Chapter 13
Nahlah
My search had led me through a closet larger than our entire suite in the guest wing, a pristine kitchen with polished marble surfaces, a bedchamber that took up half of the entire fifth floor, and a massive bathing chamber bigger than both of the ones back home combined.
Despite the grandeur of these spaces, I had nothing to show for my efforts aside from a growing disdain for the Sultan and his greed. I”d searched all the furniture, in every cupboard and drawer, and even the very top shelves of the wardrobe. After all, it wasn”t uncommon to hide valuables amongst one”s intimates. Yet, after a thorough sweep and a brief giggle imagining the Sultan hiding his treasures amidst his undergarments, I moved on.
My frustration mounted as I approached the last room, my hope dwindling. Bracing myself for yet another fruitless search, I opened the door. To my surprise, its simplicity stood in stark contrast to the other opulent areas: a single bed with crisp white linens, a modest desk and chair positioned under the window, a hand-woven rug, a wardrobe, and two scimitars mounted on the wall.
My hands trembled as I pulled at the bed linens, hoping for a hidden compartment to reveal itself. But it was as plain as it appeared. Even the closet revealed only neatly hung clothing and shoes, with no secret hiding spots. Nothing. Not a trace. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of urgency and frustration threatening to overwhelm me.
Drawn to the desk, I noticed the personal touches the rest of the room lacked. Art supplies were strewn across the surface, with hundreds of drawings pinned to the walls. The strokes were beautiful and purposeful, depicting the palace, the gardens below, and even this room. The talent behind them was undeniable.
A half-finished drawing caught my eye—an island amidst the stars, a mystical landscape that I couldn’t place in Nephria. Two stars shone brightly despite the black and white coloring, especially the second star to the right, which was depicted with stunning brilliance.
“Nahlah!” Ala’s whisper snapped me out of my reverie, and I hurried back into the main chamber.
“What?”
He gestured toward Kenzie, who was hovering in front of the bookshelf, a frown creasing her brow. “Kenzie feels a power signature.”
“It’s very odd,” she murmured. “There’s a powerful ward here, but it’s not on the shelf.”
“If you can sense it, then there’s something there. It’s just hidden,” I said, reaching out. My fingers had barely grazed the shelf when a paralyzing sensation suddenly overwhelmed me, as potent and immobilizing as the venom of a cinder beetle. Instantly, there was a forceful tug in my chest—so painful it drove me to my knees.
“Nahlah!” Ala’s voice cut through the lingering haze, his hand rubbing my back as I hunched forward. “Kenz, what happened? Is it a ward?”
“I don’t think so,” she replied, crouching down to meet my gaze. “Nahlah, are you okay?”
It took a moment for me to answer; the pain subsiding with each beat of my heart. “Yes,” I croaked out, grasping Alauddeen’s offered hand, Kenzie immediately fussing over me as he pulled me to my feet.
“What happened?” she asked, her brows furrowed.
“There was just this… horrible pain.” My hand reflexively went to my chest, rubbing at the ache.
“Is it better now?” Ala asked in concern.
I nodded, more to reassure them than out of any conviction in my well-being. The incident had left me shaken and along with the vulnerability clinging to me, there was an overwhelming feeling of... yearning?
“Are you sure?” Kenzie pressed hesitantly.
Forcing a smile, I straightened, glancing between the two of them. “I’m fine,” I insisted, turning back around. “We’re short on time. Let’s hurry.”
“Nahlah!” Ala exclaimed in disbelief. “You willnottouch—”
But his warning came too late. As my fingers closed around an ancient tome bound in faded green leather, I braced myself for the return of that paralyzing feeling. Instead, the room blurred around me, and I became a mere specter, observing the Sultan moving the very book I held halfway off the shelf.I watched, riveted, as he executed a series of precise actions before placing his hand on the side. When he murmured “Iftah” and the shelf slid open, a warmth filled my body as I realized I had just witnessed how to gain access to whatever was hidden behind it.
When the vision snapped me back to reality, I found myself sprawled on the floor, Kenzie’s lap cushioning my head.I sat up so suddenly that they both jolted in surprise.
“Nahlah!” Kenzie exclaimed as I pushed myself to my feet. “Sit down!”
“You will not touch another thing on that shelf!” Ala’s tone was severe as he used his best big brother glower.
“But Ala, I saw it!” I exclaimed.
They exchanged a glance before Kenzie asked softly, “Saw what?”
“I’ll show you!” Spinning, I gripped the red book and quickly flipped it over, before rotating the bird, turning to face them. “I saw Sultan Ghazi opening the passageway! It is behind the shelf.”
Another not-so-subtle glance passed between my siblings. “Nahlah,” Ala said warningly.
“Wait!” I held up my hand before he could say anything else. “Just watch!”
A profound sense of rightness replaced the lingering pain, a feeling of being exactly where I needed to be, as I pressed my hand against the side and whispered, “Iftah.” When the shelf responded to my command, sliding open a moment later, a wave of excitement coursed through me. “See!”
“How did you see the Sultan opening this?”Ala asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Some kind of vision, I suppose,” I responded. “But it got us inside; isn’t that what matters?”
“It’s one of the things that matter,” he countered, his words prompting a glare from me. “If this is a trap—and it is—then our safety is most important. Did you forget what Amu Sinbad said?”
