Page 24 of A Forgery of Fate

“She’s in a generous mood,” allowed Puhkan. “You have until midnight.”

“Midnight?” I cried. “That’s impossible!”

“Greater things have been done in less time,” said Puhkan, dipping a wooden ladle into the vat of boiling soup next to me. He drank, then let out a breath. “What’s the matter, Truyan? Don’t think you can get the money?”

My mind was spinning. “Takemeinstead.”

“You?” Puhkan threw his head back as he laughed. “No one will buy a girl with barbarian hair.”

“That’s not what I meant.” I was desperate, and my pleas were spilling from my lips faster than I could think them through. “Take me into Madam Yargui’s den. I can paint—”

“Paint what?” Puhkan sneered. “Portraits?”

“The future,” I cried. “I can paint the future.”

As soon as the words came out, I wished I could take them back. My visions were a secret that no one—not Mama, not my sisters, not even Gaari—knew. And I’d just shared it with my enemy.

Puhkan wasn’t laughing anymore. He looked thoughtful, his dark eyes swirling with keen interest. “Tell me, Truyan, if you can see the future, why aren’t you running?”

I didn’t understand—until he opened the door.

Outside, mere steps away from the restaurant, was a force of prefects. At first I assumed they were here to arrest Puhkan, but the way he was gloating…

My stomach sank.

“It seems Mr.Jisan reported you to the authorities this morning, after a very helpful and veryanonymoustip.” Puhkan smiled, revealing a set of square white teeth. “You’re welcome.”

In my imagination, I sent knives and cleavers flying at his head. Reality, unfortunately, wasn’t quite so promising.

I was cornered.

Still smiling, Puhkan kicked the door wide. In his loudest voice, he shouted to the prefects: “The girl’s in here. In the kitchen.”

Damn it.I stumbled back, my hands at the counter. Spoons, napkins, small bowls, uncooked noodles—nothing I could use. I reached farther back, until I grasped a glass jar.There.

The moment Puhkan turned his back to me, I leapt. Closing the space between us, I hooked my arm around his neck.For good measure, I dipped my fingers into my jar of bright red chili oil and stabbed a generous glob into his eyes.

A howl erupted from his lungs, the most beautiful I’d ever heard in my life. That alone made it worth it—something I tried to keep in mind as Puhkan found a knife on the counter.

Nine Hells,I cursed. I scrambled away, narrowly missing a thrust to my ribs. If not for the chili blinding his eyes, it could have been a fatal blow. As he swung, screaming all sorts of foul names at me, I ran back into the restaurant.

“There she is!” Yargui’s men shouted when they spotted my return.

Daggers flew in my direction, as did soupspoons and bowls. I ducked behind a table, joining a crowd of Luk’s men.

If not for the knives and the screaming, it would have felt like a delirious food fight. Teacups, bowls, even jars of vinegar—I flung whatever I could find at Yargui’s men, letting out a gleeful cheer whenever something shattered against their heads.

I was doing quite well for someone who didn’t know how to fight—until a bold arm hooked me from behind by the waist.

It was a good thing I saw who it was before I smashed the remains of my chili jar into Gaari’s face. Never had I been so glad to see my friend. For the first time since I’d known him, his robes were spattered with dirt, and what appeared to be dark blood.

The restaurant was in shambles, men crumpled in every corner under piles of wood. The floor was wet with soup and noodles.

As the prefects scrambled after me, I ran back up the stairswith Gaari. “You’ve still got your scroll,” he rasped, sounding relieved. “I’ve sent a messenger to find you in thehills.”

“Don’t you see the prefects downstairs?” I exclaimed. “They’re after me. I can’t sell it to Renhai anymore.”

“Do you need the money or not? Trust me.”

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