The Spider Prince

by Rebecca Goings

  "What are they doing?" Ziyad asked.

  The Falcon turned to him with a grin. "They've found something."

  Hope lit in Ziyad's heart like a flame to dry kindling. He didn't wait for his friend before he kicked his horse and tore off across the desert, chasing the birds in the sky.

  ~ * ~

  Amani was suffocating. She had to wonder how many times she would have died if it hadn't been for the magic of Ziyad's ring sustaining her. She could barely breathe. Points of light speckled in front of her eyes, yet no light spilled into the chest.

  The darkness pressed in like a shroud, squeezing every last drop of moisture from her body. The heat was oppressive. She'd never felt the like, as if she was inside a fiery furnace.

  A sob escaped her, but no tears came. And trying to suck in breath was impossible. Her heart pounded so hard inside her, it was painful, each beat more forceful than the

  last.

  If she removed Ziyad's ring, she would die. She could escape the hell of being locked inside this chest. Amani fingered the legs of the spider and considered it. But her muscles didn't have the strength to pull it off her hand.

  And she would never make Ziyad live through another nightmare of losing his wife.

  Amani had no idea how long she'd been trapped inside the chest. It felt like years. Long, eternal years. But she had to have faith that Ziyad would find her. He would save her. He had to.

  But how?

  The Golden Desert was a big place. How could Ziyad find one tiny chest in the empty rolling dunes?

  Use your magic.

  The tiny voice inside her mind whispered to her, reminding her of her ability.

  "I just…make plants…grow," she managed to croak.

  And what better way to allow the Spider Prince to find his princess than foliage where there shouldn't be any?

  Amani licked her lips, but her tongue was dry. She yearned for a long draught of water. Her arms and legs screamed at being cramped for so long, but she knew the voice in her head had a point.

  Perhaps she could give Ziyad a sign—a landmark to find her.

  It took her a few tries to concentrate, but she thought of nothing but his lovely rahala blossoms. They only grew at his oasis. If he found a patch of them in the acrid desert, he wouldn't be able to ignore them. She bit her lip. Finding the magic deep within her was harder than she thought it would be. The heat made her tired. So very tired…

  But before she drifted off, Amani felt her magic leave her in a rush. She smiled. For surely the chest was now surrounded by the Spider's rare flowers. Her last thought was a prayer to her god that somehow, someway, Ziyad would come and save her.

  Twenty Three

  "What is that?"

  Khalil pointed beyond Ziyad's shoulder just as a falcon cried overhead. Ziyad turned to look down the dune and gasped. Bushes and trees were sprouting in the middle of nowhere. It made no sense. The only vegetation in the desert grew at the princes' oases.

  But the longer Ziyad looked, the more he took in, and his keen eyes could just barely make out the lovely white petals of the rahala blossom, even from this distance.

  In that moment, he remembered Amani's magical ability. She cultivated plants. This was a sign for him. She was down there.

  "Amani!"

  Ziyad's horse was exhausted, but he'd run the black gelding to the ground if it meant saving his princess. Sweat and foam covered the mount. If he found Amani, he'd water the horse and rest for a while in the shade of the tall palms just up ahead.

  "Amani!" he cried out again, not knowing if she could hear him.

  "Ziyad, look!" Khalil said, reining his horse to a stop. "Gods above, it's one of Jaden's clothing chests."

  "Ahmed said his wife had been found dead in a chest," Ziyad exclaimed, jumping from the back of his horse. "Amani is inside. I am sure of it!"

  He pulled his dagger from his belt-wrap and dropped to the soft grasses surrounding the box. The fragrance of rahala blossoms filled the air and his eyes burned. It was nearing midday, and the sun's heat sweltered above them. If Amani hadn't been wearing his ring, she would have died, he had no doubt of it.

  Ziyad wasted no time and smashed the lock with the hilt of his dagger. It wouldn't be moved.

  Again and again he pounded, until his rage took over. Ziyad screamed at the top of his lungs, uncaring that his hand was bloody, uncaring that the hilt of his dagger had cracked.

  But with a few more swings, the lock finally gave way. With tears rolling down his cheeks, he scrambled to open the chest.

  "Gods!" he cried. There lay Amani, seemingly peaceful in repose. Her cheeks were bright red and her hair was plastered to her head. Her robes clung to her as he lifted her out, and her head lolled back.

  Ziyad couldn't hold back. Right there in the grass, he fell apart, holding the woman he loved and crying uncontrollably into her neck.

  "Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Don't leave me," he canted over and over again, rocking with her. "Open your eyes, minx. Look at me."

  Ziyad smoothed her damp hair from her face and shuddered when she didn't obey.

  "Amani, please."

  "Spider!" The Falcon tossed his water skin at his knees.

  Ziyad didn't waste time thanking his friend for his thoughtfulness. He was vaguely aware that Khalil had taken to rubbing down their horses when he grabbed the skin.

