down. I have failed the world, failed in my duty. My mistakes will haunt me until I die. But I can still do good. I can pass the ghosts. I can vow to never make the same mistakes again.”
In that moment, something shifts in the air, as if a door has opened on a long-shut room. Spirits flow from Mauth’s realm into the Waiting Place. Hundreds—no, thousands. All those who died here, those who fed the Sea of Suffering this day.
The force of their presence nearly brings me to my knees. They will stay away from the jinn grove, for they dislike it as much as the jinn themselves. But soon enough, their cries will require the humans to find some sort of refuge.
As one, the jinn look to the trees. Maro steps toward them, perhaps feeling the same compulsion that is upon me. Then he shakes himself and turns, walking back into the Sher Jinnaat. Most of the jinn follow him.
But not all.
The jinn Talis stands alone, his human body slowly slipping into a deep carmine flame with a cerulean heart. He raises his hand to the trees, beckoning.
A group of spirits emerge and flow to him. The red of his flame deepens, and he walks with them into the Sher Jinnaat, head tilted as they speak their pain. When he reaches the first buildings, he stops and turns.
“Leave the bodies, Banu al-Mauth,” he says. “They will not be tampered with. I will see them buried.” Then he is gone, the knot of ghosts trailing after.
As he leaves, jinn voices rise on the air, a chorus with layer upon layer of melody, hair-raising and beautiful. The air quivers with the force of their song, and Mauth speaks.
A lament for the Meherya, he says. An elegy for their fallen king.
“Only one returned out of hundreds, Mauth.” I glance toward the city, where Talis has disappeared. “I failed you.”
Without you, all would have been lost, Banu al-Mauth. One is a beginning. And for now, that is enough.
* * *
«««
Hundreds are injured and thousands are dead. The ghosts call to me, begging to be seen, heard, sent to the other side. But I must speak with Mamie and Shan, with Afya and Spiro, with Gibran and Aubarit. I must spend time with the Fakirs and Fakiras and give them guidance on how to move forward with so many of their elders lost. Quin, bleeding from a dozen wounds in the infirmary, demands my presence, and it takes hours to persuade the Paters to leave the bodies of the dead.
But by dawn the morning after the battle, the army is ready to march, and I have spoken with everyone I need to.
Well. Almost everyone.
Laia finds me near the road that will lead the army out of the Waiting Place. The Blood Shrike, Musa, and I are discussing how the troops should handle any rogue ghosts. When Laia appears, Musa kicks the Shrike in the ankle.
“What the hells, Musa—oh—”
The Shrike gives me a dark look—Don’t you hurt her, Elias—and disappears with the Scholar man.
“You will not ride with us?” Laia pulls me toward the trees, for though Rehmat is gone, Laia’s magic remains. Some part of the jinn queen still lives within her—within Musa and the Blood Shrike. Enough that most of the ghosts leave them be.
“The spirits call.” I want to take her hands but restrain myself. Nothing will make this easier. There’s no reason to make it more difficult. “Even with Talis, there are too many ghosts to pass.”
I reach into my pocket. The armlet that she returned months ago is still with me, though far more intricately carved than before, as I’ve been working on it in every quiet moment I’ve had. Do I give it to her? Will she reject it? It’s not done yet. Perhaps I should wait.
“Laia—”
“I do not—”
We speak at the same time, and I gesture for her to go first.
“I do not want you to grieve what we have, Elias.” She lifts her hand as a Tala blossom drifts into it. “You are alive. Wherever I am, I will know that somewhere in the world, you exist, and that you are at peace. That is enough for me.”
“Well, it might be enough for you,” a voice rasps from the shadows of the forest, “but it’s not enough for me.”
Laia and I both stare for long moments at the figure that emerges from the shadows, small and white-haired, with ocean-blue eyes that are hard as agate, but
<<Previous page A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 1 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 2 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 3 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 4 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 5 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 6 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 7 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 8 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 9 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 10 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 11 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 12 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 13 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 14 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 15 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 16 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 17 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 18 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 19 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 20 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 21 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 22 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 23 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 24 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 25 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 26 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 27 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 28 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 29 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 30 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 31 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 32 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 33 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 34 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 35 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 36 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 37 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 38 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 39 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 40 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 41 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 42 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 43 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 44 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 45 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 46 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 47 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 48 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 49 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 50 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 51 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 52 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 53 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 54 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 55 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 56 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 57 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 58 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 59 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 60 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 61 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 62 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 63 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 64 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 65 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 66 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 67 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 68 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 69 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 70 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 71 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 72 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 73 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 74 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 75 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 76 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 77 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 78 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 79 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 80 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 81 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 82 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 83 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 84 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 85 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 86 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 87 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 88 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 89 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 90 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 91 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 92 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 93 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 94 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 95 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 96 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 97 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 98 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 99 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 100 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 101 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 102 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 103 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 104 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 105 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 106 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 107 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 108 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 109 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 110 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 111 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 112 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 113 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 114 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 115 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 116 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 117 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 118 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 119 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 120 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 121 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 122 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 123 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 124 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 125 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 126 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 127 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 128 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 129 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 130 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 131 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 132 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 133 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 134 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 135 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 136 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 137 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 138 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 139 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 140 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 141 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 142 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 143 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 144 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 145 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 146 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 147 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 148 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 149 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 150 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 151 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 152 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 153 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 154 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 155 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 156 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 157 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 158 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 159 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 160 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 161 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 162 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 163 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 164 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 165 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 166 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 167 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 168 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 169 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 170 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 171 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 172 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 173 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 174 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 175 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 176 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 177 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 178 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 179 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 180 A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) - Sabaa Tahir - Page 181
Next page>>