The princess stopped suddenly, and Kassim almost walked straight into the back of her.
She turned and flashed him a smile. “You probably have some questions.”
“You could say that.” The sultan’s gaze shifted to the vizier.
Hepzibah smiled demurely. “The ship made it into port. I found the princess as soon as I could, and luckily her expert knowledge of the island meant she had a good idea of where you might wash up. We flew straight to you. The rest of our men are waiting for us inside the fort.”
“Are you okay?” Makani’s gaze raked over the sultan’s disheveled appearance.
The sultan straightened, tugging at the front of his ragged shirt. “The attack… What was that?”
“Wild rocs.” The princess’s brow furrowed. “It doesn’t make sense. They usually avoid humans.”
I turned to the princess. “If rocs avoid humans, why did these attack us?”
“I don’t know. The most trouble we ever have is the odd complaint from farmers when their goats go missing. Otherwise, the rocs only attack when they feel threatened.”
“Then I’d say those two felt pretty threatened,” Namir commented.
Kassim cleared his throat awkwardly. “Let me properly introduce our group, now we’re here.” With an imperious wave of his hand, Kassim beckoned us to stand closer. “This is one of my most trusted men, Namir.” He gestured to the spymaster. “And this is Aliyah, our thief for hire.”
The thief sketched a mocking bow. “Actually, I’m here against my will,” she said, then added cheerfully, “and they’re not paying me for my services.”
Kassim ignored Aliyah’s provocations, looking more awkward when he turned to introduce me. He swallowed. “And this is, uh… This is Princess Scheherazade of Khiridesh.” On his lips, my name sounded quiet and rushed.
I held out a hand to Princess Makani. “I’m his betrothed.” I added loudly, annoyed that Kassim had deemed that fact unnecessary to share.
Makani’s eyes narrowed slightly at this news, her hand gripping mine a little harder before she dropped it. “Pleased to meet you. Call me Mak.”
A flicker of irritation ran over me. That’s my line. “Zadie.”
Princess Makani – Mak – took a step toward the camels. “Hepzibah said you would need transport to the cave. There should be enough camels here for you and a small group we can assemble to travel with us.”
I wrinkled my nose at the mottled-brown beasts. Of all the creatures that roamed the twelve kingdoms, why did it have to be camels? “Any horses?” I asked hopefully.
“No horses.” Makani shook her head, her thick ponytail swinging. “Besides, camels are hardier, more suited to the routes we’re taking. They handle the terrain better, and they’ll eat anything.” As if on cue, the closest camel swung its head toward us, its leathery lips smacking together as it chewed on a thorny branch. “Plus, Hepzi mentioned you’d need a way to transport treasures back with you, and the camels will be able to carry a heavier load.”
Hepzi? Spirits, does everyone have a nickname now?
Makani turned to the vizier with a smile.
“So we’ll be riding camels the whole way?” I asked, the distaste plain in my voice.
“Unfortunately for you, princesses in Hidu don’t require palanquins,” the vizier said with a light laugh, and Makani’s eyes crinkled with mirth.
I sucked in a sharp breath, biting back the retort on my lips. “What I mean is there are only… What?” I scanned the courtyard. “Twenty camels here? If you’re also bringing soldiers, there won’t be enough camels for everyone.”
“My cadre and I will fly,” the princess replied with an easy smile. “We don’t go anywhere without our noble companions.”
I pressed my lips together. I’d wager a magic carpet that even if Makani didn’t have a roc to ride, she wouldn’t get on the back of a stinking camel.
“Thank you for your assistance, princess. Mak.” Kassim edged away from me. “I must say, I’m surprised to find you as our guide. Pleased, of course, but surprised.”
The vizier laughed, placing a hand on Makani’s shoulder. “Why? Because you jilted her for a Khirideshi princess?”
What?
The sultan laughed awkwardly, throwing Hepzibah a look. “Jilted? I… No. That’s not…”
My heart thudded in my chest, nausea churning in my stomach. What did the vizier mean? Had Princess Makani been betrothed to Kassim?
