I don’t blame you, he wrote. I can see why you’d be threatened by her.
“Threatened?” Nayyan said with a laugh. “Why would I be threatened by her?”
I may, I will admit, have spent a bit too much time focusing on her.
Nayyan’s chin jutted and she refused to look at him, proof he’d hit the mark.
It ends now, though. He motioned to the two large saddlebags that lay in the shade near the horses. I’ve much more to worry about, and so do you.
She began pulling her clothes back on. “Yes, well, perhaps it’s time you got to that.”
He grabbed her wrist. Forced her to stop. Thankfully, she didn’t make a point of trying to dissuade him from this course of action. He still remembered the beating he’d received at her hands the last time his temper had gotten the better of him.
He pointed to the sand and wrote, I beg you, leave Çeda alone. And see that Meryam and the other Kings do as well.
“Why?”
Because I still don’t know how she fits into all this. Until we do, we need to tread carefully. When she didn’t reply, he wrote, Promise me. This isn’t for her. It’s for Sharakhai. We both know the gods are up to something. It’s time we found out what.
Nayyan yanked her arm away and began to dress. “Very well. I’ll leave your precious White Wolf alone until I’ve heard what you’ve found.”
Ihsan dressed as well, then took Nayyan into his arms. “Ma khee,” he whispered into her ear, the closest he could come to my queen. He kissed her one last time, then touched his hand to her belly.
She left, taking the copper akhala. Ihsan took the golden horse over to the saddlebags, hoisted them up, and lifted himself up to the saddle. Gods it felt good to be riding again. He rode for three days and three nights, and came to an oasis far to the northwest of Sharakhai, one of several he’d plotted toward his destination, a range of low hills where he planned to remain until he’d solved some of the riddles set before him.
That night, after lighting a small fire, he opened up one of the two large saddlebags. Within were journals bound in blue leather. Yusam’s original Blue Journals, those that contained the most important visions he’d collected in his time walking the desert. He rummaged though them and found the one he’d been looking for, and by the light of the fire paged through it until he found the correct passage.
A King walks among the sands of the harbor. North or south. The vision was unclear. There is he taken by men made of stone. In the margins next to this was written: Perhaps clay?
He is brought before a king in disguise, a king who wears a mantle too large for him. He blusters, strutting like a cock before hens. But the true king stands just behind him. The king of a thousand hearts. The Sharakhani King speaks, but the foreign king, the interloper, does not listen. In the margins: Perhaps he cannot hear.
The true king, shriveled, a ghost of his former self, laughs and cackles and steals from the Sharakhani King his tongue. It’s clear that Ihsan’s power is feared. It is done to protect his son and his people. And yet afterward the clay men turn toward the king, accusatory. They lift their fingers and point to him in shame. The shriveled king falls to the ground from the onslaught, turns into a snake, and there withers and dies.
Ihsan had read this passage months ago but with all that had happened had forgotten it. He saw now that he’d ignore these journals at his peril. He wouldn’t do so again. Too much depended on it.
The entry had half a dozen references to other, related visions. Some referenced the more mundane journals that filled the shelves in Yusam’s archives.
He wished he had access to them all. But he didn’t. These will have to do, Ihsan thought. If he’d come to trust anything, it was that Yusam had indeed had a strong intuition when it came to the most potent of his visions, those related to the larger danger he’d begun to sense, those that he or the other Kings would have some control over.
He briefly considered looking at the other references now—he was curious just how much of his own fate Yusam had recorded—but reckoned there’d be time enough in the coming weeks. He was sick of getting distracted. There was one and only one mystery that needed solving: why had the gods made their pact with the Kings? What did they hope to accomplish? And, now that their plan was bearing fruit, what, if anything, could be done to stop it?
From the saddlebag, Ihsan retrieved the very first of the Blue Journals. Then, settling himself in beside the fire, he began to read.
