by Joshua Khan
Lily touched her father’s hand.
Iblis unclenched his fists, and all became quiet again. “I’m sorry, Lily.”
“No need to be, Father. But that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”
He was fading. His pain was stealing him from her.
“What shall I do, Father?” What shall I do to the man who killed you and our family?
He put his palm softly against her cheek, and Lily watched a tear fall down her father’s own.
And then she woke up.
TWENTY
Who killed Sa’if?
The question plagued Lily. She had some of Sa’if’s memories, but none that were helping.
With so many people in mourning or preoccupied by the trial by fire, Lily was reduced to consulting with Pazuzu about Sa’if and his brothers. She knew it was dangerous to talk too plainly in the open corridor, where anyone could hear, so she had to patiently endure some irrelevant stories from the efreet.
“He was hisss father’sss mossst brilliant ssstudent,” Paz told her. “Weaving fire from the moment he could walk.” The small smoldering creature chuckled, pumping clouds of smoke and ash from his glowing mouth while recounting the chaos Sa’if had once created during the Festival of the Candles, igniting thousands of wicks simultaneously and covering many of the guests with dripping wax.
The efreet had many more tales, and he was desperate to share them with someone, but Lily couldn’t spare the time. “Could you tell me more about Jambiya? I’m worried about K’leef having to compete against him,” she said. “K’leef hadn’t finished learning from Sa’if, and now he’s—”
“K’leef could be asss great as Sssa’if wasss, if he had ambition.” Paz sighed, and the air around him shimmered with the heat. “But he isss content with hisss booksss.”
“K’leef has other, better qualities than ambition. Qualities that would see him through any ordinary trial by fire, I’m sure of it. But this time, someone might try to—”
The old efreet’s head grew brighter with flames. “He looksss up to you. Do you know that?”
That brought her up short. “Really? Why?”
The efreet hissed, “He hasss alwaysss been led by bosssy women.”
“Bossy?” She hated that word.
“I mean…confident women. Ameera commanded him with her firssst wordsss. They grew up so clossse, until hisss training began. Then he had lesss time and she, lessss patience.”
“Ameera’s quite a character,” agreed Lily. “I think it would be hard for anyone to stand up to her.”
The efreet didn’t reply. He just hopped off his brazier and made his way to the door. “There are choresss I mussst attend to.”
“The palace would fall down if it weren’t for you, I’m sure.”
Paz turned. His eyes glowed brighter, and his laugh was the sound of rocks banging together. “Quite right. I am beginning to like you, Lilith of Houssse Shadow.”
Lily walked in the opposite direction, as baffled as ever. She still had no clue about the murderer’s identity. And if Sa’if was such a powerful sorcerer, how could he have been thwarted?
Magic was instinctual. Sure, you needed to concentrate to create some effects, but the first thing magic did was protect the sorcerer. Its defensive power acted like a natural reflex. She knew this from firsthand experience. When her uncle Pan had tried to kill her in an attempt to take over the country, she’d unintentionally shadow-stepped. She’d sunk into the darkness and out of the mortal world into the Twilight, the shadow realm between life and death. She hadn’t studied that spell—she’d never even seen anyone do it—but she’d needed to escape and her magic let her.
Lily knew well that magic was both a blessing and a curse. Thorn seemed to get along fine without it.…In fact, he was more content with his lot in life than she was with hers. Most of the time.
They were linked, she and Thorn. Some weird strand connected them; any miles separating them didn’t seem to matter. One time her father had claimed that he could find his way back to her mother from anywhere. I just let my heart do the searching, and with a step I’d be with her.
Lily blushed. She didn’t feel that way about Thorn. Not really. She was just…very fond of him. Everyone was. He was that sort of boy. Even Tyburn had said something nice about Thorn, once.
So, while it was doubtful that she could leap immediately to Thorn’s side wherever he might be, she guessed that, if she wanted to, she could at least head in the right direction.
But she wasn’t here to weigh Thorn’s merits, odd and uncouth though they were. She was here to solve Sa’if’s murder.
