Page 55 of The Moon's Fury

“Soraya, get back—”

“Even a mild graze can be fatal—the wounds turn green within the hour. There’s no known antidote. If I can procure a sample, study its properties, I can—”

“Soraya bint Khahleel!” her mother shouted. “Did you leave your moonsdamned mind in Alzahra? Wefledour home! We need to get to safety! Your father indulged your free-spirited interests too much, and now look at you! No common sense at all, ready to traipse over to a poisonous bush!” She gritted her teeth and added, “Get back. On this horse.Immediately.”

Soraya looked stricken. Her lips were parted, and she stared at her mother in shock, brown eyes glistening.

He wanted to maim Hadiyah.

Murder her.

Make hersufferfor dimming the light in Soraya’s eyes.

Fearless Soraya, who had barged in and shocked the entire Nahrysban council into silence and refused to leave until they listened to her agricultural projects.

His sword called to him, urging him to cut Hadiyah down for the defeated slope in Soraya’s shoulders.

Soraya pressed her lips into a firm line and replaced her journal in the leather satchel. Silently, she remounted Zar and snapped his reins, and he quickly urged Ahmar into keeping pace.

A thousand and one sharp words flitted through his mind. A thousand and one times, he bit them back.

He had vowed to safeguard Soraya’s life.

Her heart was not his to protect, least of all, from her mother.

Soraya was quiet as they made camp near a small grove of trees. He managed to hunt three rabbits for dinner, and she said not a word during their meal either.

When they set up their bedrolls, he placed his closer to Hadiyah’s and Soraya’s—it was much cooler at night this deep in the Mountains, even if they were just passing through the base.

Hadiyah’s hawk eyes zeroed in on him. “What are you doing?” she snapped.

He lifted his chin. “The nights are cold. We should share body heat—”

“We aren’tsharinganything with you. Sleep next to the horses if you wish to stay warm.”

Soraya looked horrified, and it was the first emotion she’d shown since that afternoon. “Mama, I’ve never known you to be so cruel. Let him sleep here!” His heart warmed at her defense, though a lick of shame crawled up his spine and mocked him—she readily defended him, but he had not said a word when Hadiyah cruelly berated her.

Soraya continued, brows drawn tightly together as she glared at her mother. “He’s risking his life to bring us to Shahbaad. He brought Almeer to safety…”

Almeer.

He didn’t hear anything else.

Ice-cold water doused whatever warmth had alighted in his veins.

“It’s all right, Soraya,” he said quietly. He relocated his bedroll near Ahmar and Zar, then sat by the fire.

After Hadiyah fell asleep, he waited for Soraya to come sit beside him.

But she didn’t, and eventually, her light snores reached his ears.

He studied her sleeping form—somehow, she looked smaller tonight.

Jamil rubbed his temples, his mind warring with itself.

He sighed.

Decision made, he rose and checked the camp perimeter before gently waking Ahmar.