PROLOGUE
The slave held a painted silk parasol above the woman’s…
1
Three moons later…
2
Maliz, the demon, comfortable in the body of the newly…
3
The Valide sipped the fruit infusion she took each morning,…
4
The man, hunched like a sack of grain in the…
5
Pez found Ana sitting with most of the other odalisques…
6
The Zar had invited the Valide to meet the young…
7
Ana now shared a sleeping chamber with only one other…
8
After leaving Ana, Pez had flown to Star Island, where…
9
It was no good. Despite her best efforts, Ana could…
10
Salmeo knew he had to catch the Valide before she…
Page 1
11
Eyes normally light in color were now darkened by news…
12
Pez’s plans to see Zafira had unraveled. He had not…
13
Ana had never looked more stunning. Even she was surprised…
14
Ana had lost sense of time and place. She had…
15
The Grand Vizier sipped the sweetened wine and eyed his…
16
The ship had glided near the twin giants, announcing itself…
17
Elza raised a small handheld mirror to Ana’s face. Ana…
18
Salmeo was right. It was a curious morning, filled with…
19
Lazar heard the Second Bell and its tolling stopped him…
20
Boaz was pleased to see that Tariq had played his…
21
Ana’s shock at seeing Lazar again—blond, bearded—al-most unnerved her as…
22
Ana was hurriedly whisked from the Throne Room to be…
23
The entire palace had swung into action. The kitchen had…
24
Lazar did not join the festivities; instead he tried to…
25
Ana was escorted back to the harem, where she was…
26
Ana was invited to travel with her Zar in a…
27
The group of men, nomads, arrived with the camels at…
Page 2
28
At Jumo’s insistence, Lazar tried to get some sleep, but…
29
The first seven days passed in a monotonous routine as…
30
The next week passed in a slow cycle of repetitive…
31
Back at the camp Ana was vomiting. She had eaten…
32
It had been two days since he had lost Jumo,…