I choked, almost spitting my tea right out.
Mustafa gave a crocodile smile. “The colorful eyes are quite distinctive to one versed in rare magical artifacts like myself.”
The thieves all fell silent. Even Tarak had nothing to say for once.
“Z?” Aliyah turned her piercing gaze to me.
My mouth went dry. “It’s a long story…” I swallowed hard, trying to come up with the vaguest explanation the thieves might accept. “The short version is that I’m working with this djinni.” I yelped as Tarak disappeared from beside me in a puff of glittering smoke.
“I knew there was something off about that handmaid,” Aliyah muttered.
Tarak appeared behind Aliyah in a rush of lilac smoke, back in his preferred male form now. He cricked his neck, then leaned over her, studying her tattoos. “That’s an interesting choice of head.”
He reached out and began tracing the patterns on Aliyah’s scalp until she swatted him away again with a growl.
The djinni disappeared instantly, before reappearing right beside Lisha, examining the knives he had somehow swept from her hands. “Good quality, these.” His gaze slid sideways to her. “Very stabby…”
Turning red, Lisha lunged for him just as he disappeared again, letting the knives clatter to the floor.
Spirits, now that he’d been outed, Tarak was out of control.
I could order him back in the ring, but I couldn’t let the thieves know exactly how I became his master. I hadn’t forgotten it was Aliyah and her gang who were sent to steal the ring from the treasury in the first place. Lisha wouldn’t hesitate to lop off a finger to take it back.
“Tarak, sit down,” I ground out, slapping the divan beside me like I was ordering a naughty child. “I don’t want to hear another word from you.”
He slunk to my side, miming the words as you wish with a tiny bow before throwing himself back against the cushions.
“Shall we get down to business, then?” Mustafa asked mildly, attempting to cut through the tension he’d created by offering Aliyah and me the plate of tarts.
“You know what our business is,” Aliyah replied hotly, fanning the plate away as I reached eagerly for a tart. “You owe us a flying carpet. Our buyer’s getting impatient. So, where is it?”
“Of course, of course. I know exactly where it is.” Mustafa replied, replacing the plate on the table and wringing his hands together. “But before we get to that, what about you?” He turned to me. “What brings you and your djinni here?”
I tapped my fingers nervously against the rim of my teacup, wondering how much I should say in front of the thieves. “I was sent to you by a fellow merchant, a family friend, really. Ambar. He said you might help me with some questions I have about the Night Diamond talisman.” I paused to see Mustafa’s reaction at the name, but his soft features remained composed. “I’m interested in finding out how to use it. For some scholarly research. I’ll pay for that information, of course,” I added.
Mustafa steepled his fingers, then looked between Aliyah and me, a slow smile spreading across his face. He reached out and took my hand gently. His long fingers were very soft, but his eyes were sharp.
“I know how to use the Night Diamond talisman,” he said, his gaze snagging on the slim, golden band on my finger as he patted my hand.
My heart hammered in my chest.
“Ambar was right to send you to me. I’m most certainly the only one in Astaran with such knowledge. But first… I need something from you in return.”
My heart plummeted. Again… It’s happening again. I had struck a bargain with Tarak, then Aliyah… Was I now to strike a bargain with this shifty shopkeeper? I yanked my hand back.
The merchant had already turned to Aliyah with a sigh. “I lost the flying carpet in a game of cards, to a pirate…”
“Which pirate?” Aliyah cut him off, her voice deadly soft.
Mustafa cleared his throat, his gaze on his own sleeve.
“Mustafa,” she growled. “I just asked you a question. Which pirate?”
The merchant’s voice came out in a low squeak. “Bahar.”
“Bahar?” Aliyah leapt to her feet with a roar that rattled the teacups and upset the plate of tarts.
I blinked. What had this pirate done to make Aliyah’s cheeks so flushed, her brows knitted together?
A murmur ran through the gathered thieves. They looked almost as furious as Aliyah, cracking their knuckles and spitting to one side.