  Uncorking it, he poured out some of his precious water into his hand. He brought that hand to Amani's red cheek. Wetting his fingers again, he combed them through her hair then wet her neck and arms. Once he was finished, he splashed some water into her mouth.

  "Wake up, my princess," he whispered. "I love you too much for you to slip away."

  Amani's head tossed from side to side. Ziyad's heart stopped.

  "Ziyad?" she moaned.

  "I am here," he answered against her ear.

  "Am I…dreaming?"

  "No." He gave her a light kiss on the lips. "Can you look at me?"

  He knew she was trying with all her might. When she finally did crack her eyes, she found the strength to smile.

  "I knew you would find me," she whispered.

  Relief washed over him in a rush. She was alive and talking. The magic of her ring had kept her breathing. Ziyad would forever be indebted to Zara.

  "Your rahala plants brought me to you, my love."

  "The god of Spiders said they would."

  Ziyad sat speechless for a moment. Before he could say anything, Amani spoke again. "He told me who killed Karis."

  Suddenly Khalil knelt next to them in the grass. "You spoke to the god of Spiders?"

  Amani nodded. "And I spoke with the other gods of the desert."

  "She is delirious," Khalil exclaimed.

  "It's worse than I thought," Ziyad replied as shock enveloped him. Amani laid her hand on his arm.

  "Believe me, husband. I spoke with them. I don't know how, but I did. It was Sahirah who trampled Karis with her horse. And Jaden ordered the raiders to hit your caravan."

  Ziyad couldn't help a fresh wave of moisture in his eyes. "Why?" he asked, his chin trembling.

  "To distract the Scarab."

  "What?" Ziyad's surprise couldn't be any greater.

  "Jaden's father, the Cobra Prince before him, wanted Trianna for his own. He ordered his son to distract the Scarab long enough to take Trianna from under Qadir's nose." Amani closed her eyes and licked her lips. "The raid on your caravan was that very distraction. With the Scarab gone from Suridesh, Mother laid waste to the tent city with her sandstorm and took his intended."

  She opened her eyes once more. "Karis's death was nothing more than an unfortunate casualty."

  Ziyad vaguely felt the Falcon's hand on his shoulder. His entire world tilted on its axis. He knew. He finally knew what happened to his first wife.

  "That's not all the gods told me," Amani whispered.

  Ziyad's eyes darted back to hers.

  "Jaden Rahasha has angered every god in the d
esert. The Cobra turned his back because of his part in Karis's death, and also because he killed Sahirah. The Spider wants blood because Jaden's princess killed Karis—and he took me. The Jackal is demanding retribution for cutting down Siraj, his steward. The Scarab is angry that he dared to make Sahirah take on Trianna's appearance with magic every time they made love. And the Viper god, he's upset that Jaden has taken Tariq's head cook directly from her own carav."

  "Jalil?" Ziyad said. "Why would he want her?"

  "He will contact you using Jalil's magic, to make his demands."

  The Falcon Prince took a deep breath. "What of the god of Falcons? You said Jaden angered every god."

  Amani looked at him and her eyes softened. "He killed two of your majestic birds on his ride back to Suridesh."

  "Then he's in the tent city," Ziyad growled.

  "Or nearby at least," Khalil said.

  Ziyad gave Amani a few more sips of water and pulled her close. "Gods, woman, I thought I would never find you."

  "I never doubted that you would," she whispered, kissing him just beneath his ear. Every inch of his skin pebbled at the sensation. "I did talk with the gods, Ziyad."

  He pulled back just enough to gaze into her eyes. She was telling the truth, or at least, the truth as she believed.

  "They want restitution for all Jaden has done. I know you are going to call another Council." His eyes widened. Amani nodded with a small smile. "The gods will have his death. Not you."

  It took Ziyad a long time to answer. The revenge that had fueled him for so long seemed to extinguish itself at her words. Perhaps the gods would see fit to send Jaden to Kaldaeron. His heart was light for the first time in years. No longer did he bear the burden of vengeance upon his soul.

  "So be it," he whispered, returning her smile.

  Twenty Four

  Amani was finally feeling better. A cool breeze rustled through the palms and she smiled as it kissed her face. She had no doubt the cool wind had been sent by the god of Spiders. Somehow in her stupor, she'd conversed with them on a very personal level.

  And she knew her god accepted her just as readily as he'd once accepted Karis. She was indeed his princess.

  Ziyad hadn't allowed her off his lap as he sat in the grass with his back to a tree. His hand had a large cut from opening the lock, but the bleeding had stopped and Khalil wrapped it in the fabric of a dunla he'd found in his saddlebags.

  Amani had been able to keep down more water, and soon, they'd leave their tiny paradise behind and return to Suridesh. She almost regretted leaving these plants here to die. They had no water to sustain them. Within days, they'd wilt, and within a month, the desert would once again claim this spot with waves of sand.

  "We should cut down these palms," Ziyad said after taking a sip of water.

  "Whatever for?" the Falcon asked, gazing up through their branches.

