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Back The Dream Runners
Chapters (53)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. Part Two
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. Part Three
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. Acknowledgments
  50. About the Author
  51. Books by Shveta Thakrar
  52. Back Ad
  53. About the Publisher

She and the spurned night bride might have been the same person, both overflowing with a child’s hope for the impossible. Tanvi wanted to trust Venkat.

Yes, she’d tell him about the memories. About meeting Nitya and needing to keep her safe.

Maybe he would even understand.

Before Tanvi could stop herself, she said, “I need my memories back. All of them.”

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25

“Apprentice!” Madhu’s voice invaded Tanvi’s room like an encroaching army in pursuit of Venkat a second before she marched over the threshold. “What is the meaning of this, playing games when there is work to be done?”

Venkat been so thrown by Tanvi’s pronouncement that he’d accidentally terminated their dream journey to the lake. Of course Madhu had to show up now. Madhu, who never visited the runners’ quarters.

He slapped on his blandest smile and stood. He had to seem composed, like he didn’t care she was obviously checking up on him. Like he wasn’t replaying Tanvi’s plea on loop: I need my memories back.

What memories? Was she remembering her sister? The rest of her family? Even who she’d been?

Tanvi cowered on the floor, her fingers tangled in a lock of her hair. After what she’d shared with him, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to her.

“Just making my rounds with the runners,” he said lightly, pocketing the crystals before Madhu could get a better look at them. “You know, doing my job.”

“Nonsense,” she snapped. “It is your job to support Lord Nayan.” To Tanvi, she added, “You try my patience, runner. I should report you to the lord for inciting the others.”

Inciting the others?

Fear shot across Tanvi’s face, and she rolled into a ball. She’d been so bright and alive in the dream version of the lake. So present.

Venkat’s smile warped like old wood, and it was only his years of practiced diplomacy that kept him from telling Madhu off. “What can I do for you?”

Madhu examined the door to the room from both sides. She was as out of place as a peacock in the drab corridor. “Locks. I see none. Why have they not already been installed?”

“Forgive me, but why would we need locks?”

She turned an expression on him that was both grin and glower. “You mean to say you did not know your own beloved runners have been loose in the palace? And here I thought you were doing your job!” She crooked a finger behind her, the wrinkles in her cheeks deepening with delight. “I found one roaming the archives this very morning and am returning him to you. Bharat, I believe his name is?”

A blank-faced Bharat trotted into the room.

Bharat had done what? It took every ounce of self-control Venkat had not to react. “Thank you for handling the matter,” he said evenly, though he wanted to scream.