“Of course not!” Turning to Altair, I breathed out, “Say something!”
He looked down at me, raising his brows. I glared back, trying to motion towards Avery with my hands full of vials. Chuckling, he said, “She’s celibate.”
“I am no—”
“Oh, that makes sense. Did you want to fuck me really quick then?”
“No, he doesn’t want to fuck you!” I was surrounded bycrazy people.“I think that’s all the haya you need, so we’re going to head out now.”
Grabbing Altair’s arm as I stood, I yanked him away from Avery, making space for us to shadow walk.
“Didn’t you want to ask her about officials and the cores?” he asked, the grin obvious in his too-high voice. I elbowed him, looking over at Avery.
“We’re leaving now.”
“General Altair has pushed officials into every village all across Dajahim,” Avery said as she leaned down, throwing another small log into the fire. “They come around this time every day. Some of them like to rape and beat us when we leave the village to head for the nearest market. My neighbor, Mark,was hanged a couple days ago for trying to stop his wife, Valla, from being assaulted in front of their house. The official instead raped her in front of the gallows where Mark hung from his broken neck.”
“Stars above,” Altair whispered, his arm wrapping around me.
Avery’s face slowly turned, stopping when she was able to make direct, unblinking eye contact with us. As she stood, I planted my feet, ready for anything. But all she did was grin.
“Even the stars can’t save you now.”
I shadow walked us.
***
The next drop was a bit more difficult.
“What do you mean there are officials knocking? Don’t you have a plan for this?” Altair hissed as we frantically replaced the vials in my bag. Joseph, who was the dealer from this village, seemed to cower at the tone.
“Yes, sir, but usually I have more time. They probably just want to inspect the place.”
“And where are we supposed to go?” I was growing irritated too, my mind stuck on Avery. On hanging and bloody bodies. Another loud set of booms shook the wooden door.
“Can’t you magically disappear?”
“Are you five? No! We need somewhere to go for that, and there’s no saying we’ll be able to get back here to you without being caught!” Altair was losing his composure by the second, all of his smooth charm gone in the face of his aggravation. He turned to me, eyes wide. “If they find out there are rogue shaytan, they’ll assume it’s you and send elites.”
Shit.
“Go into the last room in the hall, I have a wardrobe! I have to answer the door now!” Joseph urged. I grabbed the final vial, shoving it into my bag before willing the entire thing back to the cottage. Altair was already standing, his hand reaching out to me. I took it, letting him practically drag me down the hall. We passed two doors, tearing open the third at the end. I closed it behind us, barely taking in the wooden bed with a crib beside it before following Altair to the tall, wooden wardrobe. We each grabbed a handle, pulling open our respective sides before nodding at each other.
Not fitting wasn’t an option, so we squeezed inside, Altair’s body contorting. I used all of my focus to ready for a cloaking charm, hoping to hide our bodies in case one of the officials opened the doors. Altair’s hand was still in mine, my chest pressed into his stomach and his chin leaning down onto my head.
“I’m telling you, Maitoza is setting us up!” he said in a sort of whispered shout.
“What would she stand to gain from that?”
“A martyr. An example. Anything she’d like!” He pulled me in closer, his heart racing. Stars, if I didn’t think he was exactly right in that moment. Trying to calm myself, I breathed in his vanilla and smoke scent, focusing as best as I could.
“I’m going to cloak us, be still and quiet.” Altair did as he was told, and if it wasn’t a life or death moment, I’d have used the opportunity to call him a good boy to keep our running joke alive. Instead, I relaxed against his hold and willed us to disappear. I spoke to my magic, picturing the officials opening the door and seeing nothing but clothing hanging on wire. I urged it to hold—tohide.
And then pounding sounded from the hallway. Doors flung open, wood slamming against plaster. “Please be careful! Mywife will be furious if there are any holes or broken furniture!” Joseph sounded absolutely terrified.
“Shut your mouth and let us finish, or she won’t have a house to come home to,” a man with a deep, gravelly voice answered. Seconds after, the door to the room we were in creaked open. Ominous steps slowly made their way closer to us, the movement practically vibrating beneath our feet.
Altair’s lips pressed into the top of my head, his fingers weaving into my hair and somehow pulling me even closer. Instinctively, my eyes opened. There was no time to analyze the bizarre action, because the wardrobe doors flung open. We both stopped breathing, my fists gripping Altair’s shirt.
