Page 9 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
Zahra froze, staring at a form that sat in the moonlight on a stone bench. He rubbed his head, gawking at the eagle circling above. Zahra’s sandal sat at his feet, the obvious culprit to his woes.
The eagle soared toward Zahra, and she stumbled backward as the man turned toward her, jumping to his feet. Golden jewelry hung from his neck and arms, a golden crown sat on his head, and his tight curls hid his eyes. “Who are you? How have you found this place?”
Zahra shook her head. “It was an accident. Please?—”
The man ran forward. Zahra stumbled backward, desperate to escape, but she was not fast enough. He grabbed her wrists, splashing water out of the stream as he forced her against the bushes.
“I demand an answer. Who are—” His voice caught in his throat as his eyes went wide.
His expression caught Zahra off guard. His eyes were dark as night, and the illusion of stars sat within them as he studied her face.
“It is you again,” he whispered, his breath warm against her forehead.
She sucked in a breath. He was right, for as much as he recognized her, she knew him. From her dream—or another life—she recalled his thick lips and star-filled eyes.
The man released her left hand and wiped the blood that sprouted from her bottom lip. With gentle movements, he pushed Zahra’s hair out of her face. He was closer now, leaning against her legs so as to secure her further, but he was not hurting her. His eyes drifted from her hair to her face, and his lips parted. “Who are you?”
The shouts of themedjaysounded from nearby, and the man’s forehead creased. Zahra broke out of her stupor, and she put her hands on his arms and brought her knee up as high and hard as she could. The man cried out, releasing her and crumpling to the ground as he held his groin. Zahra ran for the exit, leaving her sandal behind.
“Guards,” he groaned, trying to stand. “Stop her!”
Zahra bolted out of the bushes, and themedjayshouted and pointed at her. “There!”
Zahra ran toward the river in the distance.
Themedjayran after her. “Stop,sobki!”
A group of partygoers gasped as amedjayseized her arm. Zahra spun around, shoving her elbow hard into themedjay’schest. He grunted, releasing his hold on her.
The commander from earlier pushed themedjayaside. Zahra peered over her shoulder as he raised hiskhopesh. She turned her body, trying to move to the side. A scream tore out of her chest.
The man from the hidden garden stumbled into the moonlight, raising his hand. “No!”
The commander brought his blade down on Zahra, slicing her from her shoulder to her abdomen. Pain flooded her senses, and she fell to the sand with a cry. She hugged her torso, and the oozing blood leaked onto her hands. She could barely breathe, and darkness ate away at the edges of her vision. The moon was above her, its red color smearing and dripping as tears rolled down her face.
“You fool!” A pair of hands lifted her face from the sand. It was the man from the hidden garden. His face was filled with helpless horror. “Get a physician,” he ordered themedjayaround him. “Now!”
Zahra wheezed, gasping for air as she grabbed his arm with her bloody hand. There was no use. She would die, as her dream had warned her.
A sob escaped Zahra’s throat, and the man brushed her curls from her sweat-covered face. A powerful certainty overcame his features. “You will live. You will wake, and all will be well.”
Zahra shook her head as the obelisk chimed. The sound vibrated the earth beneath Zahra.One. Two.
“The day of the Pa-sekhemty Feast will come again,” he insisted.
Zahra’s heaving chest slowed, her vision blurring.Three. Four.
The man’s voice surrounded her as she focused on the moon. “And youwillwake.”
The obelisk chimed a sixth time, and the world was consumed by light. With each moment, the pain lessened until she could see once more. Thepr-aawas gone, and above her was the ceiling of her room.
With a sudden burst of energy, Zahra turned her body and fell out of the hammock with a cry. The contact with the cold floor sent an ache vibrating through her limbs.
Zahra stumbled to her feet, breathing hard as she grabbed her shoulder and arms. Her night clothes were soaked with sweat, but there was no trace of a wound.
Zahra gasped in disbelief. She shook Jala’s hammock above hers. “Jala. Jala, what day is it?”
“Zahra?” Jala shoved Zahra’s arm away from her. “Why are you awake? The sun has only just risen.”
