by Jim C. Hines
Rajil studied them each in turn, keeping safely out of reach behind her guards. Talia waited as Rajil’s gaze lingered on her. Though Talia had seen Rajil before from a distance, they had never met in person.
Rajil turned to examine the weapons her men had taken. She picked up Danielle’s sword, studying the glass blade in the sun. “You’re no ordinary thieves.”
Talia straightened. “I think you know who I am, Rajil.”
The man of smoke moved closer, his movements almost eager. Rajil simply tossed the sword to the ground and said, “Perhaps. Jhukha will learn the truth soon enough.”
“That he will.” Whispering so softly she could barely hear her own voice, Talia said, “Roudette, take Rajil.”
Roudette had already shown her senses to be sharper than any human’s. Roudette bounded forward, yanking her guards to the ground as though they weighed nothing at all.
Blue fire flashed from Jhukha’s arms, racing over Roudette’s body with no effect. As Talia had hoped, Roudette’s cape protected her from fairy magic even in her wolf form. Rajil screamed as another guard was tossed aside like a doll, and then Roudette was atop her, jaws clamped around her throat.
The human guards hesitated. Not Jhukha. The fairy attacked again, loosing another wave of flame over Roudette. As before, his magic did nothing.
Talia used the guards’ distraction to race toward their weapons. She dove and rolled, rising to her feet with Danielle’s sword in one hand. The enchanted blade sliced through Jhukha’s form. The path of the cut re-formed as soon as the blade passed, but Jhukha drew back as though pained.
“If one of your men makes the slightest move, my wolf will tear out your throat,” Talia said lightly.
“Stop!” Between Rajil’s fear and the pressure of Roudette’s jaws, the word was little more than a squeak.
“Watch that thing.” Talia jabbed the sword at Jhukha. She trusted Rajil’s human guards to obey. If any did try to attack, Talia was fast enough to deal with them. But who knew where the fairy’s loyalties lay? To Rajil, she said, “You have a friend of mine here. I’d like her back.”
Roudette loosened her grip ever so slightly.
Talia smiled. “She didn’t have much of a breakfast, so she’s hungry.”
Blood dripped from small punctures in Rajil’s neck, staining the collar of her robe. She ignored it, focusing her attention instead on Talia. “I do know you. I saw a painting once, as a child. Before Queen Lakhim ordered all such work destroyed. You look older, Princess Talia. Old and tired.”
At the mention of Talia’s name, Jhukha seemed to contract, his body growing smaller and darker until he appeared almost solid. Talia moved toward him, but before she could strike, the fairy burst into cloud, becoming no thicker than smoke from a campfire.
“Stop him!” Talia shouted, slashing through the smoke. Already Jhukha was flowing over the top of the wall.
Sunlight sliced into the fairy from Snow’s mirrors, burning holes through the smoke, but it wasn’t enough to stop him.
“Snow, you and Danielle watch the doorways.” Talia knelt beside Rajil. “He can’t save you. If I have to fight every guard in your mansion, I will.”
Rajil sniffed. “He’s not fetching help for me.”
“Zestan,” Talia guessed. Having heard Talia’s name, he went to tell his mistress. “Can he travel by fairy ring?”
“He’s not going anywhere,” said Snow. She pulled a mirror from her choker and threw it after the departing fairy. The mirror shattered in mid- flight, turning to a stream of glittering dust which merged with the smoke. “If he tries, the mirror should scatter him across half of this world. He’ll spend the next year putting himself back together.”
Talia grabbed Rajil by the throat. “Release Faziya and tell us where to find Zestan-e-Jheg, and you may live to see another sunset.”
“You’d ask me to betray Zestan?”
Talia fought the urge to strike her. “Have you seen Jahrasima today? Have you looked upon your people and the damage left by the Wild Hunt?”
“The Hunt came for you.” Rajil sat up slowly, wide eyes watching Roudette and Talia both. “You led them here. Surrender yourself, and Jahrasima will be safe.”
