Next, they marched them through a tent full of thousands of bolts of silk. Vikram strained against his manacled wrists to touch them. There were silks crafted of apple blossoms and a golden net of whirring honeybees, bolts of river water where fish bones drifted through the waves and threads of birdsong hanging in the corner. Thevanarashaggled viciously over a cloth sewn of shadows.
“I’ll give you the shadow cloth and throw in a cursed brooch if you’ll give me the handsome human boy,” smiled a thin young woman with needles for teeth.
Vikram froze.
“Do I want a brooch?” asked the yellowvanarato the gray one.
Please say no.…
“You do not want a brooch.”
Vikram sagged against the chains, relieved. The woman shrugged and handed over the cloth. As they walked away from the tent, they crossed a booth of strange-looking weapons carved from crystal. Gauri tensed. When thevanaraspulled them, she sucked in her cheeks, feet planted. Was she going to try to topple into a table of weapons? He watched her expression narrow. Yes, Yes, she was.
The moment she sprang up, thevanarain front of them snapped his fingers. Gauri froze in midair.
“Bad beast,” he snarled, yanking her out of the air and pulling her chains until she stood upright. “Walk. Or I’ll cut off your feet.”
She walked.
Last, thevanarasdragged them to a platform in the night section of the Night Bazaar. Twelve women stood on the dais. Blue stars shone on their throats, and impossibly bright flowers covered the stage. One by one they withdrew their veils. The twelve women were so beautiful that every single person in the audience sighed. Even Gauri raised a disbelieving eyebrow. The women looked like temple carvings, distant and perfect. Some had the silky complexion of burnished gold. Some had skin the deep blue of a peacock’s throat, and some had no skin at all butscales.The only thing the women shared was the blue imprint of a star at their throats. Gauri’s eyes widened. Vikram stared at them… a word danced at the tip of his thoughts. Something that made him step away from the women. Gauri drew in a sharp breath.
“Vishakanyas,” she whispered.
That was the word he remembered. Vikram shuddered. Most of Ujijain treated them as rumor, but his father had told him that his uncle had been felled by the touch of a poisonous courtesan. She had been sent as a gift by an enemy kingdom. One day later, the uncle was dead and the courtesan had disappeared. A single touch would kill a man.
“You recognize them?” asked the yellowvanara, impressed.“That makes sense that you would recognize your own. They started out human.”
Gauri looked horrified. “They used to behuman? Do those women even want to bevishakanyas?”
Vikram stared at Gauri. Most of Ujijain’s court treated women like fashionable baubles, easily traded and replaced. His mother, a former palace singer, had been one of those discarded fashions. The moment the court discovered she was with child, she was sent away. He’d known only a few royals who considered the lives of those outside their courts.
Gauri opened her mouth to speak, but the shrieking cheers of the audience drowned out her words. Avishakanyahad selected someone from the crowd. A handsome musician ascended the platform and sat before her.
“Are they going to kill him?” asked Vikram.
“They can’t killus,” said thevanara.He nodded at them. “Well, you, certainly. And her. There is no better food to avishakanyathan human desires. And don’t look at me like that, rude girl. You won’t meet your end with them. We’d rather save the pleasure of killing you for ourselves.”
“Then why did you bring us here?” she spat.
“To witness their last performance!” shouted the othervanara.“Tomorrow they will disappear for the Tournament of Wishes—”
Vikram’s expression brightened. What if they could follow the courtesans to Alaka? But his expression must have given something away because the yellowvanarastarted laughing.
“You’re not the only man who wishes to be spirited away with them, boy. But you cannot fool their magic into taking you.”
Gauri raised her head sharply, her gaze flying to Vikram. His gut twisted. Poisonous courtesans would be at the Tournament?
“While they’re away, no one will be able to send them to the human realm and end the life of a foul or unpleasant king, and that means no demonstrations,” sighed the yellowvanara.“No pleasure.”
On the stage, thevishakanyasang and stroked the musician’s neck.
“Thisis why we will miss them when they go,” whispered thevanara.
At her touch, a strange whorl of smoke appeared in front of the musician. It took life and shape from thevishakanya’s touches and whispers, becoming a man made of smoke. The smoke being beckoned to the musician, and his face constricted in want. The moment thevishakanyalifted her hand, the smoke being vanished. The musician stood up, a thin line of blood dribbling from his lips. He wiped it away and stared at thevishakanyahungrily. Like an addict. Violent applause burst through the crowd. Vikram’s stomach turned.
The yellowvanaraturned to them, his pupils dilated to the point where they had nearly eaten away the whites of his eyes.
“You sees?” he asked. “They can show you what you want the most. You can drown in it.”
