One corner of Nasir’s mouth curled in response. In a matter of hours, he’d be dead, Kavin would be free, and that prick master of hers would be Zoraida’s next slave. There would be justice this day.
He dropped his hand and focused on Malik’s eyes. “Let’s hope so. Now, tell me about the Infrit I’m to fight.”
* * *
Kavin’s hands shook as she bathed quickly and dressed in the gown Hana held out to her.
She stood in the center of the marble bath in her suite at the harem as the violet silk slid down her body. Behind her, Hana smoothed out her skirts and closed the few buttons at the back. They hadn’t spoken as Hana had escorted her back to the harem, and every time Kavin had tried to meet the girl’s eyes, she’d looked away. But Kavin had too many other things to worry about than what the girl was thinking or feeling. All she could focus on was the fact Nasir was fighting today.
Her pulse picked up speed, and her hands trembled as she waited for Hana to finish. She didn’t care what Zayd did to her anymore. Hadn’t thought once about facing him again after her night with Nasir. She just needed to know that Nasir was okay. She needed him to live.
“There,” Hana said in a quiet voice. “You’re done.”
Kavin turned to face the girl. Her eyes were downcast, her hands clenched in front of her. Kavin knew she was thinking about what had happened yesterday in Zayd’s room. Remembering the story Hana had told her before she’d been sent to Nasir, Kavin couldn’t stop her heart from going out to the girl. “They won’t touch you again. I made sure of it. You don’t have to worry.”
“I…” Hana’s voice broke, and when she lifted her eyes, they brimmed with tears. “Thank you. I don’t know how to repay you. I acted so superior to you before, and I shouldn’t have. I…we’re all just slaves.”
Nasir had told her the same thing. But Kavin didn’t believe that mattered. Not anymore. “Hana—”
The door to the bathroom pushed open. Kavin whipped around to find Zayd standing in the doorway, eyeing her with hard, cold, unreadable eyes.
“You’re escorting me to the arena today. Your sahad is fighting, and I’m told it’s going to be a spectacular show. One you won’t want to miss.” To Hana, he said, “Be sure she’s properly made up. I want everyone to know she’s my newest jarriah. Including the great champion.”
The way he snarled the last words set Kavin’s nerves on edge. What had been said between them after she’d left Nasir’s cell? The victory in Zayd’s voice was more than just gloating over the fact she was finally his. Something else was going on.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
A shiver of foreboding rushed down her spine as Hana tugged her toward the vanity. “Come. We don’t have much time.”
Kavin’s head spun as she sat on the tufted ottoman, and Hana began fiddling with her hair. But all she could see were Nasir’s soft eyes. All she heard was his gentle voice. Telling her again and again that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
She gripped Hana’s hand so hard the girl yelped. “Listen to me. You said you didn’t know how you could repay me. I know how you can. But I need you to do it now. You have to go to the pits. You have to find the sahad’s mu’allim before the fight.”
“But the master said—”
“Fuck Zayd!” Kavin said, squeezing Hana’s hand tighter, causing the girl’s eyes to go bug-wide. “I don’t care what he said. Nasir’s planning something. And I can’t—won’t—let him do it. Hana, you’re the only one who can stop this. He doesn’t deserve what’s about to happen to him any more than you deserved what those guards did to you. All life has value. Regardless of tribe or race or gender. Please…please do this for me.”
Fear rushed over Hana’s face but was slowly replaced with a strength she seemed to pull from the very heart of her. She swallowed once and nodded. “O-okay. Tell me what you want me to do.”
Options, scenarios raced through Kavin’s mind. How could she stop this? She didn’t even know what Nasir was planning, but she had to prevent him from doing something that would get him killed. Would Malik listen to her servant? And what if he bought into the same bullshit the highborns had been spewing for years—that all sahads were the same? Monsters better locked in cages. Sent to fight like dogs. He worked with them every day. He knew way more about them than she did.
