The Princess Who Tamed Demons by J. Kirsch Page B

the memories flooded
in I sat bolt upright.
    "Linn!" I looked around, but he was nowhere to
be seen. Someone had dressed me in a cream silk gown, its fabric so
sheer that certain places were less covered than I would have
liked. My head was pounding, but the pain was rapidly receding. I
groaned as I put my feet on the floor, stood up, and got my
bearings. The room had two wide, open windows, their mauve curtains
flapping in the mid-day breeze. The room was spacious, stucco walls
painted the colors of sky at daybreak, and a simple oak table had
four chairs to keep it company. Potted plants based in turquoise
ceramic populated the corners of the room, giving the place a
comforting scent and a lived-in feel.
    It may have felt cozy, but I ached all over.
Whatever toxin had been in those damned darts had left me with some
stubborn aftereffects.
    Heavy footfalls. "You are awake.
Good."
    Ghayth strode in, his midnight eyes twinkling.
He was bare from the waist up, his silk shorts a burnt orange, and
his feet were equally au naturel.
    I looked for something I might be able to use
as a weapon. My eyes fastened to a walking stick propped up near
the table. I lunged for it, and Ghayth placidly observed while I
went into fighting stance.
    "What have you done with Linn?"
    Ghayth was about to open his mouth when a
lithe, dark-skinned woman slipped into the room and edged in front
of him. She was beautiful, her eyes a vivid blue-green that seemed
to match the jeweled earrings sparkling beside her face.
    She entwined her hand with Ghayth's and leaned
up to give the well-built Verse-preacher a passionate kiss on the
lips. Drawing back, she turned to look at me, then glanced up at
Ghayth, then back at me.
    "Go down and get changed. I will attend to
our…guest." Ghayth nodded to the woman, then at me.
    "Najika, I would like you to meet my wife,
Aisha. Aisha, this is Najika of the Black Kingdom." So saying,
Ghayth turned and walked with heavy steps down the hall. The man
practically shook the floor when he moved.
    Aisha sighed. "The man walks like an elephant,
a habit I'll cure him of yet."
    I put down the walking stick, uncertain what
to do. This was awkward and I had no idea what to say. If Ghayth
had been the hand behind the blowgun-firing kidnappers, this was a
strange way of showing it. Then again, the fact that I was here and
not safely back at the palace hinted that Ghayth might have a
darker agenda after all.
    "I am sorry if he frightened you. My shureem
merely wished to ask you what had happened."
    "Your 'shureem'?"
    Aisha put her hand over her nose, holding back
a sneeze. "Forgive me. Shureem is a very old Tajmari word not used
in other Kingdoms. It is an affectionate term for husband. Do you
not have those where you come from?"
    "We do." I took a deep breath. I wasn't sure
whether to be comforted or alarmed by the apparent normalcy of our
conversation. Yep, I was going to have to go with option two. "Who
put me in this outfit? More importantly, can you tell me what is going on, preferably before we make small
talk?" Aisha was wearing the same type of sheer fabric I was, only
hers was light cyan, like turquoise dipped in ivory.
    "You do not like my clothing? Forgive us, but
my shureem is very firm when it comes to propriety. Women are not
to wear the clothes of men, and you were wearing a library clerk's
robe."
    I opened my mouth, amazed this conversation
was even happening. I had been attacked. Linn was nowhere in sight.
For the love of all the sun in the Gold Kingdom, what was going
on?
    Aisha must have seen me getting ready to
explode, because she rushed forward and took one of my hands
between hers. "Please, do not be afraid. You are safe here. Ghayth
was on his way to our Mosque with two of his acolytes when they
heard the sounds of fighting. They found you sprawled in the street
with men dragging you away. As soon as Ghayth rushed to question
them, they ran. When he realized that you and your companion were
unconscious, he had