Page 73 of The Jasad Crown

At first blush, it came across as extreme vanity. But Sefa had watched Vaida as she watched herself in the mirror. The intensity of it had been an unpleasant reminder of the days following Sylvia’s stabbing in the Ivory Palace. After Sylvia had woken, she asked Wes for the knife they’d pulled out of her chest. When the reluctant guard handed it over, Sylvia had wiped the blade against her pants and traced her thumb over the sharp end before tucking it into her boot.

Vaida regarded her reflection with the same cold determination Sylvia had for the knife that almost killed her.

Sefa hurried to keep up with Vaida’s long stride. “Sultana, are you certain this is safe? I can catch the driver and ask him to summon your guards.”

The narrow-eyed look Vaida shot her invited Sefa to shut her mouth.

They turned the corner, and Sefa gasped as the Sultana grabbed her arm. “Watch where you walk,” Vaida hissed.

Sefa had nearly stepped onto the lawn of one of the dome houses, where several tall bushes with… were those arms?

Vaida, once again demonstrating a disturbing affinity for reading Sefa’s mind, offered, “Lafa Souda. See those vines? Each has its ownspine keeping it upright. They trap any trespassers within reach and hold them until the owner arrives.”

“How do they know not to trap the owner?” Sefa studied the turgid vines warily.

“The gardener mixes a quart of the owner’s blood into the watering pot while the Lafa Souda is growing. It won’t trap what it recognizes.”

Sefa shuddered. The plants in Raya’s garden may have been unremarkable and overwatered, but they’d been a source of joy. Sefa couldn’t imagine growing a living thing out of anything but love.

They walked until Sefa could feel the pulse in her legs.

“Would you like me to intervene?”

Vaida posed the question like they were in the middle of a conversation Sefa had forgotten to take part in.

“Intervene?”

Vaida gestured above her neck. “Your head. Thedistractions. Would you like me to intervene?”

An arched brow confirmed Sefa’s suspicion. Vaida knew the truth. Somehow, she had figured out the staff were making her miserable. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Sefa’s very presence in the Ivory Palace was evidence of Vaida’s unrelenting surveillance.

Sefa imagined what would happen if she answeredyes. If the staff disliked her now, they would positively despise her for tattling to the Sultana. The antics wouldn’t stop; they would only get more discreet and creative.

Sefa shook her head. “I can take care of it myself.”

“Good.” A wan smile played at the Lukub ruler’s mouth. “A bit of advice, darling. You have no talent for deception, and my staff has no tolerance for weakness.”

Vaida’s gaze drifted over the tapestry of stars stitched over the night sky. “Do you know that before Rovial unleashed his madness on the kingdoms, it was Baira who was the most hated of theAwaleen? Her illusions terrified them. She could create worlds within our minds, and her enemies were bound to whatever reality she spun for them. What they loved, what they feared, what they hated… she would thread it all through the eye of her magic. Some even think her beauty itself was an illusion, shifting to appeal to whichever eyes beheld her.”

Sefa stared at Vaida. A claim so egregious could get someone killed in certain parts of the kingdoms. To hear it coming from Baira’s descendant herself…

“Do you?” Sefa heard herself ask. “Think her beauty was an illusion, I mean.”

The light from the string of lanterns swaying between the domes flickered in Vaida’s dark eyes like trapped flames.

“I think knowing what is real is beyond the reach of mortals and Awaleen alike.”

They veered into a tight alley, forcing Sefa to fall a step behind the Sultana. The walls lengthened, curving around them like a steadily closing jaw. Rocks rolled forward as the clean white stones gave way to pebbled dirt.

At the end of the alley, a hooded figure stepped out of the shadows. Startled, Sefa caught Vaida’s sleeve, tugging her back. Vaida peeled her fingers off. “Don’tgrab, Zahra. It’s uncouth. Come, you can meet a friend of mine.”

Tempted to engage in further uncouth behavior and sprint out of the alley, Sefa forced herself to follow the Sultana to the hooded figure.

The lanky man bowed deeply, sweeping down his hood. A crop of reddish-brown hair sat above a hawkish face. Grayish-green eyes momentarily swept over Sefa before returning to the Sultana. “Your Majesty.”

“Did you find it?”

“Not yet. I came to ask your permission to expand the search east.”

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