ARC: Assassin Queen (33 page)

Prince Jamal stood over Kara, holding a scimitar to the base of her neck. Queen Rajmella, behind him, pressed against the wall next to Hamala the Grand Vizier and several consorts. Ellah thought she recognized Dahim, one of the two men who led Kara away earlier tonight, but she wasn
’t sure.

Jamal
’
s stance screamed caution, his grace and ease with the blade telling of his weapon skill. The Majat froze, clearly aware of the menace.

Jamal smirked, his dark purple eyes fixed on Mai.
“
Call off your men. Or, she dies.
”

Dies.
Against reason, Ellah felt a surge of relief. The threat meant that Kara was definitely alive. She saw a tense cord in Mai
’
s neck relax, likely reflecting the same thought.

Princess Nelimah whimpered loudly. The Queen took a step toward her, but the Emerald holding the Princess pressed in his dagger, halting her in place. The Princess screamed as the dagger pierced the skin, drawing blood, and Ellah saw Rajmella blanch and briefly close her eyes. Illogically, this brief gesture brought reassurance. The Queen was not the monster Ellah imagined her to be when she first saw the scene. Perhaps, if everyone just calmed down a bit, a solution could be found.

“Jamal,” Mai said. “
If you bloody touch her, I
’
ll cut you to pieces. Slowly. Now, step away and hand me the key to those shackles.
”

Jamal
’
s eyes briefly darted to the Queen.

“I said, now.”
Mai signaled with his hand, and the Emerald holding the Princess slid the dagger tip deeper into her skin, evoking a new gush of blood and another piercing cry.
“
If you hesitate again, she loses an ear. We
’
ll get creative from there.
”

Nelimah wailed, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

“
For Shal Addim
’
s sake, Jamal!”
Rajmella pleaded.
“
Stand down, before they harm Nelimah!
”

Jamal hesitated, then stepped away and lowered his scimitar.

Mai moved in the same instant, his hand fanning out with throwing daggers. He sent them flying all at once, pinning Jamal to the wall at multiple points.

Ellah clasped her hand to her mouth just as the screams erupted around the room. Rajmella pressed to the wall, her breath coming out in shallow gasps. Nelimah dissolved into a fit of sobs, sagging in her captor
’
s hands. It took Ellah a moment to realize that the daggers pierced only the clothes, holding Jamal in place without harming him. Well, that wasn
’
t entirely true. A streak of blood oozed from the Prince
’
s shoulder where one of the daggers must have grazed the skin. She was certain the damage, and its extent, were intentional on Mai
’
s side, calculated precisely to drive the message home without causing any actual harm.

She drew in a much-needed breath.

“Listen carefully, Jamal,” Mai said. “
If you as much as move, the next set of daggers goes in an inch inward. I promise, it will hurt.
”
He turned to the Queen.
“
The key to the shackles. Now.
”

Rajmella
’
s hands shook as she pulled a thin chain off her neck. Mai ripped it out of her hand before she could move any further and slid to the table, clicking numerous locks.

Ellah’
s heart quivered when she saw Kara
’
s body hang limply as he flipped her over.
Dear Shal Addim. Please don’t let her be dead. Please.
She forced Jamal
’
s words into memory as she watched Kara
’
s head roll sideways, revealing her motionless face.
She is alive. Please, she must be!

Egey Bashi pushed past Ellah toward the table. As he fumbled with his pouches and bustled around Kara, Ellah kept her eyes on Mai, the sight of his frozen look bringing tears to her eyes.

Finally, Egey Bashi raised his head, fixing Jamal with a heavy stare.
“
What did you do to her?
”

Jamal swallowed, glancing at Mai with a mix of fear and challenge, as if daring the Majat to deny him permission to speak. He stood very still, the daggers protruding from the wall all around him. Now that she had a chance to calm down, Ellah counted six, all spaced evenly, one right at the groin. She winced.

“
Sleeping powder,
” Jamal said.

Egey Bashi
’
s shoulders sagged slightly, the first indication that the situation might not be as bad as it looked.
“
How much?
”

Jamal glanced at the Queen this time, then to Hamala, who responded with a shrug.
“
I don’
t know. She just kept fighting us. I didn
’
t know she was so strong.
”

Mai
’
s face contorted into a grimace, but Egey Bashi placed a hand on his arm, forcing him to calm down. The fact that it worked made Ellah shiver, a clear indication of Mai
’
s turmoiled feelings. At a normal time anyone touching Mai in this state of mind was liable to lose a hand.

“
Do you have the antidote?
”
Egey Bashi demanded.