“Water under the bridge, sultan.” Makani brushed back the soft hairs curling at her temples. “I was always your second choice. That you chose to remain loyal to a Khirideshi alliance, even after your chosen bride died so tragically…” Her gray eyes found mine. “Well, that was your decision to make.”
A few of the guards shifted on the spot. I crossed my arms, not tearing my gaze from the princess, despite the tension between us.
So Princess Makani had been Kassim’s second choice after Lalana.
As much as I hated to admit it, it was no wonder. She was beautiful, like my sister, with glowing, olive skin, lashes as long as a camel’s, and a smattering of freckles across her narrow nose. She wore an embroidered brown leather vest over a light shirt, with sleeves that billowed in the light breeze. A smart, yet practical choice that showed off her petite, curvaceous frame.
“Well, this is awkward,” Aliyah drawled. Namir glared at her.
Makani laughed good-naturedly. “It’s not awkward at all. I assure you.”
I didn’t know Makani well enough to know if she was being genuine, but I supposed she was helping us. “So, your family decided to assist us on our expedition after all?” I asked begrudgingly.
Her features hardened. “No, they didn’t. But I wrote to Hepzi in secret after they declined Kassim’s official request. My father’s decision was wrong. Hidu agreed to guard the cave and its treasures on behalf of Astaran all those years ago. As far as I’m concerned, whatever’s in there belongs to you, Kassim.” Her wide eyes fixed on the sultan’s face.
A tall Hiduan soldier appeared behind Makani. “Princess? Everything’s ready for you inside.”
“Thanks, Rangi.” Slowly tearing her gaze from Kassim’s, the princess rubbed her hands together lightly. “Would you like to see inside? They’re preparing us provisions for the journey as we speak.”
“Lead the way.” Hepzibah gestured toward the door, and the whole group moved to follow her inside.
I caught Kassim by the arm, but the sultan quickly pulled out of my reach. “What is it, Zadie?” His voice was low and furtive.
His dismissive tone stung, especially after… I thought things had changed between us. I forced the emotion from my voice when I replied. “I just want to look at these camels. Check… Check they’re all healthy enough for the journey.”
“Okay.” Kassim didn’t question the obvious lie. He pressed his lips together, then looked up to the sky above the courtyard. “Look, I think it’s best if you keep your distance from me, Zadie. Just for a few days.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You can’t get so involved with things now Princess Makani is here.”
What? My throat tightened and I stared at the sultan blankly. He reached out toward me, as if he might say something else or cup my cheek, then shook his head and hurried inside after Namir, Aliyah and the guards.
I wrapped my arms around myself, an uncomfortable sensation pricking at my eyes. Before, when the sultan was cold with me, I’d been annoyed because it had gotten in the way of my aim to become sultanah. It had never made me feel like this. I pressed down the hurt in my chest. Maybe Kassim was just trying to keep up his haughty image in front of another royal family.
I turned my back to the doorway and strode over to the pen of camels, breathing through my mouth to filter out their musk. I glanced around the empty courtyard, then rubbed the ring.
A modest plume of smoke appeared, the familiar frankincense scent immediately losing the battle with the animal smells hanging in the air.
A purple-eyed camel stared back at me. His fur was slightly more golden than the others, his long lashes blinking as he took in our surroundings.
“Ugh, look at me.” Tarak gazed down at his lumpy toes. “You know, I consider all my forms beautiful. But when it comes to camels, it’s like polishing a–”
“Tarak.” I put a hand to his soft, furry neck, ducking under it to stand on his other side, where the guards wouldn’t see me talking to him. “Thank you, for what you did. You saved my life.”
“Well…” he blinked his long eyelashes, looking bashful. “We’re partners. I thought I could bend the rules of wishing just this once.”
I stroked his soft golden fur, suddenly emotional. In the short time the djinni and I had known each other, our relationship had been turbulent to say the least. But now, I owed him my life. Perhaps… when I got to my last wish… Perhaps I would set him free.
But this wasn’t the time for a heart to heart. “Have you been listening in?” I asked. “What do you think about all this?” I gestured around the fort.
