“What? You thought I’d be some kind of monster?” She softened her words with a grin.
“You did turn a river into a beast. Built something out of nothing.” There was a challenge in his voice, but it wasn’t all unease. He respected her a little, maybe. That was good.
“I did,” she agreed. “But anyone can do harm if they have the right tools. Anyone can be a monster if they have a knife. I just wear mine under my skin. I just… cut differently.” That shecouldcut with a real knife—expertly and cruelly—wasn’t something these men needed to know.
Sima placed a heavy hand on Priya’s shoulder.
“My lady’s had too much to drink,” Sima said, although Priya had drunk nothing. “Ignore her.”
“No, no, she’s making sense,” one of the other liegemen piped up.
“Am I?” Priya said.
“You’re a warrior, like we are.” He waved his wine for emphasis.
Romesh was watching her, wary even through a haze of wine and opium. But he offered her the bottle. She took it from him and drank. She wasn’t going to reject hospitality.
She settled herself more comfortably on the ground. Tucked her feet under her and said, “That’s good stuff. Tell me, do you arm wrestle?”
“Every soldier knows how to arm wrestle.”
“I have some arrack,” said Priya. She didn’t, not anymore, now that everything had burned. But she was sure she could procure some if she needed to. Malini would give her almost anything if she asked. “If I win, it’s yours. If you win, I take a bottle of your wine,” she said, gesturing at the carafes at the soldiers’ feet.
“Arrack’s filthy stuff,” Romesh observed. A murmur of agreement arose from the other men. “I’m not betting good Saketan wine for that.”
“How about hashish?” Priya asked.
He gave her a measuring look. “That,” he said, “I’ll bet somecheapwine for.”
“That’s not a fair deal.”
“Take it or leave it.”
“Fine, fine.” Priya leaned forward, ready to steady her arm against the ground. “A little woman like me, you should be able to beat me left-handed, no problem.” She grinned.
He snorted.
“What shit. I saw you throw half a river onto an army.”
“I didn’t use my arms for that.”
“And how do I know you won’t cheat?”
“You’re going to have to trust my honor,” she said.
“I’ve always thought Ahiranyi have no honor.” His tone was neutral. His eyes still fixed on her own.
This was the kind of challenge she could understand.
“Test mine and we’ll see,” she said.
It wasn’t a fair match. Priya was plenty strong, but Romesh was burlier, and he wasn’t using his injured arm. Still, she put up more of a fight than he’d expected, and by the time he slammed her hand down against the ground and held it there for a strike of three, the other Saketan men had gathered around to watch.
“Hand over my prize, then,” Romesh said, grinning.
“With this arm, after the beating you’ve given me?” Priya rubbed her arm dramatically. “Come find me tomorrow and I’ll give it to you then. Unless you want to wrestle again for the arrack after all…?”
“I don’t think you should,” one man said in a mildly chiding tone. “You’ll get an injury.”
