“They were adequate.”
I gripped my hands behind my back. “And how are you finding the performances?”
“Tedious,” the prince replied, not making an effort to lower his voice as he massaged his temples with two fingers. “But at least it won’t be difficult for me to capture the attention of the princess when it’s my turn.”
“And what will you be doing?” I asked, fixing a smile on my face.
Prince Rishi snapped his fingers, and a servant knelt before him with a silver tray, on which sat several beautiful jeweled daggers. The prince gave no indication of what he’d be doing with the daggers, but I leaned forward to admire them anyway. Each contained a sparkling cut stone in the pommel…rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, each at least the size of a date.
“Sipparkish is famed for its beautiful gems,” I observed, and Rishi’s chest puffed out slightly.
“We are indeed. You know, we have more diamond mines than any other kingdom.” The prince toyed with one of the many rings on his fingers, the jewels glistening, even in the shade.
I pressed my lips together as Cao held a long note at the end of his piece, then swept into a bow. The audience broke into enthusiastic applause, and I clapped along.
“Time to show these boys how it’s done.” Prince Rishi snatched the tray from his attendant and strode toward the stage without a goodbye.
I moved away from the shaded audience and toward the center of the gardens, where I leaned back on the sun-warmed stone of the fountain, running my hand across the rough surface.
I traced my fingertips through a groove in the fountain’s surface, then glanced down. Recognition sparked through me. It was a word.
Djinni.
I frowned, spinning around to look at the fountain’s edge properly. The script ran around the circumference of the fountain, then continued down onto the ground, running in ribbons along the stone paths. It was written in An Nimivah, the spirit language. A language I was now fluent in thanks to my most recent wish.
My gaze followed the carved words as I moved in a slow circle around the fountain’s edge.
They told a tale of a spirit who befriended a sultan and sacrificed his freedom to protect some forbidden knowledge. Its essence was supposed to be trapped right here in this ancient garden.
Someone cleared their throat close behind me. I whirled around. Prince Diyan stood with his arms crossed, his brown eyes finding the words on the fountain.
“Prince Diyan,” I greeted him. “Congratulations on your performance. I enjoyed your poem.”
I turned back to the carvings.
“Thank you.” The prince blushed furiously. “Tell me, Princess Scheherazade. Is this garden very old?”
“Ancient.”
“I thought so.” He nodded at the text. “You know, that writing is the language of the sorcerers.”
My eyes widened. How could Prince Diyan read it?
“Actually, it’s the language of the spirits, not sorcerers,” I corrected lightly, trying to keep the shock from my voice.
“It’s the same thing. The sorcerers learned the language of the spirits in order to control them. To pull them from their world and bind them to ours. It’s probable these words bind a spirit of some kind to this very garden.”
Spirits, how could he possibly know all this? The shy prince seemed a lot less reserved now he was back here talking with me. Could it all be an act?
I swallowed, glancing up to see if anyone was listening to our conversation, but everyone’s eyes seemed to be trained on Prince Rishi, who tossed a fourth dagger into the air, the blades gleaming wickedly as they twirled above his head.
“Can you read what it says?”
“No. I just recognize it enough to identify it.” The prince leaned forward to run his fingers across the carvings. “Unfortunately, there are no books in existence to translate the language into the common tongue. And if they ever existed, they’ve since been destroyed. Any sorcerers still practicing magic today will memorize the words so they don’t have to write them down. That way, their secrets can’t be stolen.”
“And what’s your secret, Prince Diyan?” My breath was quick now. “How do you know all of this?”
The prince seemed to cower back from me. Perhaps my questioning was too harsh. But then someone cleared their throat from behind me.
“Excuse me, princess. May I have a word?”
I spun around to see the Queen of Thieves dressed in gold-trimmed Astarian uniform, a helmet covering her tattooed head and her crossbow tucked under her armpit.
How did Aliyah get past all our guards?
