… they say the Lord of Treasures hosts a tournament for the very best and the very worst, the dreamers and the broken. He’ll play a game with you unlike any tournament you have ever played. You might have to find your true name in a castle of stars, or wrestle your voice from a demon, or sip poison and eat fear …
My sister had spun me that tale when I was seven. I’d never forgotten it. But I forced down the desire to entertain it. I wouldn’t place my life at the mercy of magic. I’d spent enough of my life under Skanda’s control. I wouldn’t trade one tyrant for another.
“The Tournament itself is held in a city of immeasurable treasure and wealth. I doubt many have heard about—”
“Alaka,” I whispered. Only when I heard my voice did I realize I’d spoken the name aloud. My hand moved to my necklace.
Vikram looked at me sharply. “How do you know that?”
“Does it matter?” I snapped, dropping my fingers. “I know it’s a kingdom in the Otherworld. The palace of yakshas and yakshinis. They’re said to be the guardians of treasure found in trees, rivers and caves.”
He blinked.
“It’s also the home of Kubera, the Lord of Treasures and the guardian of the North,” I muttered.
“So you are a scholar and a soldier. How unusual for a princess.”
I laughed. “The women of Bharata are singers, artists, soldiers and academics. I’m no different from them.”
“How do you know those stories?”
“I have ears,” I said. He didn’t get to know about Maya. “You’ve told me what I’ll get out of this wish, but what about you? You’re the heir, what more could you want?”
For a moment his expression clouded before he shrugged gracefully. “I want everything.”
I recognized a deflection when I heard one, but his secrets meant nothing to me. Turning the ruby in my palms, I found a small engraving on the jewel that had not appeared until now. It was the outline of a man crawling on his hands and knees.
“It’s a ticket. For two living entries into the game.”
“Not two living exits?”
I cursed inwardly. Why was I even asking? I had no desire to play this game.
He grinned. “I asked the same question. Perhaps winning is the only way to leave. So. Princess Gauri, Jewel of Bharata and former heir to the throne. Will you be my partner?”
Absolutely not. I glanced at the ruby in my hand. The moment we were out of Ujijain, I would kill him and take the jewel. I eyed his rich clothes. Those would fetch a good price too. And if I stole his clothes and cut his throat, his death would look as if a robber had gotten to him. No blame on Bharata. I smiled.
“How long do we have to get there?” I asked.
His smile was all victory: “New moon.”
“That’s in three days.”
“Admittedly, I am not quite sure how to get there,” said the Prince, steepling his fingers.
“Did you ask the ruby?”
His eyes widened. “Princess, you have depths of genius untold! I would have never thought to do the most obvious thing. Go ahead and ask it how to get to Alaka. See what answer you get.”
I was well and truly going to maim him. I muttered the question at the ruby. The jewel spun and a length of parchment erupted from the crystal:
Alaka is past the place where memories devour and the held-breath place to put an end to cowards.
I may have wanted nothing to do with magic, but it still did something to me. The words of the parchment wrapped around my heart. When I blinked, I heard Maya’s voice in the dark, spinning tales of grand adventures that would always find their way into my dreams later. But the memory of her collapsed into shards of nightmare. I would never know what happened to her.
“Helpful,” I said, trying to keep from wavering.
“I’ve been thinking about it nonstop. We need an entryway into a place of magic. At first I considered entering through cremation grounds, but I have no desire to end up in Naraka—”
“Do you know where to go or not?” I asked impatiently.
“Can we truly know anything?”
I rolled my eyes. “How soon can we leave?”
“Not so fast, Princess. I want you to be my partner, but I need a demonstration that your reputation is more than rumor. I can’t defend both of us and I have no problem admitting I’d let you die.”
“At last, we’ve found common ground,” I said sweetly. “I feel the same about you.”
He stood up, bracing his legs in what I assumed he thought was a fighting stance. But his balance was off center and his legs were not bent far enough to withstand an impact. His posture was nothing but posture. “Disarm me.”
“I do not prey on the weak.”
“That’s not what I hear.”
Wrong thing to say. I feinted left. He fell for it. Naturally. He was not much of a fighter or strategist. In seconds, he was on his back.
“That does not count,” he wheezed. “I was disarmed by your beauty.”
“You were disarmed by a swift kick.”
“That too.”
He moved to stand, and I placed my foot on his chest. “I will not perform for you or anyone. Never ask me to do something like that again.”
He stared at me. “Are you done?”
“Yes.”
“May I get up?”
“No.”
“I see you like your men with their egos gutted.”
“Only when I’m feeling generous.”
He laughed. “My apologies.”
“We leave by nightfall,” I said. “And I want my weapons and clothes back.”
He tucked his hands behind his head like a pillow before glancing at the ceiling.
“Fine. Now can you kindly remove your foot from my chest?”
5
A GOLDEN APPLE
GAURI
The Fox kept only half his word. When I got back to my prison cell, my clothes had been discreetly tucked beneath a loose wooden tile. I still didn’t have my knives, not that I blamed the Prince. It was, perhaps, the first intelligent thing he’d done. Now all I had to do was wait until nightfall when he would—allegedly—spring me from this prison and we would escape.
For the first time in months, I let my mind wander toward the hope of returning to Bharata. When I returned, there would be no question of who the throne belonged to. My brother would either sink to his knees or fall to them in pieces. Nalini would be free.
Almost six months had passed since Arjun’s betrayal. One more cycle of the moon and it would mark the anniversary of Nalini’s arrival in Bharata and my Age Day. I still remembered the harem preparing for her arrival. Nalini was the daughter of an important tribe leader on the outskirts of Bharata, and her upbringing at court was a promise of peace. She would be raised as a princess of Bharata and married into the nobility. In exchange, her kinsmen would keep the borders safe.