Conquer the Dark by L. A. Banks Page A

one wife and may even try to buy you from your mate for, like, twenty camels or some shit. Cool?”
    “Are you serious?” Maggie looked around the faces in the huddled group.
    “Very,” Aziza confirmed. “So stay close.”
    “Especially when we go over by the camels,” Isda added.
    “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Celeste said, gesturing wildly with her hands. “Why in the world would we need to travel on some huge, smelly beasts that from where I stand have crap all over the ground near them?”
    “My question
exactly
,” Maggie said, folding her arms.
    “Because if we are going deep into the desert, a camel is necessary.” Isda looked around the group. “They won’t let cars go to where we need to check out. We brought the ticket to get back here. Maybe we can divine something or get a vibe inside the big boy when we get back, but for now, we ride and we stop when Celeste says stop.” He handed Azrael a camera. “So act like a tourist and stop beefin’. You ought to be really chill by now anyway.”
    Maggie glanced at Celeste, whose cheeks were rosy with embarrassment. Celeste set her sight on the camels ahead and pursed her lips. Not a word, she would not say another word for now. Azrael and Gav swallowed smiles, gave Isda the nod, and Bath Kol chuckled as the group moved forward. Only Paschar lagged back a bit, constantly stroking Melissa’s back as they walked.
    They hadn’t gone ten paces when they were barragedby eager vendors. Azrael just shook his head, calmly declining, and he and Isda keeping the group moving. But the children’s bleating pleas broke Celeste’s heart. That’s how Melissa and Maggie got caught. A small boy and his sister offered pencils, then maps, then trinket after trinket, and suddenly the two women had fallen behind. By the time the group turned around, they were surrounded by passionate bedouin men who had begun a healthy bartering among themselves for how much they’d pay in livestock for each woman.
    “Be cool, man,” Isda said as Azrael headed back toward them.
    Azrael towered over the eager suitors, who were garbed in long, brown robes with their heads covered in thick, white twists of turban fabric.
    “Are these your wife?” the taller of the two men asked with a pleasant smile. “I am prepared to make a generous offer.”
    Before Azrael could answer, the other man slapped his chest in a cheerful manner. “But I would take good care of them, even if I have less camels—I, Saddiq, am good at what I do!”
    The men howled with laughter as Melissa and Maggie quickly got behind Azrael.
    “You have two, you should share,” the older man said. “You American?”
    “Go help the man out,” Bath Kol said to Isda, shaking his head. “You know Az hasn’t been down here long enough to lie fast on his feet.”
    “True dat, mon,” Isda replied, taking off in an easy lope.
    “No, no, no. You cannot buy my brother’s wives. I have already told him I would pay two hundred camels apiece for each one.”
    “Whooooaaa,” the younger man said, bowing in front of Isda with respect. “If I had so much, I would pay that for any of them, especially her.” He pointed toward Celeste.
    “Oh, no,” Isda said with a smile as Azrael frowned and began walking back toward the group. “Mess with that one there and you might lose your life.”
    Both men took the comment in stride, holding up their hands and backing off laughing.
    “First wife?” the older of the two called back.
    “Only wife,” Isda shouted back, and pointed at Azrael.
    “Nefertari!” the young man shouted. “He is Ramses—like a bull!” The vendor did a little jig and laughed, much to the delight of his friend and the other vendors who hung back, smoking.
    Isda shook his head as the group reconvened. “See what I mean?”
    “I confess, I was not prepared for that onslaught,” Azrael said, smiling at Isda.
    “Uh, yeah,” Bath Kol said, then raked his fingers through his sweat-damp hair. “But it is a