Traitor to the Throne

Even as I watched him, his eyes dashed across the garden, landing on Shazad, who had started to cross the garden toward us. Sam’s eyes never left her. No, I realized, not exactly for us. Damn. I’d seen men fall for Shazad before but I’d never seen her fall back. This couldn’t end well.

‘Hala will meet you on the other side of the wall,’ Imin went on. ‘She’ll make you disappear long enough that you can get to the Djinn and set the explosives.’

‘And my sister?’ Rahim asked. He was casting around the garden for her. Come to think of it, I still hadn’t seen her, either.

‘You’re not a very patient man.’ Imin took his time, deliberately chewing. ‘If everything goes according to plan, Sam will get Shazad and Amani out of the palace straight from the vaults, and then double back through that wall for you and your sister.’ He nodded again, the other way this time.

‘You get Leyla, and wait for Sam in the southeast corner of the garden, away from the chaos that’s bound to come when something blows up in the palace,’ I said, shifting carefully as someone brushed past us, dangerously close to overhearing our conversation.

‘Then we figured Hala will get Tamid out under cover of an illusion, and I will get out in the chaos, just looking like another servant running from an explosion.

What could possibly go wrong?’

‘A lot could go wrong,’ Rahim pointed out.

‘It’s still far from being the worst plan we’ve ever come up with.’ I tried to comfort him.

‘No, the worst we’ve ever come up with ended with you flooding a prayer house,’ Imin offered, which was true but far from helpful right now. ‘So that’s not really saying much.’

‘Everybody survived that,’ I said defensively. Rahim was looking at me, an uneasy look on his face.

‘Welcome to the Rebellion.’ Shazad had reached us; she greeted Rahim with a devastating smile. ‘We make do with what we can get. Now, are you going to give us an army or not?’

*

We found Lord Bilal, Emir of Iliaz, leaning against one of the grotesque sculptures, eyes hooded. He was young, but he looked like he was already exhausted by life, or maybe by his own importance. It didn’t seem smart to tell him that out loud when we were trying to form an alliance. I probably ought to let Shazad talk.

‘So.’ Lord Bilal looked me over. ‘You’re the blue-eyed rebel everyone is talking about.’ He glanced at Shazad. ‘And you must be the face of the operation. You’re too pretty to be anything else.’ I watched my friend bite down on her annoyance.

‘And you’re the emir looking to turn rebel.’ She wore a bright smile the whole time and flapped her hands airily. Looking at her you’d think she was just a beautiful girl flirting with a man. Not a rebel planning a full-scale war. I realised why he’d chosen to wait for us here, in this corner of the garden. The music that drifted through the walls covered any conversation around us. I could only guess it covered our words, too. Still, Shazad spoke quietly.

‘I’m my father’s son.’ Lord Bilal shrugged one elaborately tasselled shoulder lazily. I thought I caught what looked like a sceptical eyeroll from Rahim. But when I looked at him head on, he was ever the soldier. Rahim had served under Lord Bilal’s father first. He’d know better than anyone if the son lived up to the father. ‘My father had no loyalty to the throne. He never forgave Sultan Oman for turning Miraji over to foreign hands. He used to go on and on about how Iliaz is the most powerful county in Miraji, how the rest of the country depended on us. He’d tell you until your ears bled how Iliaz didn’t need the rest of Miraji. It could survive as an independent nation.’

‘Are you saying you want your own country in exchange for your army?’ That sure wasn’t asking for much.

‘Are you in a position to negotiate that with me?’

Abducting Delila without permission was one thing. Giving away part of Ahmed’s country without his permission, that wasn’t something even Shazad and I could do. ‘No,’ Shazad said finally. ‘Even I’m not pretty enough for that.’ I snorted under my breath. She went to elbow me in the side, almost forgetting where we were, but she caught herself before she did, turning it into a gesture rearranging her sleeve. ‘But we can get you to Ahmed.’ Shazad paused pointedly. ‘Provided you can give me some numbers that will impress me.’

Lord Bilal raised an eyebrow at Rahim. His commander stepped in easily. ‘There are three thousand men garrisoned at Iliaz. Twice that number retired in the province who can be called upon.’

‘And you have enough weapons to arm them all?’ Shazad disguised the tactical question with a careful laugh, touching Rahim’s arm as if he’d just said something hilariously funny.

‘Amani.’ Imin, in the guise of a servant, appeared again at our side with an elaborate bow. ‘The Sultan is headed this way.’

I traded a glance with Shazad. ‘Go,’ she said. ‘I’ve got this.’

My stomach was too tied in knots to eat or drink as I left them. I made a show of inspecting the horrible statues that surrounded the garden to keep from glancing over my shoulder every few moments at Shazad and Lord Bilal in negotiations, Rahim in between them. The statues’ bronze faces reminded me of Noorsham. Only his bronze mask had been smooth and featureless. These were wretched reminders of what the Sultan could do to us if he caught us in our treason before we could escape.