“A delay means saving the city from slaughter.” My eyes filled. “You know I’m right, Assata.”

Higal crossed thick arms across her chest. “Ummi does not speak for me.”

Ummi looked sideways at Higal. “I’m the highest-ranking Koru, and have made my decision. We will grant her the delay.”

Higal spat on the ground. “Sarratum Tabni has given the command.”

“And she answers to Linaza, who has granted this favor,” Ummi fired back.

“No.” Higal shook her head. “I will gather the army together under my command. We will fulfill the sarratum’s wishes.”

“And I will stand by your side as your second, Higal.” Assata’s eyes glittered with danger. “So we can rescue my son.”

The woman who used to add cloves to my sikaru and feed me honeycake until I felt like I would burst leaned in close to me, so close I could see the broken blood vessels in her eyes and the bags underneath. Likely from crying herself to sleep every night since her son had been taken and her husband murdered.

“Assata, please—”

“No, Kammani. This is how it is. So if you’re going to rescue your friend and finish the job with Uruku, you’d better do it quickly.

“For we are coming. And you’d better believe we will bring all of our might.”

THE YOUNG WOMEN were linked together like cattle headed to slaughter. Hands tied in front of them. Dried reed ropes around their waists leading from one to another to another. Some of them looked like little girls who were barely of age.

We were inside the Libbu, next to the old well. Dagan sat by my side, a cracked pot with a few shekels in the bottom at his filthy feet. He’d rubbed sheep dung into his garments to complete his disguise, and the stench coming from him was close to unbearable. Guardsmen swarmed around us like plated beetles, their faces watchful. Looking for us? From time to time, they pulled big men around and stared them hard in the eyes, then shoved them away.

We must be careful.

I gritted my teeth. All of my choices had consequences. My abum had once taught me that. When you acted as a healer, administering a dosage with good intent, there were always risks. Side effects, he’d called them. And one of the side effects of Iltani’s recklessness was my having to come and rescue her from her fate.

But it was impossible to be angry at her. She’d been stolen, and that wasn’t her fault.

Angst welled up in my throat as the young brides walked past me, a make-believe beggar in filthy scarves. Nanaea had bound some of my fingers back with rags as if the digits were missing, and she’d painted my face to look haggard, old, and—completely unassuming.

But underneath my robes, stowed in my healing satchel, was a poison of monkshood and belladonna that would deliver someone to the Boatman in seconds. Earlier in the day, Dagan had met a guardsmen who was less than loyal to Uruku to arrange safe passage into the Palace to deliver the tincture. For enough coins, he told Dagan he was willing to look the other way. Dagan had also met with Ensi Puzu, who claimed that he and four other ensis would support Arwia’s rule, which meant we only needed to convince two more men to make it a majority. Ensi Puzu said he’d bring the ensis most likely to listen to us to Laraak later this evening so we could convince them.