Nectar

Amrita knows fear. Taken from her family at the age of five and raised on snake venom to become King Porus’s secret weapon, she first feared the serpents that bit her daily. Now she’s living in the king’s harem where she constantly fears her secret will be discovered—a discovery that would lead to her death. Soon Amrita will learn about guilt: she’s been taught how to use her body to seduce and kill, yet no one has taught her how to deal with the aftermath.

326 BCE, shortly before Alexander the Great invades India: Amrita’s first target is a guest at a feast—a harrowing encounter from which she has difficulty recovering. At the same feast she meets Dhanu, the king’s Chief Spear, and the two eventually fall in love. Though their romance seems impossible (one kiss could cause Dhanu’s death) they remain committed to finding a way but are soon swept up in history-making events beyond their control. After the kingdom falls Dhanu is forced into Alexander’s service and Amrita embarks on a mysterious final mission. The two end up traveling separate routes to reach the same destination: Babylon, where Alexander—Amrita’s ultimate target—rules over his ever-expanding empire.