Glossary
aba: a loose, sleeveless outer garment woven of camel’s or goat’s hair
aban: a board game
abaya: long-sleeved robe worn by women, often with a headscarf or veil
açal: rattlewings, poisonous beetles
adichara: thorned trees that only spread their flowers in moonlight; their petals grant heightened awareness and strength
Adzin: a soothsayer, a “mouse of a man”
agal: circlet of black cord used to keep a ghutrah in place
Ahya (full name: Ahyanesh Ishaq’ava or Ahyanesh Allad’ava): Çeda’s mother
akhala: rare breed of very large horse, “widely considered the finest in the desert”; “giants of the desert”
Al’afwa Khadar: a/k/a the Moonless Host; men and women from Sharakhai or the desert wastes, sworn to fight the Kings
Al’Ambra: old set of laws the desert tribes had used for thousands of years; precedes the Kannan
Alansal: Queen of Mirea
alchemyst: one who works in the ways of chemicals, agents, and reagents to produce magical elixirs
Aldouan shan Kalamir: king of Qaimir, Ramahd’s father-in-law
Almadan: capital city of Qaimir
Amalos: a master of the collegium
the Amber City, Amber Jewel: where Çeda lives, a/k/a Sharakhai
amberlark: a pretty bird with a lonesome call
Annam’s Traverse: legendary horse race, held once every three years
araba: a horse-drawn carriage
araq: an intoxicating beverage with a strong smoky flavor
Aríz: shaikh of Tribe Kadri, son of Mihir
Armesh: husband of Şelal Ymine’ala al Rafik; “the man who’d done the most to shelter Leorah and Devorah after their parents had been killed”
ashwagandha: a healing herb
Ashwandi: beautiful, dark-skinned woman, sister of Kesaea
asir: individual asirim
the asirim: the cursed, undying warriors of the Kings of Sharakhai, members of the thirteenth tribe
Austral Sea: a large sea to the south of Qaimir
Bakhi: god of harvest and death
Bahri Al’sir: a legendary adventurer, musician, and poet; a common figure in mythic tales of the desert
ballista/ballistae: a large crossbow for firing a spear
Behlosh: a male ehrekh, one of the first made by Goezhen
Beht Ihman: the night the Kings saved Sharakhai from the gathered tribes
Beht Revahl: the night the Kings defeated the last of the wandering tribes
Beht Tahlell: the holy day to commemorate when Nalamae created the River Haddah
Beht Zha’ir: the night of the asirim, a holy night that comes every six weeks. “The night the twin moons, Tulathan and her sister, Rhia, rose together and lit the desert floor.”
Bent Man Bridge: the oldest and bulkiest of Sharakhai’s bridges; crosses the dry remains of the River Haddah
Biting Shields: a nickname for the people of Tribe Rafik
Black Lion of Kundhun: Djaga Akoyo
black lotus: an addictive & debilitating narcotic
the Black Veils: of Tribe Salmük
the Black Wings: of Tribe Okan
Blackfire Gate: one of the largest gates into the old city, also the name of one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city
Blade Maidens: the Kings’ personal bodyguards
blazing blues: migratory birds that travel in great flocks, considered good luck
Bloody Manes: a nickname for the people of Tribe Narazid
Bloody Passage: a massacre in the desert in which Ramahd Amansir’s wife and child were killed
bone crushers: the large, rangy hyenas of the desert
Brama Junayd’ava: a thief, Osman’s “second story man”
breathstone: one of the three types of diaphanous stones; it needs blood. When forced down the throat of the dead, they are brought back to life for a short time.
