Zahra

Raman taps his fingers on his throne armrests, gazing at me with utter fascination. His lips purse, I can tell he's deep in thought.

A shiver runs down my spine. My inner animal instincts detect the gaze of a predator.

Raman is a man who is not accustomed to hearing, no. I can imagine he's likely resenting Mahmud with every ounce of his being for prophesying that Mahmud is destined to take his kingdom.

"Princess Lilly must not know about this," Raman finally says. "It would break her heart, Mahmud. Do you understand?"

"I will spare the life of your horse-shifter, but she must join Shala in my harem, for I believe a woman with such abilities should only belong to the king. You will inherit my harem after my death. Then the horse shifter will once again be yours. But until such a time, Zahra will belong to me."

My blood runs cold at his words. Belong to the nasty King Raman?

"I will not," I state coldly. "I belong to no one."

"You are crazy as well as bewitched, woman," Raman says, licking his lips and leaning forward. "Whether you are a woman or a horse here in Kanan, you must belong to someone. And I say you belong to me."

Mahmud winces visibly, he knows that sort of talk has never been agreeable to my spirit.

"I will never belong to you!" I snort, my words coming out before I can stop them.

"Do you wish to see your lover, dead?" King Raman asks.

"You wouldn't dare kill the gods' anointed," I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

Raman closes his mouth and raises his chin. He's thinking again. He turns to Mahmud. "You marry my daughter tonight, Mahmud."

"I will marry Zahra, I am in love with her," Mahmud says, his expression stony. I note as the torches in the throne room brighten, and Mahmud's eyes flicker with fire in them.

My heart swells with pride for him.

"I knew you didn't want to marry my daughter when we talked earlier, now you voice your treachery, how you never intended to," Raman says with a shake of his head. "What treachery, you were only attempting to buy time. But what if I were to tell you that you have no choice?"

Raman raises his hands as if to the heavens. "All the other magi predicted what you did. After Shala told me they were lying they came clean while I tortured them to death. They just never admitted your name because they did not know it. Now I know your name, now I know you have an abomination as your mistress. You are a disgrace to humankind. Your father should have killed you when you were a boy. He failed his entire kingdom by not doing so and gains his own death sentence now. For he did not raise you to respect your king either." Raman nods to one of his guard, who grabs hold of Rosh and raises a scimitar to Rosh's throat.

Mahmud's eyes widen. "No!" Mahmud shouts. But King Raman nods and the blade of the guard slides across Rosh's throat.

As Rosh collapses gurgling to the ground, his blood pooling on the marble floor, it brings me back to Aura. Watching my own parents die in a similar fashion.

Mahmud cries out in rage, and a whirlwind hits the guard with such force that it sends the man and Rosh's body flailing into the back wall. Tears well in Mahmud's eyes.

"Is that all?" Raman looks bored by Mahmud's use of elemental power. "I was expecting something far more fearsome than that. Bind his wrists! And bring the horse-woman to me!"

Two guards approach Mahmud, they are men who served under Mahmud on the battlefield, but they do not seem to care about this brotherhood. Mahmud throws the first, Faskar, off of him, but the second, Baynon, draws a scimitar and raises it to Mahmud's throat.

I try to think on my feet. What do I do? Do I fight them? Is now the time to fight?

Do I shift into my more substantial form here? Or is that playing into what Raman wants?

"That a horse-fucker should be king of Kanan, what obscenity!" Baynon whispers with contempt at Mahmud.

"However, this horse-fucker is going to be king, Baynon," Raman says, "I cannot disobey the gods. He simply needs to go about it in a way that cleanses him from his sins and makes him legitimate. He must marry my daughter, become my son, and give over his witch to me to be punished."

"What will you do with her?" Mahmud asks, the whites of his eyes showing like that of a frightened stallion as they bind his hands.

"I understand you will not play along if I don't keep her from harm," Raman says, he rolls his eyes. "So consider her collateral, my boy. If you do not wed and properly consummate with my daughter tonight, I will be as ruthless with her as I was with your wicked father. Except I won't let it be a fast execution. I will first whore her out to all my cavalry, the men and their horses and make you watch."

My stomach does a turn. He's dead serious.

"Am I lying, Shala? Tell Captain Mahmud," King Raman says with a cat-like grin, nodding at the wise woman.

"His majesty will do exactly as he says," Shala says to Mahmud.

What an evil spirit that exists in this room!

Mahmud vomits on Baynon and Faskar as they drag him from the room, he's slumping, defeated.

My eyes fix on Raman. Not on your life, evil one.

The horse-shifters believe the god of the dead, Daknet, has a giant cobra, Hasmet, that will swallow the souls of the evil dead at the gates of the afterlife. At one time I'd thought such a punishment harsh... but after what happened to my parents and upon meeting Raman, I've decided I understand why Daknet would keep such a beast.

"Will you reconsider my original offer then, Zahra, consent to belong to my harem?" King Raman asks.

I now understand to fight Raman at this time could very well lead to my death and the death of my beloved. I have to keep my emotions in check.

"I will consent to what you said," I say, bowing with my head to the ground. "I will be in your harem and serve you, my king."

"Are you capable then of obedience, horse witch?" King Raman says with a grin. "Did I earn your respect?"

"You did," I say, even though I hate saying it, I have to be smart, for Mahmud's sake. I can wait for a window of opportunity.

"I cannot have you attend the wedding, I would not wish to disturb my beautiful daughter's happiness, but I can have you waiting in my chambers after the ceremony with Shala," Raman states, "you can prove to me your obedience then."