eyes but laughed too. “Not bad.”
“Listen, we’re not far now from the royal palace. The stable’s right on the other side of these woods.” Mati pointed. “The safest thing for you to do is to go find Lal and stay by his side. I don’t think Sesha will try anything while you’re with the royal family and competing on live television. He won’t dare.”
“But why were those royal soldiers chasing you?” I didn’t understand everything that was going on here, that was obvious. “I would think we were all on the same side?”
“Things have been pretty confusing since the Raja and Sesha made the deal to work together, and then everybody got caught up in Who Wants to Be a Demon Slayer? fever,” sighed Mati. “Just make sure you make it through the first two challenges—we can’t have you kicked out before you get to the third.”
“What about Naya?” I asked, looking at the girl in the auto rikshaw.
I’d been speaking low enough that I thought she wouldn’t hear, but somehow, she did. “I will stay here with Mati-didi,” said Naya, using the word for elder sister after Mati’s name. “The people are expecting the Princess Demon Slayer, not the Princess Demon Slayer and her friend from school.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, looking doubtfully from Naya to Mati. I don’t know why, but I felt responsible for the goofy girl. I wasn’t 100 percent sure she’d be able to take care of herself.
“I’ll keep an eye on her, don’t worry.” My cousin looked at me, her face troubled. “When you go to the palace, check on my pakkhiraj, will you? With Neel and now me gone …” She let her words trail off.
“Don’t worry, I will.” I gave Mati a quick hug. I noticed that she didn’t ask me to keep an eye on Lal. I knew enough, though, not to ask.
And so, it was settled. I was off to the palace, to fulfill my destiny by becoming the Princess Demon Slayer.
I wanted to see Lal as soon as possible, but I had to make one quick visit first to see some very precious friends.
The royal stables were empty of people and felt strange without the familiar, calm presence of Mati puttering around. But the white pakkhiraj horse, Snowy, sensed me right away. He put his head out of the stall, his eyes sparkling and wings folding and unfolding like he was waiting for me to fly away on his back.
Princess, I missed you. Where’ve you been?
“Hi, boy! How’s the hay?” I stroked Snowy’s nose, and he blew warm breath on my hand. He wiggled his wings a little, like he always did when he was happy. I’d figured out last fall that I could understand pakkhiraj horses, although I still didn’t exactly know why.
That’s when I noticed that Neel’s pakkhiraj horse, Midnight, hadn’t even looked out of his stall. “What’s the matter with him?” I asked Snowy.
Since Neel has been gone, he has been so sad, said the horse, adding, Princess, what is wrong with your hair?
“It’s a long story.” I looked down at my braid and realized the green was spreading. I didn’t want to look at my arm, but I was pretty sure it was spreading there too. I couldn’t let myself think about that right now, so I stuffed my worry into that dark room inside me where I stored stuff like that until I was ready to deal with it.
I peered over Midnight’s stall, but the big black horse kept his head down and toward the corner. It was disturbing to see the big, powerful horse so quiet and mournful. I could see that he had a lot of worry stuffed inside him too.
I tried to reach out to him with my mind, or however this whole thing worked, but all I could sense in there was Snowy’s happiness at seeing me. I eased Midnight’s stall door open and stepped in.
“Hey, boy.” I approached him slowly. But the black horse’s wings stayed folded over his back, and he refused to look over at me. I felt an ache of sadness as well. The last time I’d really seen Midnight, Neel had been riding him.
“Hey, boy,” I said again, my hand held out. I waited like that for a minute, sending calm thoughts toward him with my mind. Then, before I knew what was happening, the big animal took two quick steps over to me. He hooked his head over my shoulder and let out snorts