The unrelenting torrent batters the cobbled streets of Sidi, drenching everything in its path. A thick mist envelops the city as the damp settles into the warm soil and sand. Zeruhan, the Zeybek Estate, is in chaos as its long-lost master returns unexpectedly. Ziad had not set foot on his homeland since Khimi was just a young boy, and now he arrives with a small army of soldiers adorned with the symbol of the Cerulean Star.
Inside her chambers, Aleyna sits on the edge of her canopied bed, her eyes fixed anxiously on the closed door. She clings to a worn letter from Rashid, her hands trembling with emotion. The letter in her hand is twisted into knots, and now soaked with her tears. She wrings the letter as she contemplates her options—should she use it as leverage against Ziad? Or should she destroy it altogether? She ponders her choices, empowered by this newfound courage to confront her estranged husband at last.
Aleyna prepares herself, giving a small nod to the handmaiden before she scurries out of the room. The young ikati pauses momentarily, her curious gaze lingering on Aleyna before closing the door behind her. With a sigh, Aleyna removes her headscarf, letting her tawny hair flow down her back. She presses her fingers against the stumps where her horns once were.
As she gazes at the hand mirror shattered on the floor, emotions well inside of her. Her fingers trace over the crimson and cerulean headscarf spread over her knees. The delicate floral patterns stitched in the form of a desert lily evoke memories of Khimi offering it to her when he was just a young boy. Nostalgia washes over her as she lets out a frustrated sob.
Not a day has passed that Aleyna hasn’t thought about her son. She yearns to leave Sidi to meet him in Rhaz. More recently, Rashid’s letters have shared more intimate details about Khimi, bringing her joy but also great sorrow for missing so much of his life. She wants to send him a letter expressing how proud and happy she is for him, but fears revealing Rashid as her source would only serve to push him further away.
Heavy footsteps break through her thoughts. Her fingers tremble as she replaces the headscarf. A rap at the door startles her.
“Aleyna?” a voice asks softly.
“Maza,” Aleyna responds, wiping away any tears that may have fallen. “Come in,” she adds, calming her voice.
The door opens slightly and Maza peers through with her dark features and sandy hair. “Emir Ziad is here,” she says through the crack in the door. “Shall I let him in?”
But before Maza can even fully finish her sentence, Ziad pushes his way into the room, towering over the small ikati girl. “Aleyna!” he bellows, knocking Maza into the door frame as he storms in.
It’s as if no time has passed at all. The man before her looks almost exactly the same as he did all those years ago when they were separated. He is every bit Khimi’s father, with his copper skin and raven hair now flecked with gray. His features have softened slightly with age, but there is still a darkness around his eyes that makes him look as though he hasn’t slept. He looks at odds with himself outside of his usual gold and cerulean. Draped in a black and red silk kaftan that reaches just above his ankles, he glares down at Aleyna, a crease between his brows.
“E-Emir Zeybek,” Maza stutters, placing herself between Ziad and the door. “Ziad—”
“Ziad,” Aleyna interrupts coldly, standing up from the edge of her bed. “Maza, please leave us.”
“But, Aleyna…” Maza pleads as Ziad firmly shuts the door in her face.
Aleyna shakes her head disapprovingly. “Is this how you treat a servant of the Cerulean Star?” she asks, holding her head high.
“Your servant,” Ziad corrects, crossing his arms over his chest. “The servants of the Cerulean Star would never dare to speak out against their master.”
Aleyna clicks her tongue, irritated. “What are you thinking, Ziad? Are you really going to continue pursuing this foolish expansion into the Golden Isles?”
“Foolish?” Ziad laughs to himself, shaking his head. “The Isles are the trading capital of Talmus. If we control them under the Cerulean Star, our wealth and power will—”
“Stop, Ziad!” Aleyna shouts. She holds back tears, forcing herself to stand strong before him. The letter crumples in her hand. “Ziad, if you ever bore any love for me, please, listen. I beg of you. You can pursue whatever goals… whatever motives you wish, but I implore you. You must stop interfering with Khimi—with our son’s—”
“Aleyna!” Ziad chuckles, pushing on the door. He bangs a fist against the mudbrick wall beside it. “Everything always comes back to Khimi, doesn’t it?”
Grabbing hold of the poster of the canopied bed, Aleyna pleads, “Why… why must you always torture him? He’s never done anything to you… he only ever wanted to make you happy!”
