‘Captain’ Valiqa, Nihal, and Mona remained near the entrance of the First Shell, leaving Ananya and Mehar to guide Melly and Elias the rest of the way. Elias kept a wary eye for the girls to disperse into the shadows or follow at a distance. Valiqa watched him just as intensely in return. The confidence in her knowing smile set him ill at ease.

  Melly had painted Magni as a tyrant, and Naeemah as Ichi’s true successor. Elias wished to believe her without a doubt, but a woman’s kindness may have been his undoing in his prior life. As much as he disliked the very thought, keeping her at arm’s length would be best for now. He would need to judge Naeemah on her own merits.

  Four more guards stood stalwart at the enormous metal doors to the fortress, two flanking either side. Their armor appeared more regal than Valiqa’s and her counterpart’s. Pristine white fabric edged with gold embroidery formed short sleeves and a hood, then vanished beneath dark corsets before hanging loose over their dark trousers. Leather pauldrons and bracers flecked with gold guarded their shoulders and hands, and golden headbands crowned their hair.

  A red-haired guard who stood nearest them approached, looked amongst their group, then nodded at Elias. “Normally, I would ask your business, but Queen Naeemah will want to see you immediately.” Her eyes lingered on Elias’s ear, then flickered to his tail. “Interesting.” She shook her head and glanced at the others. “I can only allow one additional guest to pass.”

  Ananya canted her head. “Just one?”

  “Yes. In the interest of Queen Naeemah’s safety, unless you have an appointment, group sizes are limited to two.” The guard adjusted the spear in her hand. “Who will accompany him?”

  “Melly will join me,” Elias said before it could turn into a squabble. While Ananya and Mehar seemed to have good intentions, Melly was his first choice to keep beside him should things continue as they were.

  Mehar touched Melly’s shoulder and nodded. “I believe that is for the best. Come, Ananya, we can wait in the Twin Tails.”

  “We’ll meet you there.” Melly smiled and waved them away before turning back to the guard.

  “I’ll need your weapons,” the guard said.

  Elias stiffened. While there was little chance that he could defend himself against a contingency of guards, even with Melly’s help, dying without a fight was considered a sin by his clan. “Is that truly necessary?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s alright, Elias.” Melly unhooked her [Cat Pack] from her waist and passed it forward. “She’ll return them once we come back out.”

  That isn’t the issue… This fortress was unfamiliar, enclosed, and filled with armed catgirls. His skill in hand-to-hand combat was passable, but paled in comparison to his practice with the spear and dagger. Oriana, keep me in your light.

  Melly could not understand the level of trust he placed in her as Elias handed over his spear.

  “And your [Cat Pack].”

  Elias frowned, but complied. He had not thought to store weapons inside it. Perhaps it would be useful to him later.

  “Thank you.” The guard placed Elias’s spear in her [Cat Pack] and tied both Melly’s and Elias’s [Cat Pack]s around her hip, then withdrew a quill with a small journal. She flipped it open to an empty page and wrote as she spoke. “Elias and Melly, you said?”

  “Yes,” Melly replied.

  “Good.” She closed the book and nodded. “Come with me.”

  It took all four guards to open the doors. The polished metal sparkled in the morning sun, and there wasn’t a creak to be heard. As they stepped into the entrance hall, Elias found the same care and attention paid to the luxurious tiles and stained-glass windows. Not a speck of sand or dirt. The windows each depicted a different style of dragon, likely a remnant of Ichi’s last king. In his prior life, glass had always been a commodity for the wealthy, and the sheer abundance of it in the Second and First Shells was staggering.

  Coating the tiles was an enormous, floral design carefully outlined in a golden paint that called Elias’s attention. Specific petals in the design’s center were painted an eye-catching blue that dissolved into a white gradient. Its geometry was perfect, and warred with the lines of concrete that bound the ceramic squares beneath it—someone had painted this on long after the palace was built.

  “Not long ago, I would have offered a tour of the citadel,” the guard said quietly. “Now, however, I must ask you not to loiter.”

  “My apologies,” Elias said.

  They stayed close to the guard as she led them through a long hallway into the throne room. More dragon-filled stained-glass windows lined the far wall, and an empty dais stood just below. Where a monarch would typically greet their guests in a wide open space, there were long, wooden tables that filled the area from the foot of the dais to the opposite wall. Women in loose robes ladled food for kits into bowls at one table, another hosted a contingency of guards pouring over stacks of parchment, and at a third sat at least a dozen catgirls poking needles through fabric or patching leather shoes and armor. All eyes were consumed by their tasks, not sparing even a glance for the newcomers.

  “Wait right here,” the guard said. She left them standing at the entrance and crossed the throne room to the guards at the table.

