“Will they survive?” I asked.
“Why do you care?” Lisha spat. “By the way, thanks for all the hiding you did. It really helped us out. I saw you on that horse, ready to bolt. I’m surprised you’re still here.”
“Peace, Lisha.” Aliyah sounded tired. “She saved my life. Let her be.”
Lisha fell silent, her lips still downturned. She brushed several dark strands of hair from her face, leaving a smudge of blood across her cheek.
Aliyah turned to me. “I will honor my agreement with you. Give me your letter. We will smuggle this into Yadina and deliver it to…”
“Ambar,” I said quickly, untucking the letter from my inner pocket.
“Ah yes. Ambar, the merchant of magical objects.”
I nodded. At least I had the forethought to address the letter to my brother-in-law. Now that Aliyah knew who I was, if I’d given her Lalana’s name, it would be no stretch to figure out that my sister was still alive.
I wondered if there was a bounty on the head of the lost princess, or if everyone truly believed she had died, despite never seeing a body.
“We’ll have your reply in a week. Don’t worry about finding us. We’ll find you.” The letter disappeared up Aliyah’s dark sleeve. She turned away from me, addressing her friends. “It’s time to go home.”
A week. That wasn’t so long to wait.
In the meantime, I probably had some explaining to do at the palace. I glanced to the last of the light in the sky. I had been gone for hours.
I put a hand to my pocket, feeling for the book I had stolen and the page I had torn from The Book of Charms.
If Kassim had noticed I was missing, I hoped it would be enough.
12
Weak sunlight filtered through the palace windows as I strode toward the council rooms, the stolen page from the book rolled up in my fist.
“Ah, Princess Zadie.” Namir appeared at the end of corridor, like a shadow. “Where are we off to this morning?”
“The council chambers,” I replied, swiftly stashing the page into my pocket.
“What a coincidence. So am I.” He fell into step beside me. “And how was your day yesterday, princess?”
“Very busy,” I replied evasively. If Namir wasn’t going to ask me whether I had left the palace using the tunnel in the crypt, I wouldn’t offer the information willingly.
“You know, I bumped into your handmaids yesterday afternoon – the dark girl with the braids, and the small, cross-looking one. They were very distressed that they couldn’t find you. They were on their way to tell the vizier you were missing when I ran into them.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“Luckily, I told them I’d just seen you in the dovecote. They spent the rest of the day searching the gardens for you, you know.”
I did. I hadn’t gotten back to the palace until dark, and when I’d slipped into my chambers, Mehri had thrown her arms around my neck and sobbed, claiming she thought I’d been killed. Jevera had shown no such emotion. She’d simply run a critical gaze over my soiled, plain garments, then dragged me to the bathing pools.
“So, did you manage to fit in a walk, or a ride?” Namir enquired politely.
“Both, actually.”
“Sounds like a very active day.”
“It was.”
We walked toward the council room in silence, our footsteps ringing out against the tiles.
“Interesting company you keep these days,” Namir said in a low voice as we neared the door.
My heart stuttered. “What do you mean?”
“You would do well to heed my warnings, princess. There is no honor amongst thieves.”
We paused in the corridor and a shiver ran through me, despite the morning sunlight on my skin. Could Namir have set me up and followed me? I’d thought the Royal Guards finding me and Rafi in the bazaar had just been bad luck, but the fact they’d known we’d be at the Order of the Scholar’s library… There was no way they could have just guessed that.
So Lisha was right. It had been my fault the guards had been there, albeit unintentionally.
I stepped away from Namir. “You had me followed?” I hissed.
The tall man shrugged, his expression neutral. “You know me, princess. Always following someone. Actually, you lost my men for a while in the bazaar, but my scouts spotted you riding from the city with your new friends.” He pressed open the door the council chambers as his lips twitched up. “After you.”
I glared at him and stalked through first, Namir swiftly following.
The vizier, Elian, and Kassim all had their backs to us, leaning over the wooden table.
“I don’t understand a word of this, Hepzibah. How can we be sure it’s even the right one if we can’t read it?” Kassim sounded irritated.
“I have been assured it’s the correct book, Kassim.” The vizier’s voice was strained. “Just look at the pictures. They certainly look like amulets and talismans.”
“But none of them look like the one we need.” Kassim slammed a fist on the table.
“Look.” Elian leaned over, his broad shoulders dipping forward. “There’s a page missing.” Parchment rustled.
I moved around to stand on the other side of the table and Namir followed. Kassim glanced up, his brow furrowing when he saw me standing next to his spymaster.
“Not now, Zadie.” He waved a hand in irritation. “Elian, remove her.”
