Red Hood's Revenge

whispered. “I was sympathetic to her pleas, of course, but Jhukha—”
    “I’m sure you had no choice,” Talia said bitterly. “Just as you had no choice but to let Zestan attack your city.” She turned, searching the garden until she spotted a white jackal standing beside a bush of oversized golden roses. Talia’s chest tightened as she studied the jackal, trying to see Faziya in those blue eyes. The animal’s oversized ears twitched as the jackal examined Talia in return.
    “You’re safe,” Danielle whispered. “Please come to us.”
    Lean and long-legged, the jackal trotted toward them.
    “She doesn’t remember you,” Rajil said.
    “She will.” Talia extended one hand toward the jackal. Toward Faziya. Slowly, Faziya stepped closer, taking a tentative sniff. Talia started to brush her fingertips over the fur, but Faziya jumped back in alarm.
    Danielle continued speaking in soft, soothing tones.
    “What about Zestan?” Talia asked, never taking her eyes from Faziya.
    “Even if everything you say is true, I can’t help you,” said Rajil, her voice trembling. “Her messages come through Jhukha. She could be anywhere in Arathea.” She brought her hands over her chest, closed her eyes, and began to pray.
    Talia recognized the prayer, a plea for redemption and rebirth. Rajil expected to die here, at Talia’s hand.
    “You think your death will earn you a place in Heaven?” Talia asked. “That you might even be reborn as one of the ‘Blessed Race’ as a reward for your faith. For that you’d sacrifice your queen, your people, even your life? All to protect a deev.”
    “What would you have me do?” Rajil demanded. “If I’m right, Zestan is the salvation of Arathea. If you’re right, if she is a deev and I betray her . . . no. Even if I knew where to find her, I couldn’t tell you.”
    Talia’s anger drained slowly. She turned to Snow. “Can you break whatever curse holds the animals here?”
    “The curse tames them, but it doesn’t trap them here,” said Snow. “They could leave any time they choose. They simply lack the desire.”
    “Good.” Talia retrieved her weapons.
    As she tucked the last of her knives back into its sheath, Rajil spoke again. “If you truly want to protect Jahrasima, surrender yourself and your friends. If you flee, The Wild Hunt will return for you. Whatever destruction they bring will be weighed upon your soul, not my own.”
    “You’ve already sold yours to the fairies.” Talia spat on the ground, then turned to Danielle. “We’ll need the animals’ help in order to escape.”
    “They’re too docile,” Danielle said. As if to demonstrate, a lioness padded out from cluster of trees, flopped onto her side, and began to purr loudly enough Talia could hear it from halfway across the garden.
    “My people know of your intrusion,” Rajil said. “Even if you kill us all, you’ll never escape this place.”
    Before Talia could respond, one of the guards stepped forward and bowed low. “I’ll escort you. My name is Naheer el-Qudas. I’ve served the raikh for six years. Few here will question me.”
    “Traitor!” Whatever else Rajil might have said was lost in a frightened squeak as Roudette’s teeth snapped the skin from the tip of her nose.
    Talia studied the man who had spoken. He was older than the others, and the white scrollwork on his breastplate marked him as a higher- ranking soldier. She searched his face as he rose. A crooked nose and broken teeth showed he had fought his share of brawls, but she saw no sign of trickery. “Why would you help us?”
    “My father’s home was destroyed by the Wild Hunt. My mother was taken to the temple this morning. She may not survive.” Naheer glanced at Rajil. “You offered to protect Jahrasima from the Hunt’s return. Are you truly who you claim? Can you do what you promised?”
    Talia inclined her head ever so slightly in return. “I am, and I will.”
    He bowed again, this time dropping to one knee. “Princess Talia, I will see you from this place myself.”
    For the first time since entering the raikh’s mansion, Talia found herself at a loss. If Naheer’s offer was genuine, and the rage on Rajil’s face suggested it was, he had to know he had just accepted death. He would be executed before the sun set, yet he appeared far calmer than Talia felt.
    Talia glanced at Danielle, but of course Danielle couldn’t understand a word being spoken. Snow merely shrugged. “Thank you,”