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

with an amused expression and then took his seat with the others around the table. There was rice and flatbreads, spicy potatoes and even spicier lamb, and a variety of hot vegetables served with chilled dollops of yogurt. The seer found himself utterly entranced by the sight and smell of so much food, and he fell to eating without a moment’s thought for his company. Fortunately, everyone else was similarly distracted and seemed completely uninterested in making conversation.
    Except for the angel. Azrael sampled the dishes one by one, as she usually did, but in the end she merely finished her water and let the others take what they wanted from her plate, as she had no need for it.
    Iyasu felt her sitting beside him, not eating. He looked up several times to smile at her, and to try to make some semblance of conversation, but each time she smiled and shook her head, and let him eat.
    So he ate until he was full, and then he ate a bit more just to be certain. Even before the long journey across the sea from the tiny fishing village, he had eaten sparingly on the road across the southern kingdoms, consuming only what he found or was offered, which was never much. And now his body demanded recompense for those many months of austerity.
    But all too soon, the food was gone and the smiling young woman had the chairs and dishes packed away, and the cart was rolling out through the gate behind the sleepy mule.
    This left the five prisoners standing in the yard as the stars emerged from the inky sky, and Rahm and Hadara stood side by side, staring coolly at the newcomers.
    “All right then,” the princess said. “Supper is over. Let’s go.”
    Iyasu patted his belly and winced. “Right now?”
    Rahm peered down at him. “Right now.”
    “As promised,” Azrael said. “But understand, once we start running I don’t think we’ll be able to stop, not until we’re far outside the borders of this place. And while I can protect you, I will not kill anyone. Not here, not ever.”
    Rahm snorted. “Well, I can kill anyone.”
    “No, you won’t.” Azrael gave him a stern look, and then walked past him toward the gate.
    Iyasu sighed and rubbed his belly one last time, and then straightened his back and nodded. “All right. Here we go. Kamil, stay close to me. This may get a little chaotic.”
    “No.” The boy shuffled back and leaned against the wall beside one of the open doors.
    “What?” Iyasu turned to look at him.
    “I’m not going. I want to stay here. This place is wonderful. The buildings, the machines, the food.” He gestured emphatically as he spoke. “And that woman today said they could teach me to be like them. Why would I want to leave?”
    Iyasu blinked. “Well, for one thing, you’re a prisoner here and would never get to see the rest of the world. And the world is a very big, beautiful place.”
    “But they said they were the smartest people in the world, and the things they have here can be found nowhere else. So why go anywhere else?”
    Iyasu felt his pulse quicken. He glanced back and saw Azrael standing in front of the two karkadann riders at the gate. He held out his hand to the boy, beckoning to him. “Kamil, I’m sorry, we don’t have time to argue about this. Just come with us now, and I can explain it to you later, when we’re free.”
    “No.” The boy shook his head.
    Iyasu felt a flicker of hot panic in his chest as he found himself no longer in control of the situation. He could call to Azrael and hold off the escape while he tried to convince Kamil to leave, or he could ask Rahm to force the boy to come, but, in his heart of hearts, as he looked into Kamil’s eyes, he knew that there was no right way to make him leave.
    He’s an ignorant child who spent his whole life alone on an island, and there’s no way a boy like that should be left to make life-altering decisions for himself.
    But…
    He is a genius. He sees things differently. He thinks differently.
    And he wants to be