“When I left… do you remember what I said? What I told you?” Ziad’s voice drips with a mocking lilt as a smirk dances on his lips. The fury shows across his creased brow. He lowers his head slightly before lifting his eyes to meet hers, he presses, “Do you remember, Aleyna?”
Aleyna grits her teeth, clenching as old wounds threaten to reopen. “You didn’t leave on kind terms,” she spits out, “I tend to keep those things to the back of my mind.”
“I’ll remind you then—since you tend to forget!” Ziad shouts, crossing the room in a flash. He stands before Aleyna, peering down his nose in disgust. “I don’t care how you raise our son. Khimi only has to do one thing. Produce an heir. Someone. Someone to continue our family line. Besides that… what Khimi does is of no consequence to me.”
“Maybe he will… in time!” Aleyna says, nearly shaking. “Khimi is free to do as he pleases.”
Ziad’s lips tighten cruelly. “You lost him when he was barely an adult… and I thought maybe it would be good for him to build character. You let him wander with ruffians for years. I wondered what kind of mother would raise her child with such a careless hand?” he chuckles. “And then somehow after all these years he finds his way home… and yet he only disappoints me further. One failure after another. Constant and repeated failures. I can’t say it’s all his fault… after all, failure is in his blood.”
“You don’t have the right!” Aleyna shouts. “You don’t get to question me as a mother… not after what you did to him!” she shouts. “You don’t get to question who he is!”
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to see me much longer. I stopped here during my travels… I just found the letter to be a bit assertive for a cow. I thought maybe you grew those horns back,” Ziad says, placing his hand inches above hers on the poster. “I couldn’t imagine you’d have the gall to have them grown back.”
Aleyna grimaces, turning from Ziad. “How can you be so cruel?” she asks.
“Cruel?” Ziad replies. “Cruel was what your father did to me,” he says in anger.
“Don’t start with this,” Aleyna begs. “He didn’t know you were a bastard when he offered you my hand in marriage.”
Ziad smiles, something inhuman. “I trusted your father, but I never thought he’d deceive me into marrying something less than human.”
“I removed every bit of myself that you hated…” Aleyna murmurs, her voice shaky, “I hid my heritage from everyone for you. It’s you who is less than human! You’re a bloody demon!”
“When your father asked me to marry his daughter, he never told me I would be married to a cow!” Ziad laughs, shaking the poster of the bed. “I have suffered many tragedies in my life… but that—that was the most painful.”
A fierce expression forms on Aleyna’s face. “I was happy before we wed… though we never loved each other, we both wanted a child—”
“A child? Of course, I wanted a child!” Ziad shouts. He presses his fingers over his brow. “And even then… you failed. Time and time again,” he adds, shaking his head.
Aleyna suddenly brandishes the crumpled parchment. “If you wanted a child so badly… why would you wish to harm the only one we have?” Eyes filled with sorrow; she pleads.
Ziad’s face begins to drain of color. “You have eyes in Rhaz as well,” he says, shrugging off the notion of his betrayal.
“Y-you admit to this?!” Aleyna asks, terror taking hold of her. “I always knew you were cruel, Ziad… but let our son be! Let Khimi be!”
Ziad releases the bed, then grabs hold of Aleyna’s wrist. “Do you want him to suffer a life as you have!?” he asks, shaking her while ignoring her hand slamming against his side. “I was trying to free him from making the same mistake I have!”
“A mistake?! Mistake!” Aleyna shouts, trying to free herself of his grip. “Khimi finally finds someone he cares for… and you try to kill them? Our son almost died, Ziad! Rashid almost died!”
Ziad chuckles, his fierce cerulean eyes piercing through her. “Rashid should have left Khimi’s side when he was still a boy. He’s a crutch for Khimi… unnecessary,” he replies, tossing her hand aside.
Aleyna nurses her swollen wrist, glancing up at Ziad with vehemence. “You’re foul—”
Her words are cut short. The back of Ziad’s hand smashes across her cheek. “I won’t let Khimi make the same mistakes I’ve made. He will provide an heir and I’ll see him dead before our bloodline is clouded any further with subhuman blood.”
“He is a beastkin, Ziad!” Aleyna shouts, her hand pressed to her cheek. “When will you admit it to yourself?”
