I pause. “Yes.”
“You hesitated, Adraa. You hesitated.”
“I…”
“You love someone else?”
Kalyan’s face flashes to mind. “No,” I will from my mouth.
Moolek tilts his head. “It’s probably a guard. It always seems to be a guard.” He steps even closer, hands up in surrender. “I wouldn’t touch you, Adraa. Not until you were ready. But as Rani Naupure you would be a wife, not a leader. A family with as much arrogance as that wouldn’t let a woman lead.I would.As Rani Moolek, you could change the world. One-armed Touches are more common there than you know. My lands are the home of the first Touched, the originals, and it’s common for the gods to fight over wizards and witches there.” He pulls up both his sleeves.
What is he…? Then the fabric slips away. I gasp and rock back on my heels at the sight before me. Maharaja Moolek, his arms…He’s a one-armed Touch. His right arm is covered in fine black designs, while his left is bare, a reflection of mine.
“Htrae and Retaw, if you are interested. That’s why my lands face drought. I’m not cruel, Adraa. I’m like you.”
“I never…no one ever told me.”
“It isn’t public knowledge in this part of the world.”
A thousand questions buzz in my head. The panic surges, but Kalyan’s face resurfaces through the muck in my brain. “That doesn’t change my decision.”
Moolek sighs. “I believe you will come to regret rejecting myoffer.”
My body tenses. “Is that a threat?”
“Just the truth.”
Does he think an intimidation tactic like that will change my mind? Will make me want to marry him? He has to be out of his mind. He turns to go, pushing his sleeves back down and walking toward the monal, who still searches for a morning meal. “You are wasted as Maharaja Naupure’s puppet.”
“I’m no one’s puppet!” I yell after him. And I will certainly never be his.
He stops and half turns his head. “Are you sure about that?”
I fall to the ground as soon as he is gone, gasping for breath. What in Wickery was any of that? The truth? Well-rehearsed and rational lies? The desperate need to talk with Kalyan shoots through me like an arrow. Only to properly talk about any of this, I have to tell him who I am, who I really am.
But with Moolek here, proposing, threatening…I need to tell both Kalyan and Jatin the truth right now.
Who first?Kalyan. Definitely Kalyan. He’s the one I’ve been lying to this whole time. Oh Gods, he is going to hate me. I don’t care about Jatin as much, even though I should. All I can imagine is the look in Kalyan’s eyes. Blood, it’s like I’ll be turning him into Jatin, turning him unfeeling and cold.
Before I even realize it, tears roll down my cheeks and I’mcrying.
“Excuse me?”
The young man looks up from cleaning his shoes and his eyes widen when he takes me in. “Hey, you’re that girl, the one who rainbowed weeks ago! I won a gold piece that day, so thanks for, you know, losing.”
I don’t have time for this. “Great for you. I’m looking for Kalyan. Do you know where he is?”
“Raja Jatin’s guard?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, I think he’s fixing a few swords.” He points to a hallway. “First right.”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, um, anytime. Hey, tell me the next time you’ll be fighting—” His voice fades as I walk away and I don’t care enough to try to listen.
The first door on the right is closed, but I might as well get in trouble rather than wander around this place forever. I open the door and four men twist. All noise and smiles fall. I anticipate the words before hearing them. This is going to be awful. “What are you doing here, girl?”