I looked down at the book and my stomach dropped. It looked exactly like the one I’d stolen from the library yesterday.
But it couldn’t be. Maybe there was another copy?
Everyone shouted as I pulled the book toward me and flipped it closed. On the leather cover, just underneath the silver letters spelling out The Book of Charms in Old Khirideshi, were tiny dents from my teeth.
“Whose book is this?” I asked slowly, looking between the vizier and the sultan.
“I sourced it for the sultan.” The vizier snatched the book back from me.
My stomach turned again. Was it possible… Had she paid the thieves to steal the book?
“Elian, please remove the princess as Kassim ordered. This doesn’t concern her.”
Elian moved to my side and placed a large, gentle hand on my arm. “Please, Princess Zadie, allow me to escort you back to your chambers.”
I pressed my lips together. “Of course, Elian,” I replied sweetly. “It’s just so nice to see a book written in Old Khirideshi.” I turned to leave.
“Wait. You can read this?” Kassim sounded skeptical. He pulled the book from Hepzibah’s hands and placed it back in front of me.
I nodded with a smile, then reached into my pocket. “Actually, when I was in the marketplace yesterday–”
“You went to the marketplace yesterday?!” the sultan roared, the book momentarily forgotten. His face turned a startling shade of red. “After I expressly forbade it?”
“Well, Namir sent a few of his men out to accompany me.” I turned to the spymaster, putting him on the spot. “Didn’t you?”
Namir’s face didn’t give any hint of discomfort when he answered. “I did, Kassim.”
I smirked at the spymaster.
“She said she had your permission, though.” He inclined his head toward me, giving me a mild smile.
That lying son of a roc.
The sultan glared at me with ferocious, amber eyes. “Zadie,” he began, his voice low and deadly. “You can’t–”
“I picked this up,” I cut in, pulling out the page from my dress pocket and spreading it on the table.
The vizier’s thin eyebrows shot up. “Where did you get that?”
“Is that the missing page of the book?” Elian asked in disbelief, looking between the page and the vizier.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I picked it up from one of the market stalls. At first, I just thought it interesting that it was written in Old Khirideshi. It’s a very rare language.” I met the vizier’s gaze, then turned t
o the sultan. “But then I read it was about a Night Diamond talisman. I overheard you talking about it when I was painting yesterday, and I thought it would make a nice gift for my betrothed.”
The anger drained from Kassim’s face. Instead, he looked at me like I’d sprouted an extra head.
“Wow, isn’t that some luck!” Elian laughed, clapping the sultan on the back. “Hepzibah’s merchant clearly ripped out a page to make some money on the side. But the princess found it anyway!”
Namir looked from me, to Hepzibah, then finally to Kassim. “Quite the coincidence,” he pronounced.
Before anyone could grill me further about the book, the merchant, or the torn page, I lifted my gaze to meet Kassim’s. “I could translate it for you. Unless you have a scholar in the palace who already speaks Old Khirideshi.”
It was almost certain they didn’t. Even in Khiridesh, there were few who recognized this ancient script.
Kassim shook his head. “No. Translate, please.”
“As you wish, Kassim.” I glanced at the vizier with a smile before tracing a finger along the lines of text. “Hmm… It says the talisman is guarded by a soothsayer in a once-mighty city, now lost to the sands.”
“Does it say where exactly?” Kassim had leaned so far forward, our noses almost brushed as I looked up. He cleared his throat and leaned back a little.
I looked down again and pursed my lips, trying to sound out the word. “Tigrylon,” I said finally. I looked up with a frown. “Although I can’t imagine that city is more than a ruin now, if it even still exists at all.”
“It used to be near the border of Khiridesh and Astaran.” Namir stroked a finger across his chin.
“Then we will organize an expedition as soon as possible.” Kassim’s eyes lit up. “Elian, how long to get supplies together and organize the men?”
“Two, three days.”
The vizier snatched the page from me. “Your Majesty, I will send for a scholar proficient in Old Khirideshi immediately. We need to be able to negotiate with this soothsayer.”
“I can read and speak Old Khirideshi. Why don’t you just bring me?”
“Out of the question,” Kassim snapped. “It was lucky you picked this up from the market, Zadie, but I have not forgotten that you went there against my wishes in the first place. You disobeyed me and put yourself in danger.”
“But–”
“I don’t want to hear it. This will be a dangerous trip. There is absolutely no way I’m bringing along my bride-to-be.”
I fumed, biting down hard on my lip to keep myself from snapping at him. Just where did he think he was going to find a scholar who could speak Old Khirideshi in the next few days?