Magic ruled the world. And it was the sorcerers who sat on the thrones and wore the crowns. It didn’t matter if they were wise, or good, or even vaguely competent—and plenty had been none of these things. What mattered was their ability with spells. It was the only thing that mattered.
Sa’if’s magic should have saved him. Using magic was like breathing. You couldn’t stop breathing.
Unless someone suffocated you.
Someone had stopped Sa’if’s magic. But how?
With cold iron? That was the usual way to cancel out a sorcerer’s powers. The prison cells beneath Castle Gloom had cold iron bars for that very reason.
But if cold iron had been present, then the other sorcerers would have been affected, too, and K’leef and his brothers had used their magic to remove the lava crown. So cold iron wasn’t the answer.
Then what was?
She had no idea. Yet.
Which was why she found herself standing outside the doors to Sa’if’s chambers.
The candles that usually lit the corridor had been extinguished and covered with cloth. The wind moved through here, rustling the gauze window curtains and whispering sorrows at the passing of a good man.
His quarters were locked. Of course they were.
And the Skeleton Key was with Mary.
She could go get it. Made of the forefinger of the Scarlet Trickster, the legendary thief, the key could open any lock, both mundane and magical. She used it to enter the Shadow Library, as all her ancestors had done before her.
Mary was down at the docks; that would be a long round-trip, and Lily wanted to solve the mystery of Sa’if’s murder now. She was convinced that the answer was on the other side of these doors.
People broke into forbidden rooms all the time, and without the use of a magic key. There had to be another way.
What would Thorn do?
Something half-foolish, half-heroic. Which would be…
There was an open window at the end of the corridor. She leaned out of it and saw a ledge running along the exterior of the palace. Her eyes followed it to one of the balconies off of Sa’if’s chambers, where a curtain billowed outward in the light breeze. Which meant there was another open window.…It was practically an invitation.
Come on, Lily. You’ve climbed over every roof of Castle Gloom. This is nothing.
But as she edged out onto the ledge, it didn’t feel like nothing. It felt very high, and the ledge felt very narrow.
She rested her back against the warm stone. Anyone looking up would have seen a strange black moth clinging to the radiant red marble.
One step at a time. And don’t look down.
Lily slowly shuffled along the smooth wall. There wasn’t a groove or crack to dig her fingers into, unlike in the weathered walls of Gloom.
After what seemed like hours but was only minutes, the balcony was a few feet away. She reached out carefully, trying hard not to lose her balance, and sighed with relief as her hand found the bronze balustrade. She gripped it firmly and swung herself over, sighing even more deeply when both of her feet were planted on the polished stone.
That hadn’t been so hard.
Still, she’d leave through the door.
The ceiling rose forty or fifty feet and was held in place with delicate-looking columns laced with gold leaf. The furniture, carved from rosewood or deep chestn
ut, was exquisite. “Are you here, Sa’if?” she whispered.
She doubted he lingered within these walls, but she extended her fingers anyway. If she felt his spirit in the passing breeze, she could grasp it.
But she didn’t. He was at peace; he had crossed to the Far Shore.
Some glass crunched under her heel. Frowning, she looked down and saw shards of a broken mirror. There it was on the wall in front of her—a large one framed in white.
The glass remaining in the frame was foggy. Strange. Judging from the design, it was clearly from Lumina and made of the very best quality silver. Lumineans were famed for their mirrors.
She glanced at the ornate frame. The workmanship was beautiful, the maker clearly a master. Then why put in such faulty glass?
There were diamonds on the dressing table, and the chairs were made of ivory. Now, looking anew, she saw that these were some of the treasures bartered by Duke Solar for a humiliating peace. Cloaks of white fur hung over a door.
Lily had broken things when her parents and Dante had died. She’d torn down the curtains, too, and ripped up her mourning dress. It was natural that someone would want to take out their anger on something, especially something from the enemy.
