“Shazeera and I love to race. There’s none faster.”
“On land, maybe,” I said with a grin. I wondered if she loved thrilling things as much as I did. Maybe that was why she’d seemed so fearless when Neo and I had flown her to the palace for the first time.
“She was faster than that wild eagle.”
“That reminds me,” I said, and the teasingly smug look on her face disappeared. “Why were you in the foothills in the first place?”
There was a heavy pause, and then she said, much too flippantly, “I like to explore.”
I was sure that wasn’t the whole truth, and my instincts were telling me that the reason she had been trespassing was important to know. But I could also tell by the stiff set of her shoulders that she wasn’t going to tell me.
But that was fine with me. I could be patient.
After the race,we took a leisurely walk back to the upper pasture. Zara was quiet until we had returned, and I quickly realized it was because she didn’t want to be overheard. After a quick glance over her shoulder at Baz, Zamir, and Kestrel, she said in a low voice, “Your Eagle Riders you’ve chosen as guards—you trust them, right?”
“With my life,” I told her sincerely.
She nodded like she expected me to say that, and then said, “I didn’t want to bring this up when we were in Naharu because I wanted the chance to escape it for a little while, but I spoke to the emperor about that shadowy creature.”
My muscles coiled with tension as I imagined how that conversation went. Altair had become increasingly sensitive when I brought up Ozul, quickly shutting down and refusing to communicate about it. I forced my breathing to come in slow, measured inhales, though my instincts told me that she had been in very real danger.
“What did you say to him?” I asked carefully.
“I told him about the shadows I saw, and that I think they possessed Lady Corvina and Lady Starling. I asked him what Ozul was.” She kept one hand on Shazeera’s neck, as if needing comfort. I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I kept my hands to myself. “He said only that he was a sorcerer.”
“A demonic sorcerer,” I said, my tone coming out in a growl.
“He spoke of wanting to expand the empire beyond this continent—to conquer other nations,” she said tightly, and her beautiful face looked anguished. “Just when I thought we were at peace, now he’s talking of more war. Will my own people be forced to take up arms when we have only just now found peace? It would mean my own sacrifice for this peace treaty was useless. How can I stand aside while he brings death and destruction to another nation?”
The fact that she trusted me enough to tell me these things made my chest feel heavy. “Altair expressed the same ambitions to me. He isn’t satisfied with the conquering of this continent.”
“I asked him what Ozul would want in exchange for his help, but he wouldn’t answer.” Her amber eyes met mine. “I’m afraid whatever it is, the price is too high.”
I steeled myself to tell her the terrible truth of what Altair and the creature planned to do, but we were interrupted by the sudden approach of Sergeant Falcon, one of the youngest officers in the aerial cavalry.
“Commander,” he said after saluting me, “I have been asked to pass on a message to you by the head steward. He would like to meet with you as soon as possible; he says he has important information on the disappearances of the staff.”
I hesitated, glancing at Zara.
“We will guard the First Daughter, Commander,” Baz said.
“Go,” she said, as if she could sense my reluctance to leave herunder the protection of anyone else. “I’m going back to my room anyway.”
I nodded, but before I could walk away, she reached out and touched my arm. “Thank you for showing me Naharu.”
I took hold of her warm hand and bowed over it. “It was my pleasure,” I said, meeting her gaze. Her pupils widened before I finally dragged myself away.
This growing attraction to Zara was a dangerous thing. In only two weeks, she would marry the emperor. I was assigned to protect her as my future empress. Letting myself imagine her in any other way was borderline suicidal.
But when I thought about the threat on her life—a blind rage filled me. And I knew. I knew this was more than a passing attraction. I cared too much already.
She was in more danger here than she’d ever been on the plains, even during wartime.
25
Zara
When I walked into my room later that day, I bit my lip, unease churning within me when I saw that Raven still hadn’t returned. In her place, a new handmaiden waited. “I’m filling in for her, Highness,” she said, her plain face betraying no emotion.
