Prologue It feels cold around here... these woods make creepy sounds too, Biniya muttered, shivering as he peered the darkness between the trees. He had no warm clothes, only a wooden torch he held close to his chest and an iron bucket dangling from his other hand. Why did we have to meet him today, of all days... He scanned the forest with restless eyes, as if expecting something to crawl out of the shadows.Dhanu bent down and picked up a dry stick. Is this all you sense right now? he ...Read More

This world is a dangerous place, kid. There are creatures out there that kill for sport, and monsters that anything living. They hide in shadows, waiting for the foolish to wander close..."Kumar stretches his face in every possible direction as he speaks, trying to mimic every scary story he has heard on his travels.Gopi watches him, unimpressed.At his age—maybe forty, Gopi guessed—Kumar looks ridiculous making faces like that. His white kurta and dhoti flutter in the breeze, and the gamuchha tied around his head like a turban makes him look even more dramatic."Seriously?" Gopi interrupts. "You're using children's stories ...Read More