THE DANCING GIRL

Chapter 10

NOOR had taken a nap.

So she was awake. And ready for a night of studying. So was Amir.

This time, they heard the Rajkumars coming into the library. Something clanged, there was a curse—most likely Rajkumar Fayyaz— and then footsteps.

Noor and Amir exchanged a look before standing up, turning in the direction of the noise. They could see the Rajkumars walking towards them, Rajkumar Vikram holding a candle.

"Awake today?" Rajkumar Fayyaz grinned, his eyes twinkling.

"Most definitely," Noor murmured.

"Take your books then," Rajkumar Vikram said, his eyes roaming over their table full of books. "As many as you can carry only."

Noor breathed out a laugh, taking up three, and Amir did the same.

Rajkumar Fayyaz tilted his head to the side. "Come." The brothers began walking back in the direction they'd come. Noor and Amir exchanged a confused look and followed.

The Rajkumars led them through a row of bookshelves, finally stopping in front of a shelf covering a wall.

"What are we doing here?" Amir asked.

Rajkumar Fayyaz gave them a sly grin. As they watched, he pushed aside the bookshelf, and—

The wall behind it moved.

Noor blinked. There was just another bookshelf behind the wall. Were there some forbidden books or something?

Then Rajkumar Fayyaz reached up, his heels rising as well until he was on his toes, and pulled a thin book on one of the higher shelves. He fell down onto his heels as the book became horizontal, and the bookshelf moved.

Noor watched, her eyes wide, as the bookshelf moved to the side without a sound, revealing a dark tunnel hidden behind it.

"A secret passage," Amir whispered, echoing her thoughts.

The Rajkumars turned to them with matching proud grins. Rajkumar Fayyaz gestured at the passage. "After you."

Rajkumar Vikram gave Amir the candle, and Noor and Amir stepped forward into the tunnel, light flickering onto the bare, grey walls and floor. She turned, watching the Rajkumars walk in.

Rajkumar Vikram lifted his hand and pulled at an empty torch-holder on the wall. The bookshelves and the wall slid back into place, leaving the candle the only source of light in the dim tunnel.

"Wow," Amir said. His expression was still stunned. Noor couldn't blame him.

Rajkumar Fayyaz chuckled at the look on his face. "We did tell you there were secret passages. Now, come on."

Still awed, Noor walked with down the tunnel with the rest of them, the candle in Amir's hands highlighting any sharp turns.

"We used this passage all the time when we were children, after Baba and Appa chose us," Rajkumar Vikram said as they walked. "Baba showed us all the secret passages, but this one goes straight to the royals' suite, and, well, we both loved to read."

"Speak for yourself," Rajkumar Fayyaz muttered. "I was just dragged along all the time. And I had nothing better to do."

"Liar." Rajkumar Vikram laughed. "You loved to read as much as I did."

Rajkumar Fayyaz rolled his eyes but didn't argue further.

"When did your fathers choose you?" Noor asked curiously.

Rajkumar Vikram narrowed his eyes, his lips twisting to the side. "I was four years, I believe. Fayyaz was almost three. I don't remember much before they took us in."