“He’s nothing like you!” Ziad shouts, drawing closer towards her. He squats before her. “Aleyna… he’s nothing like you,” he adds, grabbing a handful of her flaxen hair. “He’ll never be anything like you. I’ll see him dead, Aleyna. I’ll see him dead.”
“He may not have the horns or the tail… but he’s just the same as I am, Ziad,” she whispers, glancing at the door.
Ziad’s fingers curl into her wavy hair, pulling sharply. “Quiet,” he whispers, shushing her.
“Ziad—”
“Aleyna… eshgh[1],” Ziad begins, sitting on the floor beside her. “You’ll never… say that again… you’ll never leave this estate again. Mark me, this will be your tomb,” his lips curl as he finishes. “If you so much as breathe a word of this… there will be consequences.”
Aleyna turns, her hair ripping beneath Ziad’s grip. “You’ve already hurt Khimi enough… you can’t do anything worse.”
“Aleyna,” Ziad says, tossing her hair aside and clicking his tongue. “It’s not too late for me to take a new wife. It’s not too late to make a new heir.”
“Then do it. Leave! GO!” Aleyna shouts, trying to collect herself.
Ziad looks around the room. “I don’t think I’ve gotten to that point. I don’t want to hurt you, Aleyna, but if you… force me,” he says, a look of disgust in his eyes. He pauses as he wipes the sweat glistening from his brow. “You promoted weakness in our son. How many years after I left did it take for him to pick up his saber? Did you ever do anything to make him a strong—”
“Everything! Everything I did after you left was for Khimi,” she replies, tears streaming down her cheek.
“But… did you do anything to make him a stronger person? He’s a shell of what he should have been,” Ziad says, his tone, biting. “He’s a disappointment, Aleyna. He’s your disappointment, Aleyna.”
Aleyna pushes herself away from Ziad. “You’ll never know who he’s become. He’s strong, proud, resolute!”
“No matter which qualities you think you have given him, Aleyna… he’ll always be a far cry from what could have been,” Ziad says, standing and glancing about the room. He crosses to the window, peering through a large garden courtyard. “I won’t be here much longer. I’m returning to the Isles,” he adds, his hand tapping against the stark blue window ledge. “I’ll have more people to keep an eye on you now though. You’ve been allowed too much freedom, it seems.”
“Why?” she asks, rising from the floor. “You’ve kept me a prisoner here for nearly seventeen years…”
“And still you managed to get correspondence past my soldiers,” he says, turning back to Aleyna. “Rashid,” he snorts, “is no longer welcome at Zeruhan. I’ll see that the guards are aware.”
Aleyna glares at Ziad, her eyes ablaze with fury. Her cheeks flush red while she spits out her words, “Hells take you!” Her voice trembles with anger. “You come all this way just to knock me around?”
Ziad meets her gaze with a cool look, clicking his tongue in disapproval. He takes confident strides towards the door, his presence commanding and intimidating. “I came all this way, Aleyna… to make sure my house is still in order,” he retorts. “It’s been quite something to see you again.”
But Aleyna is not ready to let him leave so easily. She rushes after him, blocking his path. “Ziad, tell me you’re done interfering with Khimi!” she demands, her hand braced against the doorframe.
Ziad shakes his head, a look of annoyance crossing his features. He runs his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. “If he continues to strut about like a peacock with that aslan… I will be forced to act,” he declares, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder for emphasis. “And if you’re thinking of telling Khimi about me… just consider how heartbroken your sensitive boy will be,” he adds, gently pushing past her.
As the heavy wooden door opens, Aleyna’s voice echoes through the hallway. She rushes after Ziad, her steps seem to match the pounding of her heart. “Ziad… if you lay a finger on Khimi, I swear…” Her words are cut off once she reaches his side.
Ziad turns with a quickness that surprises her, his cerulean eyes flashing with anger. She can see the servants scurrying out of their way, sensing the tension between them. “So help you, what?” he asks in a low voice, a sinister smirk on his lips.
Aleyna’s breath catches in her throat, but she squares her shoulders and stares him down. “I’ll make sure you suffer for it,” she says shakily.
Ziad chuckles at her bravado and strokes his chin thoughtfully. “When that day comes, Aleyna… I’ll be waiting to see what you can do,” he says incredulously, before turning and striding down the long corridor.