“
The antidote?
”
Jamal looked lost.

“Devil
’
s root.
”

Hamala caught the Queen
’
s prompting gaze and rushed to a table at the far side of the room. She searched among the retorts and flasks, finally producing a tightly corked one, filled with a sticky black liquid.

Egey Bashi frowned as he popped the cork and measured out a few drops, mixing them with some other potions in his numerous pouches. He rolled Kara
’
s head to face up and forced a few droplets between her lips.

The moments ticked, the silence descending onto the room like a heavy blanket. Ellah couldn
’
t bear to look at Kara at all. She watched Mai instead, the way the tense cord knotted in his neck again, as if he was bracing for action. She knew if the cure didn
’
t work, the Majat would likely drown this palace in blood, but even that didn
’
t seem as important right now.
Please. Just let her wake up, please.

Egey Bashi
’
s frown deepened. He patted Kara
’
s cheeks gently, then forced another drop of his medicine between her lips. Mai looked on, his empty eyes making him nearly unrecognizable.

Just then, Kara
’
s eyes snapped open. She glanced at Egey Bashi, then rolled over, doubling up in an uncontrollable fit of choking.

Egey Bashi pulled her upright, holding her against his shoulder, patting her back in a gesture that reminded Ellah of young mothers caring for their newborns
–
except that she could also see the force the Keeper was applying, as if trying to knock all the air out of Kara
’
s lungs. Mai stood just short of touching them, watching the scene wide eyed.

After a moment, Egey Bashi pulled Kara away from him, holding her at arm
’
s length. She gasped a few times, finally forcing her breath under control. Egey Bashi nodded to Mai, who continued standing in front of her with a frozen look, as if too exhausted to move.

Kara heaved a slow, tentative breath, as if she wasn
’
t sure it would actually work. Her eyes slowly acquired focus as they darted to Jamal, still pinned to the wall by the daggers, then to Mai, as if trying to work out a complicated puzzle. Relief surfaced through her daze as Mai stepped toward her. He pulled her into his arms and she relaxed against him, hiding her face on his chest.

He shivered as he held her gently, and for a brief moment it looked to Ellah as if he was about to collapse. Then, a barely perceptible movement rippled through his body, his composure clicking back into place. He stood taller than before as he ran his eyes around the room, pausing in turn on each of their captives. Ellah couldn
’
t read his expression at all.

She wanted to feel relieved, but she knew the worst was probably not over yet. Even though Kara
’
s kidnapping ended well, there was no telling what Mai was going to do when pushed this far.

“
Round them all up,
”
Mai ordered, nodding toward the Olivians.
“
Bring them to our quarters.
”

He didn
’
t wait to see his men follow his orders as he picked up Kara and carried her out of the cell.

33

The Queen of Shayil Yara

Kara must have spent at least an hour in the cooling bath, but no matter how hard she scrubbed, she just couldn
’
t stop feeling dirty. The memory of all the hands holding her down, of all the sweaty, muscular men that ended up piling on top to subdue her, wouldn
’
t leave her mind. They could have done anything to her when she was unconscious. No matter how many times she told herself that this was over, that whatever they did to her wasn
’
t under her control, she was having trouble coming to terms with the idea.

She started when she saw Mai standing in the doorway, so still that he appeared inanimate. The fact that she hadn
’
t noticed him coming in was just another indication of how flustered she was. Or was it the damage she had suffered during her ordeal?

“
How long have you been standing there?
”
she asked.

He shrugged as he approached her.
“
Long enough to tell that if you continue scrubbing like this, you
’
re bound to remove skin. Besides, the water must be cold by now.
”
He picked up a towel and held it out for her. She sighed and climbed out of the bath, stepping into it.

“Don
’
t look at me like this,
”
she said.

“
Like what?
”

She swallowed.
Like I’m a desirable woman.
She knew she was never going to say this to him. She loved it when he looked at her this way. Whatever happened to her when she was unconscious, she shouldn
’
t let it affect her life.

He frowned as he peered into her face.
“
What
’
s troubling you so much?
”

Her gaze wavered.
“I…
I don’
t know. They overpowered me. All of these men in the room jumped me at once. With the way they normally act toward women, I
…
They made me feel so dirty. When I passed out, they could have
…”
Her voice trailed into silence. She knew it was stupid to think this way. If the Queen took the trouble to bring her to a dungeon and shackle her, it was highly unlikely that she would have also allowed her consorts to take the time to rape her. But even if they did rape her, it shouldn
’
t really matter. With her combat training, she should know better than to dwell on such insignificant things.

