Fury rose inside me. “And if I don’t agree, you’ll poison an entire village and let my future die alongside them?”
“Do you doubt it?”
“Don’t you care?”
He didn’t hesitate: “No. Caring will make you careless. Caring always ends in a cut throat. So no. I don’t care if they die. I care about my palace. I care about staying on my throne. I care about living.”
“You cannot break me with a tale, brother.”
“You’re happy, aren’t you? You’re loved. You love others. I think people are convinced that if you asked the sun not to rise, it would stand down for you. But there’s only one story that people like better than a rise to fame—a fall from grace. And I can make it swift. And I can take all this away. You see, a story is not just a thing told to a child before sleep. A story is control.”
I never forgot his threat. After that, I was careful not to give anyone power over me. And for the next three years, I played my brother’s political games.
Outside, the sky looked wounded. Gashes of crimson ripped apart the night. Soon, thevanaraswould come. I had a choice. My life could end either way. If I ate the fruit and we escaped, what then? Trusting magic was like trying to harness a thunderstorm. But I couldn’t hide out in the Otherworld for a month knowing Nalini could die any day. I set my jaw. If I survived the fruit, I would fight in this Tournament. I would treat magic the way it should be treated: not like a gift, but a weapon. Something to be wielded with wariness. Not wonder.
“Vetala,” I called, whispering so that Vikram would not hear. “What will I become if I eat the fruit?”
The creature grinned and swayed. “Nothing but yourself, maiden. Nothing but your very self. What is more frightening than our deepest, darkest selves?”
Footsteps clattered on the stone. I bit down on my cheeks, steadying myself. I would either die by my hand or by theirs. And I would not let that be decided for me. The fruit sang, juice spilling down my palm. I walked to Vikram and kicked his foot.
“What?” he bit out. Red ringed his eyes.
“I need you to distract them.”
He sat up. “And after that?”
I took a deep breath. “If we survive, I’ll… I’ll be your partner in the Tournament.”
“And you won’t make any more attempts on my life?”
“Let’s not be rash.”
He grinned. “I’ll take it.”
“If I—” I hesitated. “If I cannot seem to regain myself. Don’t let me live—”
“What would you wish for right now?” asked Vikram, cutting me off.
Fists beat the door.
It was nearly time.
He stood up, blocking out the light and throwing his face into darkness. He bent down to my ear, his voice low and urgent: “I know you’re scared of losing yourself but think only of what you want. Sometimes that’s all it takes to keep us from losing sight of ourselves.
“So tell me, Gauri,” he said. “What would you wish for?”
I thought of Nalini trapped in her cell. Of Skanda sitting on his throne and seeping lies.
“Freedom,” I breathed. “I’d wish for freedom.”
His brow furrowed. As if he had expected any answer but that one. The door clanged open. Screeching iron drowned out the stillness.
“Timesies has come!” squealed the yellowvanara.“Hoppity trot, fruit stealers. Time for your beheading.”
Thevetalayawned and unfurled his tattered parchment wings. “I’ll be the one languishing in the corner should you decide to live.”
“Distract them. When the time comes, I’ll break down the walls. We’ll get thevetala.We’ll escape.”