Brushing Wing: name of Kameyl’s sword
the Burning Hands: a nickname for the people of Tribe Kadri
burnoose: a hooded mantle or cloak
burqa: loose garment covering the entire body, with a veiled opening for the eyes
caravanserai: a small village or trading post built on caravan routes; provides food, water, and rest for ships and their crews
caravel: sailing ship
Çeda (full name: Çedamihn Ahyanesh’ala): daughter of Ahyanesh, a fighter in the pits of Sharakhai, a member of the thirteenth tribe
cressetwing: beautiful moth; also known as irindai (See also, gallows moth)
Dana’il: first mate of Ramahd’s Blue Heron
Dardzada: Çeda’s foster father, an apothecary
Darius: one of the Moonless Host
Davud Mahzun’ava: one of Tehla’s (the baker’s) brothers
Dayan: shaikh of Tribe Halarijan
Derya Redknife: female rider for Tribe Rafik; “thrice Devorah’s age but also thrice the rider”
Devahndi: the fourth day of the week in the desert calendar
Devorah: Leorah’s sister
dhow: sailing vessel, generally lateen-rigged on two or three masts
dirt dog: someone who fights in the pits
Djaga Akoyo: Çeda’s mentor in the pits; known as the Lion of Kundhun
doudouk: musical instrument
Duyal: the shaikh of Tribe Okan
Ebros: one of the tribes; a/k/a the Standing Stones
Ehmel: was to have competed in Annam’s Traverse but broke his leg
ehrekh: bestial creations of the god Goezhen
Emir: the king of Malasan, son of Surrahdi the Mad King
Emre Aykan’ava: Çeda’s roommate, her closest friend since childhood
Enasia: see: Lady Enasia
falchion: short medieval sword
fekkas: a hard biscuit, can be sweet or savory
fetters: a length of tough, braided leather wrapped tightly around one of each fighter’s wrists, keeping them in close proximity
Five Kingdoms: a name used to indicate Sharakhai and the four kingdoms that surround the desert
The Flame of Iri: a/k/a the Sunset Stone; a giant amethyst
the Four Arrows: one of the oldest and most famous inns along the Trough
Frail Lemi: a giant of a man; suffered a bad head injury when he was young; is sometimes aggressive, sometimes childlike
Galadan: stone mason Emre sometimes works for
gallows moth: beautiful moth; sign of imminent death but also, to those who know it as cressetwing or irindai, it is considered a sign of luck
Ganahil: capital city of Kundhun
Gelasira: Savior of Ishmantep; former wearer of Çeda’s sword
Ghiza: elderly neighbor of Çeda & Emre
ghutrah: a veil-like headpiece worn by men; an agal keeps it in place
Goezhen the Wicked: god of chaos and vengeance, creator of the ehrekh and other dark creatures of the desert
golden chalice of Bahri Al’sir: from Tribe Narazid to the winner of Annam’s Traverse
Goldenhill: an affluent district of Sharakhai
Gravemaker: the name of King Külaşan’s morning star
Guhldrathen: name of the ehrekh Meryam consults
Haddad: a caravan owner from Malasan
Haddah: the river that runs through Sharakhai, dry for most of the year
Hajesh: Melis’s oldest sister
hajib: term of respect (not to be confused with hijab)
Halarijan: the tribe of Sim and Verda; a/k/a the White Trees
Halim: Lord of the Burning Hands (of Tribe Kadri); the tribe’s shaikh
Hall of Swords: where the Blade Maidens learn and train
Hallowsgate: one of the twelve towers spaced along the city’s outer wall; is “due west of Tauriyat and the House of Kings, at the terminus of the street known as the Spear”
Haluk Emet’ava: a captain of the Silver Spears, “a tower of a man” a/k/a “the Oak of the Guard”
Hamid Malahin’ava: one of Macide’s men and a childhood friend of Çeda & Emre
Hamzakiir: son of Külaşan, the Wandering King
a hand: a unit of five Blade Maidens
hangman’s vine: a distillation that can make one lose one’s memories
Hasenn: a Blade Maiden
Hathahn: Djaga’s final opponent in the fighting pits before she retired
hauberk: chainmail tunic
Havasham: handsome son of Athel the carpetmonger
Hazghad Road: See: The Wheel
Hidi: one twin fathered by the trickster god, Onondu; brother is Makuo. Hidi is “the angry one”