Her adrenaline surged. She had to try. She just hoped Nasir was right and there was a shadow of the djinni Malik had once been somewhere left inside him. “Get me paper and pen. And hurry.”
Chapter Fourteen
Nasir paced the stone cell beneath the arena and shook out his arms, his legs, tried to relax his muscles in anticipation of what was to come.
Booms echoed from above, followed by shouts and cheers as the crowd grew more excited. His was the main event. The last fight of the day. So far, four matches had already been completed. From the sounds of the fifth, he’d be up in a matter of minutes.
“Death comes to us all at one point. You can’t stop it…”
His feet paused on the hard stones. Talah was right. He couldn’t stop it. But he could delay it…at least for Kavin.
His heart warmed when he thought of her, easing the anxiety inside, telling him no matter what, this was the right choice. The only choice.
The door to the cell pulled open just as he was remembering her fingers on his skin, her lips against his, the breathless sound of her voice last night when they’d made love. He turned to find Malik’s grim face staring at him from across the room. “They’re ready for you.”
His pulse picked up speed. He drew in a deep breath, nodded once, and stepped toward the door.
At the archway, Malik stopped him with a hand on his arm. Right over the slave marking branded into his skin. The one he’d gotten when Zoraida had first banished him to the pits. At the time, it had been the worst sentence he could imagine. Now he was so very thankful for the time he’d spent here.
“It’s all arranged,” Malik said in a low voice so the guards couldn’t hear. “After the fight, your body will be brought to me. When I have confirmation Kavin has been freed, I’ll give the opal to Zayd.”
Gratitude tightened Nasir’s throat. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t be going through with this asinine plan. You do more damage to the Ghuls alive than you ever will in death.”
In that moment, Nasir knew he’d been right as to why Malik stayed in this hellhole. And why he’d taken a special interest in Nasir from the beginning. Without Malik’s training, Nasir would have been dead weeks ago.
Malik moved out of the way. Nasir’s skin tingled as he stepped out into the corridor where the guards waited to escort him to the arena. In a rush, he thought of his parents in Gannah, of his brothers—Tariq and Ashur, still imprisoned by Zoraida. He didn’t know what had happened to them after he’d been brought here, didn’t know if his kingdom was doomed to fall or if war had finally reached its gates. All he knew for sure was that Malik was wrong. His death would prove that one life was not more important than another. It didn’t matter that Kavin was Ghul, female, or a slave. Her master would forever know that her life had value.
His feet faltered when he spotted the slave girl who had repeatedly come to his cell for Kavin, and his adrenaline surged as he looked past the girl for Kavin’s red hair. But the hall behind her was empty. Only the drip of water and the muffled roar of the crowd above met his ears.
He looked back at the girl. Wary eyes met his. She chewed on her thumbnail, then turned away so he couldn’t see her face.
A shiver of worry rushed down Nasir’s spine as the guards pushed him forward. “Come on, maggot. They’re waiting for you.”
Nasir’s adrenaline surged as they forced him away from her. What was she doing there? Had she come to tell him something? Where the hell was Kavin?
His pulse was a roar in his ears by the time he reached the gate to the arena. The cheers were louder, th
e chant, “Marid! Marid! Marid!” echoing in his ears.
He held his chained hands in front of him, waited while the guard unlocked his cuffs, then took the two swords they held out. The gate opened. Instinctively, he stepped back as a bloodied, decapitated body was pulled through the opening.
He couldn’t be sure since he wasn’t allowed to train with the others, but he was pretty sure that was the Shaitan he’d been scheduled to fight.
Who was he? What had he done? He didn’t deserve to be condemned to this hellhole any more than Nasir did. Any more than Kavin did. Any more than any of them did.
His heart pounded hard against his ribs. The roar of the crowd grew louder. The guard to his right hollered, “Go!” and opened the gate wide.
Nasir stepped into the arena, frantically searching the stands above for Kavin. Multicolored scarves billowed in the air. Angry and excited faces stared down at him, mouths open as they screamed his name, arms raised as they pumped their fists as if they were the athletes about to fight.
