“Never is a long time.” Arwia inclined her head regally, tucking her long hair over her stitched ear. It was healing nicely, though she’d have a wicked scar for the rest of her life. “Assata has to realize it is not your fault.”

“She knows no such thing.” Dagan put his hands on his hips near his daggers.

“And she won’t care anyway.” Nasu glanced back at her wailing on her knees. “She wants blood.”

“And she’ll get it,” I told Nasu. “Tomorrow morning. We’ll send in a small band of the Koru dressed as brides for Uruku, and they can kill him. Once he is gone, Arwia can take back her city.”

Nasu shrugged. “You’re too late, Kammani. Look at them all.” I took in his warm brown eyes, flashing back to the moment he’d tried to slit my throat in the tomb while we’d kissed, and my hand instinctively went to the scar left behind.

“Higal and Ummi have been fighting about the delay that Ummi gave you. Half of the troops and their commanders support Higal, and want to march now.”

Nasu jerked his close-cropped head at the thick warrior who looked as ferocious as a lion.

“And to be honest, she’s probably right. It seems needlessly risky to continue trying to poison Uruku when Higal has a good plan. She’ll send in warriors to attack the gate and get through the city to the Libbu. Once she’s there, she’ll lure out many of the guardsmen with war, and a small faction will get inside and capture Uruku. They’ll kill his ensis, then parade their corpses, and him in chains, all the way back to Sarratum Tabni, where she’ll put his head on the Manzazu wall.”

“Well, that is not what I want at all.” Arwia crossed her arms over her chest. “I only want Uruku dead. We can get the rest of the city’s allegiance another way. With gifts! Or even food. Kammani says they’re starving!”

“My lady.” He bowed slightly, pressing his lips together. “The nobility stand to lose if Uruku is taken, so they will not go willingly into your service. They must be killed, or they may rise up against you one day. Same for the guardsmen who serve him. I want to listen to you, but I believe you’re wrong.”

“You supported us before, Nasu. What changed?” Dagan asked him.

Nasu blew out a breath. “I suppose I owed you the chance. But you couldn’t accomplish it. Why keep risking your lives? Let’s move on. Sarratum Tabni will march whether you succeed or not at this point.”

We continued to debate as Assata wept herself dry near the warriors. But after a while, she came to her feet with great care, the weight of her grief trying to press her into the ground. At once, as if deciding something to herself, she dried her eyes with the backs of her hands, squared her shoulders, and marched up to Higal, speaking desperately into her ear.