Aleyna watches him leave, her hands trembling as the source of years of torment leaves her home. The hallway seems to stretch forever as she stands alone, her mind racing with thoughts of revenge and justice.
Left alone in her prison, a sense of horror fills her as she realizes just how far her husband would go to achieve his goals. Her mind spins with regret, wishing she had never sent that damned letter to Ziad. Now all she wants is to see Khimi again, to tell him about the atrocities committed by his father before it’s too late.
Maza approaches after watching Aleyna stand dumbfounded. Her footfalls are padded by the soft Rhazian rugs beneath her feet. “Lady Aleyna,” she whispers softly. She reaches out, her fingertips caress her shoulder. “You should get some rest.”
“Ziad…” she trembles quietly, rage pouring into her heart.
***
Aleyna paces back and forth in her luxurious bed chambers. She had been confined to her quarters since Ziad’s departure, making her feel more like a prisoner than ever before. Her bare feet sink into the tall knit of the Sidian rug as she scuffles back and forth.
Maza stands by the door, her tail twitching restlessly. Her feline eyes never leave Aleyna, watching with concern as the flush of Sidian wine colors her mistress’s cheeks. “Aleyna,” she says gently, motioning to the bottles on the small dressing table. “Another cup?”
Aleyna nods sharply, and Maza pours another drink, her hands trembling slightly as she offers the stemless clay cup. Ripples spread across the surface of the wine from trembling hands.
“This home is not your prison,” Maza whispers.
Aleyna walks to Maza, placing her hands softly atop the small ikati’s. “Maza, t-thank you,” she says, gently taking the clay cup. “But I-I will never be a prisoner. Not in Sidi, not in Zeruhan.”
Maza lowers her voice. “Ziad has men posted everywhere. Many of the servants have been ordered to vacate their positions and were freed from Zeruhan.”
Aleyna frowns. “He freed the servants of their debts?” she murmurs, her brow furrowing. After a moment, she exhales softly. “Well, at least I still have you.”
Maza’s expression is gentle, soft green eyes shining with loyalty. “My debt was paid long ago, Lady Aleyna,” she replies.
I’ve decided,” Aleyna says suddenly, lowering the cup in her hands with determination. “I’m going to Rhaz,” she proclaims boldly, fueled by desire for freedom and possibly liquid courage.
Maza gawks. “Aleyna… I don’t believe that’s wise. W-what if something—”
“I cannot live in fear. I won’t al-allow Ziad to have that hold over me again,” Aleyna’s words falter slightly, her resolve wavering as she remembers the terror of being under Ziad’s control. She lifts her eyes to meet Maza’s worried gaze, taking a deep breath and steeling herself for what comes next. “Besides,” she stutters, trying to reassure herself more than anyone else, “I have you by my side.”
Maza looks out the window into the empty courtyard below. Beautiful blue painted mosaic tiles reflect the warm sunlight against a pool of crystal-clear water, adding a sense of serenity to the peaceful scene. Aleyna places the cup down on the table, joining Maza at the window and gazing out at her gilded prison.
“Don’t worry, Maza. You can come to Rhaz as well,” Aleyna says, her voice a sudden surety. “I am certain that before long we’ll be back here and things will be as they should be. Khimi will receive us…”
“Lady Aleyna,” Maza begins meekly, “if we’re caught—”
“If we’re caught, then I will deal with those consequences myself,” Aleyna interrupts quickly. “I will be certain that no blame befalls you, even if it means I take your punishment.”
“Th-they won’t harm you,” Maza stammers with a look at Aleyna. A sense of admiration filling her shaking eyes. “What if we go to the sanctum[2]?”
Aleyna sighs, her thoughts clouding with doubt. “The sanctum may not rule in our favor. The consequences could be worse if Davani[3] judges against us… We could be accused of conspiring against Emir Zeybek.”
“Why would she?” Maza asks, wringing her fingers uncomfortably. “Why would anyone believe that man?!”
“Maza,” Aleyna says softly. She walks toward her, adjusting the collar of the girl’s linen shirt. “My sweet kitten. Because of gold. Because of silver, copper, salt, spices—because of the wealth of the Cerulean Star. The truth is… my marriage to Ziad is nothing more than an arrangement. Going to the Sanctum for help without Ziad present… It would be seen as… uncouth.”
“Uncouth?” Maza asks softly, confused.