“Wait,” Kenzie interjected before things could escalate, nervously twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Now isn’t the time for this. If it’s a trap, we fell into it long before now. We need to focus on finding the watch and getting out.”
A brief silence enveloped us before Ala nodded, his shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry,” he offered sincerely.
“Me too,” I echoed, and he smiled at me as we stepped across the threshold together. Torches lining the walls immediately flickered to life, illuminating the chamber.
“Ya salaam,” Kenzie gasped, the three of us coming to a stunned standstill. This was no ordinary passageway; it was a sprawling chamber brimming with valuables of every kind.
The collection was staggering—a treasure trove that made the sultanate’s treasury look laughable. Piles of gold, black, and red soltars lay heaped like mountains; rare gems and jewels glinted from every corner, accompanied by gilded weapons, potions, and pieces of ancient pottery, with a casual disregard for their value. The wealth amassed here could rival the fabled hoards of the Shendaaren lamian dragons.
“Such a waste,” Ala spat out angrily.
I nodded in agreement, my hand moving to my chest, rubbing the ache absently.“What should we do?”
Ala’s expression hardened. “We need to get out as soon as possible. Kenzie, do you sense the power you felt from outside?”
Kenzie closed her eyes, tilting her head up to the ceiling as if listening to something. “I can’t pinpoint it exactly.”
“Okay, Kenz, you take that middle passageway. Nahlah, you search the one to the left, and I’ll take the one to the right. Be cautious,” he instructed, his jaw tightening. “If anything seems amiss or dangerous, leave immediately.” His gaze fixed on me, a stern warning in his tone, as he said, “Touch nothing but the watch.”
I ventured down my designated corridor, my senses assaulted by the magnitude of the Sultan’s collection. I passed by shelves laden with ornate diadems, exquisitely crafted figurines that could only be the work of the fae, scrolls that hummed with a latent power suggesting maps of other domains and realms, and tapestries that depicted historical events with such detail they seemed to move.The air was thick with the weight of history, every corner of the room telling a story of conquest, of beauty captured and contained within these walls.
Rounding the corner, the now-familiar tug in my chest nearly yanked me off my feet. With a muffled cry, I forced myself upright, my breathing labored. Was the stress of the past week finally taking its toll on my heart? Closing my eyes, I tried to push through the pain, only to sense an underlying layer of desperate... longing? Craving? My heart seemed to ache for something. No... I concentrated on the feeling, startled to realize that my heart wasn’t just aching; it was yearning, searching... no. Seeking.
Focusing, I followed the sensation down the winding passageway and came to a halt in front of a large archway. As I stepped through, the torches along the walls ignited, revealing shelves carved directly into the stone and glass display cases laden with countless items.
As my gaze landed on a jar containing a phoenix feather suspended in the shimmering eternum preservative, a burst of laughter escaped me. This collection of rarities was Sultan Ghazi’s true, deep-seated obsession. My laughter quickly faded as I ventured deeper, my stomach churning at the sight of trophies taken from rare, protected, ancient, and extinct creatures.
Mounted behind a display case extending along the entire length of one wall were an array of colored and textured dragon scales. Nearby was a thick braid made of hundreds of pegasi hair—confirming that dozens of the majestic beings had been stripped of their beauty.
But it was the pixie and fairy wings that halted me entirely, their delicate forms gruesomely mounted and held in place by sharp pins. The sight of stained blood along their edges—a vivid indicator of their violent removal—sent a wave of nausea crashing over me. Steadying myself against the nearest wall, I resisted the urge to vomit. The awareness that every object in this macabre collection represented lives sacrificed for the sake of appearance or avarice was an overwhelming burden to bear.
“What am I doing here?” I whispered hoarsely, overwhelmed and disgusted. When the tug in my heart resumed again, I almost burst into tears, wanting to give up and just go home. As if hearing my thoughts, the pain instantly lessened, a soft glow at the corridor’s end coaxing me forward.
Approaching an alcove, my gaze landed on pedestals of various sizes.The largest held a beautiful, yet seemingly unremarkable lamp, and I frowned, wondering if the Sultan kept sentimental items too. When my gaze fell upon the smallest pedestal, I shrieked in delight—it was the watch!
Without hesitation, I grabbed it, my excitement palpable as I studied its gold surface. As the key to the Land of Wonder, its detail was exquisite, featuring a peculiar hat, a teacup, a card with a heart at its center, and a... floating grin?
“Nahlah?” Hearing Ala’s voice, I turned, eager to share the discovery. I’d taken one step when pain ripped through me, forcing me to lean against the wall for support. As I struggled to breathe, my gaze fell on a leather-bound tome, and the moment I locked eyes on it, the pain vanished, replaced by an urgent and overwhelming need to approach it.
“Nahlah, answer me!” Ala’s voice grew closer. I turned, intending to reply to him, when the pain returned so viciously that it forcibly turned me to face the book again.
This cycle of pain and relief continued until I stood before the pedestal, unable to resist its pull. The tome was bound in plain black leather, with no designs or even a title, and I wondered why it was calling to me. Losing the fight between fear and the inexplicable draw, I extended my hand, ignoring the sound of approaching footsteps.
“Another hidden room? How many does he... Nahlah! No!” Ala’s voice echoed in the chamber, filled with panic and warning, just as my fingers brushed the cover.