Page 10 of The Legend of Meneka
“Meneka,” I breathe. “M-My name is Meneka.”
The sound of my terrified voice gives him pause. “And what are you doing here,Meneka?”
“I—I—” Nothing occurs to me. No lie, no excuse, nothing. I desperately realize how ill prepared I am. Even Rambha was unable to tell me anything helpful about this mark. I hoped to learn of him before approaching him, but I never expected to stumble into him moments after arriving in the mortal realm. His face grows more suspicious with my silence, and panicked, I blurt out the truth.
“I—I came to find Sage Kaushika,” I say.
“Why?” he snaps.
“To—to—”
Abruptly, anger overtakes my terror. If these are to be my last moments before he kills me, why should I act guilty?Heis the evil one. Kaushika looks as arrogant as I thought him to be—cruel, dictatorial, despicable. Mortals who challenge Indra are the reason I have to return to this dismal realm time and again. If they did not seek to rise above their station, I wouldn’t be sent on missions like this. Power is all they care about, and I am tired of being a pawn in these games. I forget the sheer danger Kaushika poses, the challenge he presents. A raw impulse streaks through me, honest and foolish. My back straightens and I cross my arms over my chest.
My voice is cold. “My business is my own.”
“Is it?Iam Kaushika. Now. Why do you seek me?”
I step back and press my hands together, feigning surprise at the revelation of his identity. I have bought enough time to recover mywits. I remember everything I heard about this man in Tara’s country and incline my head warily.
“Forgive me,” I say, injecting contriteness into my tone. “I did not mean to anger you. I am here to learn from you, Sage. I have heard rumors of your powers. Of a hermitage where you teach those who come to you.”
“I only teach those who have magic in them. Do you?”
Not all mortals can do magic, of course, but it isn’t uncommon either, especially for those who have inherited some power from their past lives, or through their lineage, or through rigorous meditation. The magic I can perform is deeply different from mortal magic, but that is not what he is asking.
“Yes,” I say, searching for my tether to Amaravati as I speak the word.
Kaushika stares at me silently. His lips part, and a chant emerges from him, deep and somber. A ripple goes through me at his voice, and my bond to Amaravati flares as though Indra himself is standing before me. My eyes widen, but the feeling is already subsiding. Kaushika still looks suspicious, but before I can ask for an explanation, he offers one himself.
“You are strong in magic, but the rumors are wrong. I cannot help you. Leave.”
“No—please. You cannot send me away, not when—not when there are wild creatures within the forest.”
His face is unreadable. “There are no creatures. That was a conjuring. The forest is warded. You can leave and you will be safe. Find someone else to train you.”
I blink. So that was the purpose of the mantra I heard. It must have been placed here by him, to terrify intruders. Did my sisters walk into this as well? He is already turning away, but Rambha’s face flashes in my mind.
“Don’t send me away,” I say. “Please. I’m doing this for my family—for the people I love.”
The words are true, hurled out of desperation, and they make him stop. He studies me, intrigued. “What do you mean?”
I remember Tara’s kingdom, where I first heard of this man. Swiftly, a story forms. “I belong to a noble house within the nation of Pallava,” I say. “My country is in peril, our queen acting irrationally. I know my magic can help my people, but I must learn of it first. Rumors of your power came to my country, and so I am here—but please, you cannot send me away to be useless.”
Still, he doesn’t reply, though I can see the indecision on his face.
My mouth feels dry. His hesitation indicates he has experience with a conflicted past. Kaushika comes from a royal family, yet none of Indra’s spies learned which kingdom he hails from. After all, there are thousands of countries in the mortal realm, with royals and nobles and younger children who routinely leave to find their destinies. Even though swarga keeps track of particularly powerful kings and queens, the mortal realm is always restless and moving. There is only so much that is worth remembering.
Did Kaushika leave his home of his own accord, or was he made to leave? Either way, my story about helping my kingdom has given him pause, and I have already learned something about him. I push my advantage in one final move.
“You areSageKaushika,” I say softly. “All sages have a duty, to teach those who come to them wanting to learn. Or were my teachers wrong?”
His eyebrows rise at that, a sardonic look entering his features. “A sage chooses his own students. Those who are worthy. Those who are pure of heart. Are you?”
I lift my chin, not answering, but it is obvious in my expression.Find out.
A tilted smile forms on his face. He cocks his head, considering me. “Very well,” he says. “But be warned. Training is hard. Few people have the discipline for the asceticism I require. Even fewer have the purity of heart to know themselves, which I need.”
Saying no more, he strides away. My teeth worry at my lip as the darkness deepens. Fireflies blink in the distance, pinpricks of golden beauty that remind me of home. I stare at Kaushika’s retreating back, this man whose seduction will take forms I cannot know. Anger pounds through me at how I have debased myself already by begging to enter his hermitage. At how arrogant he is, challenging my lord. Rambha is right; he is not like other marks. There will be no guilt in seducing him. As for the danger … my identity is still hidden for now. Although he can sense my magic, he is unable to tell it is celestial. As long as I never create an illusion in front of him, I am safe. Right?
