He notched his chin a little higher. “This is just a form. In the older tales, a god made himself an enchantress just to trick a horde of demons. And the most famous warrior of the age became a eunuch for a year.Ican have the form of avishakanyafor a night to win a wish.”
I clapped. He bowed. And we headed down to thevishakanyas’ tent. Before we reached the entrance, I pulled him to one side.
“What is it?”
“Assuming we get inside, you need to be prepared for a fight.” I hiked up the dress.Vikram colored and immediately turned away.
“What are you doing?” he hissed.
I unhooked one of my thigh straps and handed it to him along with the small knife I had tucked inside it earlier.
“Where do I put this?” he muttered, patting his rather generous-looking hips.
“A realvishakanyawouldn’t need one at all. Remember? Conceal it.”
Groaning, he reluctantly strapped the knife to his ankle.
At the entrance of the tent, I gathered my courage. The line of people stared at us longingly. I hated being stared at like this, as if I were just a means of satisfying someone. Vikram looked indignant and folded his arms over his chest. The beast swung its head around:
“NO TRESPASSER—” it started, and then stopped, tilting its head.
Here goes.
“Since when am I a trespasser?” I demanded, sneering.
The shadow tiger shrank back, lifting its paw. “I did not—”
I raised a dismissive hand. “In what universe do you imagine that I am interested in recitations of your deficiencies?”
The beast’s brow furrowed; its ears lay flat against its skull. “I did not mean to make a mistake.”
Vikram—who had not lost his deep voice—wisely decided to keep his mouth shut and settled for a fierce glare.
“And I did not mean to find myself interrogated.Move aside.”
My heart was beating violently. One false move, and the charade would be ruined.
“My apologies,” said the creature and stepped aside.
I murmured a quick prayer before lifting the gossamer veils and entering the warm dark of the tent. No lamps illuminated the interior, but small lights were sewn into the silk, winking like hesitant stars. Incense painted the air with bright notes of sandalwood and orange blossom. Something reflective covered every surface that wasn’t already occupied by one of the Otherworldly patrons. We stepped inside carefully, searching around the corner for any sign of avishakanya.Vikram went on his tiptoes to whisper in my ear:
“Just because we look likevishakanyasdoes not mean we are one. If they touch us, we die.”
I patted my thigh where the other knife was securely strapped. The tops of Vikram’s ears turned red.
“I haven’t forgotten,” I whispered back.
We moved quickly down the hall, scanning for any sign of Kubera’s key or a ruby. But so far there was nothing. Unease prickled in the back of my head. If this wasn’t the right place, then we had to get out fast. There was no telling how long the effects of the Feast of Transformation would last. At least a dozen patrons sat inside, their heads tipped back to stare at their desires twisting in the mirrors above them. I followed the structure of the mirrors overhead. They were all linked, held up by some kind of net.
Another hall, concealed from the patrons and courtesans, forked from the entrance. I stepped inside first, listening for any impatient footfalls or rasping breaths. Nothing. I scanned the walls. A mirror hovered above me.
For the second time that day, the mirror didn’t reflect me. But it didn’t show the glamour I wore either. The mirror showed my heart.Bharata.I saw a pewter sky blanketing the watchtowers, salt stacked in perfect wheels in the merchants’ quarter, bonfires spraying ruby splinters into the air. I saw my people dancing, cheeks ruddy from laughing. I saw legends hanging off the trees like fruit, ripe for the taking and devouring, ready to be shared among friends and family. I saw every reason to return home.
My eyelids drooped. Maybe if I closed my eyes, the images in the mirror would shatter and become a reality—
“Gauri!” hissed Vikram.
My eyes flew open. I tried to move forward, but I couldn’t. Fine silken ropes had fallen from the mirror and worked their way around my arms and legs, pinning me in place. Vikram, too, was trapped. Anyone with a foul sense of humor and a sharp knife could walk through the hall and kill us where we stood. It was only by sheer luck that the hallway was abandoned.
