I find a quiet corner and whistle for Slicewing. She flies down immediately, but she’s agitated, hopping and ruffling her wings.

“Calm down,” I say. She squawks, and I toss her a piece of bread. “I’ll need your help soon. Can you do it, or have your brains been fried by all this sand?”

She ruffles her neck feathers and looks away. It’s strange how jumpy she is, but I can’t exactly go into the desert to figure out what’s rattled her. All I can do is give her some more bread and hope the problem sorts itself out.

It’s only at dinnertime when I learn what’s wrong.

“Did you hear the news?” says Masista over dinner. “They’ve arrested Commander Arxa’s daughter and the healer Zivah on suspicion of poisoning the emperor.”

I stop mid-bite as everyone around the table turns toward me. I was just with Zivah yesterday. How could this have happened?

“You know anything of this, Dineas?” Masista asks.

My mind races. I try not to look worried, but then I remember that I’m allowed to be worried, because the other Dineas cares about Zivah as well.

“I hadn’t heard,” I say. “What else do you know?”

“There’s to be a trial,” says Kosru. “The commander’s not happy about it happening so close before we have to leave and all.”

Murmurs of acknowledgement all around, as my food loses its taste. What now? Do I continue with the plan? Will they harm her? Certainly, they’d treat her better than the war prisoners, wouldn’t they?

“Enough,” says Walgash, cutting over the conversation. “Show the commander more respect. No more discussion of his daughter over dinner.”

The chatter dies down, and men return to their food, chastened. Walgash sneaks a glance at me, and I know that he stopped the conversation for my sake—or rather, for the other Dineas’s sake. Guilt twists in my gut. I don’t want to be indebted to him.

Don’t do me any good turns, Walgash. Because if you stand in my way tomorrow, I will still have to kill you.

Chapter Forty-five

Mehtap and I don’t speak the rest of the day. It’s hard, because we are in such close quarters, but somehow we manage. An umbertouched guard comes in several times a day to bring us food or change our waste bucket. Otherwise we’re alone.

Arxa finally arrives the next afternoon.

“Father!” Mehtap runs to the door of her cell.

The general takes her hands. “Have they mistreated you?”

Mehtap shakes her head. “They’ve mostly left us alone.”

“And you, Zivah? How do you fare?”

I’m aware of Mehtap’s eyes on me. “I’m unharmed as well.”

Arxa turns back to Mehtap, his face tight with anger. “The nerve they have to make accusations like this. I’ll speak to the emperor and see what can be done.”

He doesn’t even ask Mehtap if she’s guilty. Why should he? The idea of Mehtap doing such a thing is unthinkable. I do wish I could get a better sense of whether he suspects me, but even if he does, I don’t think he would confront me in front of his daughter.