He couldn’t find her.
Anxiety rippled through his veins as he turned a slow circle, looking, searching, needing to see with his own two eyes that she was alive. That she wasn’t hurt. That the son of a bitch hadn’t harmed her.
Kavin…
The crowd grew more excited at his back. Without even looking, Nasir knew the Infrit had been brought into the arena, but he couldn’t stop looking.
And then he spotted her. Five rows up, to the left of the main gate. The same gate he’d just walked through.
Relief swirled in his blood as he took her in. A lavender gown graced her curves, her red hair piled on her head in some fashionable updo, and she was wearing way more makeup than he’d ever seen—painted up like a porcelain doll. But even though her face was lined with stress and worry, to him, she’d never been more beautiful.
He drew in a deep breath. Then another. Locked eyes with her and hoped she heard his thoughts even though he couldn’t say them aloud.
I love you.
Her eyes softened, and then her face tightened, and her mouth opened to…scream his name.
It took a split second to realize she was seeing something over his shoulder. On instinct, he lifted his swords and whipped around. The Infrit was coming right at him, a menacing fury alive in his black eyes, his hatchet swinging out in an arc, ready to take Nasir’s head in one fell swoop.
The crowd exploded in exhilaration. Nasir lifted his sword to block the blow. Metal met metal, the clash echoing through the air to fuel their cheers. Nasir ducked under the Infrit’s hatchet, somersaulted across the sand of the arena, and jumped to his feet.
The Infrit was bigger than Nasir expected, at least a foot taller than him and a good fifty pounds heavier. Long dark hair hung to the middle of his back, and his skin was shades darker than Nasir’s. But he was slow, his size no advantage. Not when Nasir was so easily able to avoid each blow and dance around the giant.
“If you go down without a fight, our deal is broken.”
From the corner of his vision, Nasir caught sight of Kavin’s frightened face as his sword clapped against the Infrit’s weapon. Of the tense features of her master lounging next to her, waiting, watching, expecting.
Nasir focused on the Infrit with renewed purpose, braced his foot against the giant’s belly, and shoved hard, sending him staggering back. Before the Infrit could right himself, Nasir arced out with his blade and caught the djinni across the ribs.
The Infrit roared. His eyes widened with shock and pain, then dialed in on Nasir with a menacing rage. He found his footing and charged.
Shit. Nasir shuffled backward. The Infrit swung his weapon. Nasir deflected it with his sword, but the Infrit was stronger, and through sheer muscle strength knocked the sword right out of Nasir’s grip. The weapon flew through the arena to land on the sand some fifteen feet away.
Pain radiated up Nasir’s side. A quick look down confirmed he’d torn his wound open. He might not have to make this look good after all. Tossing his remaining sword to the other hand, Nasir eased back several steps. “Come on, you brute. Is that all you’ve got?”
The Infrit’s eyes turned red. He growled, then swung out with his blade. Nasir jumped back. The tip of the Infrit’s weapon caught him across the belly. Blood welled, but it wasn’t deep. Nasir shifted to the side and caught the Infrit across the right bicep.
A howl echoed from the Infrit. When he turned, Nasir ducked his head and did a forward roll right through the giant’s legs, then sliced into the djinni’s flesh, just above the knee.
Blood gushed. His wound wasn’t deep either, but it was enough to bring the crowd to their feet. They screamed as the Infrit dropped to his knee. Sweat dripped into Nasir’s eyes as he circled around the giant, looking for an opportunity to let the sahad get the upper hand.
“Make your death look good.”
He intended to. As the giant slowly pushed to his feet, Nasir glanced at Kavin in the crowd. Worry shone in her eyes. Worry and fear and love. A love that would carry him into the next world, wherever that may be.
He drew a deep breath, turned away from her, and watched as the Infrit rose to his full height, easily seven feet tall. At one point, back when he’d been just a soldier, he might have been scared by this beast, but not today.
