Khalifa

18 Risk

"If I'm already married to someone else," she announces with a proud smile and his eyes turn round in disbelief.

"But you aren't."

"I don't have to be." She takes another step closer, boring her gaze into his pupils. "You just have to make the caliph believe that I am, so he won't marry me."

Adam bites his lower lip to contain the grin splitting his face. Then he chuckles and shakes his head, as if she has told him a joke-- as if amused by her. But Noura remains stoic, unaffected by his behavior. In a while, she's going to lit fire at his feet and then he won't even know how he got burnt.

"Such a compelling plan." He mocks, smirking. "Mind telling me what made you think I'd help you in bluffing the caliph?"

"You aren't bluffing the caliph already?" She smirks back, equally as villainous as him. "Or everyone for the record."

He tilts his head, now appearing confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Your affair with the queen."

She watches the color drain from his face, bit by bit, then all at once as he searches her eyes frantically-- maybe looking for a sign of a lie. She lifts her chin, allowing him to take his time, and his lips part in shock but nothing comes out. Now is her turn to chuckle at him.

"I think this is a good enough reason for you to help me, no?" She crosses her arms. "As long as you comply, your secret will be save with me."

"You're threatening me?" he growls dangerously and she raises a palm to shush him.

"Careful, Adam. I wasn't scared of you before. I ain't now either. Don't think I've been a fool to come to you with no one behind me," she lies confidently.

And in the blink of the eye, he has his hand behind her neck as pulls her to himself. It's only a gasp that escapes her lips before she grinds her teeth when he puts his dagger at her throat. They glare heatedly at each other.

"Who else have you told to?" he demands.

"Why don't you kill me and find for yourself when they announce it to the world?" she dares, though the blade on her skin has her heart leaping out of her chest. She hopes he doesn't notice the slight trembling of her body. "Don't think no one knows where I am right now," she warns. "Anything happens to me and you're dead too."

"Noura," he grits, then exhales slowly, calming himself before speaking, "it's not what you think it is."

"I've seen enough to know what it is. I don't need to know more." She grips his wrist that's holding the dagger to her throat. "You cannot kill me, Adam. Al Shafay wants me. I'm sure the Khalifa won't be so kind to you once he learns of your secret or if any harm comes to me."

"Haven't I kept your affair with the general a secret?" he reminds her, as if having done a favor to her. "Is this how you pay me back for my kindness? You create mess for me."

She glowers at him. "Eskander and I have no affair."

"Spending hours late at night in his chamber doesn't sound so holy, now does it?" He scoffs. "Others might know him as your brother, but you can't delude me."

She digs her nails in his wrist, his accusation boiling the blood in her veins. Noura stragglers him with her eyes. "As if you and queen Arwa were busy worshipping God when I saw you two together. You claim to be loyal to the crown then what is this deceit?" She huffs out a laugh. "Remember when I asked you if the queen was beautiful? You told me you cannot be disrespectful to your master by speaking so blatantly of his wife. Yet you turn out to be a hypocrite yourself."