With a wail, she stopped struggling. She focused on the stable window, where a dim red glow flickered in the distance. She could hear men shouting, and the panicked cries of cattle.
“Omari,” Rae whispered.
“I’m so sorry, Ay,” he replied. “The brewer’s daughter recognized you, and she must have told the nomarch’s men what happened. They came right away with torches. I got into the housebefore they did, though, and I managed to salvage these.” From his pack, he produced her robes, with the winged golden armor and stone scepter they’d stolen during the raid wrapped inside. The golden ring the Jackal had given her was in there too, and she put it on her finger to ensure it wouldn’t get lost.
“Omari,” she said again, holding the armor and scepter in her hands.
“They’re looking for you,” he continued. “But it won’t be long before they start looking for me too. Everyone knows we’re friends. I already evacuated my family—they’re going to stay with some relatives in Per-Abu until the danger passes.Ifit passes…”
He began to pace, disturbing the sheep. “What are we going to do, Rae? What are we—”
“Omari!”
The harshness of her voice quieted him. He stilled.
“Where…?” she began, hardly able to get out the words. “Where is my father?”
Omari sighed, and it was like someone stole the sun from the sky. Rae’s entire world went black.
A sob rose from her throat as she recalled the last time she saw her father, his kind, sun-weathered face aglow in the dying sunlight.
What was it that he’d said to her?
“Please, come inside. It’s getting dark.”
If only she’d listened.
She’d promised to keep him safe. She’d promised nothing bad would happen to him. And now, and now—
She couldn’t breathe. She swayed and was about to fall to her knees when Omari caught her and said, “He’s alive, Rae. He’s alive. But… they’ve taken him.”
Rae gripped Omari’s arms, holding on to him and his wordsfor support.
“Taken him where?”
Omari licked his lips. “The nomarch’s men handed him over to the Medjay. Their reinforcements arrived from Thonis only hours ago, and they’re planning to return to the capital with Ankhu and some other Low Khetaran prisoners. We should count ourselves lucky to not be among them.”
Rae released her hold on him and leaned heavily against the wall. This news—it was better, and yet worse.
“Why would they take them to Thonis?” she asked.
Omari shrugged. “Not sure. But we know Prince Meryamun plans to crack down on insurgent factions in the south, so he’ll probably try to pump the captives for information… or make a public example of them.”
Rae dropped her head into her hands.Execution.
Her father was still alive, but he probably wouldn’t be for long.
“We can avenge him, Rae,” Omari went on. “We can avenge them all. We have the weapons we took from the Medjay. If we arm ourselves and fight back, we can take the city by storm.”
“And lose how many more in the process?” Rae asked. “That’s exactly what the Medjay are expecting. That’s exactly what they want. What makes you think they won’t destroy Sakesh, just as they’ve done with my farm?” She shook her head. “We can’t endanger everyone in the city with this crusade, not until they’ve agreed to be part of it.”
“How could they not agree?” Omari fumed, gesturing toward the fire in the distance. “How could they not see that this fight concerns us all?”
“Not every mind works as yours does. We cannot speak for every man, woman, and child. If we do, then are we any different from the High Khetarans?”
Omari huffed in frustration. “Then what do you propose, Ay? We do nothing?”
“No!” Rae shot back, her own temper rising. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. Aren’t you the one always telling me to think before I act? I let my anger overtake me tonight, and look what happened! Do you really want to repeat that on a grand scale all over the city? I can’t be responsible for the deaths of any more innocent people.”
