Some of the courtiers in Bharata used to tie their wives’ hair around their wrists when they traveled. It was a sign of love and faith. To remain connected to the person you love, even if it was just by a circlet of hair.
“May I?” asked Amar.
I nodded. With a small knife, Amar deftly clipped a number of strands. Quickly, he twirled them into a bracelet and slipped it onto his wrist. There was another bracelet on his hand that I had not noticed until now. A simple strap of black leather tied into an elegant knot.
“Thank you for this,” he said, pulling his sleeve over the other strap.
“It’s nothing,” I said, trying for lightness.
“And yet I would trade everything for it,” he said. There was no tease in his voice. Nothing but a strange straightforwardness, like he’d never said anything more honest in his entire life.
“Then you must be relieved I gave it willingly.”
“Astounded,” he murmured, still tracing the circlet. He looked at me and something light fluttered in my stomach. “Not relieved. Relief is when you want something to stop.”
A small light floated between us, only to vanish in an instant.
“What are those?”
Amar followed my gaze. “Wishes.”
My eyes widened. “Theygrantwishes?”
“Sadly, no. They’re wishes already made.”
“Of what?”
“Or who?” countered Amar.
“Is this another secret the moon keeps from me?”
“No,” said Amar with a grin. “It is a secret thatIchoose to keep from you.”
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“Because then this would lose all its fun.”
I rolled my eyes and turned away from him when he caught me around the wrist.
“Don’t you want to know what I wished for?” he said, his breath against my neck.
“No,” I said, but my gaze was fixed on all the blinking lights. There were so many. And why did he sayor who?when it came to his wishes?
“I can’t stand deception.”
“Then stop flattering yourself.”
He laughed and released me. “I’ll tell you what I wished for if you give me a kiss.”
I turned to face him. “Even if I did, you might lie. There’s no way to prove that you wished for what you said you did.”
He smiled. “Clever as ever.”
“Or unwilling to kiss you.”
“Another lie,” he said, grinning.
Amar reached into the air and a handful of lights danced on his palms. “Kiss me and you’ll know I’m telling the truth.”
