Page 46 of Her Radiant Curse

“For many years now,” declares Meguh, “I’ve gone to Sundau to visit a rare and beautiful creature, born of the sun. The Golden One.” He pauses poetically. “I’d hoped to bring that girl back to Shenlani, so her beauty might grace our kingdom. But I returned with something even better: her sister.” He leans close, dropping his voice to heighten the drama: “Behold the secret horror of Sundau—hidden for years behind the blazing light of the Golden One. A warrior as hideous as her sister is beautiful.” He pulls off my mask. “Channari, the Lady Serpent of Tambu!”

A hush falls over the court, and even the musicians go silent.

I raise my chin defiantly, though inside I’m burning with anger, with humiliation. No one can look away from me, and I know they’re all wondering the same thing. What is she?

I don’t care anymore about the swords at my chin. I lunge at Meguh.

To be fair, I didn’t have a chance. Two days without food has weakened me, and these guards are the king’s best. The captain I tried to strangle earlier is here, and in a blink, his whip is lashing out at me.

My body hits the floor. I do not scream, even as the lash bites into my skin again and again.

“Witness her ferocity,” King Meguh says, clapping slowly. “When I first encountered her, I thought to add her to the royal menagerie, but no—she’s a fighter. Tomorrow, my friends, we will see this serpent lady…in the arena!”

At that, the nobles burst into applause, drowning out what Meguh says next. It could be a death sentence, for all I care.

Strike me again, I think. One more lash and my skin will break, and it will be the guards who will scream.

“That is enough,” purrs a new voice.

The gong is struck a second time as a beautiful woman appears. The queen, flanked by two female guards. Servants wave giant feathered fans to cool the air for her, and a chill creeps down my nape.

The queen’s walk is like lilies floating across a pond—so fluid I can’t tell one step from the other. As she passes me, a cloud of perfume assails my nostrils. It’s floral, with hints of orange and musk, but there’s a note of something that doesn’t belong. Something acrid and gray. Something I’ve smelled before. Before I can place it, my eyelids grow heavy.

A sudden lethargy washes over me. My vision blurs, and I can barely make out this woman, supposedly with the heart and face of Su Dano.

“Did you rest well, my queen?” Meguh asks, his voice larded with affection.

“Well enough. Won’t you let our guest enjoy her dinner?”

That voice. Low and smooth like the blow of a conch shell. Something about it is familiar, etched deep into my memory.

I squint to see the queen, but she is a haze of candlelight and gold. Odd, everywhere else I look is clear. Meguh kicks me with a slippered foot. “Get up.”

The giant moonstone swings against his belly as he speaks. I imagine forcing it down his gullet and strangling him until he turns as purple as his scarf.

The music resumes. A dancer dressed as a tiger entertains the nobles on the other side of the table, her magnificent pelt glistening under the candlelight. Two other dancers surround her: a princess and a soldier; they must be reenacting a Shenlani tale that I don’t know. I try to catch scraps of the story, but dinner has arrived.

Tall pyramids of saffron rice, capped with folded banana leaves, appear on the table, followed by porcelain platters of skewered meats perfumed with coconut, and copper bowls of shrimp and fish curries so fragrant my nostrils tingle with pleasure.

Too bad I’ve lost my appetite.

My back and my ribs are still burning, making it hard to breathe. I can’t even sit up straight without wincing. In that small way—even though I’ll be fine in the morning—Meguh has won, and I hate it.

The nobles make a game out of throwing peanuts at me, not stopping even when Hokzuh glares at them. The dragon, curse him, pushes my plate toward me.

“Leave me alone,” I rasp. “You’re no friend of mine.”

“You need to eat. You’re fighting tomorrow.”

“Is that what you are to Meguh? One of his prize fighters?”

Hokzuh doesn’t reply. Maybe he isn’t as drunk as I thought.

“I saw the guards beat you on the ship,” I mutter. “Was that for show? Why bother letting me win in Puntalo if you were just going to hand me to Meguh?”

“I told you I’d help you. But you didn’t listen.” He reaches for my arm. “Listen to me now. We need to treat your back.”

I twist away. “I’m fine.”

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