Gifting Fire by Alina Boyden (read my book .TXT) 📕

have Sultana saddled, then, your majesty?” I asked him, bowing my head politely. I didn’t want to go, because that would ruin my plans, but not offering seemed foolish, especially when I knew there wasn’t a chance that he would actually bring me along. He didn’t trust me, and he would know of my connection to Haider. That would be enough to see me left here to command the attack on Kadiro I had arranged.

“No, you’re staying here,” Karim said without a moment’s hesitation, which meant that they must have discussed this eventuality and settled on their answer already.

I pretended to be confused all the same. “But, your highness, if Safavia is attacking, you’ll need more than a dozen zahhaks to defend Ahura. I have five thunder zahhaks, plus Lakshmi’s acid zahhak, at my command. That is no small force.”

“And if you could be trusted to use it in our defense, you would be coming, girl,” said Ahmed, “but you cannot.”

I stared at Karim through the thin fabric of my dupatta. “You don’t think you can trust me, even now, after all of this? Why? Because of a pair of shoes?”

“It has nothing to do with the shoes, Razia,” Karim said, putting his hands on my shoulders gently. “But if Safavia is attacking us, who would likely be leading that attack?”

I frowned, as if suddenly coming to the same realization they already had. “Haider . . .”

“We know of your affection for him, and his for you, girl,” Ahmed declared. “So, you will remain here, where you cannot add your numbers to his.”

“I have not seen Haider in seven years,” I protested.

“All the same, you will remain here,” Karim told me. “My father and I have already discussed this. And it will give you a chance to prove your loyalty to this alliance. We know Sikander and his men will fight for Nizam’s interests, so we will leave Kadiro in your hands, just in case the Safavians choose to attack here as well.”

“You’re leaving me in charge of Kadiro?” I asked, surprised by that, and certain that I’d misheard him.

“We’re leaving you here under my wife’s guardianship,” Ahmed corrected, and I felt my stomach twist. I hadn’t been expecting that. “If necessary, you will use your zahhaks to defend Kadiro.”

“Do you really expect me to permit this girl to ride zahhaks while you are away in Ahura, my husband?” Asma demanded.

“If it is necessary for the defense of the city, yes,” said Ahmed, and he held up a hand to forestall his wife’s indignant protests. “But we will ensure that she does not get any ideas into her head.” He looked at me, and the malicious smile creasing his lips made my blood run cold. “As you have said, we need more zahhaks, and I must leave two here to serve as messengers at my wife’s request, but your sister Lakshmi flies an acid zahhak. We will take her with us to help in Ahura’s defense and to make up for the messengers left behind.”

I felt like someone had suddenly pulled the earth out from under my feet. Lakshmi in Ahura? No, I couldn’t let that happen. If they took her, and got word that I’d rebelled in Kadiro, they would butcher her! And I couldn’t call off the attacks. The messages had already been sent, the men were already on the way, and with Asma in charge here in the palace, I’d never be able to get new messages out to call off the assault. It was going forward tonight whether I liked it or not.

“She is a child!” I exclaimed, turning to Karim, my desperation plain in my eyes. “Your highness, she’s so young. Please, she’s all I have!” I clung to his arm, and for once none of it was a carefully calculated act.

“Which is why she will ensure your cooperation,” said Ahmed, and the bastard looked like he was enjoying himself.

My mind was spinning frantically to come up with a solution to this. God, if they took Lakshmi, then she was as good as dead. And even if I found some way to get her back before Ahmed found out about the attack, or if I found some way to call off the attack, then I’d still have to worry about Karim being alone with her, at night, in a faraway fortress. What might he do to her? I’d seen the way he looked at her. I couldn’t forget that I’d been the same age when he had raped me. And there would be nobody there to protect her, no one at all. They would laugh and let it happen; I was sure of it.

“No.” I shook my head. “You are not taking her.”

“You think you have the authority to give me orders here?” Ahmed asked, and it was impossible to miss the hard edge to his voice, the tone that warned of more punishments to come.

I was shocked when Sikander stepped forward and said, “Princess Lakshmi is her highness’s younger sister, and thus is a princess of Nizam.”

“And you think your sultan would agree with that logic?” Ahmed scoffed. “No, he barely views that creature”—he gestured to me—“as a relation. I am certain that he would not shed a tear over the fate of some hijra child.”

I looked to Karim. “Say something. Please.”

“I’ll keep her safe, Razia,” he said, and I felt fresh hatred welling up within me. He was going to let his father use Lakshmi as a hostage?

“You can’t promise that,” I retorted. “If there’s a battle, anything can happen in the air. You know it as well as I do.”

“There’s not going to be a battle,” he assured me, his hands rubbing my arms gently to try to calm me down. “It’s just a show of force. Once Safavia sees the numbers we can bring to the fight, they will back down. Ahura isn’t worth it.”

I wondered how many zahhaks that was, but I knew better than to ask, and anyway, it did nothing to