Khalifa

36 Lethal

Adam removes his hand from her mouth, but his arms go to circle around her waist firmly instead. She turns around towards him and he quickly puts a finger to her lips.

"Shhhh."

Noura looks up at him, in the dark the devil within him seemingly coming to life. The light from the torches dance in his eyes, highlighting the mischief there, but something else too-- something potent, a craving so intense that it chokes her. She urgently pushes against his chest, but he doesn't let go.

"It suits you." He caresses the headchain in her hair. "You look lethal."

"Don't speak," she reminds him, her voice a bitter whisper, disregarding his compliment that she under different circumstances might have appreciated. "Release me."

Adam frowns, loosening his grip on her. "Are you upset with me about something?"

"I heard Khalifa and the vizier talking," she tells him.

"You snooping around will get you in real problem some day."

"I don't know about myself, but if I keep learning unpleasant things about you, then we for sure will have a problem."

He gives her a confused and bothered look before gesturing down the hallway. "Come. Let's go to my room."

She follows after him without a protest and he navigates their way through unguarded corridors towards his room. As soon as they're inside, she lets her fury unleash at him.

"You've been suggesting to the caliph to send Eskander back to the borders?" Noura seethes. "And not only that, but preferably somewhere far away? Why?  What were you thinking? Is this a way to get him away from me?"

Now when they're alone without the fear of being caught, she can focus more on him. Instead of being dressed for the occasion tonight, he's wearing rather plain clothes. Noura glowers at him as he calmly takes in her tantrum.

"I did." The coolness of his confession is only fuel to her fire. "But," he raises a palm to silence her before she could run her tongue again, "not because of you. Rather, it's for a greater good. I sincerely doubt that he'd stay true to the crown if rebellion strikes."

"And so you degrade him in the eyes of the caliph?" She scoffs. "Don't tell me you've been spreading rumors about him and I too in the harem."

"As if I've got nothing better to do than gossiping with the women in harem," he retorts.

"But you've always seen him as the traitor, haven't you?"

"He was a servant of prince Sulaiman. I believe if given a chance, he'd still choose to serve him rather than the Khalifa."

"So the greater good is that you replace him?"

She notices the ticking of his jaw. He's not liking the argument. And neither is she. But she's not letting him get away with it so easily.

"The greater good is minimizing the damage that Eskander's treason can cause us," he explains. "As the general of the army, he has a large force behind him. Even if not all of them obey him, those who might would still be enough to weaken our defenses, given much of those men are recruited by him and are training under him."

She fists her hands. Though the truth is not hidden from her, having Eskander already revealed his intentions to her, she believes he will fight for what he finds right and not merely follow the prince blindly. He wouldn't risk the lives of his men for nothing, as Hafez had confidently assured her, neither endanger innocent civilians. He has already strategized for adversities if they are to befall.