This book is a sequel to Khalifa and cannot be read as a standalone. To avoid spoilers, description and excerpt are added inside the book.
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Started: May 2, 2022.
Completed: December 3, 2022.
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cover by @xniftykayx
Love is a hurricane wrapped inside a chrysalis. And you're a girl walking into the storm.
— Lang Leav
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Him
The night has fallen. He sits on the chair in his chamber where he studies some documents under candlelight. The fire burns in the fireplace, providing him warmth against the cold, trying to pull him into a slumber. But he struggles to keep awake despite his body aching from exhaustion.
His wife is humming a song. She comes to stand behind him and gathers back his hair in her hands. He closes his eyes and she begins to tie it for him.
"Do you want me to bring you milk?" she asks.
He's unable to respond, too molten into the pleasure of her fingers in his hair. She says something again which he misses. Moments later he feels her walking away. He wants to reach out and hold her back, her absence clawing at his half awake senses, but he's too tired to move, and soon sleep overtakes him.
There's a dream. It dissolves into another one. Then it begins to blur, then starts to fade away. His consciousness begins to resurface as he feels a touch over his cheek, someone grazing it in a feather caress, distant but real, almost hesitant as if trying to hold back from a sin but failing. He's shaken awake from his slumber.
"Noura?"
He parts his eyelids slightly. The person leaning over him gasps and quickly tries to move away. But he latches onto their wrist.
He composes his posture, by now his sleep having completely left him, and glowers at who he finds before him.
"What do you think you're doing, woman?"
She stutters but is unable to respond, shock and panic making her eyes go round.
A shadow forms in his peripheral vision and he turns towards the doors. But before he could see who it was to have witnessed the scenario, they're gone.
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Her
She navigates her way through the corridors towards the library. There's no one accompanying her, all her servants dismissed for the night and Daud sent to fetch milk for her husband. She moves furtively towards her destination.
Her steps are light, nimble, but hurried. There is only limited time she can spare before she must return to her chamber. Adam has drifted off on his chair, and Daud won't take long to be back. Finding her gone isn't something which will be appreciated.
But she cannot do what she's about to do in broad daylight. Especially at Daud always on watch and reporting everything to Adam. She knows Adam won't appreciate her meeting Daryush after he has forbidden her. But she cannot just sit back and do nothing while he suffers at anyone's hands. This is her chance.
