Like déjà vu, another gleam of silver.
She blinked, certain she must be imagining it, and the moment she took to steady her mind cost her the only opportunity she might’ve had to react. She heard a bloodcurdling scream as she registered, too late, a need to fall back.
Suddenly, she was knocked to the ground.
Alizeh hit the stone floor with a muted cry, the weight of another body landing heavily against her. She heard the uproar of the masses, the chaos exploding. She tried to get up and was immediately pushed down again, though out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the profile of Hazan’s familiar, freckled face, and then, just above her head, buried in the wall behind her: two daggers. The second one had missed her by inches.
“Hazan?” she gasped.
In response he rendered them both invisible, hauled her up into his arms, and moved her with lightning speed back into the walled courtyard, where he set her down at once.Even then he was careful not to disturb her dress as he steadied her, though her veil and its accompanying crown were falling off her head, and she caught them both before they hit the ground.
“Hazan –”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.” He cut her off, his fists clenching as he avoided her eyes. “I’m too angry right now to speak to you in the manner you deserve.”
Alizeh felt a wash of mortification. She never thought Hazan could be so cross with her.
“You idiots!” he bellowed without warning, spinning away from her. “I can’t believe you let her go out there!”
Alizeh turned to see her trio of friends rush into view.
“She insisted!” said Deen, striding forward. “We couldn’t physically stop her –”
“I tried to tell her!” Omid yelled, his face mottled with color. “I tried to gowithher! I told her it was a bad idea – I even wanted her to read the paper – but no one listens to me –”
“Are you all right, dear?” Huda hurried toward her and grabbed her arm, guiding her to a bench. Then, to Hazan, “Is there any chance we can see the weapons?” And, “Omid, can you ask the Diviners for a glass of sugar water?”
Hazan glanced at Huda, then left to retrieve the blades; and though Omid clenched his jaw in response, he nodded before walking away.
Alizeh watched them branch off as the cold of the bench seeped through her clothes. She was suddenly freezing again, and she didn’t understand the shift. She was fatigued from a depletion of adrenaline, her back aching where she’d slammed against the wall.Her right arm was so tired she could hardly lift it to adjust her veil, which was still slipping off her head. She didn’t even realize she was shaking until she saw her hands tremble; she would have to sit a moment with the fact that someone had tried to kill her. Twice.
Heavens. For as long as she could remember, someone had been trying to kill her. She was, quite frankly, tired of it.
Hazan returned a moment later, holding up the murderous daggers for all to see. They were identical, though they looked simple enough: steel blades, gold shafts.
“They’re an enchanted pair,” he said. “They’ve been vibrating since the moment I yanked them out of the wall.”
“Vibrating?” Huda asked.
“Trying to finish the job.” He kept a tight grip on the hilts even as he strode to the door. “I need to hand these off to the Diviners immediately.”
“Trying to finish the job,” Alizeh repeated softly, almost to herself. She flinched when the door slammed shut behind him, and looked up to find that Deen was watching her closely.
“I think you need something stronger than sugar water,” he said. “I’ll go fix you a strong tea, miss. I mean, Your Majesty –”
“Please, call me Alizeh,” she said, tensing to keep her teeth from rattling. “And tea sounds wonderful. Thank you.”
Then, with another nod, Deen was gone, too.
Huda sat beside her, took her hand, and squeezed it. “How are you feeling?”
“Foolish.” Alizeh suppressed a sigh as she removed her circlet,then her veil, setting them both on the bench beside her. She dropped her head in her unsteady hands. “Hazan is mad at me. Hazan is never mad at me.”
“He was scared. Imagine, he’d gotten word that you were finally awake, rushed over here to see you – only to find that someone was trying to kill you. You nearly died, dear.Again.” Huda clucked her tongue. “His poor nerves.Yourpoor nerves.”
Alizeh looked up. “It was all for nothing,” she said. “I didn’t even say anything. I had nothing to say.”
“I wouldn’t say it was entirely fruitless,” Huda countered gently. “At least they saw you make the effort. Certainly no one can blame you for what happened – they’ll understand if you’re not rushing to stand before a crowd again.” She tilted her head. “Perhaps going forward we can communicate any messages via Dija.”