“And this is the deal I’m prepared to offer you.” Mustafa quickly turned back to me as the thieves’ grumbling grew louder. “If you and your djinni win back the carpet back for me…I mean, for the thieves,” he corrected at Aliyah’s furious glare, “then I will tell you what you need to know about the talisman. You have my word.”
I wasn’t sure this oily merchant’s word meant very much at all. But he was still my best and, if he was to be believed, my only chance at finding out how the talisman worked.
If only I had the faintest idea of how to keep my end of the deal.
“And just how am I supposed to get a pirate to play me for the carpet?” I asked, exasperated. “Let alone actually win?”
I looked to Tarak for confirmation that this was a ridiculous task, but he mimed sealing his lips and throwing away the key. Of course, now he chooses to keep quiet.
“Leave that to me.”
I looked up in surprise at Aliyah’s voice. The look of rage had vanished from her face, replaced by a businesslike demeanor as she began instructing her thieves. “Lisha, we’ll need a change of clothes for Z to disguise her. Faris, go and scout whichever squalid tavern Bahar is drinking dry this afternoon.”
I guess she really wants this carpet.
I bit back a groan. How long would it take to don a disguise and challenge a pirate? If I was missing at the start of the ball, it would certainly be noticed. Kassim might go back on his deal if he knew I hadn’t been looking after the princes, whether I gave him the missing information or not.
I wrung my hands together. More than just the gambling part, this whole plan was a huge risk. What if I was recognized? What if he kidnapped me?
But if it paid off...
“Fine.” I shot Aliyah a stern look. “I’ll do it but I have to be at the pa–” I caught myself. “At home for an important event this evening.”
The thief queen nodded, but she was already distracted, standing at the door to the catacombs and yelling orders while the thieves swarmed around her.
Mustafa sidled over to me in a waft of heavy perfume. “I am sorry I can’t just help you outright, my dear.”
I glared at him. “Of course you are.”
“I mean it. Ambar is a good man. On any other occasion I would have just told you what you wanted to know, but…” He looked nervously at the thieves. “Perhaps I could help you in another way, too?” His eyes dropped to my hand. “Do you need any help with your djinni? He’s quite a character. I could translate the words on the band of your ring, if you like?”
I glowered at him. So he had realized that Tarak was bound to the ring.
“You know what it says?” I asked sharply.
Mustafa gave a wide smile, displaying a lot of white teeth. “It’s important in my line of work to know everything there is to know about magical artifacts. That includes knowing about magical languages.”
My brow lowered. I didn’t want to tell Mustafa more than he’d already worked out for himself...but if he already knew what the script on the ring said...
I glanced over to make sure Aliyah and the thieves weren’t listening.
“I already know what it says,” I whispered. “But do you know what it means?”
Mustafa reached for my hand again, drawing the ring closer to him. “He who sold our names to a prince… Why is this so important to you, princess?”
I gritted my teeth. Hadn’t he just offered to help me? “I need to find out who bound Tarak to the ring, and why.”
&n
bsp; Mustafa looked thoughtful. “You made a deal with the spirit?”
I nodded.
“How unfortunate.” He gave me a pitying look.
Tarak seemed to sense we were talking about him and wandered over to join us as the merchant spoke again.
“Your two goals are the same,” Mustafa said after a pause, looking between the two of us. “If you somehow have the Night Diamond talisman in your possession, follow where the map leads you, and you’ll find the answers you’re looking for about this djinni.”
I snatched my hand back, not wanting Mustafa to feel it shaking, and shot a look back to where the thieves were still bickering amongst themselves. “What do you mean?” I asked in a low voice, trying to keep the urgency from my tone. “How are they linked together?”
Mustafa gave another wide smile. “It’s not my story to tell, princess. But find the treasure that the Night Diamond talisman leads you to, and you’ll find the story of the ring.”
Chapter Six
I crouched down behind a line of barrels, tugging uncomfortably at my cropped top. Bells jingled cheerfully at the movement, and I scowled down at them.
Tarak smirked. “Isn’t it lovely how musical that outfit is?”
