One Night

Chapter Thirty Eight

Alara

Wind makes my hair fly in all directions, as we sail towards the palace in Qadura. Having the faint glow of the sun on my skin again feels like a drug.

I take a deep breath. The smell of the salt and the air brings back some familiarity.

This moment is mine, it feels peaceful and beautiful and for once, I'm not trying to steal, I'm not trying to run, I can be still and simply exist.

Thanks to my father. My real, actual father. Now that I know the truth, I can see signs of it in the angle of his eyes and the curve of his smile. Or maybe it's simply because I'm looking for signs; for this to be true.

My fingers brush against the scar on my neck. I'd always thought it was a burn mark. It turns out, there are people who live between Aleamiq and Diyar; traders who move between the under water world and land. They're the ones who bear this mark, as it gives them access to both worlds.

There's so much about this land, about this world, that I have no knowledge of. I want to learn about all of it, and hopefully I can now that I know who my father is.

An arm slides around my shoulders, and someone pulls me into their side. I know it's Zayen without looking. I learn closer to him.

"We have a boat," he says. "Do we have a plan?"

I shake my head. "How is there any way to plan when we don't know what's waiting for us?"

Another set of arms wrap around both Zayen and I. "Lucky for you two, I do," Nawaz says.

He has a grin on his face that is so wide it might reach Qadura before us.

His royal highness has been living his best life, having access to the palace in Diyar and all it's luxuries, as well as being able to go out and explore the city as he pleases.

He has nothing to lose, so why should we trust his plan? It's unlikely that he'll go against his father.

"Let's hear it, then?" Zayen says. He watches Nawaz with reservation and hesitance.

"We have to kill my father."

Zayen and I glance at each other.

"While you two were loafing around, making art and love or whatever, I've been reading from the books in the palace in Wadi. My father has been lying to me about everything—aside from you being my brother. His plans, they . . . He needs to be stopped." He slaps Zayen playfully on the arm. "I say we take over, brother? What do you say?"

"Okay, but how do we stop your dad?" I ask.

"With your greatest weapon." Nawaz gestures to himself. "Surprise."

~~*~~

The endless trip back to the Qadura was painful. My father—if he's being truthful about his relation, although he'd have no reason to help me otherwise—lent us a ship and a map and a man who knows his way around the ocean.

But if the three day journey has taught me anything it's that the ocean is more dangerous above than it is below, with wild storms creating waves that nearly turned the boat upside down.

When my feet finally touch land again, I nearly fall over.

Zayen catches me by the elbow and steadies me, a small smile on his face.

"Don't look at me like that," I demand.

That only makes his smile grow wide. "Like what, habibti?" He still doesn't let me go, his touch calming in the wake of everything to come.

Even though we were stuck alone on a ship, I distanced myself from Zayen—busing myself with washing the decks and polishing spare weapons and absolutely anything to avoid looking him in the eyes.

Nothing has felt real from the moment Zayen caught me stealing in the souk, but reality is slowly creeping closer and I'm going to have to face it.

Zayen and Nawaz have been doing most of the planning, deciding how they are going to rule together and who they want in their court—Nawaz taking the lead since he knows the ins and outs of politics, with Zayen taking charge of handing the people and relations and making the land safer for its people.

They're both inspiring, and watching them has made my heart swell, but I know that I have no place in this world. When this is over, I'm not a part of their future.

I go back to my reality, hopefully with my mother at my side, and I will have to find a way to survive once again. Without Zayen.

The thought of it leaves a hole inside me. Distancing from him has felt more impossible than anything I have had to survive this far.

I want to reach out for him, to have him hold me again. There's something so lovely about feeling wanted. It's something that was too unrealistic to dream about.

The only sound that follows us in the streets, like shadows, is the slow crunching of rocks beneath our boots. Until that sound turns into something louder, fiercer—chanting, coming from . . . the palace?

When we reach the growing crowd, I see that it's not chants. It's a celebration. People are dancing and cheering and smiling.

We push our way through the crowd, but when people notice Nawaz, they part for him.

I watch everyone closely, but nobody is giving any clues to what might be going on. As soon as we are spotted, eyes shift to us, and they watch us like prey.

~~*~~

Another chapter coming tomorrow! :)

T w i t t e r : xPineappleGirlx
I n s t a g r a m : laylaawrites
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