for her to complete her task.
With lightning speed she reached out and grabbed him by the throat. “All I need is a kiss,” she said.
The house-marshal shrieked as he tried to twist his head away, but it was too late. Mohini’s lips were already clamped on his, sucking away his life force, until soon, all that was left of the unfortunate creature was an empty husk dangling helplessly from the door, his eyes wide with shock.
As she stepped away, Mohini felt slightly nauseous, but she had no regrets. She would do whatever it took to escape the City of Jewels.
Quickly, she lifted the flute, and her hands began to dance around the gleaming metal.
A muttered incantation left her lips, a bead of sweat appeared on her brow and her skin began to burn with supernatural heat. For a moment nothing happened. Then, slowly but surely, the silver flute began to change its shape.
Chapter Fourteen
GARDEN
A s they stood looking around the ruins of Uma’s garden, a trail of silent tears rolled down Aya’s face. With shaking hands she reached out and touched the shredded remains.
Sharat felt sick. “Who would do something like this?” he asked in horror.
Aya turned to him, her eyes torn with helpless fury. “They’re called lickers, short for similickers,” she said. “They come from Shergarh.”
Sharat remembered the jewelled golden beetle with the razor-like legs and a chill passed through him.
“I wonder what happened to Uma?” he asked. “Do you think they caught her, too?”
Aya’s face was tight. “I hope not,” she said.
With a grimace, Sharat turned back to face the door.“Well, there’s no point in hanging around,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
Aya put out a hand to stop him. “Wait!” she said. She was scanning the garden with a practical eye. “Don’t go yet. Let’s see what we can salvage first.”
Sharat glanced back through the doorway. He could see Shergarh downriver. It felt like the fortress was watching them.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
“Food,” said Aya.
Suddenly Sharat realised how hungry he was.
“That’s not a bad idea,” he admitted.
“Get the fire going and I’ll see what I can find,” Aya told him.
Sharat nodded. “All right,” he said.
While Sharat stoked the flames, Aya rummaged through the wreckage of the hut. Soon she gave a cry of triumph as she unearthed a couple of clay pots. “Found it!” she called. “All I had to do was dig.”
Sharat lifted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Uma always kept her food buried,” Aya explained. “Just in case the demons ever found her garden.”
Sharat stiffened as he remembered the creature in the rigging. “What
are
demons exactly?” he asked.
A dark expression crossed Aya’s face. “During the day they look like horrible little men with thin legs and hooked noses,” she said. “But at night-time they turn into crows and gobble up all the seeds that have fallen to the ground, to make sure nothing grows.”
“I knew it!” said Sharat. “There was one in the big top the first night we were here. It almost caused an accident.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Aya. “They
feed
on evil. That’s how they get their power.”
Sharat shivered. The more he learned about the City of Jewels, the less he liked it, but he knew that if he was going to find his tiger he was going to need his strength. He picked up a dented copper pot. “I’ll fetch some water,” he said. “The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get out of here.”
Leaving Aya sorting through the lentils, he went down to the river, past the
sadhus
, who were still sitting in meditation. This time two or three of them looked up as he went past, so he hurried back to Uma’s garden with his head bowed.
Putting the water next to Aya, he carefully propped up the doorway so that they couldn’t be seen. “I’ll see if I can find any vegetables,” he offered, rummaging through the greenery.
Aya lifted her head and gave
With lightning speed she reached out and grabbed him by the throat. “All I need is a kiss,” she said.
The house-marshal shrieked as he tried to twist his head away, but it was too late. Mohini’s lips were already clamped on his, sucking away his life force, until soon, all that was left of the unfortunate creature was an empty husk dangling helplessly from the door, his eyes wide with shock.
As she stepped away, Mohini felt slightly nauseous, but she had no regrets. She would do whatever it took to escape the City of Jewels.
Quickly, she lifted the flute, and her hands began to dance around the gleaming metal.
A muttered incantation left her lips, a bead of sweat appeared on her brow and her skin began to burn with supernatural heat. For a moment nothing happened. Then, slowly but surely, the silver flute began to change its shape.
Chapter Fourteen
GARDEN
A s they stood looking around the ruins of Uma’s garden, a trail of silent tears rolled down Aya’s face. With shaking hands she reached out and touched the shredded remains.
Sharat felt sick. “Who would do something like this?” he asked in horror.
Aya turned to him, her eyes torn with helpless fury. “They’re called lickers, short for similickers,” she said. “They come from Shergarh.”
Sharat remembered the jewelled golden beetle with the razor-like legs and a chill passed through him.
“I wonder what happened to Uma?” he asked. “Do you think they caught her, too?”
Aya’s face was tight. “I hope not,” she said.
With a grimace, Sharat turned back to face the door.“Well, there’s no point in hanging around,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”
Aya put out a hand to stop him. “Wait!” she said. She was scanning the garden with a practical eye. “Don’t go yet. Let’s see what we can salvage first.”
Sharat glanced back through the doorway. He could see Shergarh downriver. It felt like the fortress was watching them.
“What are you looking for?” he asked.
“Food,” said Aya.
Suddenly Sharat realised how hungry he was.
“That’s not a bad idea,” he admitted.
“Get the fire going and I’ll see what I can find,” Aya told him.
Sharat nodded. “All right,” he said.
While Sharat stoked the flames, Aya rummaged through the wreckage of the hut. Soon she gave a cry of triumph as she unearthed a couple of clay pots. “Found it!” she called. “All I had to do was dig.”
Sharat lifted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Uma always kept her food buried,” Aya explained. “Just in case the demons ever found her garden.”
Sharat stiffened as he remembered the creature in the rigging. “What
are
demons exactly?” he asked.
A dark expression crossed Aya’s face. “During the day they look like horrible little men with thin legs and hooked noses,” she said. “But at night-time they turn into crows and gobble up all the seeds that have fallen to the ground, to make sure nothing grows.”
“I knew it!” said Sharat. “There was one in the big top the first night we were here. It almost caused an accident.”
“I’m not surprised,” said Aya. “They
feed
on evil. That’s how they get their power.”
Sharat shivered. The more he learned about the City of Jewels, the less he liked it, but he knew that if he was going to find his tiger he was going to need his strength. He picked up a dented copper pot. “I’ll fetch some water,” he said. “The sooner we eat, the sooner we can get out of here.”
Leaving Aya sorting through the lentils, he went down to the river, past the
sadhus
, who were still sitting in meditation. This time two or three of them looked up as he went past, so he hurried back to Uma’s garden with his head bowed.
Putting the water next to Aya, he carefully propped up the doorway so that they couldn’t be seen. “I’ll see if I can find any vegetables,” he offered, rummaging through the greenery.
Aya lifted her head and gave
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