Alysha Rameera makes her debut with a love story cast against the backdrop of war.
See the cover and read an excerpt.
Courtesy of Alysha Rameera
Would you trade your soul to preserve your country?
Credit:Courtesy of Alysha Rameera
“Immediately, my hackles rose,” she continues.
But, what if they weren’t the villains either?
The book hits shelves on Aug. 12.
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Check out the cover and read on for an excerpt below.
Sourcebooks Casablanca
There were so many ways to stop a heart.
This…wasnt supposed to be one of them.
Anula bent over the dead man.
The man gasped his last breath, then fell silent with a trickle of blood on his chin.
The tincture was only supposed to incapacitate.
At least, thats what the book had said.
She hadnt had many test subjects.
Gooseflesh prickled her skin.
What if someone had seen?
She checked over her shoulder.
The inner-city alley was clear; not a single soul passed by.
To hear a statue speak their fortune or to be lost inside a painting for the day.
And if she wasnt caught with a dead body.
It wasnt as though Anula walked the streets poisoning every man she came across.
The noon sun was bright, unfettered by clouds.
Nuwan had been late.
Thirst reached his eyes as he took her in.
One hundred kahapanas, as promised.
Is my name next to be called?
Guess youll find out soon.
A bulge in his tunic pocket glinted.
Anula swiped at it, holding it aloft.
It was a green steatite lotus as large as her fist.
He snatched at it, grasping only air as Anula deftly tripped to the mouth of the alley.
Relics can be weapons, Anula.
Is it still faith if youre not praying but stealing power for yourself?
What are you going to do, hit someone over the head with it?
Heavenly relics arent weapons.
There are plenty of people who disagree and are willing to pay any price for one.
He reached for it again.
Anula spun out of range once more.
Am I next to be called?
She tossed him the relic.
Right at the hand holding the coins.
They tinged to the ground as he caught the lotus.
A sneer pulled his upper lip.
Sleeping with the raja wont change anything, you know.
The court members will never be your friends.
Nothing to your name and nothing for a man to gain.
Be grateful she was able to make you a concubine.
Anulas hand twitched to her jeweled necklace.
He had no right to speak to her that way.
Her fingers fell from the jewels, Nuwans words buzzing like a mosquito.
What use did she have for friends?
Nuwan was dangerously close to becoming the newest on her list of enemies.
The ones to be dealt with after today.
Careful what you say, Nuwan.
What would the Heavens think of you?
What do they think ofyou?
His wicked smile sparked.
You didnt need to make a deal with me to get into a mans bed.
Youre demanding enough attention in those clothes.
Attention and invitation are not the same thing.
Or have your base instincts not evolved past those of a water buffalo?
She narrowed her eyes, taking a step back.
But Nuwan was quick.
He pushed her against the wall, sweat pooling under his tunic.
Lets see what skills youve honed for our blessed raja.
Or much farther south.
This wasnt part of the deal.
Only coin was to be exchanged for her name on the Yakkas-damned list.
Peddling desire was meant for another day.
No, Anula asserted.
Nuwans fingers didnt want to listen; neither did his mouth.
But Anula knew that some lessons were best learned the hard way.
She grabbed Nuwans mouth and kissed.
His surprise hardened against her leg.
Until his heart seized, and he pulled away in confusion, body convulsing.
He clutched his chest and crumpled to the ground.
Where he should have been paralyzed in pain.
Perhaps she had mixed the ingredients wrong.
Or had added too much thel endaru seed.
Or perhaps she had used the wrong vial altogether.
Diamonds and sapphires dripped across her collarbone from a band at mid-neck.
Some were stoppers, the design concealing small vials of a particularly deadly poison.
Or it was supposed to.
Dread trickled down her spine.
Anula plucked a smaller diamond from the second tier.
She stroked nimbly over the top; then she stooped to touch Nuwans lips.
She wiped the coating off her lips.
The sealant prevented any poison from seeping into her own skin.
Shed realized early on that testing her mixtures held a high level of risk.
What would have been the point in learning the craft in the first place if she accidentally killed herself?
A bell tolled from the inner-city shrine, tearing Anulas gaze from Nuwan.
Cursed Yakkas.The guard switch.
She glanced back at the dead man, a knot coiling in her stomach.
But it wasnt as though he were an innocent.
Actions mattered more than words, and Nuwans were as repugnant as elephant dung.
Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.
Auntie Nirma might even say the Heavens had a hand in it.
She steeled herself, forcing the knot to unravel.
If it was good enough for Auntie Nirma, it was good enough for her.
Quickly, Anula reached down.
Dead men had no need for coin or relics.
Perhaps she could use both in a future bargain.
A hand wrapped around her wrist.
A coughing, sputtering sound filled the alley.
Nuwan wheezed, You bb
Nuwan!
Anula clutched her own heart, relief nearly drowning it.
She hadnt botched the tincture after all.
The effects were just greater than the book suggested.
You tried to kill me.
He yanked back the relic.
What kind of woman are you?
Anula stood, a weight lifted from her shoulders.
A woman with ambition, who isnt afraid to see things through.
The bells tolled again.
My name better be on that list.
Not all poisons come with a remedy.
She didnt wait to hear Nuwans response.
The guards would be switching any moment.
The stupas to the south peaked over the gate.
All were things Anula would never give to beings whod long since forsaken their people.
People filtered in and out, mostly in.
A female guard stood sentry, where there should have been none.
At least, that had been the bargain.
They knew who inside the administration was for the kingdom and who merely pretended.
With Auntie Nirma at the helm, she couldnt fail.
Unless she was caught outside.
She picked up a stone and threw it around the corner.
Never suspecting that one of those Jewels could protect herself better with the jewels at her throat.
Soft, sheer fabrics rustled against the interior walls as Anula surged through the concubine estate.
Smoke curled out of the rooms, a haze washing over the halls.
A whisper floated with it.
As she passed, Anula glanced inside one of the concubines rooms.
Great Yakkas of Love, hear my prayer, send me to the bosom of my beloved.
I will forever worship your names.
I offer my favorite flowers, beaded with the tears of my…
The words scratched along Anulas arms.
She slipped past, lips thin.
The Yakkas had long since forgotten this kingdom.
Bartering with them wouldnt change that, just as begging the Divinities wouldnt.
She swung open her own door before closing it swiftly and crashing back against it, her heart hammering.
If hed lied, if she was not chosen next…
But perhaps the incident with Nuwan was a sign.
That she hadnt studied enough, didnt know what she was doing.
It reverberated through Anula, shaking down her spine, bringing her back from the brink.
Cursed Yakkas.Of course she was ready.
Anula shook out her arms.
And Anula intended to stop many.
Copyright 2025 by Alysha Rameera.
