It seemed to hesitate, to search.
And then, without warning, it dove for Abu Sayf.
The older scout jerked back as the vapor rushed past his face, swarming his copper relic. It dissolved in the blink of an eye, the liquid metal shimmering in a coppery haze that vanished into his ear.
There was a moment of startled, horrified shock on his face, and then he howled, clutching his head.
“Abu Sayf!” the younger djinn cried out.
The other man didn’t respond. Blood was streaming from his eyes, ears, and nose, mixed with the coppery vapors.
Kaveh gasped, covering his mouth. “Is that … is that what my Jamshid …”
“I suspect Jamshid found an earlier version of my notes,” Manizheh replied. “This is far more advanced.” She fell briefly silent as Abu Sayf grew still, his unseeing eyes fixed on the sky, and then she swallowed loud enough for Dara to hear. “It’s attracted to Geziri relics and grows upon consuming them, pressing upon the brain until it kills its bearer.”
Dara couldn’t take his eyes off Abu Sayf. His bloody body was twisted, his face frozen in a mask of anguish. Manizheh’s explanation sent a chill through him, extinguishing the flames swirling over his limbs.
He tried to recover some semblance of his wits. “But it is magic. If you tried this on Ghassan, he would just use the seal.”
“It works as well without magic.” She pulled free her scalpel. “If you remove the magic as Nahid blood does, as Suleiman’s seal does …” She cut her thumb, squeezing out a drop of black blood. It landed on a tendril of vapor rising from Abu Sayf’s corpse, and a jagged shard of copper fell instantly to the bloody snow. “… that’s what you get in your skull.”
The other scout was still trying to twist free of his binds as he yelled in Geziriyya. And then he started to scream.
The vapor was creeping toward his feet.
“No!” he cried as it wrapped around his body, winding toward his ear. “No—”
His scream cut off, and this time Dara did glance away, fixing his gaze on Mardoniye’s body until the second scout fell silent.
“Well,” Manizheh said grimly. There was no triumph in her voice. “I suppose it works.”
At his side, Kaveh swayed. Dara steadied him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You want me to give this to Ghassan?” the wazir said hoarsely.
Manizheh nodded. “Vizaresh has designed one of his old rings so that a false jewel may be filled with the vapor. You need merely break it in Ghassan’s presence. It will kill every Geziri in the room.”
It will kill every Geziri in the room. Kaveh looked like he was about to be sick, and Dara didn’t blame him.
Even so, he spoke up. “I can do it. The grand wazir need not risk himself.”
“He does,” Manizheh countered, though the quiet worry was audible in her voice. “We don’t know if Ghassan will be able to use Suleiman’s seal on you, Dara. We can’t risk finding out. He needs to be dead before you step into the palace, and Kaveh’s position ensures him easy and relatively unguarded access.”
“But—”
“I will do it.” Kaveh’s voice was no less frightened, but it was determined. “For what he did to Jamshid, I will do it.”
Dara’s stomach tightened. He stared at the dead scouts, the cool earth steaming as their copper-flecked blood spread. So this was what Manizheh had been working on so diligently the past few months.
Did you think this wouldn’t be vicious? Dara knew war. He knew—more than anyone alive—just what the Nahids could be capable of.
But by the Creator, did he hate seeing this violence claim her.
It claimed Mardoniye as well, he reminded himself. It claimed Nahri and Jamshid. Ghassan had been terrorizing and killing Daevas for years. If victory for his people meant the king and a few of his guards died painfully, that was not a cost Dara would protest. He would end this war and ensure Manizheh never had to resort to anything like this again.
He cleared his throat. “It sounds as if you should pack, Kaveh. Now, if you will both excuse me …” He headed for Mardoniye’s body. “I have a warrior to put to rest.”
DARA BUILT MARDONIYE’S FUNERAL PYRE WITH HIS own hands and stayed at its side until it was reduced to ash, the smoldering remains throwing a weak light into the dark night. Dara was alone by then; Manizheh had overseen rites and then left to see Kaveh off, while Dara ordered the rest of