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“I just need a moment.” I slipped out of his grasp and wiped away my tears with the back of mywrist.
My clothes were lying some feet away. I tossed them back on, and strapped my sandalsup.
The idea of Zand leaving wasn’t the only problem weighing heavy on my mind; I was going to lose my whole genie family. When the time came, and Kaza and Dahvi had fulfilled their duty to me, they, too, would leave me all alone. I couldn’t bear the thought. Nor could I cling to a false hope of things working out between the genies and me. One conclusion settled in the pit of my stomach—I wouldn’t give in to my developing attraction for the genies any longer. To do so was a recipe for a broken heart. My mother had already done a splendid job of scaring me for life. There was only so much my poor little heart couldtake.
That was that. My mind was made upthen.
“We should head back,” I said to Zand. “Administer the sands toKaza.
While the darkness still provides uscover.”
Zand stared at the ground, stiff like a statue. “Yes,Master.”
"Call me Azar," Isaid.
"Yes, Ma—Azar."
His slip up brought a smile to myface.
* * *
By the timethe sun commenced its rise, Dahvi, Zand and I sailed on the magic carpet, over the desert outside Utaara. The terrain transitioned into paved streets, buildings, temples, palm trees, andshrubs.
Zand tensed, as if sensing danger. “Fire rages in thecity.”
“What?” I glanced down at Utaara. His words had set off an explosion of nerves in my gut. “How can youtell?”
“My inner flame senses fire,” hegrowled.
The moment he finished speaking, I caught a whiff of something burning. I scanned the city, spotting towering flames dead ahead. The slums. Raging with fire and thick smoke. Whenever a fire got out of control like this, the city rang with warning bells. Not today. Something was seriously wrong. Someone didn’t want the warning to sound. Thevizier.
Fear crashed insideme.
Ali andKaza!