hijab: Islamic headscarf (not to be confused with hajib)
the Hill: where the Kings live; a/k/a Tauriyat
House of Kings: a collective name for the House of Maidens and the thirteen palaces on Tauriyat, the home of the Kings of Sharakhai
Hundi: the fifth day of the week in the desert calendar
Ibrahim: old storyteller
Ib’Saim: a stall owner from the bazaar
ifin: an eyeless, bat-like creature with two sets of wings, a creation of Goezhen
Irem: a spy for Hamid
Irhüd’s Finger: a desert landmark; a tall standing stone
Iri: an elder god, called three times before the sun awoke in the heavens
Iri’s Four Sacred Stones: a/k/a the Tears of Tulathan (Result of the breaking of the Sunset Stone)
irindai: beautiful moth; a/k/a a cressetwing, considered a sign of luck (see also: gallows moth)
Ishaq Kirhan’ava: Macide’s father and Çeda’s grandfather, one-time leader of the Moonless Host, Shaikh of the newly formed thirteenth tribe
Ishmantep: a large caravanserai on the eastern route from Sharakhai to Malasan
The Jackal’s Tail: smoke house known as a seedy place
jalabiya: a loose-fitting hooded gown or robe
Jalize: a Blade Maiden and one of Sümeya’s hand
Jewel of the Desert: Sharakhai
Juvaan Xin-Lei: albino from Mirea and Mirea’s ambassador to Sharakhai
Kadir: works for “a powerful woman,” i.e., Rümayesh
kaftan: alternate spelling
kahve: a bean, a stimulant when ground and brewed to make a hot drink
Kameyl: a Blade Maiden and one of Sümeya’s hand
Kannan: laws written by the Kings based on the much older Al’Ambra, laws of the desert tribes
keffiyeh: a cotton headdress
kefir: a milk drink
kenshar: a curved knife
ketch: small sailing ship
khalat: a long-sleeved outer robe
khet: a coin
Khyrn: see “Old Khyrn”
kiai: a percussive sound used when striking an opponent
King Azad: King of Thorns; makes mysterious draughts, never sleeps
King Beşir: King of Shadows, can move between shadows
King Cahil
: the Confessor King, the King of Truth; known to be cruel
King Husamettín: the King of Swords and Lord of the Blade Maidens
King Ihsan: the Honey-tongued King, serves as Sharakhai’s chief ambassador, known to be plotting and conniving
King Kiral: supreme among the Twelve Kings; “with burning eyes and pock-marked skin”
King Külaşan: the Wandering King, the The Lost King
King Mesut: the Jackal King, Lord of the Asirim
King Onur: once known as the King of Spears, more often referred to as the Feasting King or the King of Sloth
King Sukru: the Reaping King, controls the asirim through use of a magical whip
King Yusam: the Jade-Eyed King; sees visions in a magical mere granted by the gods
King Zeheb: the King of Whispers, rumored he can hear speech from far away, particularly when it relates to the Kings’ business
King’s Harbor: where Sharakhai’s war ships dock
Kirhan: Macide’s grandfather
the Knot: a district in Sharakhai; a “veritable maze of mudbrick”
kufi: a hat
Kundhun: a kingdom west of Sharakhai and the Shangazi Desert, a vast grassland
Kundhunese: a people, a language
Kundhuni: adjectival form
Lady Enasia: Matron Zohra’s companion
Lady Kialiss of Almadan: a dirt dog, one of Djaga’s opponents
Lasdi: the sixth day of the week in the desert calendar
lassi: a yogurt drink
lateen: a rig with a triangular sail (lateen sail) bent to a yard hoisted to the head of a low mast
Leorah Mikel’ava al Rafik: Devorah’s sister, Ihsaq’s mother, Çeda’s great-grandmother
Lord Veşdi: King Külaşan’s eldest living son; Master of Coin
Macide Ishaq’ava: leader of the Moonless Host
Makuo: one twin fathered by the trickster god, Onondu; brother is Hidi
Malahndi: the second day of the week in the desert calendar
Malasan: a kingdom east of Sharakhai and the Shangazi Desert
Master Nezahum: a woman on the faculty of the collegium
Matrons: healers and trainers from the House of Maidens
Matron Zohra: an aging woman, owner of an estate in Sharakhai
Beneath the Twisted Trees Page 66