“Belief is a powerful force, my son. It can be a delusion to hide behind, or it can serve as the solder that holds one’s purpose together. A dream is only as strong as the dreamer’s belief in it. Break out of that belief, and the dream becomes a tool. Or, to view it from a different angle, we all spin the story we wish to be true. Remove that belief, and . . .”

Venkat glanced from the tricycle, now just a hunk of garbage, to the bracelet shining softly in its compartment. He’d messed up with Jai. And with his family, too. Clearly, he didn’t know how to help anyone.

“Venkat,” Nayan murmured, “where is Tanvi? It was too late for Jai, but we may yet save her. I know she was attempting to sell her wares to the nobles.”

Of course he’d heard. Why had Venkat expected anything else?

But he had a second chance with Tanvi, and he’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.

“That was my fault,” he lied. “I made her think she was supposed to help Asha and me. Once we got that sorted out, I sent her to do her harvesting.”

A pernicious scum coated his tongue and his heart. Before today, he’d never lied to Nayan, and now he’d done it twice in the past half hour. It felt disgusting. But so did all of this.

His chest aching, he waited for Nayan to condemn him. To see through the deceit he couldn’t believe had just left his mouth.

Nayan nodded. “It is a strange time.” He replaced the tricycle in its cubbyhole. “Shall we get to work, then?”

15

Tanvi was being hugged. Hugged so tight she couldn’t really breathe. Nitya’s hair—her sister’s hair, her identical twin’s hair—smashed against her cheek. When she tensed, Nitya squeezed tighter, like Tanvi might disappear if she let go even a little.

Daisies, Tanvi thought randomly. Those daisies in the rangoli. She couldn’t say how, but she knew Nitya had drawn them.

Then Nitya jerked away, almost shoving Tanvi in the process. In two seconds, she’d gone from wide-eyed amazement to flat-out rage. Her mouth had contorted into something frightening. Her hand hung suspended in the air, inches from slapping Tanvi across the face.

Tanvi’s heart tumbled in her chest, and her own hands shook. She would give anything for this to be a dream, one she could sell off and forget about.

You’re afraid, her pulse thrummed, she’s going to tell you to go away again.

Nitya stood framed in the doorway for another second, wheezing like she might pass out, then stormed into the house. “Well, come in!” she bit out over her shoulder.