be surprised she had been allowed to have him at all, even for a short time.
And now, now I am no longer needed.
She felt hollowed out, as though all that had made her human had been removed.
Alexander would be better off in the palace. It was her only solace.
And she? Where would she be?
You will be dead to him , Hagiru had said. Yes, perhaps it would be best if Cassia were dead.
A shadow passed over her. Death had come to take her even then. But it was the shadow of a man, not a specter, and she looked up to find the man who had restored the water earlier that day leaning over her, his brow furrowed.
“What has happened to you?” He tried to lift her head. “Who did this?”
Cassia said nothing. She did not have the strength.
He reached for her arm, and she jumped away from his touch.
“All is well.” He spoke softly, as one might to a wounded animal. “I will not hurt you.”
She dropped her eyes, as it was too difficult to hold her head up.
“Let me take you to your home. Tell me where you live.”
Cassia sighed. “Alexander is my home. But he is gone.”
“Your boy?” She sensed he searched the fountain-house courtyard. “Where is he?”
Again, she could not summon strength enough to answer.
“Where is Alexander?” The man’s voice pressed her now, more urgent, concerned.
Julian. That is his name. “They took him.” The words escaped on another sigh and seemed to suck away her life. She swayed where she sat, and a moment later felt herself swept into the man’s arms and cradled against his chest. She leaned into his solid shoulder and sighed, grateful beyond words to be carried from this place.
“I must take you somewhere. Tell me where you have friends to care for you.”
Cassia closed her eyes. “I am alone.”
He walked toward the street and her head bumped his shoulder. “You must know someone in Petra.”
“Malik. I know only the old man Malik.”
She was vaguely aware that he moved through the streets, asking anyone who passed to direct him to Malik, an old man.
Eventually he seemed to get an answer, then walked with more purpose. Soon they climbed, and she dared not open her eyes to see how narrow the ledge, nor how high their destination.
The sound of music drifted to her, and within minutes she felt they had passed into a rock-hewn chamber like the place she had spent the night. The music was louder here, though the voices were subdued and melancholy and sang of fortresses and towers, which seemed quite strange to Cassia.
She opened her eyes. They stood at the open end of what appearedto be a large tomb cut into the rock. A fire burned at the ledge, and the burial slots were only dark eyes in the back of the chamber. The central part of the chamber was filled with people reclining on low couches around the three-sided stone table, with their eyes turned toward the two new arrivals.
“I am looking for Malik,” her rescuer said.
Cassia lifted her head and recognized Zeta and Talya, and the two women got to their feet quickly, followed by Malik, and hurried forward.
“You!” Julian said. “You are Malik?”
Malik paused only a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting in a quick smile. “Did I not tell you we would meet again?” But then his attention was on Cassia. “What has happened?”
She squirmed to be set down, but Julian held her still, until the two women led them forward and several people vacated the couch to make room. Julian laid her gently on the cushion and stood.
“She hasn’t said much.” He shook his head. “But something has happened to her boy. She says someone has taken him.”
Malik knelt and brought his lined face close to hers. The white fringe of hair around his bald head glowed in the firelight. “Who took Alexander, Cassia?”
She had thought herself drained of all tears, but they welled again. “The queen. That terrible Hagiru. She took my boy! And had me thrown from the palace.”
Malik ran a hand over her head. “I
And now, now I am no longer needed.
She felt hollowed out, as though all that had made her human had been removed.
Alexander would be better off in the palace. It was her only solace.
And she? Where would she be?
You will be dead to him , Hagiru had said. Yes, perhaps it would be best if Cassia were dead.
A shadow passed over her. Death had come to take her even then. But it was the shadow of a man, not a specter, and she looked up to find the man who had restored the water earlier that day leaning over her, his brow furrowed.
“What has happened to you?” He tried to lift her head. “Who did this?”
Cassia said nothing. She did not have the strength.
He reached for her arm, and she jumped away from his touch.
“All is well.” He spoke softly, as one might to a wounded animal. “I will not hurt you.”
She dropped her eyes, as it was too difficult to hold her head up.
“Let me take you to your home. Tell me where you live.”
Cassia sighed. “Alexander is my home. But he is gone.”
“Your boy?” She sensed he searched the fountain-house courtyard. “Where is he?”
Again, she could not summon strength enough to answer.
“Where is Alexander?” The man’s voice pressed her now, more urgent, concerned.
Julian. That is his name. “They took him.” The words escaped on another sigh and seemed to suck away her life. She swayed where she sat, and a moment later felt herself swept into the man’s arms and cradled against his chest. She leaned into his solid shoulder and sighed, grateful beyond words to be carried from this place.
“I must take you somewhere. Tell me where you have friends to care for you.”
Cassia closed her eyes. “I am alone.”
He walked toward the street and her head bumped his shoulder. “You must know someone in Petra.”
“Malik. I know only the old man Malik.”
She was vaguely aware that he moved through the streets, asking anyone who passed to direct him to Malik, an old man.
Eventually he seemed to get an answer, then walked with more purpose. Soon they climbed, and she dared not open her eyes to see how narrow the ledge, nor how high their destination.
The sound of music drifted to her, and within minutes she felt they had passed into a rock-hewn chamber like the place she had spent the night. The music was louder here, though the voices were subdued and melancholy and sang of fortresses and towers, which seemed quite strange to Cassia.
She opened her eyes. They stood at the open end of what appearedto be a large tomb cut into the rock. A fire burned at the ledge, and the burial slots were only dark eyes in the back of the chamber. The central part of the chamber was filled with people reclining on low couches around the three-sided stone table, with their eyes turned toward the two new arrivals.
“I am looking for Malik,” her rescuer said.
Cassia lifted her head and recognized Zeta and Talya, and the two women got to their feet quickly, followed by Malik, and hurried forward.
“You!” Julian said. “You are Malik?”
Malik paused only a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting in a quick smile. “Did I not tell you we would meet again?” But then his attention was on Cassia. “What has happened?”
She squirmed to be set down, but Julian held her still, until the two women led them forward and several people vacated the couch to make room. Julian laid her gently on the cushion and stood.
“She hasn’t said much.” He shook his head. “But something has happened to her boy. She says someone has taken him.”
Malik knelt and brought his lined face close to hers. The white fringe of hair around his bald head glowed in the firelight. “Who took Alexander, Cassia?”
She had thought herself drained of all tears, but they welled again. “The queen. That terrible Hagiru. She took my boy! And had me thrown from the palace.”
Malik ran a hand over her head. “I
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