“Until the next time Zestan sends the Wild Hunt out on an errand.” Talia handed the sword back to Danielle, mostly to avoid the temptation to use it. “Remember the oath you swore. To protect Jahrasima and its people with your blood. To pledge yourself to your city above tribe and family.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Rajil snapped. “This city wouldn’t exist without the help of the fairies. Where would we be if we had rejected their aid? Roaming the desert like Kha’iida savages. Squabbling over what little water we could find. Warring among ourselves, as we did for the hundred years you slept. They saved us from barbarism. Zestan will turn all Arathea into a jewel.”
“By enslaving us?” Talia asked.
Rajil spread her arms. “Do I look like a slave to you?”
“You look like—”
Danielle coughed, and Talia caught herself. She didn’t have time to fight with Rajil.
“The fairies wish to serve us,” Rajil said, pouncing on the opening left by Talia’s silence. “We are their penance. They will make this land a paradise.”
“Tell that to the people mourning the loss of their homes and loved ones,” Talia said softly. “Tell that to Queen Lakhim. You know Zestan means to kill her, right? Her and her grandsons both. Would you side with the fairies against your own ruler?”
“Asks the one who murdered Prince Jihab.” Rajil spat.
Sparring with Rajil was a waste of time. “Zestan-e-Jheg is a deev.”
For a heartbeat, she saw doubt in Rajil’s eyes. “Impossible.”
“Look at the power she wields. Look at the way she loosed the Wild Hunt on the Kha’iida and on your city.”
“The Wild Hunt are a tool of God, sent to punish—”
“They will return tonight in force,” Talia snapped. “They will tear this city apart to find me. You’ll be the raikh of a dead, ruined city . . . assuming they leave you alive.”
“Zestan wouldn’t harm me.”
“Which is more important to her, protecting a human or finding me? Your friend Jhukha didn’t hesitate to abandon you.” Talia leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Give me Faziya. Tell me where to find Zestan. In return, I promise to protect Jahrasima from the Wild Hunt.”
“What are you doing?” Danielle asked.
“What she should have done.” Talia nudged Rajil with her foot.
Rajil hesitated. “Zestan’s influence was growing even before you awoke. Most of the fairy families in Arathea now pledge their loyalty to her, though few have ever seen her. It was only a year ago that she sent Jhukha to me.” She glanced about. “This is his menagerie. His magic that binds the traitors into these forms. Even if I wished to help you, I couldn’t restore them.”
“All I need is for you to identify her,” Talia said, trying not to think about that. “I’m looking for a Kha’iida woman. She would have come here roughly one month ago. She would have asked about the Wild Hunt, and about Zestan.”
“The jackal,” Rajil whispered. “I was sympathetic to her pleas, of course, but Jhukha—”
“I’m sure you had no choice,” Talia said bitterly. “Just as you had no choice but to let Zestan attack your city.” She turned, searching the garden until she spotted a white jackal standing beside a bush of oversized golden roses. Talia’s chest tightened as she studied the jackal, trying to see Faziya in those blue eyes. The animal’s oversized ears twitched as the jackal examined Talia in return.
“You’re safe,” Danielle whispered. “Please come to us.”
Lean and long-legged, the jackal trotted toward them.
“She doesn’t remember you,” Rajil said.
“She will.” Talia extended one hand toward the jackal. Toward Faziya. Slowly, Faziya stepped closer, taking a tentative sniff. Talia started to b
rush her fingertips over the fur, but Faziya jumped back in alarm.
Danielle continued speaking in soft, soothing tones.
“What about Zestan?” Talia asked, never taking her eyes from Faziya.
“Even if everything you say is true, I can’t help you,” said Rajil, her voice trembling. “Her messages come through Jhukha. She could be anywhere in Arathea.” She brought her hands over her chest, closed her eyes, and began to pray.
Talia recognized the prayer, a plea for redemption and rebirth. Rajil expected to die here, at Talia’s hand.
“You think your death will earn you a place in Heaven?” Talia asked. “That you might even be reborn as one of the ‘Blessed Race’ as a reward for your faith. For that you’d sacrifice your queen, your people, even your life? All to protect a deev.”
“What would you have me do?” Rajil demanded. “If I’m right, Zestan is the salvation of Arathea. If you’re right, if she is a deev and I betray her . . . no. Even if I knew where to find her, I couldn’t tell you.”
