As they rounded the final dune, a walled fortress of tan stone and grey mortar rose from the sands, its vaulted turrets capped in spirals of copper tinged by the turquoise patina of age.
“The emir’s son approaches!” a sentry cried out as Rahim and Tariq neared the back gates, which swung open with barely a moment to spare. Servants and laborers scrambled out of their path as Rahim barreled past the still-screeching iron with Tariq on his heels. A basket of persimmons crashed to the ground, its contents rolling across the expanse before a grousing old man bent forward, struggling to collect the wayward orange fruit.
Oblivious to the chaos they had wrought, the two young noblemen reined in their horses near the center of the sprawling courtyard.
“How does it feel—being bested by a fool?” Rahim taunted, his dark blue eyes bright.
One side of Tariq’s mouth rose with amusement before he swung down from the saddle and knocked back the hood of his rida’. He ran a hand through his unruly tangle of wavy hair. Grains of sand fell into his face, and he blinked hard to fend off their attack.
The sound of Rahim’s choked laughter rang out from behind him.
Tariq opened his eyes.
The servant girl standing before Tariq looked away in haste, her cheeks blooming with color. The tray she held with two silver tumblers of water began to shake.
“Thank you.” Tariq smiled as he reached for one.
Her blush deepened, and the rattling grew worse.
Rahim lumbered closer. He took his own tumbler and nodded to the girl before she twisted around and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
Tariq shoved him. Hard. “You oaf.”
“I believe that poor girl is half in love with you. After another wretched display of horsemanship, you should be extra grateful to the hand of fate that dealt you those looks.”
Tariq ignored him and swiveled to take in the sights of the courtyard. To his right, he noticed the elderly servant stooping above a gaggle of persimmons scattered across the granite at his feet. Tariq glided forward and bent on one knee to help the old man place the fruit in a basket.
“Thank you, sahib.” The man bowed his head and touched the fingertips of his right hand to his forehead in a gesture of respect.
Tariq’s eyes softened, their colors flickering in the shade. Their bright silver centers blended into rings of darkest ash, with black lashes that fanned against the soft skin of his eyelids. His brow had an air of severity that faded with the ready appearance of his smile. A day-old beard shadowed the square line of his jaw, further accentuating its finely wrought symmetry.
Tariq nodded at the elderly man and returned the customary gesture.
Above them, Zoraya’s cry resounded from the sky, demanding immediate attention. Tariq shook his head in mock irritation and whistled for her. She swooped down with a wild shriek that cleared another portion of the courtyard. Again, she landed on Tariq’s outstretched mankalah and preened as he carried her to her mews to feed her.
“Do you not find the bird a bit . . . spoiled?” Rahim studied the falcon as she guzzled an entire strip of dried meat without pausing for breath.
“She’s the best hunter in the kingdom.”
“Nevertheless, I’m convinced that accursed bird could get away with murder. Is that your intent?”
Before Tariq could retort, one of his father’s closest advisors appeared in the nearby archway to the vestibule.
“Sahib? The emir requests your presence.”
Tariq’s eyebrows drew together. “Is something wrong?”
“A messenger arrived from Rey not long ago.”
“Is that all?” Rahim harrumphed. “A letter from Shazi? Hardly worthy of a formal audience.”
Tariq continued studying the advisor, taking in the deep lines marring his forehead and the tight weave of his interlaced fingers. “What happened?”
The advisor hedged. “Please, sahib. Come with me.”
Rahim followed Tariq and the advisor into the columned marble vestibule and past the open-air gallery, with its tiled fountain of mosaic glass. Sparkling water fell in a steady stream from the mouth of a lion constructed of gilt bronze.
They entered the main hall to find Nasir al-Ziyad, emir of the fourth-richest stronghold in Khorasan, sitting with his wife at a low table. Their dinner lay before them, untouched.
It was obvious Tariq’s mother had been crying.
He stopped short at the sight. “Father?”
The emir exhaled and raised his troubled eyes to meet his son.
“Tariq, we received a letter from Rey this afternoon. From Shahrzad.”
“Give it to me.” The request was soft. Sharp.
“It was addressed to me. There is a portion of it that was meant for you, but the—”
Tariq’s mother burst into tears. “How could this happen?”
“What happened?” Tariq demanded, his voice rising. “Give me the letter.”
“It’s too late. There’s nothing you can do,” the emir sighed.
“First Shiva. Then, lost in her grief, my sister took her own—” She shuddered. “And now Shahrzad? How could this happen? Why?” Tariq’s mother wept.
Tariq froze.
“You know why,” the emir rasped in a low tone. “It’s because of Shiva that she did this. For Shiva. For all of us.”
At that, Tariq’s mother rose from the table and fled, her sobs growing louder with every footstep.
“Oh, God. Shazi. What did you do?” Rahim whispered.