Star Daughter(69)

“Excuse me, Ms. I’m a Star and Shouldn’t Even Be Here, but some of us have to practice.”

“Look, I’m sorry your puppets are missing, but I didn’t take them. Why do you think I did?”

Priyanka grimaced. “Witnesses saw you leaving my room.”

Luckily for Priyanka, Sheetal couldn’t shoot her flame from her eyes. “That’s a lie. I never went into your room. Ask Minal.”

“Can you be certain? Were you with her every second?” Sachin asked, and of course Minal couldn’t say yes. Sheetal glared at him, really wishing she had built-in starry lasers.

Jeet slunk up next to Priyanka. Dark shadows circled his eyes. He ran a hand through his mop of curly hair. “I gave you the benefit of the doubt,” he said, agitated, silver light zigzagging over him. It happened so fast, Sheetal almost missed it.

She exchanged a startled glance with Minal. What in the world?

Before she could say anything, Jeet resumed his tirade. “When everyone said it was a cheat for you to be here, I stood up for you. I said it wasn’t your fault who your parents are. But now you’re going around sabotaging people and trying to charm your way into my house?”

Even Leela seemed disturbed. Leela, the only other champion to be kind to Sheetal.

“Bhai, she didn’t do it.” Dev, who’d come up behind Jeet, pulled on his arm, trying to get his attention. “She’s not like that.” But Jeet didn’t even look at him.

“Charm my way into your house?” Sheetal echoed.

One of Jeet’s attendants held up a Ziploc with a few crumbs.

She laughed; she couldn’t help it. “You think because I felt bad for Urjit and gave him a snack, I’m trying to, what, turn him against you?” It was the stupidest thing she’d ever heard. “What’s wrong with all of you?”

“Sheetal,” Minal murmured. “Don’t let them get to you.”

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Priyanka said loudly. “Just like you didn’t steal my marionettes.”

“Jeet, Priyanka, both of you just chill,” Dev said. “You’re way overreacting.”

Sheetal mustered a calm she definitely didn’t feel. Her head still hurt like someone had run it through a food processor, and this was only making it worse. “Look, for the last time, I didn’t steal your stupid puppets, and it’s not like I chose to be here.”

“Really, Sheetal,” Sachin jumped in, “I thought we were all friends here.” He kept glancing at Jeet, then Priyanka, and back at Sheetal, like he couldn’t get enough of the drama.

She wanted to sock him. Her hands were only too happy to play along if she would just let them, so she kept her gaze on Priyanka instead. “I don’t have time for this. You all seem to think I’m out to take you down or whatever, but I don’t even know how any of this works, okay? Lay off already.”

Crap. Her core had kindled, and silver flame was sparking in her palms. She curled her hands into fists, but that wouldn’t control it for long.

Both Minal and Padmini watched in mute trepidation. They’d seen her hands, too. So had all the stars silently watching. Great, another thing for everyone to gossip about.

Sheetal broke out in yet another layer of sweat. This was ridiculous. She hadn’t even done anything.

“How about we all just calm down, maybe have a drink?” Dev suggested. He nudged Jeet, who’d bent over. “Hey, man, you okay? You’re burning up.”

Jeet grunted. “Not feeling so hot.”

Sachin rushed to his side. “Let’s get you back to your room,” he said. Dev nodded, looking back once at Sheetal before helping Jeet upright. His dark eyes were sad as they traced her face.

Sheetal’s heart snagged on that look, so she didn’t notice Priyanka inching closer until Priyanka purposely bumped into her, knocking her against Padmini. “You better get my marionettes back to me while you still can, cheater.”

Smirks. Taunting. That nasty feeling of being on the outside and defenseless. Had Sheetal blundered back into high school?

She flared, her radiance blinding. Everyone flinched, even the other stars, and somebody yelped. It might have been Sachin; she couldn’t tell for sure. “I didn’t take your stupid marionettes!”

Even Priyanka stepped back, eyes wide, before she glared again. “Cheater,” she repeated. “What are you even doing here?”

Sheetal wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the pinpricks of electricity crackling through her body. It felt like the flame at her core had hardened into lightning and was electrocuting her from the inside out.

She’d just made Priyanka’s point for her. Way to go, Sheetal.

Minal took hold of her wrist, breaking the current. Sheetal exhaled in relief. Thank the gods for Minal.

“That was rough,” Minal said, hurrying her out the back exit. “How’re you holding up?”

Sheetal wanted to tell her about Charumati, about her plan to stop Nani, about Rati’s offer. About how Dev had ignored her last night. The words got tangled in one another and clogged her throat. “Everything’s happening too fast,” she choked out. “I need to see my dad.”

Minal nodded and took her arm. “I’m coming with you. I’ll wait outside, but— Did you even sleep? You look exhausted.”