Talia’s anger drained slowly. She turned to Snow. “Can you break whatever curse holds the animals here?”
“The curse tames them, but it doesn’t trap them here,” said Snow. “They could leave any time they choose. They simply lack the desire.”
“Good.” Talia retrieved her weapons.
As she tucked the last of her knives back into its sheath, Rajil spoke again. “If you truly want to protect Jahrasima, surrender yourself and your friends. If you flee, The Wild Hunt will return for you. Whatever destruction they bring will be weighed upon your soul, not my own.”
“You’ve already sold yours to the fairies.” Talia spat on the ground, then turned to Danielle. “We’ll need the animals’ help in order to escape.”
“They’re too docile,” Danielle said. As if to demonstrate, a lioness padded out from cluster of trees, flopped onto her side, and began to purr loudly enough Talia could hear it from halfway across the garden.
“My people know of your intrusion,” Rajil said. “Even if you kill us all, you’ll never escape this place.”
Before Talia could respond, one of the guards stepped forward and bowed low. “I’ll escort you. My name is Naheer el-Qudas. I’ve served the raikh for six years. Few here will question me.”
“Traitor!” Whatever else Rajil might have said was lost in a frightened squeak as Roudette’s teeth snapped the skin from the tip of her nose.
Talia studied the man who had spoken. He was older than the others, and the white scrollwork on his breastplate marked him as a higher- ranking soldier. She searched his face as he rose. A crooked nose and broken teeth showed he had fought his share of brawls, but she saw no sign of trickery. “Why would you help us?”
“My father’s home was destroyed by the Wild Hunt. My mother was taken to the temple this morning. She may not survive.” Naheer glanced at Rajil. “You offered to protect Jahrasima from the Hunt’s return. Are you truly who you claim? Can you do what you promised?”
Talia inclined her head ever so slightly in return. “I am, and I will.”
He bowed again, this time dropping to one knee. “Princess Talia, I will see you from this place myself.”
For the first time since entering the raikh’s mansion, Talia found herself at a loss. If Naheer’s offer was genuine, and the rage on Rajil’s face suggested it was, he had to know he had just accepted death. He would be executed before the sun set, yet he appeared far calmer than Talia felt.
Talia glanced at Danielle, but of course Danielle couldn’t understand a word being spoken. Snow merely shrugged. “Thank you,” Talia whispered. “We still need to secure Rajil and the others.”
Another of the guards joined Naheer. “I will see that no one leaves this garden or cries for help until you’re safely away from the mansion, Princess.”
“As will I,” said a third. The rest held back, though none of Rajil’s guards appeared eager to take up arms and defend her.
“You can’t,” Talia said. “Rajil will—”
“Forgive me, Princess,” said Naheer. “But our lives are yours now. Rajil has witnessed our choice. You can’t scrape the memories from her mind.”
“I can’t, no.” Without another word, Talia grabbed the back of Rajil’s robe and hauled her to her feet. Talia’s arm snaked around Rajil’s throat. Her other hand gripped her wrist, and she pulled tight. Rajil struggled briefly, but Talia’s hold cut off the blood to Rajil’s head, and she soon slumped. Talia dropped Rajil to the ground and turned to Snow.
“And once again you turn to the sorceress for help.” Snow grinned as she pressed a hand to Rajil’s forehead. “I can probably block the memory for a few days. I’ll try to make her sleep a while as well. What about the other guards?”
“We’ve fought together before,” said Naheer. “Every man here took an oath to protect his fellows.”
And not one had moved to stop Talia from knocking Rajil unconscious. Talia blinked hard. A lump in her throat kept her from speaking. Instead, she simply clasped Naheer’s arm in her hand and squeezed.
He hesitated before returning the greeting, an old street gesture between brawlers. “Come, Your Highness,” he said. “The sooner you leave this place, the safer you’ll be.”
The one called Naheer led them down the steps. Danielle didn’t understand what had happened, but something in the garden had changed for Talia. Confidence and uncertainty warred on her face with no clear winner, but she appeared even more determined than before to lead them to safety.
