This book is a sequel to Khalifa and cannot be read as a standalone. To avoid spoilers, description and excerpt are added inside the book.
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Started: May 2, 2022.
Completed: December 3, 2022.
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cover by @xniftykayx
He was earthly; she was aerial. He was made of clay and iron; she was made of fire and dreaming.
— Graham Joyce
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Her
When her eyes open in the middle of the night, she finds him lying in the bed beside her. The second time she awakens is before dawn and he's not there.
Noura pushes herself up and finds a candle lit in the corner. He's standing on a prayer mat, praying. She gets out of the bed and performs the ablution before joining him.
After offering her prayers and being done with the supplication, she keeps sitting and waits for him to finish too. Unlike her, he seems to be taking his time, his own hands raised to his face as he prays for she doesn't know what. The moment gets lengthy until the dawn breaks, and when she realizes he has no intention of finishing anytime soon, she returns to the bed.
The next time when she wakes up from her sleep, it's still early morning and heavy quiet surrounds her. The curtains are drawn and don't permit any light inside. She turns to his side, her hand reaching out for him, but instead lands on the empty and cold space. She drags down the blanket from her body and sits up.
There's a note lying on his pillow and she picks it up, assuming him to have left it for her. But when she reads it she knows the spear in her heart the note has buried cannot be done by him.
I will kill you.
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Him
The dawn has only broken when he leaves the palace with his men. Zahir is on the horse behind him as the animals gallop and take them through the alleys of the city until they stop in front of a small building. He glances back at his vizier who nods his head, confirming they're at the place they need to be at. He adjust the cloth on his face before dismounting his horse.
Zahir comes forward to his side, five other men accompanying them who stay behind, four of them his soldiers and the last one a prisoner. He motions one of the guard over.
"Bring me the treasure chest."
The man does at he's told, placing the chest at his feet. He nods for him to come with them while the others stay behind.
Zahir reaches for the chest but he stops him. "I'll carry it, Zahir, and you'll play to be my master."
"As you wish it to be, my Ameer."
"Then let us be done with this."
They knock at the door. A man answers it and Zahir introduces himself as a minister of the governor, and Adam and the other guard as his servants. He requests to meet the judge of that area for an urgent matter. The man asks them to wait, disappearing inside, coming back a few minutes later and leading them into a sitting area. Zahir sits down on the cushions while Adam keeps standing beside him, putting down the chest and tying his hand in front of him respectfully. The other soldier with them stay by the door of the sitting area.