Aleyna raises her brow. “It doesn’t help our cause that Davani is known for being especially harsh on women,” she replies, lifting the cup from the table. “The Saint of Balance is known for having a penchant for favoring men in her judgments.”
Maza glances out the window and then draws the sheer curtains to the bedroom, her movements simmering with anger. “One would think there’d be some solidarity among women,” she says angrily.
Aleyna takes a slow sip from her clay cup, the liquid’s warmth failing to mask the bitterness in her tone. “It’s unfortunate, but the saint—who is meant to be blind in her judgment—seems far too lenient on men.”
A silent pause settles between them before Maza leans in. “Then what shall we do? I might be able to sneak out a letter… you could appeal to mercenaries for support.”
Aleyna crosses the room and perches on the edge of the bed, her hand resting against the carved wood as she slowly leans back, her head spinning from the drink. She tugs on the sheer curtain hanging from the wooden beams.
“Aleyna?” Maza calls again, concerned.
“We’ll leave Sidi tonight,” Aleyna declares in a low, resolute murmur. “Gather a few things—just the essentials.”
Maza gasps. “Are you certain, Lady Aleyna?” Without waiting for a reply, she darts to the desk at the far side of the room, quickly lighting a candle and seating herself. “Continue, please,” she whispers, withdrawing a quill and blotting its tip in an inkwell as she straightens her blouse, prepared for Aleyna’s instructions.
Maza compiles a list of essential items—simple, survival-grade necessities—while Aleyna outlines the plan: they will slip from the estate under the cover of darkness. Shortly after exiting the estate, they would make their way to a small town called Tarse in the northwest of Sidi, and from there, gamble on securing passage to Rhaz.
For hours, Maza roams Zeruhan, careful to map out the positions of Ziad’s men with marks on a small, hastily drawn map. As night deepens and the majority of the servants are dismissed from their duties, Maza completes her task, gathering every item before the world outside slips fully into darkness.
***
Aleyna has been waiting by the window. The golden light of late afternoon filters through, dancing on the blue-painted sill as she cradles the last bite of toasted bread, generously slathered with briny, dark olives in her delicate hands. Slowly, she lifts it to her lips, closing her eyes to savor the rich, layered flavors that burst across her tongue. Then, a call pierces the quiet—a lone whip-poor-will singing. It’s the sound Maza told her to listen for, a signal that sets her heart racing. With a sudden burst of resolve, Aleyna rises. She slides gracefully over the desk, her bare feet silent on the cool floor, and slips through the open window. Outside, hidden behind a neat row of hedges, Maza waits.
“Aleyna,” Maza whispers as she pulls a leather strap from the rucksack over her shoulder.
Aleyna sidles against the wall towards her and gives a reassuring but nervous nod of her head.
Aleyna watches as Maza moves before her, barely making a sound in the darkened courtyard. With a hurried gesture, Maza beckons her to follow. Cautiously, Aleyna peeks over the hedges, her eyes drifting across the empty yard where a large reflecting pool casts light from distant braziers across the still, dark water. As she nears the stone path, Maza glances back and extends her hand. Without hesitation, Aleyna follows, interlocking her fingers with the ikati’s. Maza gives her hand a firm, reassuring squeeze, then steps onto the stone walkway and quickly removes her sandals. With a swift, silent motion, she signals for Aleyna to do the same.
“It’s time,” Maza whispers.
Their bare feet hit the cold stone as they scurry through the quiet courtyard. The fire in the brazier’s crackle, its flames hiss with their passing. They pause at the threshold of an arched walkway, and Maza peers cautiously peers ahead before sliding silently against the wall. Her breath comes in labored bursts from the dash, and Aleyna buckles over, gripping her knees, struggling to catch her breath. A gentle pat on her back sparks a small, exhilarated grin—it’s been ages since she’s done something so daring and adventurous. Maza gives her hand another tight squeeze, signaling their next dash.
Once more, their feet patter softly along the stone pathway as they pass through the archway into the outer garden. The pristine landscaped greenery is unseen in the darkness, but Aleyna spends a moment imagining its splendor: hundreds of planted ferns line the outskirts of the palace. Broad-leafed shrubs hug the stone walls surrounding the palace. Statues carved from marble depicting heroic figures carved in the likeness of the men from the Zeybek line.
