Page 96 of Silk & Sand
Seth commanded himself to stop being such a fucking coward. Unfortunately, that command made his voice come out a lot harsher than intended when he said, “We need to figure some shit out.”
“Not right now.” Raider was still looking down the street, away from Seth.
“Yes, right now. Raider, we can’t keep avoiding—”
“Someone’s coming.”
Seth followed Raider’s gaze to see that, indeed, someone was headed their way. The man’s rich purple robes and green turban marked him as a noble.
The man inclined his chin slightly, acknowledging that he’d been seen, making a point of not hiding his intention to approach. What kind of noble not only ventured into a crowded street unguarded but also approached two travel-stained and armed men?
In Seth’s experience, only one kind.
This man was powerful, and he was known. Indeed, the bustling crowd parted for him, some bowing, others skittering away.
When the man reached them, he gave a slight bow. White teeth flashed in a refined face bearing a sleek, thin goatee. Pearls studded the man’s turban and dangled from his pierced ears. He wore golden slippers with pointed, upward-curling toes.
“Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Malik, a humble servant of our glorious Prince Rahim.”
He spoke in the trade tongue, his pronunciation so precise that Seth immediately pegged him for a scholar.
Seth stood, awkwardly still holding his remaining kabob. Raider, notably, did not get up.
Seth could pretty well understand and read Kastalan, the official language of the Gold, but he didn’t trust his pronunciation without a few weeks of practice. So when he returned the slight bow, he asked in the trade tongue, “What can we do for you, Lord Malik?”
“I apologize for interrupting your meal, but I promise that I can offer better on behalf of our most esteemed Prince Rahim, who invites you to be his guests while you visit our humble city.”
Raider rose to his feet, eyes narrowing on Lord Malik. “And why would Prince Rahim invite two ragged travelers to the palace?”
Lord Malik’s eyes flicked to Raider then returned to Seth. “An agent of the Arcanum is always welcome, along with his handsome, if ragged, companion. I trust that a bath would improve you both substantially.”
Malik’s eyes danced at he threw out his barbed compliments.
It was as Seth had thought. Even with the dingy kaftan covering his arcane clothing, he’d been recognized. At the gate? By a lookout in the bazaar? It didn’t really matter. Seth knew why he was being invited to the palace. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
Royals and nobles were notorious collectors of arcane artifacts. In fact, they were his main competitors. Prince Rahim likely wanted to know what he was after.
Curators sometimes worked for the wealthy on the side. Seth didn’t approve of such practices, but the prince didn’t know that and hoped, perhaps, to bribe him.
The truth of Seth’s mission would no doubt disappoint Prince Rahim, but Seth might learn something in the palace before that disappointment got him turned out. The fact that Rahim’s agent, Lord Malik, was approaching Seth less than an hour after his arrival in the city said that the prince kept close watch of his territory. He might know something about Julian. The arcanist, after all, would have stood out almost as much as Seth.
Seth felt the familiar thrill of the hunt. It had been muted for weeks, but the possibility of progress, of a fresh avenue, sharpened his focus—and what a fucking relief it was. Seth hated feeling unfocused, unsure, lost.
Even if his heart remained heavy with unanswered questions, his mind seized on the chance to put those questions aside for a moment and focus on a less personal problem.
Seth’s relief barely lasted two seconds. Because if he accepted the invitation and Raider refused it …
Fuck. Seth couldn’t refuse the invitation. Even if not for his mission, refusing an invitation from a prince was always unwise. But at the same time, he wouldn’t lose Raider.
That realization made things pretty damn simple. He would have them both. Raider was coming with him. Period.
Seth inclined his head to Lord Malik.
“Please call me Seth. My companion”—he used the word that Malik had employed, but it didn’t feel quite right—“and I would be delighted to accept the prince’s generous invitation.”
Lord Malik nodded in acknowledgement but looked to Raider, clearly sensing a question of compliance. “And this is agreeable to …?”
“Raider,” came the curt answer. “I guess. Fine.”