Fatima’s eyes widened. “Not to Nasheen?”

“That’s where I was supposed to bring him, right?”

Fatima glanced to Alharazad. Alharazad shook her head.

“He’s not in Nasheen,” Alharazad said.

“And what makes you think that?”

“Because we would all be dead,” Alharazad said.

Inaya watched as Raine’s body began to burst apart. There was something… leaking from him. Not bugs or bile or blood but… sand. Gray sand.

“What did you do?” Inaya said.

Isabet was crying. She dropped the bloody dagger, and pressed her filthy hand to her face. “I’m not Genevieve’s daughter,” she said. “I’m one of her handmaidens.”

“My God.”

Inaya stepped back into the doorway.

Isabet stretched her bloody hand skyward. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry, but I am the last. Only I could do it.”

“Do what?”

“She says you’re an abomination. They infected all of us and brought us north. One of the girls refused. They had her dig her own grave with her hands, then cut off her hands and buried her there. I escaped, but they found me. They had another use for me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. If I didn’t do this I’d be dead with the others in the desert. Eshe, I’m so sorry.”

“Isabet, why didn’t you—”

“It’s my burden. If I didn’t kill him, what’s inside me would fester eventually. It’d kill me. I had to, Inaya. I’m sorry.”

The sand slithered from Raine’s body like a living creature. As Inaya watched, it leapt forward, adhering to Isabet’s body. The blood on her hand disappeared. Isabet began to scream. Blood appeared at her eyes, her mouth.

Inaya ran.

“Get out!” Inaya yelled. “Get out! Out, all of you!” She sprinted down the hall, crying out at the last of her people remaining in the old headquarters. As she ran, she heard more cries behind her. And then a hissing, spitting sound, growing louder and louder.

Inaya herded the cook up. She grabbed Adeliz by the arm and pushed her toward the stairs. She glanced back once. The gray sand had become a tide, multiplied. It overwhelmed one of her clerks. He screamed. It rushed into his mouth. His body seemed to burst, then disintegrate.

Inaya yelled at Adeliz to run.

They went up two flights and surged into the open air. The rain had let up. Inaya ran ahead. Her people had darted off into different directions. She stared at the rooftops. “Up!” she yelled after them. “Find high ground!”