One soldier twisted her arm. Another kicked her behind her knee, forcing her to kneel. She shouted as the soldiers brought forth chains. Before she could react—before she could even summon her magic—one soldier slapped a metal collar around her neck. Another bound her wrists behind her back. Her magic filled her, and she tried to shift, to become a dragon in this hall. Scales rose across her, yet as her body began to grow, the chains and collar tightened around her, shoving her back into human form.

"Tanin!" she cried.

He had begun to shift. Wings grew from his back. Claws lengthened from his fingers. Before he could complete the transformation, a soldier swung a club. The metal weapon slammed into Tanin's scaly head with a crack. His magic left him, and Tanin fell to the floor, only a man again. Soldiers leaped onto him, punching and kicking, and bound his arms and legs.

"Drag him away!" Sin-Naharosh said, laughing as he chewed his sweets. "Toss him into the dungeon." He wiped crumbs off his chest. "Toss the girl among the others."

Issari screamed and struggled as the guards pulled her away from the throne. Her heels dragged across the mosaic, and her chains clattered. The other women of the hall looked at her silently, their eyes full of pity. They lay upon tasseled cushions, on the ledges of pools, and upon giltwood beds, nude and jeweled and scented of sweet perfumes. For the first time, Issari saw what the hookah smoke had previously obscured. Every woman here was chained. These were not simply wives; they were slaves.

The voice of the gatekeeper, the man who had led Issari to the palace, rose ahead. "What of the Eteerians outside our hall?"

Sin-Naharosh snorted, nearly invisible now behind the green smoke. "Bring in whoever is strong enough to serve as a soldier or slave. If you find the women attractive enough, give a few to your men." He sucked in more smoke and coughed. "Leave the rest outside to perish. The vultures must feed too."

Terror pounded through Issari. Her limbs trembled, her belly froze, and her heart thrashed against her ribs. "Sin-Naharosh! You will pay for this treachery. You will burn in the light of Taal!" She raised her amulet, but its light seemed so dim in the smoke; it barely shone for more than a few feet.

"Treachery? I fulfill our deal." The obese king waved smoke aside, coughing. "I married you as you wished. And I will conquer Eteer as you wished too. Your kingdom, like your body, are mine."

She screamed. The guards knocked her down among the slaves, attached her chains to a column, and walked away. Issari leaped up, tugging at the chains, trying to free herself. The smoke flowed thicker, engulfing her. She saw nothing but the swirling green clouds. She heard nothing but the cruel king laugh.

ALINA

 
ALINA