Red Hood's Revenge (24 page)

Talia smiled. “Let’s find out.”

T
ALIA MOVED TO THE SIDE OF THE STAIRS, hiding behind one of the pear trees. She calmed her breathing, listening as the footsteps slowed. She gripped a low branch and stepped around, kicking high enough to catch the first guard on the chin. He fell back, to be caught by his companions.

Talia swore. She counted six men in the lacquered armor of the raikh, as well as a creature of smoke and shadow. Men she could fight, but fairy magic was another matter. She jumped to the side, taking cover as a spear flew past.

“What’s the plan?” Snow asked.

“I’m working on it.” Talia could probably handle the guards, and Snow might be a match for Rajil’s fairy adviser, but an open battle in the garden wouldn’t help Faziya. Even if they won, the commotion would only attract more attention.

The next guard through carried a short spear in one hand and a northern-style club in the other. He raised the spear, but Talia made no move to attack. She jabbed her sword point down into the dirt and spread her hands.

The rest of the guards moved quickly to surround them. Roudette bared her teeth and growled.

“Wait!” Talia lunged to catch Roudette’s rope, catching her in midleap. Talia was tugged off her feet, but she managed to pull the wolf back. Before Roudette could turn on her, Talia pushed herself to one knee and whispered, “Not yet.”

The two men they had captured before gathered weapons from Talia and her companions. Talia clenched her jaw but waited as they disarmed her. It was a slow process, and Rajil’s men were thorough, taking even the slender metal spike tucked through her hair. Two others grabbed Roudette’s rope, dragging the wolf away.

Talia and the others were herded into a tight circle against the wall. The smoke shadow approached so closely Talia could smell him, like burning leaves.

Only when he turned away did Rajil herself enter the garden. She wore a gold robe that shone like satin, held tight by a wide white belt. The silver buckle was cast in the huma bird and tiger design of the royal crest. A blue-green tourmaline mounted in the center marked Rajil’s status as ruler of Jahrasima. Her face was as Talia remembered, stern and narrow, the lips perpetually frowning. She wore the same feathered mask tattoo as her men.

Rajil studied them each in turn, keeping safely out of reach behind her guards. Talia waited as Rajil’s gaze lingered on her. Though Talia had seen Rajil before from a distance, they had never met in person.

Rajil turned to examine the weapons her men had taken. She picked up Danielle’s sword, studying the glass blade in the sun. “You’re no ordinary thieves.”

Talia straightened. “I think you know who I am, Rajil.”

The man of smoke moved closer, his movements almost eager. Rajil simply tossed the sword to the ground and said, “Perhaps. Jhukha will learn the truth soon enough.”

“That he will.” Whispering so softly she could barely hear her own voice, Talia said, “Roudette, take Rajil.”

Roudette had already shown her senses to be sharper than any human’s. Roudette bounded forward, yanking her guards to the ground as though they weighed nothing at all.

Blue fire flashed from Jhukha’s arms, racing over Roudette’s body with no effect. As Talia had hoped, Roudette’s cape protected her from fairy magic even in her wolf form. Rajil screamed as another guard was tossed aside like a doll, and then Roudette was atop her, jaws clamped around her throat.

The human guards hesitated. Not Jhukha. The fairy attacked again, loosing another wave of flame over Roudette. As before, his magic did nothing.

Talia used the guards’ distraction to race toward their weapons. She dove and rolled, rising to her feet with Danielle’s sword in one hand. The enchanted blade sliced through Jhukha’s form. The path of the cut re-formed as soon as the blade passed, but Jhukha drew back as though pained.

“If one of your men makes the slightest move, my wolf will tear out your throat,” Talia said lightly.

“Stop!” Between Rajil’s fear and the pressure of Roudette’s jaws, the word was little more than a squeak.

“Watch that thing.” Talia jabbed the sword at Jhukha. She trusted Rajil’s human guards to obey. If any did try to attack, Talia was fast enough to deal with them. But who knew where the fairy’s loyalties lay? To Rajil, she said, “You have a friend of mine here. I’d like her back.”

