“I haven’t seen them yet,” said Ashwini. “I just know where they’ll be at dawn tomorrow. I spoke to someone who knows someone who says that a couple of witches from the guild will be at the black market in Tamarind Station.”

It took me a second to pick that sentence apart. “So you should be able to go to this market at dawn and find the guild?”

“Exactly,” said Ashwini.

“But?” Lej prompted from the corner of the room, where he lurked like an evil omen.

“How did you know there was a but?”

“There’s always a but.”

“There is a teensy catch,” Ashwini admitted. “Apparently, they won’t talk to me. They’ll only talk to Kiki. Which means you’re going to have to come to the black market with me.”

15

At dawn, with only a sliver of sunlight in the pinkish sky, Ashwini and I left Crow House with Chamundeshwari. We’d all agreed that letting Simha come with us would attract too much attention, so he had suggested Chamundeshwari instead. No one was expecting to find trouble at this mysterious black market (at least I hoped not!), but any time I spent outside the protection of the house carried a risk that the Asuras would find me, so we’d decided it was better to be safe than sorry.

“This is a secret underground market that’s always held at dawn in Tamarind Station,” Ashwini told me as we slipped down dim cobbled streets, dressed in drab browns like farmers and fisherwomen. “It’s held once a week, on different days, and Mahishasura has never found it. I guess the Witches’ Guild must have put a protection spell over it or something.”

“Why is it secret?” I asked. “Is it different from the other markets?”

“Mahishasura takes a very high tax from the other markets,” said Ashwini. “If you want to trade in the city, you have to pretty much let Mahishasura steal from you so that he can fill Lalith Mahal with more gold and jewels. The underground market is the one place people can trade for free.”

“And it’s in Tamarind Station because . . .”

“It used to be a train station,” said Ashwini cheerfully. “There’s lots of space!” Then she darted forward, her sword glinting under her shabby cloak. “I need to scout ahead and make sure our way is clear.”

As Chamundeshwari and I trailed behind her, I darted a shy look at my version of the warrior goddess. She didn’t seem to speak much.

“Yes?” she said mildly.

“Thanks for letting Simha stay with us while all this is going on,” I said. “He’s been really good company.”

“Good. He likes to fuss, and he’s had no one to fuss over for years other than me, so I suspect he’s thrilled to be in a house full of children.”

I tried not to giggle at the idea of Simha as a helicopter parent.

“I suspect it’s good for those children to be fussed over, too,” Chamundeshwari went on, her eyes narrowing on Ashwini up ahead. “Especially that one.”