  "They won't last here," he explained, as if mirroring Amani's thoughts. "They will die."

  "So you propose we cut them down instead? Why?"

  "Amani made them. With her magic." Khalil regarded her with curious eyes. Ziyad nodded. "Imagine flutes or furniture made with magical wood. Or maybe a new liala for you? Perhaps this wood is a finer quality than palms found at

  our oases."

  "I hadn't thought of that," Khalil said, scratching his chin. Even Amani stared at her plants in awe. Could it be true? Could plants made by her ability be worth more than normal plants? And would they have any magical qualities she didn't know about?

  The thought excited her.

  Suddenly, Ziyad sat straight up, nearly dumping Amani on the grass. His eyes were wide and he cocked his head.

  "What is it?" Amani asked, stroking his cheek.

  "Jalil. She's contacting me." He sat in silence for a few more moments. "Yes, I hear you," he said. "Listen to me. Do not let the Cobra know you've contacted me. Pretend to have some difficulty. I want you to contact Tariq and let him know what is going on."

  Amani sat up as well, glancing at the Falcon. Khalil shrugged.

  "All right, then just contact him," Ziyad said. "Tariq should know something is wrong, even if you don't say a word."

  Ziyad looked at Amani. "She can't send her thoughts without speaking out loud," he whispered.

  After a moment, he spoke to Jalil once more. "You tell that bastard there is no deal. Tell that snake I have found my princess and she is very much alive. Tell him every god in the desert wants his head!"

  Ziyad sat in silence before he cried out in shock. "Gods above!"

  "Spider, what is it?" Khalil demanded.

  Ziyad looked at him in disbelief. "The Cobra just killed Jalil. By all that is holy, he slit her throat!"

  Khalil leapt to his feet. "Then there is no time to waste. We must make sure that man no longer breathes."

  The Falcon pulled Amani to her feet until Ziyad could stand and steady her himself. "I hope Jalil was able to get the Viper's attention before…" Ziyad said unable to finish his thought. He swung into his saddle and leaned down to pull Amani before him.

  "I have no doubt that she did," the Falcon said, mounting his own horse. "Our only hope now is that the Scarab and the Jackal made it back in time to help the Viper catch Jaden."

  They turned their horses and pointed them toward the tent city.

  "Are you all right to travel?" Ziyad whispered in Amani's ear.

  She snuggled against his body and nodded. "As long as I am in your arms, my prince."

  "Good," he answered. "Because you'll be in these arms for the rest of your life."

  "Good," she answered right back. "Because there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

  ~ * ~

  It was late evening by the time they made it back to Suridesh. Even from afar, it was obvious things had changed since they'd left. But the one thing that stood out was the Cobra's dead Sentinels.

  Each colossal, hairy beast that pulled his caravs across the desert was dead. Ziyad had never seen one of those magical creatures grow old, much less die. Seeing them lifeless in the sand had him swallowing hard.

  The wrath of the gods had already begun.

  Even Khalil and Amani were speechless as they passed them. A few of the beasts had taken the caravs with them when they'd fallen over dead, and the entire line of the Cobra's caravan was either on its side or torn apart. What was left appeared to have been looted. And the Cobra's people were nowhere to be seen.

  "Go find Tariq," Ziyad told Khalil. "I will see to my wife and meet you at the Viper's carav."

  Khalil nodded and trotted away into the evening.

  "Come," Ziyad said into Amani's ear. "I must make sure you are taken care of."

  "I am fine," she told him.

  Ziyad shook his head. "You were locked inside a scorching chest with no water or air. The only reason your heart beats is because of Zara and the ring she made you, bless the woman. I am taking you to my physician. No arguing."

  "What of you?" Amani asked through a yawn.

  "What of me?" he replied.

  "Your hand?"

  Ziyad sighed. "I'll be fine. I've had worse."

  "I do not wish you to confront the Cobra with a gash in your palm."

  "I will be—"

  "No, husband," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. She'd shocked him, and he couldn't find words to reply. "I am your princess now, so I will speak to you as your equal. I want you healed before you confront the Cobra, and that's an order from the Spider Princess."

  "Well then," Ziyad replied, scratching his head. "Perhaps I should visit my physician too."

  "I'm glad you see it my way," Amani had the audacity to say.

  Ziyad tickled her, eliciting a squeal from her. "Just because I agree with you does not mean you are allowed to command me, wife of mine."

  "Does it not?" she said flippantly. "I seem to remember a certain prince who once told me that he was my servant. Day or night."

  Ziyad growled as his cock stiffened at the memory of his
words. "Only when we make love," he corrected, clutching her tight.

  "Mmm," she responded. "That's right." Amani guided his hand to her breast.

  Ziyad gasped but played along, squeezing her nipple shamelessly. "I will only make love to you when you are well, minx."

  "Pity," she said. "I've had a few fantasies of being ravished by a prince, but I guess a caravan driver will have to do."