Roudette loosened her grip ever so slightly.

Talia smiled. “She didn’t have much of a breakfast, so she’s hungry.”

Blood dripped from small punctures in Rajil’s neck, staining the collar of her robe. She ignored it, focusing her attention instead on Talia. “I do know you. I saw a painting once, as a child. Before Queen Lakhim ordered all such work destroyed. You look older, Princess Talia. Old and tired.”

At the mention of Talia’s name, Jhukha seemed to contract, his body growing smaller and darker until he appeared almost solid. Talia moved toward him, but before she could strike, the fairy burst into cloud, becoming no thicker than smoke from a campfire.

“Stop him!” Talia shouted, slashing through the smoke. Already Jhukha was flowing over the top of the wall.

Sunlight sliced into the fairy from Snow’s mirrors, burning holes through the smoke, but it wasn’t enough to stop him.

“Snow, you and Danielle watch the doorways.” Talia knelt beside Rajil. “He can’t save you. If I have to fight every guard in your mansion, I will.”

Rajil sniffed. “He’s not fetching help for me.”

“Zestan,” Talia guessed. Having heard Talia’s name, he went to tell his mistress. “Can he travel by fairy ring?”

“He’s not going anywhere,” said Snow. She pulled a mirror from her choker and threw it after the departing fairy. The mirror shattered in mid- flight, turning to a stream of glittering dust which merged with the smoke. “If he tries, the mirror should scatter him across half of this world. He’ll spend the next year putting himself back together.”

Talia grabbed Rajil by the throat. “Release Faziya and tell us where to find Zestan-e-Jheg, and you may live to see another sunset.”

“You’d ask me to betray Zestan?”

Talia fought the urge to strike her. “Have you seen Jahrasima today? Have you looked upon your people and the damage left by the Wild Hunt?”

“The Hunt came for you.” Rajil sat up slowly, wide eyes watching Roudette and Talia both. “
You
led them here. Surrender yourself, and Jahrasima will be safe.”

“Until the next time Zestan sends the Wild Hunt out on an errand.” Talia handed the sword back to Danielle, mostly to avoid the temptation to use it. “Remember the oath you swore. To protect Jahrasima and its people with your blood. To pledge yourself to your city above tribe and family.”

“That’s exactly what I’m doing,” Rajil snapped. “This city wouldn’t exist without the help of the fairies. Where would we be if we had rejected their aid? Roaming the desert like Kha’iida savages. Squabbling over what little water we could find. Warring among ourselves, as we did for the hundred years you slept. They saved us from barbarism. Zestan will turn all Arathea into a jewel.”

“By enslaving us?” Talia asked.

Rajil spread her arms. “Do I look like a slave to you?”

“You look like—”

Danielle coughed, and Talia caught herself. She didn’t have time to fight with Rajil.

“The fairies wish to serve us,” Rajil said, pouncing on the opening left by Talia’s silence. “We are their penance. They will make this land a paradise.”

“Tell that to the people mourning the loss of their homes and loved ones,” Talia said softly. “Tell that to Queen Lakhim. You know Zestan means to kill her, right? Her and her grandsons both. Would you side with the fairies against your own ruler?”

“Asks the one who murdered Prince Jihab.” Rajil spat.

Sparring with Rajil was a waste of time. “Zestan-e-Jheg is a deev.”

For a heartbeat, she saw doubt in Rajil’s eyes. “Impossible.”

“Look at the power she wields. Look at the way she loosed the Wild Hunt on the Kha’iida and on your city.”

“The Wild Hunt are a tool of God, sent to punish—”

“They will return tonight in force,” Talia snapped. “They will tear this city apart to find me. You’ll be the raikh of a dead, ruined city . . . assuming they leave you alive.”

“Zestan wouldn’t harm me.”

“Which is more important to her, protecting a human or finding me? Your friend Jhukha didn’t hesitate to abandon you.” Talia leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Give me Faziya. Tell me where to find Zestan. In return, I promise to protect Jahrasima from the Wild Hunt.”

“What are you doing?” Danielle asked.

“What she should have done.” Talia nudged Rajil with her foot.