I took a deep breath. Maybe when he couldn’t find such a scholar, he would take me anyway. “Of course, Kassim. As you wish.” I curtseyed low.
The sultan looked taken aback that I’d backed down so easily. “Well… I’m glad you’ve seen sense.”
I rose slowly from the curtsey. “Good luck with your talisman.” I hesitated, but couldn’t help myself. I shot a quick look at Hepzibah. “I’m only glad I could help after the vizier’s book turned out to be useless.” I walked around the table the long way, past the vizier.
“Thief,” she hissed under her breath as I passed.
I winced. She wasn’t wrong. I’d stolen the book, the page, and this small victory from right underneath her nose. But now I knew something about her, as well…
“Takes one to know one,” I whispered so only she could hear.
A slow smile spread across my face as I sauntered to the door with steady, unhurried steps. I could almost feel the vizier’s gaze burning into my back.
Now I just had to convince Kassim to let me accompany him on the journey to get this Night Diamond talisman.
But I felt confident. Today, I’d struck a bargain with the Queen of Thieves to get my letter to Lalana, solved the riddle set by the spirit-librarian, and presented Kassim with the page he needed to find this Night Diamond talisman he was so desperate to get hold of.
One way or another, I would figure out a way to get what I wished for.
- The End -
Ready for the next book in the Desert Nights series? Check out THE SAND BENEATH THE STARS now.
And keep reading to receive a free prequel to the series…
A note from the authors
Dear reader,
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading the second instalment in Zadie’s adventures. We’ve loved writing the series so far – it’s been so much fun figuring out how Zadie’s possibly going to navigate a strong-willed Queen of Thieves, her dreams of becoming a sultanah and that pesky djinni of the ring. Not to mention all the other soothsayers, pirates, and rogue desert spirits she’s yet to meet…
We’ve also loved the challenge of writing epic fantasy stories in a shorter format. We’re both serial Netflix bingers, and wanted to explore what episodic fiction might look like. Arabian Nights seemed like the perfect source of inspiration for a fantasy written in this format, and we hope you find the series as bingeable as your favorite TV show!
As a thank you, we’d love to invite you to read a free copy of the prequel to the series, The Sisters and the Sultan. If you’ve been wondering about the sister whose long shadow Zadie has struggled to escape, this is the book which will answer all of your questions!
Set immediately before the beginning of The Girl with Seven Wishes, the prequel tells the story of how Zadie came to take her sister’s place beside Kassim.
GET YOUR FREE COPY OF THE SISTERS AND THE SULTAN
You’ll be added to Helena’s newsletter, so you won’t need to worry about missing any of the new releases in the Desert Nights series (and you wouldn’t want that, would you?).
Yours literarily,
Elm and Helena
The Desert Nights Series
The Sisters and the Sultan (Prequel)
The Girl with Seven Wishes (Book 1)
The Queen of Forty Thieves (Book 2)
The Sand beneath the Stars (Book 3)
The Palace of Smoke and Shadows (Book 4)
The Princess and her Tiger (Book 5)
The Curse of the Midnight Voyage (Book 6)
The series will continue with books 7-12…
About the authors
Elm and Helena have been friends since before they were old enough to read. They grew up loving the same books, and never quite grew out of it, so it’s not much of a surprise to anyone who knows them that they’ve both ended up writing YA fantasy – and even less of a surprise that they’re now writing a series together!
They’re both mad about dragons, fairytales, strong female leads, and hate-to-love romances; and recent fantasy books they haven’t been able to stop chatting about have included those by Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novik, Sabaa Tahir and Leigh Bardugo.
Find out more about each of the Desert Nights authors by taking a look at the information below:
More about Elm
The Star Cast Series
Tapestry of Night (Book 1, forthcoming)
www.elmvince.com
www.facebook.com/elmvince
More about Helena
The Carnival of Stars Series
The Prince and the Poisoner (Book 1, forthcoming)
The River Witch Series
The River Witch (Book 1)
The Iron Court (Book 2)
The Queen’s Court (Book 3)
The Wild Hunt (Book 4)
The Iron City (Book 5, forthcoming)
The King’s Court (Book 6, forthcoming)
The Court of the Faerie Queen (River Witch Books 1-3 omnibus)
The Court of the Faerie King (River Witch Books 4-6 omnibus, forthcoming)
www.helenarookwood.com
www.facebook.com/helenarookwood
www.instagram.com/helenarookwood
www.bookbub.com/profile/helena-rookwood
Table of Contents
Free prequel
Chap
ter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
A note from the authors
The Desert Nights series
About the authors
The Queen of Forty Thieves Page 7