A piece of jewelry caught her attention. Crouching down beside a chair, Lily picked up a small ruby earring. The princes wore earrings, but this was dainty and very finely wrought, perfect for the delicate earlobes of some princess. She pocketed it.
She stood, turned, and came face-to-face with Kali.
Kali glanced over her shoulder to the door. “Those doors were locked.”
Lily knew the best defense was a good offense. “Spying on me, Lady Kali?”
Kali gasped. “Spying? My dear Lady Shadow, why ever would I need to spy on someone as noble as yourself? I’m sure every breath you take is born from a breast of the purest virtue, and every action—”
“What is it that you want?” Lily snapped. Kali’s mockery was starting to get to her. If she’d wanted constant sarcasm, she would have kept Thorn behind.
Kali bowed. “Princess Ameera would like the pleasure of your company.”
TWENTY-ONE
“Thank the Six you’re here!” Sami grabbed Lily’s hand and dragged her in. “My other sisters are sooo boring!”
“I can’t stay long. I’ve got to prepare for the journey home once the trial is over. Getting the ship ready is turning out to be quite difficult.”
Ameera sat up from her cushion. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll have a word with the vizier. Go speak to him, Kali. Tell him to find some extra hands for our guests.”
And with that the executioner left.
Ameera wants to help me. Then why don’t I trust her?
The princess led Lily to a row of trunks lined up in the garden. “I’ve collected some gifts for you. A few things to help you remember your visit.”
Lily stared. “So much? I really couldn’t, Ameera, but thank you. I have nothing so valuable to give in return. It would be an unfair gift.”
Ameera’s brow furrowed. “They are gifts given freely. We are nobles, not merchants. We are not in the business of trading.”
Lily looked over the trunks. One was piled with silk finer than any she’d ever felt before. Another had boxes of jewelry stacked within it, some holding rings, others with bracelets, and so on. Perfume bottles filled the third, neatly arranged in padded racks. Then there was a chest full of vellum and inks and quills.
“You will write to me?” asked Ameera anxiously.
Lily picked out a quill. The feather had a silvery sheen. “Is this from a Pegasus?”
“Do you like it?”
“I’m overwhelmed, Ameera. How can I repay you?”
Ameera held her hand between her own. “By being my friend, Lily.”
“Of…of course.” Yet Lily pulled gently away. Ameera wanted something from her, and it was more than friendship. All the charm, attention, and gifts, they were not for free. Ameera expected payment. But what could a princess of Djinn want from a kingdom as poor as Gehenna? “I’ll have Mary take these to the docks.”
Sami pulled out a length of silk. “Don’t you want to try these on? Look, they’re all black!”
The three of them played at dressing up in Ameera’s suite. Sami danced around in this dress and that one and put on a skull mask to make Lily feel more at home. She decked Lily out in rubies and amber and fire opals, despite Lily’s protests.
Lily sank into a cushion, gasping after being twirled around and around. “I’ve never worn anything so soft.”
Sami had laughed when she’d seen Lily’s corset, and Ameera had shaken her head in disbelief that anyone would wear something so restrictive. They’d dressed Lily as one of them, in flowing black silk and gauze, freeing her stomach entirely, perhaps too entirely.
Ameera patted her own bare midriff and the ring piercing her belly button. “You should decorate yours. I could get a needle, and we could do it right now.”
“Er, maybe not right now,” said Lily, covering her belly protectively. She admired her bracelets. “But thank you for all these. I don’t have glittery things like this back home.”
Not for the first time, Lily felt out of place. She’d never criticize her own craftsmen, but they were used to working with tin and iron and pewter. Few had the skill of the jewelers of the Sultanate, who had fashioned a bracelet for her that looked like tiny entwined silver bones.
Sami just stared. “Your skin is so white. Do you have no sun at all in Gehenna?”
“No, not much.”
Ameera leaned over, resting her chin on her delicate fists. “You’re here now. You should wear whatever you want. Try this.” She held out her own red shawl.
“I only wear black, Ameera.”
“But you have a choice, no?”
