Chapter 28
The world felt both too loud and too quiet. Every sound in the castle seemed wrong. Even the air strained under the weight of loss. Tariq couldn’t decide whether to scream or stay silent. His father was dead, his mother was angry, and amid it all, he had become king.
King.
The word didn’t quite fit him.
After Aisha had paid her respects to the dead king, the pair had slipped out into the garden for air, walking in silence with his fingers closed around hers.
She kept him tethered to the world. He was grateful for the absence of conversation.
There was nothing she could say to untangle the noise in his mind.
Once he could breathe again, they returned indoors, ready to make a plan for the next day.
He was confident he could stretch his brain that far, just not beyond it.
He wanted to forget the throne, the crown, the whispers circulating through the castle, and just be with his new wife.
But time to grieve was one of the few luxuries a new king wasn’t entitled to.
They were almost to his quarters when Kaidon found them. One look at his face told him his plans were about to change.
‘What is it?’ Tariq asked.
‘The queen wants to see you.’ Then, realising his mistake, he added, ‘Your Majesty.’
It seemed too soon for such an address, but he understood the importance of immediate transfer of power. Exhaling, he looked at Aisha.
‘Go,’ she said. ‘I need to find Maryam.’
He kissed her forehead. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’ Then, to the guard by his door, he said, ‘Go with her, and stay alert.’
He made his way to his mother’s quarters, bracing for the conversation ahead. Yes, she would be grieving, but she would also be making plans of her own.
They arrived at Farrah’s receiving chamber, and the guard opened the heavy doors without announcing his arrival.
‘Good luck,’ Kaidon said quietly.
Tariq found her staring out the window despite it being too dark to see anything. He could almost see her mind churning. ‘Mother?’
She turned, looking him over. ‘How are you doing?’
‘Probably about as well as you.’ He was surprised to find her alone at such a time. ‘Where are your attendants? You shouldn’t be alone right now.’
‘I sent them away.’ She touched a delicate finger to her forehead. ‘There are some things we need to discuss in private.’
‘If it has to do with funeral arrangements, it can wait until the morning.’
‘I already have people working on that.’ She stared at him for a long moment. ‘I wanted to speak to you about the Avanid princesses.’
He already didn’t like the direction of the conversation. ‘What about them?’
She walked to the table and retrieved a piece of parchment. ‘This is the report from the physician.’ She held it out to him. ‘Your father was poisoned.’
Tariq had known it was a possibility. Walking over to her, he took the report from her and began to read.
Residual traces of toxin. No struggle observed. Rapid circulatory collapse.
His death had been silent, almost peaceful. No convulsions, no cry for help. Just a steady slowing of breath until nothing remained. The kind of death one prays for.
He looked back at his mother. ‘What does this have to do with the princesses?’
She held his gaze. ‘I believe they did it.’
It took him a moment to register the accusation. ‘You think them killers? You can’t be serious.’
‘They’re covenweavers. Maybe not all, but definitely some—including your wife.’
He remained composed, knowing that any reaction would confirm it.
‘You must have suspected it after she told you to clear that mine before it collapsed,’ Farrah continued. ‘That was her. Correct?’
He couldn’t decide what surprised him more, the fact that she knew or that she had kept it to herself. One thing was for sure: If she suspected the family’s involvement in the king’s death, she wouldn’t be keeping any secrets now.
‘Why do you think I tried to prevent this marriage?’ Farrah asked. ‘Look at where we have ended up on the first day of your union.’
He waited until he could speak calmly. ‘You cannot lay blame at their feet without proof, and you know it.’
She didn’t so much as blink. ‘You want proof? All right. Your bride’s sister was witnessed handling and mixing herbs in her chamber minutes before arriving at the feast. Minutes before the king’s collapse.’
That couldn’t be true. ‘The princesses were coming and going because they were caring for their father.’
‘It was Lilah, in case you were wondering.’
He laughed at that. ‘If you had said Safiya, I might have paused to consider the possibility. But Lilah? Come on now.’
Farrah took a step towards him. ‘One of the servants informed me that she arrived here with a bag full of witchery.’
He rubbed tiredly at his forehead. ‘Apparently you’ve forgotten how many people were angry at the king. He might have been tolerated by the nobles, but he was loathed by the miners.’
Her composure fractured, but only for a beat. ‘His body is barely cold, and you dare speak ill of him.’
Tariq’s face went slack. She was right. Now was not the time for those conversations.
‘You want to believe they’re all innocent,’ Farrah continued. ‘I understand that. Except you are king now. You are loyal to the throne above all else.’
Tariq looked away, his jaw aching from the tension.
‘You trust Kaidon, do you not?’ Farrah said. ‘Send him to investigate if my word means so little. Doing nothing is not an option for someone in your position.’
For a moment, neither of them moved. The only sound was the gentle crackle of the fire.
‘I’ll look into it,’ Tariq said, realising he had no choice. ‘Including a thorough investigation of Zahvik Barakat.’
Farrah sighed. ‘You are a smart man. You know the Emperor wanted Hamza on that throne for as long as possible.’ Her expression softened. ‘If you had been killed, on the other hand, he would have been first on my list.’
He hated that she was right.
When she turned back to the window, Tariq folded the physician’s report in half. ‘Try to get some rest,’ he said, then left her chambers.
Kaidon was waiting for him when he exited, a mirror of his own exhaustion. ‘Well?’ he asked.
The request Tariq was about to make felt like betrayal. ‘I want you to search all the rooms of the Nazari family.’
It took Kaidon a moment to respond. ‘What am I looking for?’
He handed the physician’s report to him. ‘Lethal herbs,’ he replied, then drew a steadying breath. ‘I want everything done properly so I never have to have this conversation with my mother again. Understand?’
Kaidon ran his eyes over the note, then looked up. ‘All of the rooms?’
Tariq nodded slowly. ‘All of them.’