He bent his knees, his face a finger-space away from hers. Their eyes clashed. “You are not any woman. You are our favorite. We will do as we please with you. And no one would dare question us. And rest assured a squadron of our best men will protect you at all times.”

She parted her lips to protest.

He was gone.

Gold Dust stepped into her suit of armor. Narcissus checked the fit of the helmet, the visor, and the knee pieces. He had an urge to yank the jeweled gorget from the sultana’s neck and hide it with the secret treasure he had compiled throughout the years. He felt no guilt in stealing from those who were blessed. He needed all the luxuries in the world—sweets, spices, musk, and prying eyes—to fill up the bottomless well of his life. He touched impulsively the jar of brine, hanging from his waistband, his most cherished possession, which would ensure his transition to heaven. Men and women who were whole could never understand the bitterness in his curdled blood.

Holding up the sword he polished, he checked it for spots, the smallest specks of dust.

Gold Dust took the sword from him. “Narcissus, why didn’t my mother come to say good-bye?”

The eunuch shuffled behind her to fasten the rear brace. “My lady, the departure of the army is top secret. I was ordered not to reveal it.” At sunrise, he had left Rebekah’s bed, his lust gland temporarily satiated. An alliance of rage, envy, and revenge had blasted his passion, leaving him breathless. When he had informed Rebekah that due to the extreme secrecy of the war strategies no stranger was allowed into the palace until further notice, he did not experience regret. His plan must be executed smoothly. Rebekah must remain ignorant of the cause of her daughter’s death, so she would continue performing her miracles on his gland.

Gold Dust locked her buckler. It would be useless to ask Narcissus why the Shah had decided to take her to war. She must not provoke him now that she was leaving. She offered a forced smile. “I worry about Raven.”

“My lady, I shall take care of her.” Soon after the Shah had decided Gold Dust would accompany him to war, the eunuch had noticed the king avoiding Raven. He could not bear to admit to his daughter that he had succumbed to magic and to the help of women to win his battle. Raven had retreated into her own solitude. Now the eunuch would not have to deal with her curiosity while her parents were gone. He turned to lock the skull of Gold Dust’s helmet to the visor.

She removed the helmet. “Every soldier will see that a woman accompanies the Shah to war.”

Gold Dust noticed the eunuch’s chin tremble and heard his teeth rattle. A spark lighted his lifeless eyes. The slimy octopus was imagining with pleasure another conflict between her and the Shah.