The spell took a few minutes. Arjun couldn’t conjure flame from nowhere like Saxony could and so he had to call upon the spirits to grant him the element.

Karam held his hand until the spell took hold, and together they watched the Shores of the Dead burn.

The bodies of Arjun’s Kin were alight in beautiful yellow flame, so close to the gold of their staves. As the fire grew, so did the wind, and Karam could see Arjun focus his powers to mold the breeze. It swirled around the flames until finally the fire diminished and ash circled in the air.

Arjun kept a tight hold on Karam’s hand.

“Go in peace,” he said. “Be with the spirits and with our god, and look down on us in love, knowing we are warm and we are safe.”

“Go in peace,” Karam echoed.

The ashes of the Kin danced together and swept toward the water. They hovered for a moment and Karam knew that Arjun was hesitating.

She squeezed his hand.

“Let them rest,” she said.

Arjun took in a breath and the ashes slowly fell into the sea.

Karam looked into the distance, hoping there would be answers somewhere on the shores. She wanted to think of something perfect to say to him or something perfect to do to take his mind off of everything. She wanted—

Karam paused.

She didn’t see answers, but she could see something on the part of the shore where the forest that had hid them met the sea.

“Are those boats?” she asked.

Arjun turned to follow her stare. “Are what boats? Those floating dots?”

“They’re boats,” Karam said, firmer this time.

She could see the outline of their frames and the way they bobbed on the small carcass of wood they were tied to.

“You’ve got eyes like an eagle,” Arjun said.

Karam didn’t answer, she just ran. She ran over the wet sand so fast that her thighs began to ache and the sound of Arjun calling her name as he chased after her faded, as the wind blew so strongly in her ears.

She ran for miles.

For what felt like an hour.

And then she reached them and she saw that she was right.

There were four rowboats pitched to a small pier that was barely the length of an old oak tree. The wood looked a little rotten, but she couldn’t see any holes in the frames and the oars were still intact.

“Are you training for some kind of athletic competition?” Arjun asked.

He was breathless and when Karam turned to face him, Arjun’s hands were pressed against his knees as he bent over to gulp in the air.

“This is how we get back,” Karam said. “This is how we cross to Rishiya without the railways.”

“They’re boats,” Arjun said, as if Karam hadn’t noticed. “You want to cross to another city in those?”