THE DANCING GIRL

Chapter 23

NOOR awoke to footsteps.

She rubbed her crusty eyes. She hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep. Her shoulders were aching after spending hours against that cold, stony wall.

She glanced at Amir, who was still sitting beside her. He was looking past the bars, his eyes terrified. Noor followed his gaze.

It was Sher Rakim.

She stood up immediately, curling her fingers into fists.

He was flanked by two bulky guards, and there were bars in between them. Still, she itched to get her hands on him. Just once. It would be all she needed.

"Lamb," Sher Rakim said, his face impossibly smug. "I must say, I am disappointed at what you've done."

"You will pay for this," Noor said, staring him dead in the eye. "The Rajkumars won't leave you."

Sher Rakim hummed, tilting his head to the side. "No, I don't think I will," he said lightly. "Haven't you heard?" His eyes sharpened. "The younger Rajkumar is poisoned, soon to die...the older one is sure to follow."

Noor sucked in a breath.

"What?" It was Amir. He walked forward, next to her, and Noor couldn't the last time he'd sounded so angry. Or so afraid.

Sher Rakim grinned, like they'd just given him what he wanted. "Well, you didn't think the younger Rajkumar would survive, did you? The poison, apparently, was too strong." He made a mock-pitying face. "They say the older one is too grieved to leave his bedside."

Noor couldn't breathe.

"You are despicable," Amir breathed, his face disgusted.

Sher Rakim narrowed his eyes. "Whatever I might be, I know how to get what I want."

Noor found her voice. "And you want the throne."

Sher Rakim blinked at her, almost innocently. "Why, I never said that, lamb."

"Don't call me that," she hissed.

"Does it bother you?" Sher Rakim asked, his lips splitting into a wide grin. "You seemed quite fond of it then, didn't you?"

Noor glared.

"How did you know?" Amir asked, his voice cold. "Because of what she did that night?"

Sher Rakim looked at him. "That was enough to awaken my suspicions, yes. But I might never have known if I hadn't heard that Noor Kassab had paid off half her debts to the snakes, and yet she was still coming to me for money."

Ya'Qarzha.

How could she have been so stupid?

Sher Rakim grinned triumphantly. "And I'd heard you were smart. I must confess, I haven't seen much of it."

She wasn't going to respond. She wasn't going to say even one word more to this monster.

Noor exchanged a glance, who seemed to share the sentiment. There was nothing they could do, not now. Not unless one of the Rajkumars came for them, and that—that might not happen.

She pressed her lips together tightly and walked to the back of the cell, sitting down against the wall. Amir sat beside her, and they stared at Sher Rakim silently.

"I see." Sher Rakim chuckled. "This conversation seems to be over. Very well." He turned to his guards. "Stay here. They will not leave."

The guards made no response, other than nodding and standing on either side of the cell near the wall, their swords held tight.