Page 89 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
He smiled at this, though there was still hesitancy in his eyes.
Zahra turned back to her chores, and Ramses rode his horse into the trees. Zahra sighed. Though she knew the spell’s effects affected everyone but her and Namir, it still hurt to see Ramses every day but not have him recognize her as well.
Zahra finished her morning chores and took Bahiti’sdebento go to the marketplace. It was strange going through the motions again. She had avoided her duties for so long, but the change was refreshing.
Zahra spoke briefly with Aaliyah, and she smiled as the Ur brothers ran into each other instead of plowing into her. Fukayna and Eshe fought as usual, and Zahra traveled back to Bahiti’s estate with her earneddebenhidden in her bag.
She dropped the fruit and basket off at the kitchen and took the bag into her room to add thedebento her collection. She sighed, wishing she could count it all now, but Jala would be coming in soon, and she did not want to risk Bahiti’s wrath.
Zahra’s hand lingered on her necklace as she stood. The tiredness in her body weighed her down. She longed to return to her bed, even if only for a few minutes, but there was work to be done, and Bahiti wouldn’t like it if she caught Zahra napping.
A cry came from the servant’s area, and Zahra threw open the door, stunned to see Jala on the floor with Femi’s dress and Zahra’s letter sitting nearby. Bahiti stood over her, her hand outstretched as if to hit Jala again.
“Mistress, please,” Jala cried. “I did not steal anything!”
“You were snooping in my things,” Bahiti spat. She picked up the letter, covering its honey seal with her hand. “What else have you stolen? Jewelry? Mydeben?”
Zahra closed the door to her room behind her, bewildered at the sight. This had never happened before—not on the day of the Feast. Zahra had always been the one Bahiti had punished. But Zahra had not been here on the days that she did not lose thedebento the Ur brothers. She had to do something, but what? Her feet were stuck, and her arms trembled by her side as Jala cowered on the floor.
Jala stammered. “I—I don’t know how it got in there. I swear, Mistress.”
Bahiti smacked Jala across the face. “Enough of your lies. I would call themedjayon you if it would not ruin my reputation. I will be adding the cost of your deceit and trickery to your debt.”
“No.” A sob worked its way out of Jala’s throat. “Please, Mistress, no.”
Zahra’s fists clenched at her side, and she stepped forward. “She was only trying to give me what was rightfully mine.”
Bahiti’s head shot up as if she had just noticed Zahra standing there. Her eyebrows raised in amusement. “What is rightfully yours?”
“The letter,” Zahra started. “It’s an invitation to the Feast, and it’s mine.”
Bahiti smirked. “And how do you know it is not anyone else’s? There is more than one maiden in this house,sobki.”
“Because everyone else has already gotten theirs. That letter is mine.” She stretched out her hand. “And I would like it returned to me.”
Bahiti stared at her a moment before she laughed. “Why would the King invite asobki?”
Zahra clenched her jaw. “You know he did. That’s why you hid it.”
“That is preposterous.” Bahiti pursed her lips. “None of my servants are allowed to go. Why do you think you are the exception?”
Zahra opened her mouth to respond, but she was stunned by Bahiti’s words. “What?”
Bahiti nudged Jala’s leg with her foot. “What was it I told you when you received yours?”
Jala brought her hand down from her bruised lip, stuttering a response. “Th-That it was a mistake. Indentured servants are not allowed to go to the feast.”
“There it is.” Bahiti smirked at Zahra. “There was a mistake. Only those of higher birth are allowed at the Feast.”
“But that’s not true.” She looked around at the other servants. They avoided her eyes, their gazes downcast. They all knew it was not true, so why did they not speak up?
Because they were afraid. Bahiti had threatened them, and they wouldn’t risk her wrath, just as Zahra had so many times over.
But not anymore.
Zahra clenched her jaw. “You can’t do this.”
“I have done nothing wrong,” Bahiti claimed, stepping away from Jala. “And you will stop your accusations at once.”
