Chapter 48
Nahlah
My heart pounded against my ribs as I raced through the Mirage, tears blurring my vision. Images of Rami clutching his arm, his sickly pallor, and his unsteady demeanor haunted me. His band. His band. His band. The relentless echo in my mind wouldn’t cease.
When Ummi had first spoken of the genio fae, I’d found it a strange coincidence, but the idea hadn’t fully registered as something that was real, much less about Rami. But now, with every ragged breath, I realized he was being poisoned.No doubt he was directly disobeying the Sultan by not delivering the Heart of Eternity, and he undoubtedly was facing severe consequences because of it.
I dashed to my room in a frenzy, intending to pack my satchel, and head out immediately. But as I burst through the door, I skidded to a stop. Amu Sinbad sat on my bed, looking up at me with an unreadable expression.
“Amu?” I asked, catching my breath. “What’re you doing here?”
“Did you really think you could sneak out to save your fae without me knowing?” he asked, his tone both amused and reproachful.
I straightened, my resolve hardening. “You can’t stop me from going.”
He shrugged lazily. “Who said anything about stopping you? You just can’t go alone.”
Tears welled up again, even as I shook my head. “You can’t go! Half the realm thinks you’re a myth, and the other half is hunting you for the bounties on your head!”
Amu Sinbad smiled mischievously. “It’s been a while since I was on an adventure.”
Despite my worry for Rami, I couldn’t help but find slight amusement in Amu Sinbad’s discomfort as he turned an alarming shade of green. The sky was far from his preferred method of travel, his previous adventures almost always taking place beneath the seas.
Though our plan was hasty, our objective was clear: I would go inside to find Rami, while Amu Sinbad and Huriyah would wait to whisk us to safety. With our roles defined, we”d wasted no time heading out for the palace.
“Be safe,” Amu Sinbad ordered as we landed just outside the front gates.
“You too,” I said, quickly dismounting. Huriyah nudged me, whinnying in obvious concern, and I kissed his face. “I’ll bring him back,” I promised, rubbing his neck before pulling the hood of my cloak up over my hair. With a queasy wave, Amu gripped the reins tightly as Huriyah took off again, leaving me to muster the courage to face what lay ahead.
The last time I was here, I was a celebrated guest; now, I had to use the general entrance. I walked toward the guards” booth, my stomach churning as I passed by those begging and living on the streets. Their hollow eyes, gaunt faces, and outstretched hands were a crude reminder of the Sultan”s neglect. I vowed to return once I found Rami, to give all of them food and a safe space to rest.
”State your business,” a guard demanded, his expression indifferent.
“I want an audience with the Sultan,” I declared.
”There is a six month wait,” he pointed to a long, flowing scroll nailed on the wall. ”Put your name and residence down. We’ll notify you the day before if you have been chosen.”
“I want an audience with the Sultan,” I repeated, my voice steady even as he smirked. Tilting my head, I lowered my voice, letting the weight of my words sink in. “Tell him I have the Heart of Eternity.”
His face blanched. Without another word, he spun on his heels, barking orders as he bounded up the grand steps. Within moments, two more guards appeared, escorting me toward the opulent doors. Taking a deep breath, I crossed the threshold, my heart racing with terror over the state I might find Rami in.
As I was directed to a banquet room, I stepped forward tentatively, the air thick with the murmur of courtiers, their laughter and conversations fading as I locked my gaze on Sultan Ghazi. He sat upon his throne, a mask of calm plastered over his countenance, but his eyes—a stormy inferno—betrayed his true feelings.
He studied me for a brief moment, before he addressed the room, his voice booming across the chatter of the others. “People of Nephria!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air. “The Heartseeker has returned, and she has brought a treasure of great value that will save the sultanate from ruin!”
Applause thundered through the hall, but a surge of anger coursed through me. He expected me to just hand it over, no doubt thinking I wouldn’t cause a scene with so many witnesses. But now, my only thought was of finding Rami, and I wouldn’t be cowed by this man.
Ignoring our audience, I fixed my gaze on the Sultan. “Where is he?”
The room fell into a hushed silence, a subtle twitch of his jaw the only crack in Sultan Ghazi’s otherwise serene facade. With a slight nod, he motioned to me. “Come closer, Heartseeker.”
When I was standing a few feet in front of him, I repeated, “Where is he?”
“You owe me the Heart,” he stated flatly.
I tilted my head, not breaking eye contact. “Where is he?”
His grip tightened around the arm of his throne, his knuckles whitening. “My property is none of your concern. Give me the Heart.”
My vision tinted red with fury, yet I spoke with a calm I didn”t feel. “If you don”t wish for the entire court to know your secret, you will take me to Rami. Now.”
“Please,” he smirked, gesturing broadly, challenging me to proceed. “Share my secret.”
He didn’t think I would do it. But I would do anything for those that I loved. Turning to face the assembled nobles, I took a deep breath before announcing, “People of Nephria! Your beloved Sultan Ghazi is illegally holding captive...”
“ENOUGH!” Sultan Ghazi’s bellow cut through the room, echoing off the walls as he leaped to his feet, seizing my arm with a fierce grip. “Majnoona!” he shouted to the stunned onlookers. “Do not believe the ramblings of this mad woman!” He signaled for a guard, pushing me forward roughly. “She has obviously become delirious from her journey. Escort her to the infirmary at once!”
Rough hands grabbed me, dragging me down the dais and through a doorway hidden behind the thrones. Moments later, the Sultan stormed in, his face contorted with anger as he backhanded me across the face, my head snapping back as pain exploded through me. “How dare you?” he seethed. “Was I not merciful enough to let no harm come to those wretched thieves you call family?”