Rajil hesitated. “Zestan’s influence was growing even before you awoke. Most of the fairy families in Arathea now pledge their loyalty to her, though few have ever seen her. It was only a year ago that she sent Jhukha to me.” She glanced about. “This is his menagerie. His magic that binds the traitors into these forms. Even if I wished to help you, I couldn’t restore them.”

“All I need is for you to identify her,” Talia said, trying not to think about that. “I’m looking for a Kha’iida woman. She would have come here roughly one month ago. She would have asked about the Wild Hunt, and about Zestan.”

“The jackal,” Rajil whispered. “I was sympathetic to her pleas, of course, but Jhukha—”

“I’m sure you had no choice,” Talia said bitterly. “Just as you had no choice but to let Zestan attack your city.” She turned, searching the garden until she spotted a white jackal standing beside a bush of oversized golden roses. Talia’s chest tightened as she studied the jackal, trying to see Faziya in those blue eyes. The animal’s oversized ears twitched as the jackal examined Talia in return.

“You’re safe,” Danielle whispered. “Please come to us.”

Lean and long-legged, the jackal trotted toward them.

“She doesn’t remember you,” Rajil said.

“She will.” Talia extended one hand toward the jackal. Toward Faziya. Slowly, Faziya stepped closer, taking a tentative sniff. Talia started to brush her fingertips over the fur, but Faziya jumped back in alarm.

Danielle continued speaking in soft, soothing tones.

“What about Zestan?” Talia asked, never taking her eyes from Faziya.

“Even if everything you say is true, I can’t help you,” said Rajil, her voice trembling. “Her messages come through Jhukha. She could be anywhere in Arathea.” She brought her hands over her chest, closed her eyes, and began to pray.

Talia recognized the prayer, a plea for redemption and rebirth. Rajil expected to die here, at Talia’s hand.

“You think your death will earn you a place in Heaven?” Talia asked. “That you might even be reborn as one of the ‘Blessed Race’ as a reward for your faith. For that you’d sacrifice your queen, your people, even your life? All to protect a deev.”

“What would you have me do?” Rajil demanded. “If I’m right, Zestan is the salvation of Arathea. If you’re right, if she is a deev and I betray her . . . no. Even if I knew where to find her, I couldn’t tell you.”

Talia’s anger drained slowly. She turned to Snow. “Can you break whatever curse holds the animals here?”

“The curse tames them, but it doesn’t trap them here,” said Snow. “They could leave any time they choose. They simply lack the desire.”

“Good.” Talia retrieved her weapons.

As she tucked the last of her knives back into its sheath, Rajil spoke again. “If you truly want to protect Jahrasima, surrender yourself and your friends. If you flee, The Wild Hunt
will
return for you. Whatever destruction they bring will be weighed upon your soul, not my own.”

“You’ve already sold yours to the fairies.” Talia spat on the ground, then turned to Danielle. “We’ll need the animals’ help in order to escape.”

“They’re too docile,” Danielle said. As if to demonstrate, a lioness padded out from cluster of trees, flopped onto her side, and began to purr loudly enough Talia could hear it from halfway across the garden.

“My people know of your intrusion,” Rajil said. “Even if you kill us all, you’ll never escape this place.”

Before Talia could respond, one of the guards stepped forward and bowed low. “I’ll escort you. My name is Naheer el-Qudas. I’ve served the raikh for six years. Few here will question me.”

“Traitor!” Whatever else Rajil might have said was lost in a frightened squeak as Roudette’s teeth snapped the skin from the tip of her nose.

Talia studied the man who had spoken. He was older than the others, and the white scrollwork on his breastplate marked him as a higher- ranking soldier. She searched his face as he rose. A crooked nose and broken teeth showed he had fought his share of brawls, but she saw no sign of trickery. “Why would you help us?”

“My father’s home was destroyed by the Wild Hunt. My mother was taken to the temple this morning. She may not survive.” Naheer glanced at Rajil. “You offered to protect Jahrasima from the Hunt’s return. Are you truly who you claim? Can you do what you promised?”