Mai
’
s eyes stirred with deep emotion as he continued to look at her. She knew that he understood her, and that he was never going to press the subject, and she was so grateful for it.

“
I believe,
”
he said,
“
that during the past hour we were able to gather all the details on what exactly has been done to you. I hope I can put your mind at ease at least in this regard. They
’
ve done nothing improper
–
not in that sense.
”

She nodded gratefully. That made her feel a whole lot better. Yet, the way Mai continued to look at her, kept troubling her. She suddenly realized that what bothered her about this look had nothing to do with the attraction she knew he felt for her. He was looking at her as if she was a stranger, as if he was seeing her for the very first time.

“
Was there anything else you found out?
”
she asked.

Mai hesitated. “
Magister Egey Bashi would like to see you.
”

She frowned. It was so unlike Mai to skirt a direct question. Her worry was instantly back, a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her feel even more unsettled than before. She glanced at her body, wrapped in a bath sheet.
“
Can I get dressed first?
”

Mai handed her a cloak.
“
It can
’
t wait much longer. Cover up while I call him in.
”

She tied the bath sheet securely around herself and draped the cloak over it until it covered her from head to toe. She supposed she did take far too long washing. And now she was about to learn something she was sure she didn
’
t want to know. Judging by Mai
’
s expression, her ordeal was far from over. Her heart raced as she watched Egey Bashi enter the room.

He stopped in front of her, and she imagined his shoulders briefly sag in relief at the evidence that she was all right. His next gesture surprised her, though. Instead of addressing her as she expected, he stepped around her and reached forward to touch her neck. She shied away and spun around to face him before she could think, his blank stare telling her she probably moved faster than he expected.

“
What are you doing, Magister?
”
she demanded.

Egey Bashi exchanged a brief glance with Mai.
“
I need to look at the back of your neck. Briefly. I won
’
t hurt you.
”

The back of her neck. She was beginning to remember now that this part of her body seemed to draw a lot of attention during her recent ordeal, starting with the man massaging her shoulders in the Queen
’
s quarters, and ending with Hamala
’
s attempt to put some liquid on it, the one that ended with shackling her to the table and giving her the last dose of the sleeping powder.

She forced the memory away, holding still as she felt the Magister
’
s calloused fingers part her hair at the back, followed by a long pause as both men apparently examined whatever they saw.

“
I always thought it was a birth mark,
” Mai said.

She heard Egey Bashi
’
s sigh.
“
It is, in a way, Aghat. They tattoo it in right after birth, to identify members of the royal family.
”

Royal family?
Kara spun around.
“
Who the hell are you talking about, Magister?
”

Egey Bashi
’
s face darkened.
“You, I
’
m afraid.
”

“
You must be joking.
”

“
On some level, I wish I was, Aghat. Even though I cannot help feeling that this turn of events would take us a long way in achieving our goal here.
”

“
What in the world do you mean?
”

“
If you assume the Shayil Yaran throne, there will be no question anymore about gaining the Queen
’
s unconditional support in our war.
”

“
Assume the Shayil Yaran throne
?
”

“Yes.”

She stared at him in disbelief.
“
This is, by far, the most insane thing I
’
ve ever heard, Magister. One would think it wasn
’
t me, but you who had been recently knocked out. Unless of course I am delirious and you didn
’
t say anything at all just now.
”
She wished it was the case as she watched Egey Bashi exchange another glance with Mai. The sight of their forlorn expressions made her feel nauseated. She swallowed forcibly, ignoring the lightheaded feeling, as if she was about to faint.
I’m still recovering. And, he couldn’t possibly have meant what he just said. There’s no way.
She refused to give in to this nonsense.

“I
’
m afraid you heard me right, Aghat,
”
Egey Bashi said quietly.

Her lips twitched.
“
Let me make sure I understand this correctly, Magister. You found some bloody spot at the back of my neck and now you are suggesting that I
… I…”
She paused. She simply couldn
’
t make herself pronounce it out loud.

Egey Bashi shook his head.
“
Not just
‘
some bloody spot
’
, Aghat. It has a perfect crescent shape. You may have noticed one like this on the back of Queen Rajmella
’
s neck too, except that she normally highlights it with a golden dye.
”

Kara paused. She did notice a very small golden crescent in the nape of the Queen
’
s neck, visible because of the way Rajmella wore her hair piled up on the top of her head. It looked unusual, but she took it for some form of a decoration.

She glanced at Mai.
“
Is this true?
”

“Yes.”

