And as Omid darted away, dashing down the staircase at a dangerous clip, Kamran changed course, too, following Zahhak’s trail toward his grandfather’s rooms.
Eighteen
“I BEG YOUR PARDON?” ALIZEHblinked at Cyrus. “You want to show me Tulan?”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Very,” she said. “It’s only that I didn’t think you’d let me leave the palace.”
Cyrus laughed at that, then frowned. “Why wouldn’t I let you leave the palace?”
She matched his look of confusion. “Because,” she said slowly. “I would run away, you see. And you need me to remain here and do your bidding, or else the devil is going to kill you.”
“Ah.” He grimaced. “Right.Well.In that case, I must get on. I suppose I’ll see you at dinner, should you choose to join me.” He gave her a nod, turned on his heel and, with a purposeful stride, headed to the door.
Alizeh watched this happen with undisguised disappointment. “Wait,” she called out, crestfallen. “Are you really leaving? Are we really not going to see Tulan?”
Cyrus hesitated, but didn’t turn to face her. She saw only the tense back of him, his copper hair a brilliant contrast to his simple black coat. She was again struck by the cut of him, the space he commanded even now, when she couldn’t see his face.
He said softly, “It was rather foolish of you to mention the bit about running away.”
“I know.” Alizeh bit her lip. “I’m quite sorry for it now.”
Slowly, he turned around. “Are you saying you’renotgoing to run away, then?”
Alizeh prevaricated.
She was torn but also distracted; the sun had changed positions in the last hour, and shafts of golden luminescence were flooding the room through the glass doors and open windows, anointing all in their path. Even Cyrus was caught in this tempest of light, the hard lines of his body limned around the edges, a diffuse glow dancing across his face, painting his eyes. He squinted against the brightness, his pupils contracting to pinpoints, blowing out the blue of his irises; she watched him watch her a moment, his confusion apparent.
Alizeh didn’t mind.
She let her gaze wander as she mulled over her warring emotions. She felt less inclined to flee this castle than she had upon arrival, not only because she’d been made two rather robust offers in that time, but also because— Well, the truth was, she had nowhere else to go. Here, at least, her favor was being courted by both mother and child; and Alizeh, who’d been forced to sleep too many brutal nights in the gutter, her cheek pressed to the filth of a city street, did not take for granted the luxury of a warm bed. She could not deny that this was a lovely place to rest awhile—and to sort through the myriad disasters strewn before her. In fact, she could still hear the birds chirping outside; the hush of thewaterfalls in the distance; the efforts of the wind pushing apart branches, rattling leaves. It was, in a word, lovely.
And she did dearly wish to see Tulan.
Unfamiliar as she was with the manipulation of magic, Alizeh was aware enough to understand that there was some kind of enchantment in the air here, for the season was entirely wrong. True, Tulan was farther south than Ardunia—which was in the midst of a ruthless winter—but the two empires shared a border; some variation in temperature would not have been amiss, butthiswas practically summer.
Alizeh would be lying if she said she didn’t prefer it.
She lifted her eyes, finally meeting Cyrus’s impatient gaze. Hesitantly, she said, “Perhaps I won’t run awaytoday.”
His agitation gave way to visible bemusement. “Is that so? Having a good time, then, are you? Enjoying my hospitality?”
Quietly, Alizeh cleared her throat.
“You may choose to poke fun,” she said, clasping and unclasping her hands. “But Iamdeciding, after all, whether or not to marry you, and I think I should be allowed to see the land you intend to leave me before I make my choice.”
Cyrus stiffened at that.
He stared at her, unblinking, the light dying in his eyes as he turned slowly away, lapsing into silence. In fact, he said nothing for so long that Alizeh felt forced, in the mounting discomfort of the moment, to speak.
“Cyrus?” she said uneasily. “Are you all right?”
He looked up. “Ever?”
She frowned.
“You know,” he said attempting a laugh, “I realize youmight not believe this, but I never dreamed I’d one day be forced to take a wife in this manner.” He shook his head, turned away again. “I’m trying to give you Tulan—a jewel among empires, a land that is my home. I stand here begging you to marry me—tokill meand take my nation, my crown, my legacy—and you won’t even say yes.” He closed his eyes and swore. “I really thought I’d already hit rock bottom, but this— This is a shade of wretchedness I’ve never known.”
