Page 28 of A Filling of Fables and Firelight

Aida laughed. “While I can’t say that I blame him, if that’s truly the case, I think⁠—”

“HEY! THIEF!”

The cry came from somewhere ahead, and Rana caught sight of a small figure barreling through the crowd, dodging hands that reached out to try to grab him, leaping over obstacles and dodging under outstretched arms with an agility that would have been impressive if not for the accusations of criminal activity. Rana glimpsed the flash of something silver in his hands, though his sleeve was pulled down far enough that it was impossible to make out what it was. The crowd, in their efforts to apprehend the thief, ended up effectively blocking the guards who were chasing him. They added their shouts to the noise, urging confused citizens to move aside so they could get through.

Rana grabbed Jasper’s arm. “Send Spot.”

He hesitated. “But what if⁠—”

The thief, sidestepping a swiping hand, stumbled over his own feet and slammed into Kamaran’s side. They both tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, but the thief was up and darting away before anyone had processed what had happened.

“Kamaran!” Rana rushed forward but was stopped as the guards quickly formed a protective circle around their Sultan, and she was forced to watch from a distance.

Zamar knelt beside him. “Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Kamaran said something that was too soft to hear, but that elicited a laugh from his vizier, and her shoulders lost a bit of their tension. He started to push himself up to a seated position, then let out a gasp of pain and clutched a hand to his side.

Rana watched in horror as a stain of dark red started spreading through the Sultan’s robes. She turned wide eyes to Jasper, whose face had gone just as pale as her own felt. He hardened his jaw and turned to his tiger.

“Spot, hunt.”

Chapter Fifteen

KAMARAN

“We’re so sorry to hear about what happened, Your Majesty. Please let me know if you need anything while you’re recovering.” Lady Yasmin wore what Kamaran guessed was supposed to be a sympathetic expression, but given the way she was also trying to bat her eyelashes seductively, just ended up making her look as if she were downwind of an elephant barn during a dust storm. “You know I can be excellent company.”

He shifted, trying to put as much space between her and him as he could while still being confined to his bed. Pain flared hot in his side at the movement, and he attempted to cover the grimace with a smile. “Thank you for the kind offer, Lady Yasmin.”

After two days lying in bed, staring at the ceiling and bored out of his mind, Kamaran had eagerly agreed when Zamar mentioned the word “visitors.” His hopes had been dashed, however, when three of the remaining contestants filed into the room, one after another, but Rana was nowhere to be seen.

Zamar already told me that it was Laila who was sent home after the last challenge, which means Rana hasn’t been eliminated yet. Is she still that upset with me that she won’t come?

Nour crossed the room to leave a vase of bright pink blossoms on the small table in the corner. “We thought you might welcome something live to brighten up the place,” she said in her kind, practical tone.

“I remembered how much you used to love taking a stroll in the gardens with me,” Yasmin added. “We had so many good times there.” She dropped her chin, looking up at him through her lashes as she touched a finger to her lips.

Kamaran caught the eye roll that Aliyah and Nour shared, and he wished he could join them. “Thank you for the flowers,” he said politely, directing his thanks to them and doing his best to avoid eye contact with Yasmin.

Aliyah smiled gently. “You’re welcome, Your Majesty. I hope we’ll see you on your feet soon. Zamar says there was no lasting damage?”

“You wouldn’t think that, with the way they have me trapped in here,” Kamaran grumbled, softening the words with a rueful smile. “But the surgeon assures me I’ll be up and walking by the end of the week, and I have no reason not to believe him. Thankfully, the knife missed any vital organs.”

Aliyah’s expression had turned serious as he spoke. “How lucky you are that it wasn’t worse. Have you caught the attacker?”

“I have done nothing but lie in this bed for two days.” He tried to lighten the moment, noticing that Yasmin’s face had started to turn a sickly shade of green. “The young man was apprehended, though I’m still not convinced it was a calculated attack. It seems, from all we’ve been able to get out of him, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He’s a thief, but I don’t think he’s an assassin.”

Nour interrupted, threading an arm through Aliyah’s as she spoke, “I’m thankful to hear that the prognosis is good, Your Majesty. We’ll get out of your hair now and let you rest.”

The two women returned to the door while Yasmin hesitated. Her voice dropped to a low whisper, “Remember, Kamaran, I’ll be here for anything⁠—”

“Pardon me, Lady Yasmin, but I’m afraid I must steal His Majesty’s attention.”

Kamaran had never been more thankful to see Zamar’s bearded face as his chief vizier swept into the room. Jasper followed close behind, taking up his routine position just inside the door. Spot padded into the room like he owned the place and sat beside his master, looking regal and imposing with his tail curled around his paws.

Yasmin’s bottom lip jutted out in a pout. “You work him too hard, Zamar. How is Kamaran supposed to recover?”

Zamar’s answering smile was brittle and full of warning. “His Majesty is more than capable of speaking for himself, Lady Yasmin. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” He gestured toward the door with both hands, inviting her to exit.