The Serpent's Veil

Final Flame

As noon approached, Khaya and Rehan made their way through the souk towards the central square, stopping by one of the smaller mosques to allow Rehan to change into his royal attire. They had brought several items for him to try, and so he offered one of his capes to Khaya—a profound gesture she held in great regard. She took it with both hands and touched her forehead to it, then allowed one of the servants to carefully drape it over her abaya. Once they were ready, they travelled to the central square. Even Rehan did not know what it was Firaz had planned, but he heard it was to be a spectacle like no other.

As they walked down the still-crowded streets, through stalls and around massive gold displays, all eyes turned towards them, in awe, respect, reverence, and surprise. None of them missed the fact that the Prince was travelling with a woman close by who wore a twin cape to his. Khaya felt nervous energy shoot through her at each look that came her way.

A group of imams had stopped to speak to Rehan, who gladly engaged them in animated conversation. Khaya stood a respectful distance behind, allowing her gaze to wander. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a woman huddled in between two of the souk stalls, hunched and grey-haired. She appeared like a shocking wound in the continuous, smooth golden skin that had been draped over Rey.

They locked eyes, and Khaya brimmed with a sudden sadness. The woman smiled, revealing a mouth of gaping and rotten teeth, and it twisted Khaya's heart to see such joy on her face. She glanced at Rehan, who was still in deep debate with the imams, then back at the woman. She slyly slipped a hand into her abaya and proffered it to the old woman, who opened her hands with curiosity.

Khaya dropped a small sapphire into her palm, the same one which had been hanging from her necklace when she first arrived in Rey. She had kept it with her all this time, unsure of what to do with it. She knew she could not throw something so valuable away, and it seemed like this was a sign for her to fulfil its true purpose.

"Thank you, Sayyeda." She touched the sapphire against her forehead. "The city will remember you."

Khayzuran's mouth fell open in disbelief beneath her veil. "What? No, I—"

"Let's go, Khaya," called Rehan. A servant gently touched her shoulder when she didn't move, still watching the woman's smiling face. The only thought running through her mind as they approached the square was Sayyeda.

The square was buzzing with activity when they entered, and a group of soldiers quickly escorted the pair through a cleared path towards the royal seats. Firaz's voice carried over the crowd, announcing the start of the entertainment just as they found their places at the centre. Khaya wanted to hide behind the tall back of Rehan's chair, but steadied herself just beside it. No one would pay her any attention when he was here, she thought.

Khaya watched as the fire breathers cast a huge arc of flames behind Firaz's figure, shocking the audience to attention. The dancers moved in unison to the music, and when the woman emerged from the bud of golden leaves like a rose, Khaya's own heart skipped a beat. She was like the sun itself, blinding and dazzling and life giving all at once. She twisted her body, and her arms followed with graceful movements, a flower swaying in the wind. As she approached the front of the stage, Khaya watched Rehan from the corner of her eye. His face was enraptured, eyes wide and lips parted as he was swept by her beauty, even with Khaya standing inches away. Something in her heart twisted as she looked up again and saw her staring at them, at Rehan, intently as she danced. Khaya blinked.

No, she was looking somewhere else. Slightly off from them. Khaya followed her gaze, and let out a breath of amusement. It was Yahya.

Soon, she spun away, and the fire breathers took centre stage. They held flaming torches from which they cast fireballs and rings of fire into the air and swung as if they were extensions of their own arms. Their formation changed from lines into circles, and as Khaya watched them she noticed one above the others. His bare chest was tanned and hairless, covered in swirling black tattoos, but most alluring of all were his irises, rimmed in shimmering gold so prominent even from this distance Khaya did not fail to notice them. It was a moment later she realized he was not holding a torch at all.

That was when he opened his mouth, and the world was engulfed in flame.

She heard the air in front of her crackle and burn, her body moved before she could think, shielding Rehan as the fire ball hit the parapet and the royal seats exploded into flaming splinters around them. The force of the explosion threw Khaya and Rehan into a heap on the now shattered throne seat. They scrambled to their feet, trying to find their bearings as chaos erupted around them, people in the audience were running and screaming, the dancers themselves completely frozen in shock.

"Sharan!" Khaya shrieked as she looked down to the destroyed lower seats where he lay flat on the ground, the edges of his clothes flaming orange and red. She jumped down to him, trying to put out the flames with the thick fabric of her cape. She coughed as the smoke filled her lungs, passing through the thin fabric of her veil. Rehan and Yahya were by her side moments later, throwing their own capes over Sharan's limp body. His left side had charred beneath his clothes, and the wrenching scent of singed flesh filled Khaya with nausea. Rehan's expression contorted in horror.

"Stay with me old man, stay with me!" He clutched Sharan's shoulders searching his half-lidded eyes. "Come on, please."

Sharan let out a low groan, and Rehan breathed a sigh of relief. Alive.

There was another sound, someone running. Khaya turned to see the woman, the golden dancer, rushing towards them, a curved knife glinting in her extended hand.

"Sayyidi!" Came Firaz's cry, as he flung himself between the woman and her target. All three of them sat frozen in shock as the blade grazed his shoulder, and both he and the woman disappeared into thin air.

"It's them, the Hashashin," said Yahya, standing in unison with Rehan.

"I know that bitch," growled Rehan, "Someone get me a damned sword."

Khaya closed her eyes and honed in on the sound of Firaz's heartbeat. It had completely disappeared from her radius. Another moment passed, and suddenly it was there again, across the stage in another clearing.

"There!" She pointed, and the pair of them rushed forward without a second thought. They did not see whom they were running past—the fire-breather, still standing in the centre of the stage, locked eyes with her. His mouth pulled into a wide grin as she swallowed down her fear. This was the end. This would be the last thing she saw, Rehan and Yahya running away to save someone else while she burned.

But no fire came. He turned away and walked off the stage, disappearing into one of the alleys back into the city.

Further away, Rehan and Yahya came upon Firaz's body laying still on the ground, a gaping wound in his chest colouring the ground red around him.

"No, God no," said Rehan, bending over the old man's slowly dying body. Why had he let Tahir leave?

Firaz turned his head slightly, watching Rehan's broken expression. "Run," he whispered, and the light left his eyes.

A shadow fell upon them, and they looked up to see the Hashashin woman emerging from a warp in the air, her hand opening towards them. Yahya did not think. He shoved Rehan's body out of the way and extended his own hand, pouring all of his power into a single command.

"Yield."

Their fingers touched, and the world turned black.

X

A/N: There is one more chapter for this story to be complete! Thank you all for joining me on this journey to get draft one done. I have begun editing parts of the book, and little things will look slightly different, such as Rayta's characterization, some extra scenes between Rehan and Rayta. I've already added loads of dialogue and conversation between Khaya and Rehan that I think really deepens their connection early on- very happy with those edits. 

If you would like to read the edited draft, I will release a sign up sheet on my instagram @corporal_bookish for alpha and then beta readers, based on which I will make further edits.