Page 165 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
Zahra’s brow furrowed. If Selene was gone, then why did Zahra still have her mark?
A voice penetrated the wind and sand. “Zahra!”
Zahra sat up straight, looking through the darkness and sandstorm. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a form. It couldn’t be….
Zahra shot to her feet, crying out as the cracks spread up her neck and torso. She took a labored step forward, clutching her hands to her chest. “Namir!”
Namir lowered his hands from his face, and his black eyes met hers through the wind and sand.
Zahra cried out, stumbling forward and reaching for him. Namir gritted his teeth, holding one hand to his eyes and the other toward her. Their chests glowed brighter as they grew closer to each other. Finally, their hands connected, and Namir pulled Zahra into his arms.
Zahra fell into him, sobbing. She could feel the cracks creeping up her cheeks and toward her sockets. The rest of her body was numb with pain. Her hands were crumbling into sand before her eyes.
Namir placed his hands on her cheeks, smiling softly. Cracks spread up his skin at a rapid pace. There was no fear in his eyes.
“No,” Zahra cried. “If anyone can save them, it’s you. I can’t fight this. I?—”
Namir kissed her forehead, resting his head against hers as the cracks spread up his neck. “Then I will fight it with you,ib ib.”
Zahra’s lip trembled as Namir wrapped his arms around her. She shut her eyes and buried her head in his chest, screaming as the cracks spread up her face and reached her heart.
A vision overtook her mind. Within it, she saw Aur—beautiful, bright, and whole. The sun burned bright in the sky. Namir stood above the kingdom on a balcony, gray in his hair and with the brightest and proudest smile. He turned around, his gaze settling right on her. He held his hand out, grinning. “Ib ib.”
A woman stepped forward, her graying curls covered by a blue-and-gold scarf. Her wrinkled hand took his, and her amber eyes crinkled as she smiled and laughed. “O méli.”
Namir held Zahra close to him as the vision faded. A silver-and-gold light surrounded them. Namir’s and Zahra’s cracks glowed and faded.
Zahra took in a deep breath. She was back in Heba’s home, and Namir was beside her. He was leaning on the cot she rested on, his sweaty hair stuck to his forehead.
He let out a relieved gasp and placed his hand on her cheek. “My Queen.”
Zahra laughed, reaching for his face. “My King.”
They pulled each other in for a kiss, and Heba and the others cheered around them.
39
The Pharaohs’ Plight
Namir helped prop Zahra up as Heba brought her some water. Zahra drank gratefully. She was still weak, but she felt a strength she had not possessed in some time. A few rushlights lit up the space, and Zahra was glad for their light.
Zahra gritted her teeth as another wave hit her body. Namir winced beside her.
Namir met her eyes, looking away once the pain had left. “The Pharaohs’ plight—I know.”
Zahra swallowed, listening to the world outside. Though Inebu-hedj was distant, she could still hear the cries of their people. “What are we to do, Namir? Re and Selene are in Tartarus.”
Namir took her hand in his, avoiding her gaze. “I don’t know. What does the prophecy say?”
Zahra recalled the last line of the prophecy. “The children of the eclipse will decide Aur’s fate.”
Namir nodded. “Of course. It is up to us to decide what Aur becomes after this.”
“After this?” Zahra asked. “Iset will devour everything. Aur will be no more after this.”
Namir tightened his grip on her hand. “I know.”
Waaiz appeared in the doorway, blood caked on his head and his arm in a sling. He bowed his head to them. “Pharaohs, you may want to see this.”