  “These group sizes look far larger than two,” Elias quipped quietly.

  The corners of Melly’s lips twitched into a smile. “All of these women probably work in the castle.” She gestured to the kits. “Queen Naeemah feeds the kittens from the Third Shell every day. Their mothers were included until recently.”

  “Due to the murder?”

  Melly nodded.

  Elias watched as their guard tapped a woman’s shoulder, then took her aside. Naeemah certainly held herself like a queen. Her red silks stood out against the white and dark browns of her protectors. As she approached, Elias could see lines of experience etched into the corners of her eyes and mouth—she was at least a decade his senior. A thin, clean scar beneath her left eye suggested a beast’s claw or the edge of a blade. Piercing green eyes surveyed him with the precision of a hunter, and her frown was skeptical.

  “Thank you for seeing us, Queen Naeemah.” Melly bowed deeply, and Elias imitated her.

  “Good morning, Melly. Welcome to Rājadhānī, Elias,” Naeemah replied. She was a head shorter than Elias, but that didn’t seem to intimidate her in the least. “Taraji didn’t jest. You are a…catman?”

  “‘Halino,’ where I come from. But your term is fine.” He straightened. “Simply ‘Elias’ is also quite effective.”

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  Naeemah smiled. It seemed genuine enough. “Might I invite you to speak somewhere more privately?”

  “If I can request that Melly join us?” At least if Naeemah tried to kill him, there would be a witness.

  “I don’t see why not.” Naeemah’s serpentine eyes flickered to Melly, and she nodded. If the idea bothered her, she was excellent at hiding it. “This way.”

  Elias and Melly followed her through another large hallway that branched from the throne room. There were guards stationed at its entrance, but they were the only three people to traverse its plush rugs once they passed them. Naeemah tugged a golden chain over her head, revealing a small key at its end. She paused at a room near the end of the hall, then slid the key into the lock.

  Inside was a grand desk topped with neat stacks of parchment and surrounded by shelves filled with books. A velvet-covered sofa was pushed against one wall with a blanket folded over its arm.

  Does she sleep here? It appeared more of an office than a bedroom, and a far cry from a queen’s bedchambers.

  “Can I offer you a drink?” Naeemah moved to a side table near the couch that held a glass decanter containing a deep red liquid and four goblets besides.

  “Thank you, my lady!” Melly said while Naeemah filled three of the goblets.

  While Elias still had his doubts about accepting drinks from beautiful women after Hadyée, refusing a drink from nobility was deeply frowned upon in his world. “You are very kind.”

  “It’s the least I can do.” She handed a goblet to Melly, then to Elias, then took one of her own. “When did you arrive, Elias?”

  Would Melly hiding him put her in a precarious situation? Still, nothing good came from relationships that began with a lie. “Late last night. Melly found me at the oasis.”

  Naeemah favored Melly with raised brows. “You went to the oasis after dark?”

  Melly blushed and looked into her goblet. “I ran out of whisper grains, my lady. I think every kitten in the Second Shell has the red strangler right now.” She laughed nervously. “The best time for me to collect materials is long after sundown, when I don’t have patients.”

  “It’s dangerous outside the city after dark.” There was an edge of panic to Naeemah’s tone that Elias found curious. “I understand how few healers we have, but you should not put yourself in such danger.”

  “Excuse me for saying, but I’ve lived here all my life, my lady. I know what awaits me in the sands.”

  Elias cleared his throat, and they both looked at him. He’d promised her that it would be the first topic he broached, and Melly could not have given him a better opportunity. “Melly tells me there’s a greenhouse in the First Shell. Could it not be used to help her grow the ingredients she needs?”

  Naeemah folded her arms over her chest, and her lips tightened into a thin line. “The greenhouse required extensive Spells, Enchantments, and refreshed Myana to maintain properly due to the number of nonnative plants it sustained. Maintaining them was not to our benefit. Unfortunately, once they were no longer active, nearly all of the fauna inside died.”

  “I could grow strictly Ichi Island herbs, flowers, and mushrooms!” Melly’s fingers tightened around her goblet. “There are a few from San Island and Shi Island that exist in similar climates to the oasis that I can try, and if they don’t take without Myana or Spells, then I won’t grow them.”

  The queen looked between them, her brow furrowed and pensive. “I cannot guarantee the current quality of the soil. Nor do I have the hands to spare to refurbish it.”

  “Then let me help her,” Elias said. “I’ve a fair hand at farming, and I can carry dirt from the oasis to get her started.” He took a drink and smiled. It was an earthy, rich wine that reminded him of home. “I believe you can spare me, yes?”

