Page 114 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
His comrade leaped forward, his red eyes filled with anger.
Zahra jumped to the side, slicing at his leg. He stumbled forward with a cry.
The other assassin abandoned his task, swinging his axe at her.
Zahra trusted her instincts, stepping back. She gritted her teeth. Her training with Ramses had paid off.
Three more assassins appeared to Zahra’s right. The two Namir had injured were missing.
Pesha stepped between Zahra and the other two, still wearing amedjay’sclothes. “What are you doing?”
Zahra stepped back, breathing heavily as her bloody dagger hung at her side.
“She hurt Alexios,” one of the assassins cried.
Pesha put her hand on hermakhaira. “Let me handle her.”
The other assassin motioned toward Zahra. “She is helping the King.”
Pesha’s gaze focused on Zahra’s bloody hands and then landed on her face. She gritted her teeth, speaking in Auran, “You were the girl with him earlier. Where is he?”
“You won’t find him,” Zahra said in Ionic. She stepped back, twisting the dagger in her hand.
Red flickered in Pesha’s eyes, and her hand twitched. “Where is he?!”
Red flashed in the eyes of the other assassins, who lifted their weapons. Zahra was outnumbered. She grinned and ran.
Pesha’s eyes narrowed, and she pulled out hermakhaira. “Get her.”
Zahra ran through the night. She turned and skidded down the small walkways between the stone walls, stumbling as the assassins chased after her.
The assassins quickly gained speed, and Zahra gritted her teeth as she jumped over a large rock. Her feet landed hard on the ground, and her ankle rolled as she stumbled forward. She grunted, biting down hard as she turned around.
Zahra lifted her dagger as two of the assassins came upon her. She used her small size to her advantage, dodging their strikes. Her hand moved on its own, slashing at their arms and faces as they tried to hit her. They stepped to the side, and her attacks didn’t hit them.
Zahra ran to the side, limping for a few steps. One of the assassins leaped after her and swung his axe. Zahra let out a cry as she fell backward.
Katerina came from above, grabbing the assassin’s head with her talons. He screamed as he was pulled back, his axe swiping the air inches from Zahra’s face.
Zahra rolled back onto her feet, stumbling forward as two of the assassins tried to get Katerina to let go.
The obelisk chimed in the distance.
Zahra looked back. Two of the assassins were still chasing her, and Pesha was right behind her.
Zahra dropped her dagger as the obelisk continued to chime.
Pesha grabbed Zahra’s arm, forcing her against a wall. She thrust hermakhairainto Zahra’s chest.
Zahra gasped, and Pesha blinked hard as the red faded from her eyes. Zahra let out a raspy laugh, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.
Pesha dropped her, turning back toward the buildings as light consumed the world. “No!”
Zahra opened her heavy eyelids. Her limbs felt like dead weights, and her head burned. She took in shuddering breaths as she leaned over the side of her hammock. She fell out of it, landing hard on her knees and arms.
Pain hummed up her limbs, and Zahra gritted her teeth. She had to get to Namir. She forced her eyes to stay open as she tried to stand. She rammed into the wall several times before stumbling toward the door.
The voices of her roommates came from behind her.
