residence and Charaka uses the two together, against their will. While his depravity is common knowledge, this perversion has endangered our goodwill with the tribes—mating outside the Dom tribe is taboo and Charaka is a good fifty years older than the child.” In the bright afternoon sun, Lord Kushal looked wan. “Takshak has ordered Charaka to restrict himself to mating with a single tantrika from here on. I’m sorry to inform you that he has chosen Urmila.”

Urmila linked with an influential noble who hated her? The lesser gods themselves couldn’t have forged a more lethal alliance! “But she loathes me!”

“Hardly surprising, considering you almost drowned her,” he retorted with a short laugh. “Of course it is the reason Charaka chose her. You...

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