  A tiny, wry smile played at the corner of Naeemah’s mouth. Ah, more than you wish to say. “That brings me to my next question, Elias. Have you had the opportunity to speak with Melly or your iPaw regarding your duties here in Nyarlea?”

  “I have, yes.”

  “And, with that knowledge, what do you wish to do with your life on Ichi Island?” Naeemah’s eyes never left his face. A tiny twitch of his ear caught her gaze. She was just as perceptive as any one of the Spears of Clan Khopyé.

  “First, I plan to carry dirt from the oasis to the greenhouse. Well, after I finish this fantastic glass of wine, of course.”

  Melly looked up at him with wide eyes. Not so much as a chuckle from Naeemah. Perhaps it was not the best time to be clever, but his spirit had never meshed well with noble politics.

  “Melly informed me of the prior man’s motivations and a brief state of things. In our travels to the citadel this morning, I witnessed firsthand the unrest you face.” Elias drained his cup and set it on the desk. “What do you wish to do with your life on Ichi Island, Queen Naeemah?”

  “To see the dreams of my father before me come to fruition,” she answered without hesitation. “Ichi Island deserves peace, prosperity, and kinship. Magni carved chasms in the sands and shattered my people. I will reunite them.”

  “And what part would you have me play?”

  This time, she let her smile show. “I suppose that would depend on how much dirt you can carry at once.”

  She was warming to him. That was a start. His ears flicked forward, and his tail swayed amiably. “I was First Spear of Clan Khopyé. Give me an outfit of fighters and I will fight. Knowing there is a capable queen with the island’s best intentions at heart is a relief.”

  The tension in her shoulders loosened by inches. “I have your word?”

  “You have my word. I can fulfill Nyarlea’s expectations of me without usurping your throne, Queen Naeemah.” He touched Melly’s shoulder and smiled. “If you are open to suggestions on occasion, like how to better support your city’s healers, then I see only pure moonlight paving our way.”

  Melly blushed and searched the floor.

  “That’s an interesting expression,” Naeemah remarked, then finished her wine. “The citadel will always be open to you, Elias. And you as well, Melly. Please, no more venturing out on your own after dark.”

  “She will not be alone,” Elias said.

  Melly’s blush crept down her neck, and she coughed into her goblet.

  All traces of Naeemah’s smile vanished, and her expression turned stern. “Do not underestimate this world, Elias. Not the Encroachers, the Defiled, the other men, or the women.”

  “Luckily, just one of that number has proven fatal thus far.” No response. Her warmth had evaporated entirely. Judging from the anger in her words, it seemed all four had done her immense harm. Elias’s tone softened to match her demeanor. “Your words to my heart, Queen Naeemah. I will be careful.”

  “Very well.” She nodded and replaced all three goblets near the decanter. “I must return to my captains. Is there anything pressing you need to discuss at this moment?”

  Elias looked at Melly, who looked upset by her sudden lack of cup to hide behind, then shook his head. “I believe that will be all for now.”

  “Thank you for your time, my lady,” Melly managed to squeak and bow.

  “Yes. Thank you.” Elias bowed beside her and then exited the chambers with Melly in tow.

  It was simple enough to find the front door, and Taraji returned their weapons without issue. Once they were far enough from earshot of the door, Melly said, “That went well!”

  “Seeing as I still live, I would have to agree.”

  Melly shook her head and playfully pushed his arm. “You had me worried there for a little bit.”

  “All things in stride!” He laughed.

  “I felt like I had pawm civets in my feet.”

  “Is that good or bad?”

  Melly giggled. “It means to feel nervous or restless.”

  “Ah, well. She approved your greenhouse. We can celebrate our first victory of the day.”

  “Yes! Thank you so much!” She clasped her hands at her chest and heaved a sigh. “Why don’t we have lunch at the Twin Tails with Ananya and Mehar? I’m sure they’re dying to know what happened.”

  “The Twin Tails is a tavern?”

  “Mhm. A restaurant in the Second Shell.”

  Elias rested his spear over his shoulders and looked around. The First Shell was placid compared to its sisters. One pair of eyes watched them from afar, waiting for his response. “If it isn’t terribly inconvenient, might I meet you there?”

  “Oh. Sure. Will you be alright?”

  “I will be fine. I shouldn’t be long.” He smiled in the way that turned Melly’s cheeks the deepest red. “Unless you require me to escort you, of course. I did promise not to leave you alone.”

  It worked as he had hoped. “N-no! We’re inside the city! I’ll be fine!” Her voice crescendoed with each word. “See you soon!” She turned tail and marched out of the First Shell with impressive speed.

  Elias waited until Melly’s silhouette grew smaller in the distance. Then, without turning to face his hunter, he murmured, “Tell me what you want, Captain Valiqa.”

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