She grinned, her eyes flashing dangerously, and without really meaning to, I took a step back away from her, bumping into Diyan. He stared at the thief queen with wide eyes.
“Prince Diyan, would you excuse us?” My voice was a little too high as I addressed the young prince.
Prince Diyan’s answer was no more than a squeak.
I grabbed Aliyah’s arm and led her farther back into the wilds of the garden, away from the performances, glancing over my shoulder to check no one was watching us.
I ducked behind a stone wall tangled with flowering creepers. “Are you mad? I hissed. “How did you get in here?”
The Queen of Thieves ran her tongue along her white teeth. “So you’re allowed to sneak out from the palace in disguise, but I’m not allowed to sneak in?”
“Of course you’re not allowed to sneak in,” I retorted. “Namir would have your head if he found you here. How did you get in anyway?” Aliyah didn’t have her enchanted key anymore – I still had it – so it should have been impossible for her to break into the palace with all the security Elian had added for the princes. I eyed the guard’s uniform she wore.
Aliyah dusted at a mark on the sleeve that looked suspiciously like dried blood. “I borrowed this from one of the guards at the side gates. She’s currently unconscious so has no need for it.”
I pursed my lips.
“Actually,” the thief continued, “the hardest part was losing Namir’s tail on the way here. The spymaster seems to be tracking me more fervently than ever. It’s really quite annoying.”
“I know what that feels like,” I admitted, and shared a knowing smile with the thief.
She fished a hand into her inside pocket, sliding out a folded piece of parchment and handed it to me. “I came to settle my debt to you.”
“Ambar’s reply?” My chest suddenly felt tight.
I took the letter and held it to my chest, peeking around the wall to check that no one was looking for me. But the performances continued. Rishi had been replaced by one of the more forgettable princes who was warbling a dreary song.
My hands shook. What if it was bad news? What if something had happened to Lalana?
I shared a glance with Aliyah and she inclined her head encouragingly. I opened the letter, and Ambar’s sprawling cursive greeted me:
Z,
I was surprised and pleased to receive your letter. To answer your first question, we are both safe. L sends her love, she misses you every day. Our lives are simple here but happy. L has been learning to cook, and she’s quite talented at it. As she is in all things she sets her mind to!
You ask of the Night Diamond talisman. I have heard of it, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you much. It’s priceless, and considered mythical in most trading circles, but it hasn’t been seen for many years.
There is one man in Kisrabah who might be able to help you – a merchant named Mustafa, who I dealt with for many years. He has a shop in the Arches in Kisrabah’s Magic Quarter. He isn’t one to part with his knowledge freely, but mention my name and he may be more willing to speak with you.
I’m impressed you managed to get a letter to me. There have been sightings of Phoenitian soldiers outside of the city, and they have been shooting down messenger birds. The city officials promise us this is nothing to worry about, and that they are dealing with it, but it may be hard to keep in
touch for a while.
A
Aliyah was still watching me when I finally looked up. “Good news?”
The news about the Phoenitian soldiers was worrying, whatever Ambar said, but a huge weight had been lifted off my chest to hear that Lalana was happy and well. And although Ambar couldn’t help with the talisman himself, he’d given me a lead right in the city.
“Do you know where the Arches are in Kisrabah?” I asked.
She nodded. “Down by the waterfront in the Magic Quarter. Why?”
I appraised the thief, not sure how much to tell her. We’d reluctantly become allies, and she had come good on her promise to deliver my letters, but she was still a criminal wanted by the palace.
“I need to find a merchant called Mustafa.”
“Mustafa.” Aliyah’s almond eyes narrowed and she made a derisive snorting noise. “How convenient. There’s only one Mustafa in the Magic Quarter, and I owe him a visit myself. If you need to see him, I can take you there now.”
I bit my lip. I wanted to accept her offer straight away, but I was supposed to be overseeing the showcase all morning.
I looked back in the direction of the singing prince. If I slipped away now, I’d be back well before the ball tonight...
