depths of the swamps
where she now found herself crouched. She knew how to draw them out as
the last of the sun’s power faded away.
Starlight. For reasons she’d never understood, her magic called the naga
from their lairs, dragging them to the surface.
Zarya lifted a hand towards the scattering of pale stars and pulled down
glowing tendrils of light, twisting them between her fingers where they
twirled like smoke caught in a breeze.
From her position low on the ground, she unfurled the ball of tangled
ribbons across the swamp’s oily surface. They sparkled in the waning light.
A river of brilliance against the gloom. In her free hand, she gripped the hilt
of her long, curved talwar and waited.
It never took long. The naga were greedy, monstrous things.
The surface of the water lay as still as glass. Except for a soft breeze
rustling the blackened trees, the swamp was silent. The birds, the insects,
and the animals that once called this forest home had all fled this oppressive
bleakness long ago.
Zarya’s stomach churned with anticipation as she remained focused on
the water. Even the slightest error could mean her undoing. She shuddered
at the idea of being towed to the bottom of the swamp, choking out her last
stuttered breaths where no one could save her.
A moment later, a gurgle bubbled up from the surface, morphing into a
squeal that tore through the silence. In a cascade of mud, an eyeless head
burst from the pool. Translucent white skin stretched over the skull of a
serpent-like monster, its jaws spreading wide. Rows of needle-sharp teeth
snapped before it lunged, but Zarya was ready.
Swinging her talwar in a smooth arc, she sliced cleanly through the
naga’s neck in a practiced maneuver. Its head landed with a meaty squelch
at her feet while its thick body slithered back into the sludge. She let out a
deep breath as a tingling rush of adrenaline cooled in her blood.
After pulling out the khanjar tucked in her boot, she set to work,
draining the naga’s venom into a small glass jar. The inky liquid dripped in
slowly as she twisted the knife deeper into its already greying gums.
“Zarya! What are you doing?” came a familiar voice through the trees.
She frowned, her shoulders hunching at the interruption as Aarav’s tall,
slender form emerged through the dark leaves. Ignoring him, she finished
with her work, stashed her khanjar back in her boot, and pocketed the vial
of venom.
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