Page 2 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
“My master has required me to work well into the evening. After that, I will be joining my sister in celebration. Besides…” Her eyes became distant, and her hands gripped the basket tighter. She shook her head and grinned at Zahra. “I will see you tomorrow, yes?”
Zahra smiled softly. “Of course. Enjoy your celebrations, Aaliyah.”
Aaliyah nodded. “You as well, Zahra.”
Zahra clutched the handles of her basket as Aaliyah departed. Her eyes lingered on Aaliyah’s left ear, which shone with a dark bronze. Zahra’s fingers brushed the thick bronze hoop that hung on her own ear.
She sympathized with Aaliyah’s plight. It was a pity that Aaliyah was indebted to her master. She was eighteen, only a year younger than Zahra, and the perfect age to be seeking out marriage prospects. Unlike Zahra, she was a beautiful Auran with a fair chance of catching the King’s eye.
A pair of hands shoved Zahra hard from behind as a young boy leaped in her path and tugged on her basket. She fell face-first into the black dirt, holding tight to the basket. She gritted her teeth.The Ur brothers.
The boy grunted as he pulled. “Let go!”
Another young boy jumped over her head, landing beside his brother. He pulled out a brown bag from the basket, which clinked with the sound ofdeben.
“Hey!” Zahra let go of the basket of fruit as the young boys took off with the bag. Her sandals struggled to find bearing in the dirt road as she chased after the boys.
The brothers laughed as they ran through the crowd. The elder brother—Beb—led his younger brother down a path between the stalls.
Zahra rushed past a merchant’s stall, knocking over some of his totems. The merchant shouted a string of curses before Zahra could apologize. She picked up her pace. Merchants and shoppers moved out of the way, wide-eyed as she and the boys passed.
Madu, the younger brother, knocked over a crate of plums and sent a dog running free from its leash. Zahra leaped over thescattered plums and avoided the rampant animal with one swift movement.
Beb glanced back at Zahra as she lunged forward. She hooked her nails into the bag, tugging the boy to a halt. Beb pulled back. Though he was young, he was already Zahra’s height, and she struggled to pull the bag free from his grasp.
“Let. Go,” Zahra seethed.
Beb shook his head. The bag shuddered from the tension, and with a loud rip, its contents fell to the ground. A small bag with the leftoverdebentumbled out, along with a pile of shimmering blue fabric.
Beb dove for thedeben, surprised when Zahra reached for the fabric instead. She hugged it to her chest and ran.
Zahra’s heart thundered in her ears as she found sanctuary in the shadow of a small building at the end of the road. She pulled the dress away from her bosom, inspecting every seam and stitch. The dress had suffered no damage from the thieving boys. Zahra’s body relaxed, and she folded the dress.
The basket and fruit were gone when Zahra returned. She asked the merchants at nearby stalls, but none had seen who had taken it, only that she caused a ruckus and scared away their customers.
A scoff sounded from behind Zahra. She turned to see a pair of women judging her from a nearby stall. “The fruit is gone,sobki. Leave our marketplace before you make another mess.”
Zahra turned away and hugged the dress to her chest. Hot bile rose in her throat. She would have to return empty-handed. All of thatdeben…
Zahra shook her head and pushed away the thought. She sucked in a breath, pushing toward Fukayna’s estate.
The merchant she had passed on her chase scoffed from behind her. “Foolishsobki.”
Crocodile, he meant.
“Savage,” another Auran remarked.
“Bottom feeder.”
Immigrant.
Zahra was accustomed to the names. She lacked the dark skin of the Aurans, and her curly hair, though black, lacked the Aurans’ signature coarseness. She took the name-calling in stride, focusing only on her destination.
The busy chatter of the marketplace faded as Zahra ventured away from the city center. The air from the east carried sour smells of fish with a hint of sweet jasmine. Zahra climbed the familiar path to Fukayna’s residence. The estate sat high on a hill, its glamorous white surface distinct against the bright blue sky. A sculpture of the sunnetjerRe sat by the front door, no doubt the work of Fukayna’s husband.
Zahra knocked on the door, dusting off her white shawl and dress for the third time. Dirt clung to the fabric with stubbornness, and she gave up on her efforts with a sigh.
Faisal opened the door, his white clothes clean and his tight curls cut short. His eyes lingered on the state of her dress, but still he stepped aside with a graceful bow. “Come in, Zahra. We have been expecting you.”