She trembled, clenching her teeth to suppress a sudden surge of weakness.
“
Very well, Magister. However preposterous it sounds, the fact that I may belong to the Shayil Yara
’
s royal family doesn
’
t mean I can just waltz in and assume the throne.
”

The Keeper frowned.
“I
’
m afraid it does. You are not just any family member. You are Aljahara, the lost heir. Your claim to the throne supersedes that of Rajmella.
”

Kara
’
s eyes widened as she met the Keeper
’
s gaze, the truth of what he was saying finally settling in.
Aljahara, the lost heir. Bloody hell.

She knew she should be thinking about their campaign, about destroying the Kaddim. She should be glad that this turn of events was giving her an opportunity to be in charge and ensure that the Majat got the support they needed within Shayil Yara
’
s borders. Instead, only one thought dominated her head. If she was truly Shayil Yaran royalty, there was no way she and Mai could ever be together. He couldn
’
t possibly have anything to do with a woman whose allegiance and bloodlines threatened the highly protected political neutrality of the Majat Guild.

Mai
’
s expression told her he was thinking exactly the same thing.

She met his gaze.
“
What do you want me to do?
”

He shrugged.
“
By now, they all know who you are. I see no choice but to take advantage of this situation and secure Shayil Yaran forces to our side.
”

She took a deep breath, then nodded.

“
I will get Queen Rajmella here,
” Egey Bashi said. “
I think we all need to have a nice, quiet talk.
”

The Queen carried her head high, but Kara could tell by the tense set of her shoulders that her defiance was only skin deep. When she stopped in front of Kara, her narrowed eyes held so much fear that Kara almost felt sorry for her. She had to remind herself that this was the woman who ordered her abduction, even if she was also the first family member she had ever encountered.

“
Rajmella,
”
she said.
“
What the hell were you thinking, when you ordered your men to detain me?
”

Rajmella lifted her chin.
“
What the hell was I supposed to think, when you entered my palace at the head of the crowds chanting your name, with a small Majat army at your back? Did you actually believe I was going to fall for your crazy stories about some phantom enemy hiding at the north of my lands?
”

Kara
’
s eyes widened.
“
Did you believe I came to usurp your throne?
”

“
What else was I supposed to believe? The tales you told me to gain your way in? And yes,
‘usurp
’
was the word on my mind, at least until Hamala had a chance to examine your tattoo and see that it
’
s genuine. That
’
s when your Majat friends showed up.
”

Kara continued to stare, feeling as if she was trapped in a very bad dream.

“
So, what was your plan, once you found out?
”

“
We weren
’
t sure. Killing a usurper is one thing. Killing my own niece and the rightful heir to the throne
…”
Rajmella spread her hands in a wordless gesture.

Kara
’
s skin prickled.
The rightful heir to the throne.
It was just starting to sink in, like poison, seeping in slowly and spreading all the way through her suddenly heavy limbs.

“
I choose to believe you were planning to spare my life,
”
she said.
“
For now. I hope for your sake you never lead me to think otherwise.
”

Rajmella peered into her face.
“
You look surprised. And shocked.
”

“
I am, actually.
”

“
Why?
”

Kara shrugged.
“
I had no bloody idea about any of this. Not until right now. I was telling you the truth from the start. The enemy I spoke of is very real, and is the only reason for our visit here. I couldn
’
t even tell what the crowds were chanting, or why. I came here only as a negotiator for the Majat Guildmaster.
”

Rajmella laughed.
“
Yes, that was one of the most ridiculous things you said. Everyone knows the Majat Guildmaster is an old man. If you wanted one of your companions to pose as one, you should have chosen the older man that came with you. He is the only one who looks the part, even if only remotely.
”

Seldon.
Kara looked at her serenely.
“
Come now, Rajmella. You cannot possibly be this stupid.
”

The Queen lifted her head sharply, as if she had been slapped. Kara knew she probably wasn
’
t used to anyone addressing her this way, but right now she didn
’
t give a damn.

“Aghat Mai
is
the Guildmaster,
”
she said.
“
If you took this fact, and everything else we said to you, at face value, we wouldn
’
t be trapped in this situation right now. You would still have your throne.
”

Rajmella
shook her head
.
“
If I took anything at face value, my rule as a Queen would be extremely short-lived.
”

“
Shorter than now?
”

Rajmella spread her hands again.
“
You are the rightful heir. Now that you are here, the game has changed. No matter what you originally intended, or what I believed at the start, you cannot change your birthright.
”

My birthright.
Up until now, Kara never realized she had one. And now that she discovered it, she was finding it too hard to deal with the burden that came with it.