I glared at him. He was in irritatingly high spirits, and now that he’d learned using the talisman would help solve the mystery of the ring, he was suddenly all action. He looked dashing dressed in the silk pants and heavy cloak of a rich merchant sailor, a golden hoop earring twinkling in one ear. Beside him, in the dancer’s dress Lisha had somehow procured for me, I looked ridiculous.
How do I get myself into these situations? I was a princess hiding behind pungent beer barrels in a spiritsforsaken alleyway, hoping to beat a pirate at cards to win a flying carpet.
Worse, Aliyah’s plan meant that it would be Tarak who actually played him. I was just there as a distraction to see if I could glean the whereabouts of the flying carpet, and get word to the thieves so they could steal it if Tarak’s skill at cards wasn’t quite as impressive as he claimed.
And with so much skin showing, I definitely would be a distraction.
I tugged hopelessly at my top again, trying to disguise more of my midriff. It was deep red, which apparently was Bahar’s favorite color, and came with a flowing, sheer skirt that barely concealed my legs. Both were covered in tiny silver bells, which jangled every time I moved.
Lisha cleared her throat. “Listen, scholar.” She grabbed a stick of rouge from her pocket and dabbed it onto my lips. “Don’t mention Mustafa’s or Aliyah’s name. Don’t get dragged into a bargain for anything other than the carpet. And remember, Bahar is obsessed with luck. You have to keep him thinking his luck is good; otherwise, he won’t play you for the carpet.”
The thieves had decided it was too risky for Aliyah to be spotted here – apparently she and Bahar had history. I’d been surprised when Lisha had volunteered to bring us here instead, more so when her advice had seemed helpful. Not to mention her skill with braids. I wished I could ask her to show Mehri and Jevera how she managed to tame my hair.
The thief had braided my hair into a smaller version of the crown she wore around her head, my unruly locks gathered in a clever twist at the nape of my neck before cascading down the center of my back. Huge, silver disks hung from my earlobes, each embossed with a cross within a circle. A sign said to bring good luck to sailors.
What would Kassim think if he saw me dressed like this? My cheeks grew hot at the thought. Even if he did see me, he would likely never guess the scantily clad dancing girl in the red outfit was the princess he was due to marry.
The door to the tavern swung open, wafts of alcohol and the sound of loud music spilling out with it. A man shuffled to the edge of the alleyway. The sound of liquid hitting stone, along with the smell, told me he was urinating. I wrinkled my nose. What kind of people was I going to meet in this tavern, who were drinking and gambling in the middle of the afternoon?
“Ready?” Lisha asked.
I swallowed. I definitely wasn’t.
“What could possibly go wrong?” Tarak said with a wink, dragging me over to the door. “I have everything under control.”
Before Lisha could reply, the djinni bustled me into the tavern, swaggering right over to the bar and sinking onto a stool. I tried not to hold my breath against the smell of sweat and stale beer. It was dark inside, all the shutters except one closed to keep out the afternoon light and the heat.
I had never been in a tavern before and wanted to look at everything, but I did my best to keep my eyes trained on Tarak, as though besotted.
“A flagon of your finest wine… No, two flagons!” the djinni boomed. He snaked one arm around my waist, pulling me closer. “I’m celebrating. We’re celebrating.” He squeezed my waist, making me go rigid. “It’s not every day such a lucky lady falls into your lap.” He gave a low chuckle and clutched at me again.
I swallowed hard, trying to resist the urge to swat him away. I was here to play a part. So I was going to have to play it.
I combed my hair forward over my shoulder, the way I had seen my sister, Lalana, do so many times before, and turned wide eyes to Tarak. “Am I really lucky?” I asked in my most vacant voice.
He squeezed my waist again and leaned closer, as though his words were meant only for me. But he raised his voice, loud enough so several gazes turned our way. “Trust me. You, my girl, have brought me more luck than any charm.”
The barkeep returned with the two flagons of wine and two glasses, eyeing Tarak warily.
The djinni waved his hand. “Three glasses, if you please. I’m here looking for a man named Bahar.”
The barkeep’s mouth set in a firm line as he reached for a third glass, but Tarak caught the movement of his eyes, the brief flicker over to where a tall, cloaked figure lounged in a pool of sunshine streaming through the one open shutter.