He chewed thoughtfully, his teeth huge and white. “Well, I think it probably does make the most sense to travel by camel over long distances across sand. They lurch a bit more than horses, but–”
“No, not the camels.” I frowned. “This princess. Mak.” I made quote marks in the air. “Don’t you think it’s suspicious she’s working with the vizier? And against her family’s wishes?”
“Well, I couldn’t see her from the ring, but she sounded genuine when she said the treasure belonged to Kassim.” Tarak swung his head close to mine, his velvet snout bumping my forehead gently.
I pushed him away. “Why did the vizier hide it from everyone, though?”
“Perhaps for the small reason that your sultan recently spurned the Hiduan princess? If the vizier had asked, he’d probably have said no.”
I chewed on my lip. Having seen the beautiful princess, I wasn’t sure he would have. “I just don’t trust anyone who throws their lot in with Hepzibah.”
“She’s a snaky one. We know that for sure,” Tarak lisped, spraying me with spit.
“Thanks for that.” I grimaced, wiping my cheek with the back of my hand. My eyes wandered back to the doorway into the fort. “The vizier has her own agenda, we know that now. And if this princess is working with her, then she can’t be trusted, either. No matter how charming she pretends to be.”
The princess and four of her personal guard launched from the fort’s parapets, their brown-feathered mounts screeching as they soared above the line of plodding camels. Up close, the rocs looked just like the one I’d seen in the palace at Kisrabah. Like giant, monstrous eagles that were more than capable of lifting a horse in their talons.
Makani’s roc was the largest and glossiest, with shining, brown feathers, a razor-sharp yellow beak, and talons like daggers. The saddle was barely perceptible against its back, Mak’s legs tucked behind its wings. She rode as gracefully as any horse rider I’d ever seen, her thick ponytail whipping out behind her as she swept through the air, a bow slung over her narrow shoulders.
Meanwhile, Kassim and the vizier rode at the head of the line, then Namir and Aliyah, whose camels were tied together on a short rope. I kept my distance, as Kassim had requested, hanging well back and managing to leave a large gap between us, before the soldiers brought up the rear.
We rode away from the fort, traveling for hours in silence until the dark sands of the plains gave way to sheer, rocky ravines rising on either side of our convoy.
“Okay, here’s a question, princess.” Tarak’s voice floated back to me, and I gripped his reins. “If you had to choose one way to travel for the rest of your life, would you choose a camel, a palanquin, or Bahar’s ship?” He cackled, and I gripped my thighs against the thick, woven blankets thrown over his back. I thought I’d been smart sneaking Tarak into the convoy as my mount. But after several hours of his inane questions, I was beginning to regret my decision.
“Princess?” he pressed. “Which one?”
“Hmm?” I watched Makani and her soldiers wheel across the sky, darting in and out of the clouds. It really didn’t seem fair that the Hiduan princess was allowed to ride her chosen mount, while I was stuck on the back of a lolloping camel. Even if it was Tarak, and even if he did smell faintly of frankincense rather than manure.
Tarak craned his golden neck around to look at me, then followed my gaze skyward.
One of the rocs dove from the sky, swooping down toward us. Its huge wings beat against the air, ruffling my hair in a gust of wind and sending black sand hissing across the ground.
The animals ahead of us ground to a halt as the great bird landed in front of Kassim’s camel. It turned to the side to reveal Princess Makani saddled on its back. She leaned forward to say something to Kassim, pointing to the range of hazy mountains smoking in the distance.
“That’s the Princess of Hidu?” Tarak stopped in his tracks, blowing out through his lips with a horrible flapping sound. “If you’d have told me she looked like that, I’d have appeared in my male form and not as this misshapen donkey…”
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, glancing over my shoulder to where the soldiers behind us slowly caught up.
“What? I’m just saying she’s pretty,” Tarak protested, even louder than before.
I tugged sharply at his reins. “It’s not what you’re saying, it’s the fact you’re saying anything at all. You’re supposed to be a dumb beast.”
Plus, I don’t need to hear how pretty Kassim’s ex-betrothed is.
Makani leaned closer to Kassim, her dark ponytail swinging as she studied the map he produced. The map I’d discovered for him using the Night Diamond talisman.