“They’re waiting for you to die, Infrit,” he said, mocking the djinni, knowing it would fire him up and give Kavin’s master exactly what he wanted. He turned the hilt of the sword in his hand. “Can’t you hear them?”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“You’re wrong, Marid,” the Infrit growled. “They’re waiting for your death.”
Instead of swinging out with his weapon, the giant charged. Nasir barely had time to brace himself. The Infrit plowed into him, hurling his body back and to the ground. Nasir landed with a grunt on his back. Pain radiated up his spine. He tried to lift his arm, but the Infrit was suddenly above him, pressing against Nasir’s stomach, holding him still.
“Don’t move,” the giant growled.
The crowd gasped, then went eerily silent.
Confused as to what was happening, Nasir looked down, and his eyes widened at the crimson blood spilling from his belly around the Infrit’s weapon sticking straight out of his gut.
How…? When…?
His gaze lifted. He didn’t feel as if he’d been skewered, but then maybe he was in shock. This was what was supposed to happen, but why all of a sudden didn’t it feel right?
“Don’t move, you asshole,” the Infrit growled again. “I’m trying to help you here.”
Help him? Did he know about the deal? Had Malik told him? Nasir’s head grew light, and he tilted his chin up so he could look into the crowd. Kavin was somewhere behind him. He wanted to see her face. Needed to look upon her one last time…
“Stay down,” the Infrit said in a low voice, his hand pressing harder into Nasir’s shoulders. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t move until we tell you to.”
We?
Nasir stopped searching for Kavin and instead looked at the Infrit, pushing off him, dust and sand kicking up around his feet. The giant turned toward the crowd, held his arms out wide, and roared through his victory.
The crowd remained eerily silent.
The Infrit dropped his arms, turned and picked up Nasir’s sword, which was lying on the ground a foot from his hand. And as Nasir watched the giant lift it over his head, readying the killing blow, his instincts screamed Get up! Defend yourself! But then he thought of Kavin. Of everything she’d done for him. Of the fact that without her, he’d still be only a shell of the djinni he used to be.
He drew a deep breath. Readied himself.
The Infrit grinned. The fucker actually grinned. “Watch this.”
Then he turned toward the crowd, zeroed in on something above Nasir and hurled the sword as hard as he could.
Right toward the area where Kavin was standing.
Chapter Fifteen
&n
bsp; “No!”
A red haze descended over Nasir’s vision. He lurched to his feet and threw his weight into the Infrit. The giant went down with a grunt, sand flying out all around his sweaty body. Nasir nailed him hard in the jaw with his fist, then scrambled to his feet, searching, looking…
Spectators screamed. A mass exodus was taking place in the stands. He couldn’t find Kavin. If the Infrit had hit her…
And then he saw her, being dragged by the hair up the steps toward the upper concourse, fighting against the hold her master had on her while frightened spectators rushed around in a frenzy.
She was alive. She hadn’t been hit. She…
The highborn paused at the top step and shot Nasir a brutal glare. Kavin screamed, but it was the blood welling from the highborn’s shoulder that stopped Nasir’s breath. Blood from the wound the Infrit had inflicted when he’d hit the piece of shit with Nasir’s sword.
Holy fuck…
His muscles bunched. He looked down at his own body, and his eyes widened when he realized there was no gaping hole. No injury from the Infrit’s weapon other than a few scratches.
Shouts and the sounds of heavy footfalls drew his attention toward the main gate before he could figure out what was happening. At least twenty guards were spilling into the arena with weapons drawn.
Shit. Shit!
He searched the ground for his other sword. What the hell had the moron done? He’d tried to kill his own master in front of the entire city. They were both going to burn for this. It didn’t matter what had happened during their match or who’d thrown the blade into the crowd. If the guards didn’t kill them first, the highborns would execute them both simply for the fun of it. And Kavin…
He caught sight of his sword halfway across the arena just as the giant was pushing himself to his feet.
“Some gratitude you’ve got,” the Infrit growled.
“Gratitude? Fuck that.” He had to get to Kavin. He had to find her before…