Danielle spoke softly to Faziya, encouraging her with every step to keep her from fleeing back to the garden. Faziya was visibly trembling. Talia had tried twice to comfort her, but both times Faziya had shied away, hiding behind Danielle.
Between Naheer’s calm presence and Roudette snarling at anyone who stared, they reached the back of the mansion unchallenged. The stables were built into the rear wings, with the back courtyard walled off to provide a small yard for the horses.
The inside of the stable smelled of dust, barley, and manure. Naheer shouted something to the boy mucking out one of the empty stalls. The boy set his pitchfork against the wall and hurried away.
Danielle approached the closest stall. She wasn’t as comfortable on horseback as her friends, but she had learned enough to recognize a beautiful animal when she saw it. This was a gray mare, smaller than the horses back home, long- necked and muscular. Even in the confines of her stall, she held head and tail high, giving her a proud appearance.
Naheer was saddling a roan mare. The saddles were shorter and wider than Danielle was used to, with large saddlebags. The boy returned a short time later, carrying blankets and waterskins.
“What did Naheer say to him?” Danielle asked.
Snow grinned. “The boy is Naheer’s nephew. He said to prepare the horses and that he’d box his ears if he loitered about to flirt with the girls inside.”
“What will happen to him, once Rajil remembers?” Danielle asked.
Snow translated the question, as well as Naheer’s response. “He is family. I will take him from this place tonight, and I will keep him safe.” The obvious worry when he looked at his nephew gave the lie to his threat to beat the boy for any delay.
“Where do we go from here?” Danielle didn’t know everything that had been said in the garden, but Snow had summarized Talia’s exchange with Rajil. “We still don’t know where to find Zestan.”
“Faziya might.” Talia threw a saddle onto a third horse. “We leave the city and do what we can to restore her, and we hope she learned more than we did.”
Talia even sounded different. Her words were . . . not calmer, but more certain.
“What can I do?” asked Danielle.
“Keep Faziya calm.” Talia yanked the second saddle tight and moved on to the gray mare.
“Uh-oh.” Snow touched the empty spot on her choker where the mirror had been. “Our fairy friend is back.”
Talia barked an order in Arath
ean. The boy paled and argued briefly with Naheer before fleeing. Naheer took a deep breath and grunted something to Talia.
“Ka hiran,” Talia said softly. Then she kicked him in the face.
“Talia!” Danielle started forward, but Snow moved between them.
The blow knocked Naheer into one of the stone support pillars. He staggered forward, moving right into Talia’s follow-up kick. Talia moved close, fist cocked back to strike, but Naheer raised his hands. He wiped blood from his mouth and muttered something in Arathean, then slumped to the floor. His eyes closed.
Talia grabbed the spear and club he carried, tucking the latter through her sash before mounting her horse.
“What did he say?” Danielle asked.
Snow grinned. “His exact words were, ‘Nice kick, Princess.’ He should be safe. His nephew will say we broke free and overpowered him.” Snow climbed onto the roan. “We’re out of time, Talia.”
Already Danielle could hear shouts from within the mansion. She climbed onto the gray horse, then called for Faziya. After much urging and reassurance, Faziya allowed Talia to lift her up and pass her to Danielle. Danielle held Faziya with both hands, keeping her steady on the saddle and guiding the horse with her words. The horse shied away from Roudette, nickering in alarm.
“What about the gates?” Danielle asked.
“Stay behind me.” Talia kicked her horse forward. “Snow, give me Father Uf’uyan and his friend.”
Snow yanked the pouch from her belt and tossed it to Talia, who snatched it from the air.
“Can you reverse the spell on them?” Talia shouted as she urged her horse across the courtyard. An arrow thudded into the dirt. Three men rushed forward from the gates.
“Sure,” said Snow.
“Do it!” Talia hurled the pouch through the air at the closest of the guards.
Danielle winced with sympathy as Uf’uyan and Yasar ripped through the pouch. They hadn’t completely changed back to their natural forms when they crashed into the guards, but they had grown enough. Guards, priest, and naga lay groaning on the ground. Talia’s horse leaped over them all. Talia jumped down, running to the gatehouse. Moments later the gate swung open.