“You know what the worst part of this is?” he muttered. “Aside from finding out that Nayan’s not the only one lying to me? Or that Madhu’s selling us all out?”

“What?” Tanvi asked, inching closer. “What’s the worst part?”

Venkat had been holding himself stiffly so he wouldn’t break, not while they still had tasks tonight, but now he let himself sag against her. She felt so nice, so warm and strong and supple all at once. “I thought the work I was doing meant something.”

“It does,” she insisted, sticking her face in his. “I wouldn’t lie.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” he murmured, almost to himself, “would you?”

Then his knuckles were stroking her cheek, and her eyes were drawing him in, pools of darkest fire. Of curiosity. The curve of her mouth hinted at the passion simmering inside her, the fierce sense of justice and desire to set things right.

Tanvi. My beautiful Tanvi.

It would be so easy to bring his head down to hers. To learn what she tasted like, if her lips were as soft as they looked.

He started to bend toward her, then stopped. No. Not until she had her memories back. Then she could choose for herself.

Plus, the oversize peacock was still gaping at them. That definitely put a damper on things.

With a heroic effort, Venkat stepped away from her, even though it felt like abandoning a roaring fire to plunge headfirst into a snowbank. “I need to give you something.” Her serpentine pendant glimmered on his palm. “In case we get separated, so you can get back to the palace. I should never have let Madhu take it in the first place.”

Tanvi scarcely glanced at the pendant. Instead, she closed her hand over his. “You said you bought the fireflies here?”

“Nayan bought them, actually, but yes.” What was she getting at?

She nodded, considering him. “And you really think we can fix my memories here?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “But if we can, are you sure you’re ready for that?”

Tanvi nodded again. “I am. I’ll remember, long enough to get my brain to quit blowing up and make sure Nitya’s safe for good, and then you can initiate me again.”

He stared at her, trying to read the cracks in her stony expression. “But Tanvi, you found your sister. Don’t you think that changes things?”

The thought of losing her now, when they’d only just started discovering who she was, made his stomach hurt. Plus, after listening to her talk about Nitya, he didn’t believe she wanted to forget again.

“Changes them how?” Tanvi snarled, finally tugging the pendant free and clasping it around her neck. She might have been an incensed nagini in that moment, all embers and sparks, her long hair lustrous in the multihued radiance from the Market. “Are you saying I don’t know what I want?”