Naamah peered at him, eyes narrowed, and asked suspiciously, “Which Krayl?”
“The eldest.”
Burgundy skin paled to ashy gray, and the fire genie
sucked in a sharp breath as she reared back. She made
a quick gesture and the ring of fire receded further
still—not completely, but enough that Roxy could take
a breath without choking on heat and smoke.
“I beg pardon, son of Sutekh.” Contrition warred
with arrogance in her tone. To Roxy, it sounded like arrogance won.
“I do not grant pardon.” Dagan shot a glance at the
ring of fire. “Put it out.”
The fire genie snarled, her eyes glowing an orange
so bright and hot that Roxy could almost feel the temperature going up. But that was the extent of her reaction, flash without substance. Guess Sutekh’s son
outranked Xaphan’s concubine.
Seeing their leader’s reaction, the others surged
forward, lips peeled back from pointed teeth, eyes glittering like fireflies, but a barked command—“Stay”—
froze them in place.
Then Naamah rounded on Dagan, her entire frame vibrating with rage. “Thecapo bastonewill be interested
to know that one of Sutekh’s sons has stepped over the
line.”
“‘Capo bastone’?That’s a joke, right?”
Roxy didn’t get the reference, but Dagan seemed to
find it amusing.
The fire genie stared at him, then finally shrugged
EVE SILVER
211
and rolled her eyes. “Xaphan’s crazy for anything in
mafia entertainment.The Godfather. The Sopranos.
Had me buy him the complete series and a‘badda-
bing’T-shirt last time I was Topworld. Thirty-three
