Angels and Djinn, Book 3: Zariel's Doom by Joseph Robert Lewis

arm, and stepped a bit farther away from the doorway. “And your friend? I only ask out of curiosity, still no plans of invasion.”
    Rahm roared with laughter. “I like you!” And then a bit softer, “I like him, don’t you? I do. Quiet little fellow, but there’s a wicked imp in him, you can tell.” And then louder again, “You’re about to have the most wondrous moment of your life, little man, as you are introduced to my incomparable wife, the crown princess of Sungarath, the radiant, the devastating…”
    “…the impatient,” the woman in question said.
    “Hadara!” Rahm strode out through the doorway again, this time with his shirts and coats all properly fastened and his long black mane tied back in a loose queue. He gestured to the doorway and his wife appeared, a woman no less tall or powerful or amused as her husband. She paced out into the courtyard wearing a lightly flowing dress of orange and gold silk, and her dark brown hair hung freely nearly to her waist beneath a gossamer drape of golden lace.
    “Hello, Iyasu of Shivala,” she said with a smile. “It’s very nice to meet you. Won’t you introduce us to your friends?”
    Iyasu paused to collect himself. He had certainly seen tall people before, and strong people, and beautiful people, but never all three at once, and never two of them standing side by side. They scarcely seemed human in their casual perfection, fearless and powerful and fiercely happy.
    “This is Azrael.” He reached out to take her hand. “And this is Kamil. We rescued him from an island just yesterday.”
    “Did you really? That sounds like a grand adventure.” Rahm beamed. “Tell us all about it!”
    “Actually, there’s nothing to tell. We simply helped him to sail his boat across the sea to the coast near here.”
    “Ah.” Rahm shrugged. “Well, not every day can be a grand adventure.”
    “And then you had the misfortune of coming into this city?” Hadara asked.
    “Yes.” Azrael turned her back to the guards by the gate. “Did you come here by accident as well?”
    “No, not at all.” Rahm folded his bulging arms across his broad chest and eyed them all in turn. “We were sent here, with no warning at all of the welcome we would receive, and we’ve been here for nearly a month now!”
    “A month?” Iyasu frowned.
    “Yes, they say they’ll move us to other quarters when they can trust us not to try to escape so often.” Hadara smiled. “Apparently, they still don’t trust us.”
    “Is there no way to escape?” Azrael asked.
    “We’ve tried four times,” Hadara said. “And as you can see, we’re still here.”
    “There was another man living there.” Rahm pointed to one of the open doors behind them. “He came with us when we tried to escape the second time. But the karkadann, well… he didn’t make it. Pity. I liked him.”
    “I didn’t.” Hadara sighed.
    “Wait, just a moment, go back.” Iyasu waved to catch the giants’ attention. “You say you were sent here? By whom? And why?”
    The two of them exchanged a glance and the man said, “Let’s just say it was someone we trusted, and we were supposed to find someone here. Someone who could help me kill a demon.”
    “At first we thought maybe one of the karkadann riders could be the warrior we were sent to find,” Hadara added. “But none of them will even speak to us, let alone help us leave.”
    “What’s a demon?” Kamil asked.
    Iyasu glanced at the boy. “Like an angel, only bad. Sort of. They’re very strong and sometimes very strange, and they generally want to kill you and eat you. Horrible things. Avoid at all costs.” The seer turned back to Rahm. “Not to pry, but I know a thing or two about demons. What’s yours? An ifrit? A ghul?”
    “Ha!” Rahm shook his head. “My horse can kill ifrits and ghuls in his sleep. No, we are hunting the demon-lord of Messenad. He’s taken the king of Burzhia prisoner.”
    “The king of Burzhia?” Iyasu frowned.