He nodded. Neither of us mentioned how all our plans hinged on one thing:
Could I hold on to myself?
“Are you ready?” asked thevanara.
Vikram darted one last look at me. He didn’t look at me with an unspoken farewell in his gaze. He looked at me with understanding. For a moment, I felt as if fire braided the space between us. It was charged and alive, lit by a shared dream: to wish.
A practiced smirk slid into place as he turned to face our captors. The moment he turned, I brought the golden fruit to my lips. My reflection distorted on the metallic rind. I sank my teeth into it, expecting them to cut on the demon fruit. But the rind yielded like silk. A strange taste flooded my mouth—iron and cold.
Like blood and snow.
9
THE BEAST PRINCESS
VIKRAM
The moment he turned, panic dug into his skin.
This was it.
He’d practiced calm before, but nothing like this. Threevanarasstood in the doorway with arrows notched and bows drawn.
“Before you cart us away to certain death, I’d like to hear a recitation of what we’ve done wrong.”
“Read the list of the prisoners’ crimes.”
The yellowvanaracleared his throat. “Taking our fruit!”
The grayvanaranodded. “And?”
“And?” repeated the yellow one, frowning. “What do you meanand? What else did they do?”
Vikram stole one more glance at Gauri. She was hunched over in the shadows of the cell. Swinging her head like an animal, she stared at him. Bright gold juice glistened on her lips and dribbled down her chin. The black of her pupils had spilled out of its rings. She was moving her hands. Trying to tell him something. And then he saw it:
Claws. Claws erupting and curling from her palms. Her thighs were bent strangely. Like haunches. Talons sliced out of her sandals. Gauri was not hunched over because she was in pain. She was crouching because soon she would be a demoness unleashed. Her gaze was livid.
She mouthed a command:
Use me.
“No more of this!” shouted the grayvanara.“You will come with us now—”
“Would your queen take so kindly to this corrupt trial?” said Vikram. “I think she’d be ashamed that this is how you uphold her legacy.”
The yellowvanaramade a hurt and wounded sound before turning to the one beside him. “Would she really, brother?”
Behind him, Gauri pawed the ground. Panic frosted his thoughts. If she turned on them, would he be the first victim? As thevanarasargued, he glanced behind him. Her eyes were the same despite resting in a face that had the tufted ears of a leopard, and strange glittering antlers uncurling from her forehead. She tossed her head, lips pulled back from her teeth as she snarled and mouthed:Use. Me.
Right before his eyes… shegrew.The tunic split down the middle, but it didn’t matter, because gold fur grew where skin once stretched. She stood, taller than a horse, back as broad as a bear’s. And then she roared. Thevetalalaughed even as the rumbling sound shook him from the iron tree and sent him tumbling to the floor.
Thevanarasgasped. “She took it!”
“No—” screamed the gray one.
Vikram turned and grinned.
Too late.
