After Akashun leaves, the warlordess of Yaqus lingers. ‘So this is the one who’s taken to mastering poisons? A young steppe-girl? A nameless daughter?’
This time I do not let Eliyas stop me. ‘Nameless though I am, I am a warrior for the Zahr clan.’
‘Be silent,’ Eliyas orders.
The warlordess flashes her teeth in a version of a smile. ‘Which fighting style?’
My chin raises. ‘A Zahr system. With techniques adopted from the Seven Gentle Paths of Dawjad, to find the pathways of Brother-Nature.’
The warlordess turns to address the boy warlord. ‘This martial art originates from your lands, the historic clans in Izur. Perhaps you can help train her.’
‘Even that the Zahrs steal from us,’ he mutters.
I ignore him. ‘I will serve the emperor. By poison or blade.’
‘Ambitious,’ the warlordess answers smoothly. ‘But your ivory blade is such a small thing. Like your will.’
My hand goes to the khanjar on my left arm. A symbol of Zahr. As Uma said, I no longer have to shove a blade down my trousers. I have a different blade as my entrustment.
‘If she possessed any of the strength of the ancient clans, she wouldn’t be her father’s dog,’ the warlord boy laughs.
‘I’m not a dog.’
‘And all she has are empty words.’ For all his youth, he is equally blunt.
The warlordess bows her head. ‘Eliyas, I trust this child won’t be misled under your care.’ Her brown eyes spark at me. ‘Think sensibly. Whatclan is there to serve when it’s clinging to its last dregs of power? And there is no point in power when you have nothing left to rule.’
That night, in a private study, the emperor questions Eliyas and me about the ordeal. Hyat Uncle sits behind him.
Eliyas speaks for me, but oddly, in his recounting, he does not inform the emperor about the treasonous exchange of words with the warlords.
‘Did Akashun see the possessed woman? Or the corpses?’ Hyat prods.
‘Hardly,’ Eliyas lies smoothly, and I blanch.
‘Good.’ The emperor notices my questioning look and says, ‘Warlord Akashun is the Wolf of Khajak. If you encounter Akashun again, go to the inner palaces. You must stay away from him.’
‘Is he remaining in the capital much longer?’ I ask.
Eliyas juts in. ‘Akashun negotiated a prisoner exchange between us and our enemies in the Sajamistan Empire.’
‘We should refuse his help.’ Hyat Uncle shakes his head.
The emperor must be swallowing his own venom from the way he grimaces. ‘Sometimes men do one good act, with the hope to get in exchange another. Long ago, Akashun was an ally of Sajamistan’s western garrison clans before aligning to me. Now he has used that influence to negotiate a prisoner exchange to buy goodwill in my court. And I am in no position to refuse it, though I wish I could. Of the prisoners, one is a powerful daughter of the eight great clans, caught as a spy when she infiltrated Sajamistan’s armies—’
I remember from my lessons that the eight clans are the oldest, most influential in Azadniabad’s courts, including the Zahrs.
‘– if I refuse Akashun’s help, we risk losing that clan’s good favour.’ The emperor clenches his jaw. ‘But by conceding to his help, he has also gained their good favour.’
A chill cleaves down my spine.
‘And I also suspect it was one of Akashun’s allies in the monastery who freed the possessed woman, to attack you.’
I sit up. ‘Why would he do that?’
‘To provoke you. He has suspicions about your true nature.’ The emperor pauses. ‘There was also the warlord from Izur. What did you make of him?’
‘The boy is cruel,’ I put simply.