I’d be leaving my duties here for an afternoon, but if I managed to find out how to use the Night Diamond talisman, it seemed more than worth it.
“Can you get away?” Aliyah pressed.
“I can,” I replied, making up my mind. The showcase would be fine without me. It was already halfway through. I’d tell Mehri and Jevera I was going to the market to buy a surprise for my costume tonight. And if I left accompanied by Aliyah dressed as a guard and Tarak in his handmaid form, it would look official. Nobody would stop me.
“Meet me by the entrance to the crypt in fifteen minutes,” I instructed the thief queen. “I need to fetch one of my handmaids. Then you can take me to this mysterious Mustafa.”
Chapter Five
Flanked by Aliyah and Tarak, I walked along the river’s edge and took a shallow breath, trying to ignore the sour smell of salt and fish. Merchants and shoppers bustled along the street, some throwing us openly curious glances. Hopefully Mustafa’s shop wasn’t much farther.
I scanned the street ahead. Set in a series of stone arches like jewels within a ring, the shops on the waterfront stood proudly, colorful wooden signs swinging above them with gold paint spelling out names like Yasir’s Ensorcelled Wares and Balthazar’s Books.
“Is this the whole of the Magic Quarter?” I asked.
“This is just the Arches,” Aliyah replied. “The Magic Quarter stretches much farther back into the city. But the shops here claim to be the best because they’re so close to the river. They can access goods the other merchants don’t even get to see.”
“And are they the best?”
Aliyah shrugged. “Some of them are, some peddle garbage to easy marks. In my line of work you soon learn which is which.”
“Which is Mustafa’s?”
“Oh, he’s the real deal.” The thief frowned and paused, looking back over her shoulder. Tarak had stopped to admire his reflection in the river next to us. No doubt she was wondering why I had brought such an attention-grabbing handmaid on our mission.
“Tara,” I scolded. The djinni reluctantly tore himself away from the water’s edge and tailed after us.
“It’s just up here.” Aliyah led us a little farther down the street, before stopping in front of a skinny shop, wedged like the spine of a book between two much grander buildings. It would have been easy to pass it by altogether unless you were really looking for it.
The narrow shop looked far grubbier than its fine, arched neighbors. Chipped paint flaked off the sign, the windows so thick with grime that I could barely see inside.
I craned my neck up to read the small sign, the letters crammed to fit onto the tiny board. “The Palace of Dust and Shadows,” I read, then grimaced back at Aliyah.
Tarak sniffed loudly. “Dust is the only word that sounds about right.”
“Looks can be deceiving.” Aliyah fixed the djinni with an assessing gaze. “Especially in the Magic Quarter.”
I swallowed. Had she guessed there was something more than a bit unusual about my handmaid?
“Ladies.”
I flinched as a rich-as-coffee voice addressed us, turning to where a man in the most elaborately embroidered robes I’d ever seen stood in the doorway to the shop.
He turned dark, soulful eyes to me, lined at the edges. “What brings three such striking women to my humble shop this afternoon?”
I couldn’t tear my gaze from his clothes, the metallic threads and beading rippling in rainbow-like flashes every time he moved. His hands rested upon his hips, the feather in his cap swaying as he took a step forward.
His dark eyes raked over me, his gaze flicking from the intricate beading at the edge of my shawl to the golden bangles at my wrists, then settling on the ring on my finger. “What can I help you with today, my lady?”
“Cut the sales pitch, Mustafa. She’s with me.” Aliyah stepped out from behind me and the merchant lurched backward like he’d been stung.
“A-Aliyah. What a w-wonderful surprise.” His voice was strained, but he quickly fixed his smile. “I was going to send a message to you this afternoon, actually.”
“Well, I’ve saved you the trouble.” Aliyah barged past him and walked straight into the shop. “Why don’t we all discuss our needs over a cup of your famous peppermint tea?”
“Of course. Do come in.” Mustafa gave me a small smile, although his eyes remained sharp as Tarak and I hesitantly stepped over the threshold.
