“Poor child,” I say lazily. “I branded him with only half of the royal seal.” A new seal made of my mother’s trident crossed with a Sky Warrior’s atashban. A symbol that I wear stitched over my black silk tunic in scarlet.
The trident I’ve carved into the messenger’s skin gleams wet and red. He whimpers.
So young. So pitiful. So boring.
“Toss him into the dungeons,” I tell Alizeh, setting my atashban aside. “The shadowlynx needs to be fed. Any leftovers can be boxed up for our dear ally, the queen in Jwala.”
“Wait!” The messenger’s voice is barely more than a squeak. “Wait, Rani Shayla! I can tell you more. I saw living specters on my way here. They’re all over the city. Singing, rejoicing!” He trembles when I turn to face him. “I … I’m a seer, my queen. I swear I’m telling the truth!”
He is. I have seen enough liars to know the difference. A seer. Half magus. Half dirt licker.
I raise a finger. Alizeh lets go of the boy’s arms.
“What were they singing, messenger?” My voice is as soft as a mother’s. Nearly as kind.
The messenger releases a shaky breath. The voice that emerges from his throat, however, high and oddly pure:
The sky has fallen, a star will rise
Ambar changed by a king’s demise
A girl with a mark, a boy with her soul
Their fates intertwined, two halves of a whole
Usurpers have come, usurpers will go
The true king waits for justice to flow.
Fury rises, burning my neck and my ears. That stupid Star Warrior and her worthless dirt licker lover. Hindering me all over again. I breathe deeply. No matter. I would deal with them both the way I dealt with the kabzedar king. The way I dealt with the dirt-licking maids whom my father had bribed to lie to my mother, telling her I was a boy.
I rest a hip against my desk and clap my hands once. A wooden chair slides forward, knocking into the back of the Jwaliyan messenger’s thighs. He collapses into a sitting position, his lips chapped and dry. He no longer attempts to woo me with stupid smiles.
“You have my attention, messenger,” I say. “Now tell me more about these living specters.”
Glossary
Note: You will find many of the terms below common to our world and the former empire of Svapnalok. However, there are a few words that differ slightly in meaning and/or are used specifically in the context of Svapnalok. These have been marked with an asterisk (*) wherever possible.
acharya: A scholar and religious leader
almari: A cupboard
*Ambarnaresh: A title for the king of Ambar
*Anandpranam: The happiest of salutations
angrakha: A long tunic that is tied at the left or right shoulder
*atashban: A powerful magical weapon resembling a crossbow
bajra roti: A flatbread made with pearl millet
bhaiyya: Brother
chaas: A cold drink made of yogurt
chakra: A disc-shaped weapon with sharp edges
chameli: Jasmine
champak: An evergreen tree with fragrant orange flowers
*Chandni Raat: The night of the moon festival; native to Svapnalok
*chandrama: A sweet, circular pastry, garnished with edible foil and rose petals
choli: A short blouse; worn with a sari or ghagra
*Dev Kal: The era of the gods
dhoti: A garment wrapped around the lower half of the body, passed between the legs, and tucked into the waistband
*dhulvriksh: A desert tree with rootlike branches; native to the kingdom of Ambar and the Brimlands
didi: Elder sister
*drishti jal: A magical elixir used by Pashu to travel and communicate with each other; native to the kingdom of Aman
dupatta: A shawl-like scarf
ektara: A drone lute with a single string
fanas: Lantern
ghagra: A full-length skirt; worn by women with a choli and dupatta
ghat: A set of steps along a riverbank
ghee: Clarified butter
gulab: Rose
haveli: A mansion
*indradhanush: A rainbow-hued metal; native to the Brimlands
jambiya: A short, double-edged dagger
*jantar-mantar: An illusion; derogatory term for false magic tricks in Svapnalok
jatamansi: An herb used to darken hair
ji: An honorific, usually placed after a person’s name; can also be used as respectful acknowledgment, in the place of “yes”
jootis: Flat shoes with pointed tips
kabzedar: Usurper
kaccha sari: A sari draped in a manner similar to a dhoti, for ease of movement; worn with a choli
kachori: A round, fried pastry stuffed with a sweet or savory filling
kadhi: A cream-colored gravy, made of yogurt, chickpea flour, spices, and vegetables
kali: A flower bud (pronounced “kuh-lee”); not to be confused with the Hindu goddess Kali (pronounced “kaa-lee”)
khichdi: A rice-and-lentil dish
khoba roti: A thick flatbread made with indents on the surface
lathi: A long wooden staff, used as a weapon
levta: A black mudfish
maang-teeka: A hair ornament; worn by women
madira: Alcohol
*makara: A Pashu who is part crocodile, part human
mawa: A sweet paste made by simmering milk on the stove
methi bajra puri: A fried flatbread made with spinach and pearl millet
moong dal: Split green gram
*neela chand: Refers to one’s mate or soulmate in Svapnalok; literally translates to “blue moon”
pakoda: A vegetable fritter
pallu: The loose ends of a sari
paneer: A type of curd cheese
*Paras: The language of the kingdom of Jwala
*Pashu: A race of part-human, part-animal beings; native to the kingdom of Aman
peepul: A sacred fig tree
*peri: A gold-skinned Pashu who is part human, part bird
prasad: Food used as a religious offering, normally consumed after worship
pulao: A rice dish made with spices and vegetables and/or meat
*putra: Son; when used as a suffix, it means “son of”
*putri: Daughter; when used as a suffix, it means “daughter of”
raag: A melodic framework used for improvisation and composition of Indian classical music
rabdi: A sweet, creamy dish made with condensed milk and nuts
raj darbar: The royal court
raja: King
rajkumar: Prince
rajkumari: Princess
rajnigandha: Tuberose
*rajsingha: A Pashu who is part lion, part human
rani: Queen
*rekha: A magical barrier
*rupee: A silver coin
sabzi: Cooked vegetables
sadhvi: A holy woman
samarpan: The act of dedication, submission, and sacrifice to a person or cause
sandhi: A symbiosis
sangemarmar: A white marble; native to the kingdom of Jwala
sant: Saint
*Sau aabhaar: A hundred thank-yous
sev: Vermicelli
*Shubhdivas: Good day
*Shubhraat: Good night
*Shubhsaver: Good morning
*shvetpanchhi: A large, carnivorous bird with white and black feathers; native to Svapnalok
*simurgh: A Pashu who is part eagle and part peacock with a woman’s face
sohan halwa:
