Page 132 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
Zahra kissed Namir’s temple. “I am sorry.” She slid his head off her lap. He stirred but did not wake.
Waaiz grabbed her arm as soon as she was within reach. Ramses was down the hall, his hands bound with rope and hismouth gagged. Zahra met his gaze with sorry eyes as Waaiz pulled her to a set of stairs.
“I have done nothing wrong,” she said as he led her into a different part of thepr-aa.
His eyes glowed red as he glared at her. “We shall see about that.”
30
What the Keres Cannot Touch
Zahra was led out of the main part of thepr-aato a building connected to it by a long hall, one bearing tall towers and paintings for Aur’s military. They climbed the stairs of one of the towers, and he shoved Zahra into a room with a window, locking the door behind them.
“I am not afraid of you,” Zahra said, standing tall as he approached.
Waaiz chuckled. “Is that so?” He dug his blade into a crack in the stone floor, watching her with careful eyes. “Show me your weapons, assassin. Let us get straight to the point.”
Zahra’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“Your weapons.” His grip tightened on hiskhopesh. “The ones you were going to use to kill the King.”
“I’m no assassin,” Zahra stated. “I would never hurt Namir.”
Waaiz frowned. “Where are your comrades?”
Zahra tilted her head, looking into his eyes. His irises sparkled with red, but it was not violence or anger that controlled his actions, but logic. Within his gaze was a selfless worry for Namir’s safety.
Waaiz was not behind the assassins.
The door burst open, a sleepy Namir standing in the doorway, wielding Ramses’skhopesh. He darted forward, forcing his way between Waaiz and Zahra and pushing Waaiz toward the wall with the window. “Stay away from her, or I will kill you myself.”
Waaiz held his hands up, his blade on the ground some distance from him. “Menes, what is the meaning of this?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Namir growled. “I know what you have done, uncle. You are a traitor to my family and to this kingdom!”
Zahra’s chest tightened. She tried to speak, but a vision battled for her attention. She put her hand to her head. “Namir… I don’t think?—”
Waaiz studied Namir’s face. “Menes, I think you are confused.”
“Liar!” Namir gritted his teeth. “Why? Why would you seek to destroy me?”
“I would never do such a thing!” Waaiz’s hands trembled, and sadness filled his face. Anger took over as he turned toward Zahra. “She has filled your head with these lies, hasn’t she?”
“Namir, it isn’t him,” Zahra insisted.
Namir shook his head. “You were right. He’s behind the assassins.”
“How can you say these things of me?” Waaiz cried. “My son was your greatest friend. How could you think I would tarnish his legacy in such a way? I would never let his sacrifice for you be in vain. All I have done was to protect you.”
Zahra nodded to Namir. “He is telling the truth.”
Guilt crept into Namir’s face, and he lowered his sword.
Zahra let the vision come to the forefront of her mind. She saw an assassin in the tower opposite theirs. Pesha’s cold and calculating eyes were watching them, and she launched an arrow straight toward Namir’s heart.
Zahra blinked the vision from her eyes, pushing Namir to the floor. “Look out!”
The arrow shot over their heads, slicing Zahra’s shoulder. She let out a cry of pain.