Rajmella looked at Mai thoughtfully.
“
The real Guildmaster, eh?
”

“Yes,”
Kara said.
“
Not that it really matters right now.
”

Rajmella continued to stare, a slow appraisal in her gaze.
“
He does have the commanding presence, I must admit. And his men do seem to listen to him unconditionally, from what I had a chance to see. Was sending them to entertain my women part of your plan all along?
”

Kara sighed.
“
I thought it was all your idea. I tried to refuse, remember?
”

Rajmella
’
s gaze wavered.
“
Yes, that was my mistake, I admit.
”

“A mistake?”

Rajmella glanced away briefly.
“
I thought these men were your attack force, not that I believed even for a moment that they were really top Majat Gems. No one could possibly afford to hire this many. But since you seemed to place such faith in them, it seemed like a good plan not only to scatter them, but also to tame them, bond them to our women. Men tend to think differently right after they
’
ve enjoyed good sex. I hoped it would sway their loyalties, at least somewhat.
”

Kara
frowned
in disbelief.
“
You didn
’
t consider the opposite possibility, that you were placing a top-ranked assassin next to each of the important ladies at your court?
”

“
I didn
’
t imagine the men could possibly turn on the women they
’
d just been intimate with. Not so easily.
”

“
No one said it was easy,
” Mai said.

Rajmella looked at him with curiosity.
“
Yet, you had no doubt they would, did you? Thinking back to the way they talked to you before accepting the ladies
’
invitations, you encouraged them, didn
’
t you?
”

He shrugged.
“
I told them they could, if they wanted to. And yes, I had no doubt they would follow orders.
”

“
I guess I just learned something new about the Majat.
”
Rajmella hesitated.
“
One thing still puzzles me, though, about all these ladies you are now holding captive out in your common room. They have all been treated brutally
–
dragged out of their beds, kept at swordpoint, fearing for their lives. My sister Nelimah, so impressionable and delicate that I tend to think twice even when I frown at her, has been deliberately sliced with a dagger and threatened with mutilation, for Shal Addim
’
s sake. Yet the only thing they all seem to be able to talk about right now, Nelimah included, is the sexual prowess of your men. In fact, spending the past hour in their company has been
…
educational, if I try to put it politely. It
’
s as if they have all been bewitched.
”

Mai grinned. “
I am glad my men left an impression.
”

Rajmella
’
s expression turned wistful.
“
If I live through this, I will definitely pay a visit to your Guild one day. I must admit, I had a completely wrong idea about your warriors before.
”

Kara didn
’
t like the way she eyed Mai, with a mix of longing and lust that reminded her of the mood that dominated her earlier visit to the Queen
’
s chambers. It was a relief to think that at least one privilege of her royal status lay in the fact that no one could ever again try to force their attention on her. Given the local customs, she was likely going to go down in history as the Untouchable Queen.

She met Mai
’
s gaze, seeing the encouragement in his eyes that she knew was meant only for her. This new turn of events had just shattered all hopes for happiness she ever had. But these thoughts had to wait. They still had a deadly enemy to defeat, and it was now up to her to take the next step.

“
I believe,
”
she said to Rajmella,
“
you must surrender your bracelets of station to me.
”

Rajmella slid them off her arm, leaving behind a fading snake-like imprint. Kara looked at them curiously, two long winding contraptions crafted of solid gold, connected by a chain that draped over the elbow, and another one to fasten them up at the shoulder. Once donned, they lay over her arm heavily, like armor. Fighting with these on would be a chore, even though if push came to shove they would likely be useful as protection against a sword slice.

“
I will get dressed now,
”
she said.
“
And then we will go out to your ladies together and announce the news.
”

Rajmella looked at her solemnly.

“
I must admit,
”
she said.
“
From what I remember of your mother, you are the spitting image of her
–
not just the looks, but the small things, like gestures and expressions. You definitely have her regal bearing. Older people remember her well
–
perhaps this was how the crowds have recognized you so easily. We all still miss her very much. She was a great Queen. I hope you can be one too.
”

A great Queen.
Kara glanced at Mai again. At the moment, she didn
’
t feel like a great Queen at all, only like a very exhausted woman who could barely stand up on her feet. But even in her tired stupor, the enormity of what was going on had finally dawned on her. She had found a family, and not just any family, but one of the most ancient and noble ones in the entire land. She was among the people who had known her mother, and felt that she could potentially, one day, achieve the same greatness. She hoped to be able to live up to the responsibility.