I glared at him, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth, my head throbbing. ”Those thieves have done more to keep your people alive than you have in all your years as sultan! You are a disgrace to Nephria!”
His expression was thunderous as he advanced on me. “You want to see the genio?” he asked, his voice a menacing growl. “Then you shall see what you have done to him for keeping the Heart from me.”
His words chilled me to the bone, and as I followed him, six guards accompanying us, he gleefully regaled me with all the torture Rami had endured—stating simply how all of his pain would cease if I relinquished the Heart. But the very thought of handing it over twisted my stomach into knots, almost as badly at the thought of Rami hurting.
I followed the Sultan silently down the familiar path, chills breaking across my skin as I climbed the staircase. It felt like it was just yesterday that I”d stood in front of these doors with Ala and Kenzie. Yet somehow, it also seemed like an eternity ago. As we entered the chamber, I followed the Sultan to Rami’s small room—my breath catching in my throat at the sight of him. Slumped against the wall, he was covered in blood, bruises marring his beautiful face, silver burns carved into his flesh.
“Rami,” I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.
“You’ve seen him. Now, give me the Heart!” the Sultan demanded, extending his hand expectantly.
Rami groaned, his lashes fluttering as he opened his eyes. For a moment, he blinked slowly, his gaze distant and unseeing as he glanced through me. Then, his eyes widened as he seemed to realize I was really there, and he shook his head furiously. “No, no, no,” he rasped, his voice laden with confusion and despair. “I thought I was dreaming! Why are you here? Nahlah, go!””
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “No, I’m here to help you,” I insisted, voice trembling.
“Such a touching reunion,” Sultan Ghazi sneered. “Now, my patience has thinned. If you won’t give it to me willingly,” he smiled cruelly, “then I will just have to use other means.” He spun around, throwing his arms up with a flourish. ”Rami! I order you to take the Heart from her!”
Rami”s body jolted, as if the genio bond was forcing him to move faster than his body could handle. Once he was on his feet, he clenched his fists tightly, his gaze pleading with me as he appeared to be fighting the command. “Please, go. Just run,” he begged, his voice breaking as he took a shaky step toward me.
I stood my ground, shaking my head resolutely. “I can’t leave you—not like this.”
The Sultan, grinning wickedly, turned his full attention back to Rami, exclaiming with chilling clarity, “I wish for you to capture this traitor and retrieve the Heart of Eternity for me, by any means necessary. As your master, I COMMAND IT!”
Rami suddenly dashed towards me in a blur, his face twisted in agony. He halted at the windowpane, breathing heavily, gripping it so tightly his knuckles whitened. “Run!” he roared. “Now!”
Turning, I dashed the other way, my heart pounding as the sound of cracking granite and breaking glass filled the air. I hadn’t gotten far before Rami burst forth, slamming into the wall beside me so hard, it sent a crack up the marble.
“Please,” his voice was a desperate plea, his eyes wild with fear and pain. “Go faster, Nahlah. I can’t fight him for long.”
Frantically, I pushed out of the Sultan”s chambers, my heart pounding as I raced down the staircase, trying to recall the quickest route to the roof where Amu Sinbad and Huriyah were waiting. But no matter how fast I moved, or which direction I took, Rami intercepted me at every turn.With each encounter, he seemed to deteriorate further, his movements sluggish, his expression growing more pained.
As I ran down the hallways, pushing myself faster, I suddenly remembered from the layout I’d memorized that there was a window in the library that led to the roof.Without hesitation, I spun, pushing myself harder, the staircase leading down to the library calling to me like a beacon.
I’d just gripped the banister when Rami grasped my arm, swinging me around and pinning me against the wall. His breathing was ragged, each breath a laborious effort, his body soaked in sweat. Standing so close to him allowed me a clearer view of the horror that was consuming him. The poison had left a ghastly mark around his arm, blackened veins spreading like gnarled limbs up his arm, wrapping around his neck and face, and snaking down toward his heart with deadly intent.
Through gritted teeth, he pleaded, his voice a hoarse whisper, “I need you to keep running, because I’m weakening fast, and soon... soon I will succumb to the poison. I need to know you’re safe before that happens.”
“Rami.” Tears blurred my vision as I gripped his face, my fingers trembling. Leaning forward, I kissed his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, and finally his lips. It was a desperate, searing kiss, filled with all the passion and pain of our shared trials. Even as our lips moved together, I felt him straining, his fingers twitching, grappling against the compulsion wrought by the Sultan’s command.
With effort, he wiped a tear from my cheek. “There is a tapestry of the royal family up ahead. Hidden behind it is a stairwell that leads directly to the roof. I can feel Huriyah up there.” His lips quirked upward. “Brilliant to have the starllion waiting,” he murmured. “I will fight as long as I can to give you a chance to escape. Go immediately to the Mirage.”
“But won’t the Sultan’s wish just force you to follow?”
Another soft caress, another gentle smile. ”I won’t make it that far.”
A sob broke from my lips, my hands shaking. “I could just give him the Heart, and this would all be over.”
Rami closed his eyes, his body tensing as if in pain, his hands digging into the wall so hard that cracks spider webbed from his fingers. He gave a shake of his head; the kind that seemed to say he’d already accepted a fate he couldn’t change. “It’s too late now. Even if you gave him the Heart, he’d never let me go.”
“Rami!” The Sultan’s sing-song voice echoed as he strode around the corner. “If you’re quite done living out your tragedy, would you mind getting on with taking my treasure?” His tone hardened. “Now.”
With a pained cry, Rami tore himself away from me and fell to his knees, digging his hands into the tiled floor. ”Nahlah, GO!”
My heart screamed in protest, but I ran as fast as I could, finding the tapestry depicting an idyllic family portrait of the royals. Pushing it aside, I ran through the archway, dashing up the stairs.