But as I pressed it to my would-be attacker’s throat, I let out a rough exhale.
“Damn it, Tal.” I sheathed my blade.
Talal grinned from ear to ear as I put away my knife, looking me up and down. He hadn’t changed since I’d last seen him—his black hair falling in thick waves over his bronze-colored eyes that were lit with an amused light, his casual gray tunic hiding the fighter’s physique he’d kept since our days fighting giants and Salt soldiers in the pit.
It had grown quiet around us, with many peris from the market dispersing as soon as I had pulled my weapon, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire between a Salt soldier and a rebel.
As a result, we were now alone in a darkened lane behind the bazaar stalls.
“What are you doing here, Talal?”
Tal tilted his head, an amused expression on his face. But I knew him better. Behind his jokes and smiles, he’d gut me in a dark alley without hesitation if he needed to.
Even if he was my best friend.
“As far as I know, I should be able to come and go as I please. The Court of Salt hasn’t issued an edict limiting our movements yet.”
“There’s still time,” I muttered, knowing that Reza wasn’t above anything.
“What are you looking at?” He leaned over, trying to catch sight of the two females I’d been watching. He frowned. “Who is the human with the pieces of cracked glass on her face?”
“I don’t know,” I said, trying not to look over at her. It wasn’t quite a lie, Ididn’tknow who she was, not really. I didn’t know why I didn’t want to volunteer information about her, but something inside me recoiled at the thought of him targeting her.
The girls stopped at another stall, this time a butcher’s shop, choosing cuts of meat for the palace kitchens.
Thank the Riverthatmarket stall didn’t have shriveled pixie heads hanging outside it. I didn’t think I could stomach a pixie-head stew, which was saying something given the meals the Salt Court had introduced to our kitchens. If I had to eat one more dinner of salted river crocodile, I might go back to growing my meals by magic in the gardens at night.
“The human is working at the palace now,” I finally said I didn’t tell him about Queen Azari’s haath phool I’d seen gracing her wrist. “She might be from another court, but I don’t know who sent her.”
“A spy?”
“That seems the most likely explanation.”
Talal snorted. “About time the other Courts got their heads out of their arses and came to see what’s going on here. I’m surprised the Court of Vultures hasn’t directly attacked Salt for breaching the accords.”
“They’re too busy dealing with the Cold Desert to give a damn about us.” I rubbed my chin, thinking of the amount of times I’d asked the other courts for help, only to be met with silence. “I wrote to my cousin once, but he never answered me.”
I smiled grimly, remembering when I’d so naively thought the other courts would come to our aid when Salt had invaded. But even my own family members in the Court of Vultures hadn’t answered me.
“They should give a damn, Salt will come for them next.”
“If Salt still has the power of King Rusul’s crown, the other courts won’t raise a hand against them.” I shrugged. “At least not until they’re provoked.”
Tal grinned, but his smile was dark and haunted, as if he, too, was reminded of things he’d hoped for. “It’ll only be a matter of time before Salt does the provoking, then.”
He nodded toward the human. “Well I can confirmsheisn’t working with the rebels.”
“I understoodthatmuch, Tal,” I said drily.
“And you’re here to what? Skulk about the bazaar by the fish stalls and stare at human girls shopping for dinner?” He sniffed, making a face at the strong smell of miniature river dragons encased in the glass beside us, the green-gold nihangs watching us with their luminous eyes. “You’ll certainly attract the human with that smell.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, my mouth pulling into a scowl. “I’m not trying to attractanyone.”
“That’s clear. What are you doing here, then?”
I gave an exaggerated sigh.
I didn’t want to get Talal involved, but he might actually prove useful for this problem. He knew everyone in River and had a much better way to get information than I did—because the rest of the River Court actually liked him.