The inside of the shop was as desolate as it had looked from the outside, not exactly filling me with confidence that Mustafa was the best person to help me in my search for the Night Diamond talisman. But Aliyah had already disappeared down the pale, narrow stone steps leading down into inky blackness at the back of the shop.
“Follow me, please.” Mustafa hurried around us, descending the steps in a perfumed wave of his robes. “Downstairs is where I take all my most valued customers. No doubt Aliyah is already making herself at home.” He gave a nervous titter that Tarak immediately copied in his girlish voice.
I glared at the djinni. He was enjoying his time out of the ring far too much. As a noble lady out with her handmaid, he was supposed to make me look less conspicuous, not more.
Mustafa reached the bottom of the steps and held up a glowing lantern to light a path for me. I peered into the dim basement. There was only a thick, wooden door at the end, a faint glow around its edge, as though the room within was warmly lit.
He pushed it open, revealing a bright light and the scent of fresh mint tea.
Inside, I could only stop and stare.
Glass cabinets displayed wicked-looking weapons – blades engraved with ancient symbols, arrows fletched with curious, golden feathers. Polished shelves laden with carefully labeled wooden boxes promised more treasures within. Yet another display case contained jewelry that was undoubtedly ancient and, I suspected, magical.
My mother would have killed for just one of the pieces glittering in the lantern light.
Aliyah had already removed her guard’s helmet, lounging back on one of two divans that were draped with some of the finest throws I had ever seen, plump silk cushions in rich colors sitting invitingly on top.
And she wasn’t alone.
I flinched at the sight of Lisha and several of the other thieves gathered around her.
Where did the rest of them come from? And how did they know we would be here?
“I’m so glad your friends could join us. I assume they came in the secret entrance via the catacombs…” Mustafa addressed Aliyah in a voice that suggested he’d planned for this all along, although of course he hadn’t. He turned to me, his smooth voice grating a little bit as he added an explanation. “We use the catacombs underneath the city to transport goods tha
t aren’t sensible to display above ground…”
“Always a pleasure, Mustafa.” Lisha moved lithely between the cabinets. Her dark hair was in its usual tight braid like a crown around her head, knives strapped to her hips and ankles. She paused when she caught sight of me. “Ali, what’s the scholar doing here? And why is she dressed like a rich person?” She frowned at me, but her brows slowly raised at the sight of handmaid-Tarak sashaying in behind me.
Aliyah knew I was a princess, but the rest of her thieves didn’t. I hoped she would stick to our deal and keep my secret today. I hadn’t planned on the rest of her gang being here too, or I’d have taken the time to change into more inconspicuous clothes. I definitely would have left Tarak in the ring.
“I’m not just a scholar,” I said hurriedly.
Lisha’s gaze snapped back to Aliyah, her knives already in her hands.
The thief queen waved a hand through the air. “I knew anyway. What? Did you think a girl from the streets would be able to read?”
“So, you’re some kind of lady or something?” One of the other thieves, Sirhan, scratched his beard, eyeing up my gold bangles.
“Uh… Yes. That’s right. A lady.”
“Please, won’t everyone sit down?” Mustafa stopped beside the twin divans where Aliyah had sat down and beckoned me over. I perched on the edge of one of the cushions, while Tarak lounged beside me.
Between the two divans was a low table in the same shining mahogany as the display cases, an ornate silver tray with a steaming pot of mint tea and a plate of tarts waiting on top. The same kind I’d eaten with Safiyya when I’d first arrived in Kisrabah, bursting with honey and almonds. My mouth began to water.
“I know why you’re here, Aliyah, but I wonder, what brings your friend here?” Mustafa’s sharp eyes met mine as he leaned over to set a cup and saucer in my hand, his gaze flicking to Tarak. I took a nervous sip, not for the first time regretting bringing the djinni on the excursion.
He turned back to me. “Do you need help with your alluring djinni?”
Palace of Wishes (2020 Reissue) Page 4