Lily removed the tiara she’d been given. “Rulers have less choice than you imagine.”
“But if you wore, say, red, who would stop you? No one. You make the rules, Lily. And you break them when it suits you.”
Lily didn’t like the way this was going. There was something too pointed in Ameera’s questions. What was she after?
“You wouldn’t have burned those witches, would you?” Ameera’s eyes brightened. “Because you are one. You’re the witch queen.”
“Thorn took care of that before I could,” said Lily. “Burning women, or anyone, for using magic is wrong. It’s that simple.”
Ameera nodded. “Which is why we need you, Lily.”
“Need me for what?” She retrieved her familiar black dress from the table. Dress-up time was over. It was time to stop pretending and go back to being who she really was: Lilith of House Shadow, corset and all. When she collected the dress, she found a small book underneath. She picked it up, recognizing the metal sheets. “This is the Agni Kitab. Wasn’t K’leef studying it?”
Ameera smiled. “Yes. I took it.”
“Why, Ameera?”
Ameera gestured at Sami. “You show her, Sami.”
Sami licked her finger and frowned. A flame sprang from her fingertip, and she wrote her name in the air. As the last of the fiery letters blazed and died, she turned to Lily, grinning. “Easy-peasy.”
“We can all do it—that and more, Lily.” Ameera jumped up, filling her hands with glowing light. “We’ve been studying in secret. We’re witches, just like you.”
“Where is this going, Ameera?”
“Why shouldn’t we rule, Lily? Us, instead of them? Why should it be them?”
“Your brothers?”
“Men.” Ameera spat the word.
Lily’s mind whirled with questions and mixed emotions. Did K’leef know about his sisters’ abilities and ambitions? If Jambiya found out…“That fairy tale about the seventh princess has taken you down a dangerous path, Ameera. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened.”
She wasn’t listening. “With your support, I could become the new sultan! Think about it, Lily! You in the north; m
e in the south. We would be the best of friends. The best of allies. Then who knows where that would lead?”
Lily knew all too well. “War, that’s where. You can’t force people to accept—”
Ameera backed away. “Oh, I see. You like being the witch queen, don’t you? Lilith Shadow, the dreaded ruler of Gehenna. You don’t want us to become like you. Then you wouldn’t be special anymore.”
“You’re a thousand miles off the mark, Ameera.” Lily removed the red shawl. “I’m leaving before this goes any further.”
Ameera sighed. “No need to run off. I thought you would understand, but I was wrong. That is all.” She picked up a necklace. “I had this made for you, before you came. The rubies have been carved into tiny skulls. I thought you’d like it. Try it on, please. Then you can go.”
Lily took the necklace. Anything to get this over and done with. She held up a hand mirror. “It looks lovely. Now can I—”
“No, you can’t see it properly in that small thing. Use the bigger one.” She led Lily to the corner of the room.
A white drape covered the full-length mirror. Lily pulled the cloth free. “From Lumina, too?”
Sami joined her. “You look beautiful. You should go now.”
“Let her look properly,” said Ameera.
Sami’s eyes filled with tears. “No, Ameera, please don’t.”
The glass was foggy.
Something stirred within her mind. She saw an image of a noble prince rubbing his sleeve against such a mirror and smiling at the reflections within. He was flanked by his brother K’leef, and the peasant boy he admired, Thorn.
This wasn’t her memory—it was Sa’if’s. Why was it emerging now?
Was it a warning?
“Sa’if had a mirror just like this,” said Lily softly.
The gasp from Sami gave her all the information she needed.
Lily winced as she momentarily felt what it was like to put on the lava crown. This Blessings of the Dead thing hurt.
She rubbed her scalp instinctively and turned to consider Ameera. The princess was covered in jewelry, from golden rings on her toes to a diamond tiara on her head, and yet, there was something missing. Four ruby earrings hung from her left ear, but from the right there were only three. Lily drew the earring from her dress pocket and tossed it at her. “I found this in Sa’if’s room.”