“Fair point.” Tarak lowered his voice. “But how often is it you get a strong-willed princess who can ride like that, and who’s willing to rebel against her family for a cause she believes in?”
I rolled my eyes. More often than you’d think.
“All that and one of the greatest beauties in the twelve kingdoms… She’s quite the catch.”
“She’s not as pretty as Lalana,” I muttered.
“Guess that’s why she was your sultan’s second choice.” Tarak swung his neck around again. “Perhaps we should meet – me and big sis?”
“She’s married, Tarak. And in hiding.”
“So? I like a challenge.”
I tugged at his reins. “Stop slobbering over my sister.”
Tarak gave a low, honking laugh. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re worried your sultan will stray.”
“Don’t be silly,” I snapped, but something twisted in my chest. “She was his second choice,” I added in a quieter voice.
Before Tarak could add any further comments, I rode up to join the others. To my irritation, Kassim rolled the map up just as I reached them.
“Princess Zadie,” Makani said in a clipped voice. “I hope riding on the camel hasn’t been as strenuous as you expected.”
Beneath me, Tarak let out a noise that sounded uncomfortably like a laugh, his long, pink tongue lolling out of his mouth.
I scowled and shook his reins. “It isn’t that it’s strenuous. I just…don’t like camels.”
The vizier tutted. “Really, Princess Scheherazade, after Mak’s gone to so much trouble to help us, couldn’t you be a little more grateful you’re not walking?”
I dropped from Tarak’s back, making a big show of stretching out my legs.
Kassim shot me a warning look. I glared back defiantly. “Roughly how far are we from the cave?”
“No more than a day,” Makani replied. “In some ways, it’s lucky you came ashore where you did. It’s saved us days of traveling. It’s slower when you can’t fly, of course.” She put a hand to her mount’s glossy feathers.
Ignoring the jibe, I let this information settle in. Only a day away…after so long searching for the talisman, figuring out how to use it, and traveling by boat to get here, I cou
ld hardly believe we were so close to our goal.
Tarak turned as a great gust ruffled his golden fur, his shoulder bumping into me. One of the Hiduan soldier’s rocs landed behind Makani. “Princess?”
“What is it, Rangi?”
“Look. Just up ahead.” He pointed to a small outcrop of gray rocks jutting up from the sand, not too far from where we stood.
Something about the ring formation felt unnatural. I narrowed my eyes. “Looks like a–”
“Campfire,” Makani finished. I shot her a glare, but she was already striding toward the rocks. The rest of us hurried after her.
The princess cursed loudly as she dropped to her haunches by the rocks, examining the ground. Then she wheeled around, her gray eyes shining. Her gaze found Rangi’s. “Those spirits-cursed, ash-brained fools.”
Makani’s roc had followed her, squawking as it leaned down to inspect the remains of the campfire. It turned back with a soft keening sound that sent shivers down my arms.
“Ssh, ssh. It’s okay, Ahe,” Makani murmured as she stroked the roc’s feathers. Her motion was gentle, but her expression was fierce.
“What’s wrong?” Kassim asked.
“Someone’s eaten the roc eggs.” Her voice was tight as she opened her curled fist to reveal a cracked piece of yellow eggshell.
Rangi cursed.
I looked at Makani’s furious mount, his sharp beak wide open. “Do you think that’s why the rocs at the beach attacked us?”
“But we didn’t do anything,” Kassim said quickly. “We didn’t go near any eggs, much less eat them.”
Aliyah stepped forward to have a closer look and let out a low whistle. “That’s one big egg. Could feed a family for days. I reckon it’d fetch a pretty dinar on the black market.”
Makani glared at her.
“I take it that’s not done in Hidu?” I ventured.
“Rocs are sacred animals. We do not hunt them. We hunt with them.” The princess’s eyes glazed. “Those who choose to bond with us live alongside us. Those who don’t are allowed to live freely in the wild. They don’t harm us, and we don’t harm them…or their young. It’s a sacred tradition among our people. No one from Hidu would do this.”
Palace of Wishes (2020 Reissue) Page 18