“Bahar!” Tarak boomed, grabbing the wine bottle by the neck. Trying my hardest to look as though this was completely normal, I snatched the glasses from the bar and followed in his wake.
I cringed as every pair of eyes in the tavern watched our progress. The cloaked figure’s shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t turn around. The building suddenly felt very small, the wooden tables too close, the bedraggled, dark-eyed men sitting at Bahar’s table simmering with repressed violence.
Undeterred, Tarak slammed the bottle onto the table and snapped his fingers, gesturing for me to place the wine glasses alongside it.
I gritted my teeth. He’s enjoying this role reversal far too much. I forced myself to smile sweetly and lined the glasses up beside the bottle.
Tarak turned back to the table. “So, which of you gentlemen is said to be the luckiest man in Kisrabah?”
The tall, cloaked man turned slowly in his seat.
My mouth fell open.
Rings, amulets, talismans, and other artifacts that rivaled the number my mother wore hung around the pirate’s neck, laced his fingers, or were pinned to his waistcoat. Even in the braids of his long, brown hair, I could see fragments of bone, shining golden coins, and the tattered remains of dried flowers.
His eyes ran over Tarak, then snagged on me.
“So you’re the man who possesses the thing I want most in the world.” Tarak gave him a broad grin.
The pirate didn’t so much as glance at him as he slowly looked me up and down, taking in the silver discs at my ears, my red lips, and the sheer, scarlet fabrics that left little to the imagination.
“A rare beauty, isn’t she?” Tarak chuckled. “What’s more, she used to work for a sorcerer, who turned her into his lucky charm. Until I stole her away, that is.”
I did my best to look like this wasn’t news to me, offering Bahar a shy smile as I poured three glasses of wine. A rare beauty… Honestly, if Tarak wanted this pirate to trust him, lying so blatantly wasn’t going to help. I offered a glass of wine to the pirate first.
Bahar still didn’t take his eyes from me as he ac
cepted the glass. “And what is it you want from me, exactly?” His voice was thick with an accent I didn’t recognize.
Tarak’s expression grew somber. “I desire to journey overseas, but don’t have the sea legs you and your men boast…I heard you are in possession of a flying carpet that could aid me on my travels.”
The pirate’s gaze shot back to Tarak. “Who told you that?” he asked sharply.
Tarak shrugged, reaching for one of the wine glasses. “I’ve been asking around. I would give a princely sum for so rare an item…” He smirked slightly. “Or I could play you for it.” He lifted his hands, waggling his fingers. “I can’t resist the thrill of a game. Did I tell you I won my latest lucky charm from a sorcerer?” He looked back at me.
The pirate scowled, his rings clacking against each other as he drummed his fingers on the table. His expression turned thoughtful. “We can’t very well have a fair game if she’s such a lucky charm now, can we?” He gestured in my direction.
“Hmm… That’s a fair point.” Tarak stroked his chin, considering for a moment. “What if you were playing for her? The carpet for the luckiest girl in the twelve kingdoms?”
I stiffened, my eyes wide. That was not part of the plan we’d discussed…
I opened my mouth, then closed it again when I saw the proprietary look the pirate gave me. I felt a flush spread over my cheeks, my fists clenched as I tried to figure out how I could get out of the ridiculous deal Tarak had proposed. As if a pirate would agree to bet an enchanted carpet for a random girl off the street…
The pirate slowly sat back in his chair. “You’ve got yourself an accord.”
I gaped.
Bahar gestured to the seat opposite him, his dark eyes taking Tarak’s measure. “But I warn you, the last person to play me at a game of Pirate’s Ruin swore he was the best at cards in all of Astaran.” He shot me a grin, gold teeth flashing in his smile. “He gambled the carpet. You know how that worked out for him.”
The corners of Tarak’s mouth twitched up. “Excellent.” He rubbed his hands together and dropped into the chair opposite Bahar, the other pirates at the table begrudgingly scooting their chairs to make space for him. He patted the tabletop. “Let’s see this carpet then.”
Palace of Wishes (2020 Reissue) Page 5
