THE DANCING GIRL

Chapter 8

"YOU'RE pacing."

Noor turned to Haqiya with a glare. "I'm well aware."

Haqiya held her hands up, pursing her lips. "Alright. I'm' sorry."

Noor exhaled. "I'm sorry. I'm just...tensed."

Haqiya shrugged. "You need a good night's sleep is what it is. Everyone's noticed you've been spending too much time in the library."

"She's right," a boy said from beside Haqiya.

Noor scowled at him.

"Just try to relax, okay?" Haqiya said soothingly. "Maybe skip the library tonight."

"We'll see," Noor murmured half-heartedly.

"Dancers!" Nazrat shouted.

Noor grimaced. She was back to her usual volume.

"Let's go," Nazrat said, her eyes meeting Noor's for a brief moment.

They walked towards the durbar, Noor's hands fisted in her gauzy, red fabric of her skirt the entire way. She let go only when the doors opened, and they were shown in.

She met Rajkumar Vikram's eyes. They exchanged a brief look before he glanced away. She swallowed and glanced at Sher Rakim.

The man was drinking from his goblets. Noor felt a shiver run up her back as she watched him. Sher Rakim, with his silver-specked beard and hair almost looked like a benevolent grandfather. But when he looked up, and she caught his dark eyes, she could read the malice in his expression.

She let her eyes linger on him and then glanced away shyly as the music started. She glanced at him multiple times as she danced, making her gestures even more suggestive than usual, her stomach turning at what she was doing.

He was watching her intently, eyes fixed on her like they used to be after her mother's passing, like he could see his favorite dancer in her. He hardly glanced at Nazrat or Nihaal as they performed.

Noor threw one last glance at him as the dance ended and turned, not daring to spare even a look at either of the Rajkumars. She walked in silence until they reached their quarters and waited outside, letting everyone else go in.

"What's wrong?" Haqiya asked, stopping.

Noor shook her head. "Nothing. You go in, I have some business with Nazrat."

Haqiya nodded doubtfully but walked inside. Noor waited.

Nazrat was one of the last to reach. She walked up to Noor, her twin following her.

"Noor, are you sure about this?" Nihaal whispered.

Noor nodded.

"Then let's go," Nazrat said lowly. She gestured with her head, and Noor followed her. They walked in complete silence through the palace, Noor keeping her head down as they reached the nobles' wing.

Nazrat stopped in a dark hall. She grabbed Noor's hand and shoved something into it.

Noor glanced down at the tiny box and opened it, her eyes narrowing at the dark powder inside.

"Use it on him when you need to," Nazrat said. Noor had to strain to hear her voice. "It'll make him...compliant to whatever you want to do. Unconscious, for an hour."

Noor nodded and slipped it into the folds of her dress, somewhere Sher Rakim wouldn't be able to reach if she was careful. They started moving again.

Nazrat halted in front of a dark corridor, sword-bearing guards lining the walls.