“Shall I tell them?” she said to him, her smile saccharine. “Or would you like to explain it all yourself?”
Cyrus closed his eyes and scowled.
“He claims he’s being forced to marry her,” his mother announced, addressing the room. “He says that Iblees has demanded this of him.”
He heard the boy gasp, then opened his eyes to see that the girl had covered her mouth with both hands while the apothecarist slid back in his seat in astonishment. Kamran’s horror was so complete he looked positively ill, and the sight of this discomfort was so enjoyable Cyrus nearly missed the fury on Hazan’s face.
“How can this be true?” Hazan demanded.
“Many terrible things are true.”
“But why? Why would he want her to marry you –”
“So this is what you meant,” the prince said slowly, the tension in his eyes cleared by understanding. “The night of the ball. I heard you tell her that Iblees wants her to rule. You said, ‘A Jinn queento rule the world. The perfect revenge.’”
“You didn’t tell me this.” Hazan turned to Kamran, alarmed. “Why would you not tell me this?”
“I forgot.” Kamran shook his head, as if in a daze. “In all the chaos of that night – So much happened, I could hardly keep it all straight –”
“So she has to marry you?” The child now. “She has to marry you because the devil wants her to marry you? But why does she have to do what the devil wants? I don’t understand.”
“Me neither,” said Huda and Deen at the same time.
“Shedoesn’t have to do what the devil wants,” Cyrus said irritably. “I do.”
“Why?” said the boy.
“Because I owe the devil a debt.”
“So you have, in fact, made a deal with the devil,” Hazan said quietly, eyeing the king with renewed suspicion. “And this is what he wants in exchange?”
“In part.”
“And what does he stand to gain from her rule? She would never act in his interests, or acquiesce to his demands.”
Cyrus’s expression darkened. “I don’t know. Iblees, as you can imagine, has not confided in me the full extent of his hopes and dreams.”
“Then she might be putting herself in danger,” Hazan pointed out, “if she married you.”
“And what incentive does she have to enter into such an arrangement,” Huda added, “when the only person who stands to gain anything from this isyou?”
“An excellent question,” Deen said, nodding at her.
“Good God.” Cyrus sighed angrily. He stared the lot of them in the eye. “Enough of this. Show of hands, who here wants me dead?”
“Is this some kind of joke to you –” Kamran began angrily, cutting himself off as the boy, the girl, and the older one began slowly raising their hands.
“You,” Cyrus said, nodding at the prince, “need not cast your vote, given that you’ve already tried to kill me twice today.” Then, to his mother, “And your feelings on the subject have never been subtle.”
To her credit, Sarra looked appalled.
“But you,” Cyrus said, turning to Hazan. “What reason did you have for helping me?”
“You mean why did I save your life?”
“You hardly saved my life,” Cyrus snapped. “I would’ve sorted things out eventually.”
Hazan’s eyes were flinty. “You’re deluded.”
