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The two guards who had brought me there followed himinside.
The vizier gave an irritated flick of his wrist, as if telling the guards to proceed. “What are thecharges?”
The guard emptied the contents of my satchel at his feet. “Stealing from the sultan's cave.” His words came out stuttered as if the vizier terrifiedhim.
But his statement caught his superior’s attention, and the polishing of his snake-headed staffended.
He grabbed my chin and squeezed hard. “A crime punishable by death.” He twisted my head from side to side. “Pity. An exquisite street rat such as yourself would have made an excellent addition to the sultan'sharem.”
Disgusting pig. Is that all he regarded me as? A plaything for thesultan?
“Never!”I wrenched my facefree.
“Spirited,” said the vizier, apparently amused. “I like you. Perhaps I shall keep you formyself.”
Every nerve in my body screamed at me to spit in hisface.
The guard cleared his throat. “One other thing, Grand Vizier. The thief found the genie lamp you’d asked us to keep an eye outfor.”
Oh ,here we go…not this topic.The stupid guard had cursed me about losing the lamp for the whole camel ride back to the palace. Well, if there really was a genie, then where was it? Certainly not here, saving my ass. Stupid thing had abandoned me todie.
“You’re confusing some other piece of the sultan’s treasure for the lamp,” snapped the vizier, as if the guard wasted histime.
For the first and probably last time during this unpleasant visit, I felt inclined to agree with thevizier.
The guard gripped his sword hilt tighter. “Smoke came out of the lamp. When I tried to grab it, something…magical sucked it from my grasp. I searched everywhere. It just disappeared. Unless the thief’s rat has it.” The last part he growled as he glared atme.
“He’s not a rat,” I countered. “He’s a Capuchinmonkey.”
“Where is the lamp, street rat?”snarled thevizier.
Whoa! He believed in it, too? Was everyone around there going mad? There was no genie. Just a smoke trick causing red steam to pipe out of thelamp.
I frowned. Okay…say there was a genie, then maybe Karim had claimed ownership of it. That would explain why it hadn’t come to my rescue.Gods.I hoped he hadn’t wasted the wishes onbananas.
My heart splintered at the reminder of the loss of my ticket out of Utaara. My cure for my brother. Ourfuture.
“I lost it,” I mumbled to the vizier. “Why do you careanyway?”
Darkness brewed in his eyes. “I’ve been searching for it forcenturies.”
Good one, you crazy, oldcreep.
He raised clenched fists to the sky like a living cliché of an evil sorcerer. “With the genie’s power, no one can stopme.”
I wanted to laugh in his face. But I held it in. Maybe I could bargain my way out of this. I was a thief. Maybe I could steal another lamp forhim.
Before I got my chance to barter, he turned to the guards. “Find it,” he barked. “Bring it to me atonce.”
Both guards stomped out of the cell and down thepassage.
The vizier’s glare drilled into me. A black flame sprang up on hispalm.
My stomach pinched. He had magic?Gods.Talk about putting my foot in my mouth. The vizier reallywasan evil sorcerer. That explained his desire to find the genie lamp. He wanted its magic for himself. Images of destruction crashed in my mind. I shoved them aside, not wanting to contemplate that possibility further. This guy was alunatic.
Smoke poured off his flame and snaked through the air, hitting me. Nausea rocketed through me, and I hunched over, groaning. Every muscle and tendon in my body ached and weakened, and I could hardly hold my back upright. Something about his power caused a violent reaction withinme.
Alarm coursed through me. “What are you doing, youcreep?”