But Maza tugs her hand, forcing her to break the illusion. Aleyna dashes behind her as quickly as her feet can carry her. Her chest pounds; worry fills her. They race through the side gate, the path winding down a short flight of brick stairs, leveling out onto the sandstone cobbles of a narrow Sidian alleyway.
“M-Maza,” Aleyna breathes heavily, adjusting the silk scarf tied over her head.
Maza glances back, her eyes fixed on the stairs. “Lady Aleyna, we must hurry!”
Aleyna follows into the street, her hands still locked with the young ikati’s. Dimmed lights flicker through the windows of small mudbrick houses. The stark white buildings of Sidi always stand in vivid contrast to the other structures of the Desert Cities in her mind. Emerging from the alley, Maza guides them past silent vendor carts, their wares tucked away for the night. Aleyna glances back, the view of the Zeruhan rousing a sense of awe as sizeable bronze braziers illuminate the grand front gates.
Maza pauses, releasing Aleyna’s hand from her sweaty palms. She wipes the dampness over her pleated trousers. “We should be fine from here,” she says, her voice steady. Meeting Aleyna’s gaze, she adds, “Don’t look back, Aleyna. It’s not goodbye forever.”
Aleyna sighs, her tone playfully defiant. “Don’t coddle me, Maza. I know I’ll be back here.”
“Lady Aleyna, I speak truly,” Maza replies with a spark of excitement. “The Palace… it will always be your home!”
Aleyna turns away from her home and towards the streets of Sidi. “I never thought I would be fleeing from my own home…”
“Come, Aleyna! Let’s make haste!” Maza calls, giving her sleeve a firm tug.
Side by side, they pace themselves so as not to attract unwanted attention. The trek through the city is quiet and uneventful; Aleyna keeps glancing over her shoulder, wary of every shadow. In the distance, a lone figure skulks behind them. Without a word, Aleyna taps Maza’s wrist and gestures toward the threat. Maza steals a glance over her shoulder, a grimace crossing her face as she surveys the area.
“I was certain we weren’t followed,” Maza mutters under her breath.
Aleyna looks down at her bare feet and confesses, “We have no means to defend ourselves.”
“You just want to turn ourselves in?” Maza asks, turning to Aleyna with a disheartening look.
Aleyna meets her gaze with a knowing look. “Nonsense,” she replies firmly.
“Then let’s run, Aleyna! Maybe a guard will hear our side of the story,” Maza urges, her voice edged with anxiety.
“Ziad has too many friends,” Aleyna replies under her breath. “This is fruitless.”
But Maza is undeterred. Glancing back as the figure draws closer, she insists, “It doesn’t matter—someone will listen to our side!”
“You overestimate people,” Aleyna murmurs. “The world is not as kind as you believe.”
Without another word, Maza grabs Aleyna’s hand, running ahead of her before they scramble towards the eastern gates. They burst through the crowded center, weaving through dozens of vendors in the only part of the city that still buzzed with life. Curious eyes follow their hurried passage. Maza glances back—the hooded figure has vanished from sight—but then a guard rounds a corner, her tunic emblazoned with the scales of balance, giving them a curious glance before shoving past.
Maza exhales heavily and forces herself onward. Aleyna’s legs buckle; she drops to her knees on the uneven cobblestones, exhausted by the unexpected exertion. Maza stops and kneels beside her, her face etched with concern. “My Lady,” she breathes, “we can’t afford to stop now.”
Aleyna looks up from the street, massaging her sore foot. “Sorry, Maza… I didn’t expect we’d be running this much.”
Maza extends her hand, gently helping Aleyna to her feet, and then steers them toward the gate ahead. They scramble forward until they reach an open gatehouse, where the sconces cast flickering light on a hooded figure standing in the center of the street. A gray-bearded man with cold eyes waits, his arm casually draped over the hilt of his rapier. As the lupo[4] steps forward, Maza instinctively steps back, her arm raised protectively in front of Aleyna.
“Aleyna,” Maza whispers urgently, “run!”
But Aleyna stands her ground, head held high. “It is my burden,” she declares, striving to maintain her proud composure. She knows full well that fleeing is futile—lupo are infamous for tracking their prey, and in this moment, she knows, she is exactly that.
“Aleyna…”
[1] Love
[2] Sanctum refers to the Sanctum of Balance, the seat of power for the religious figurehead of Sidi.
[3] Davani, the current Saint of Balance. She is the religious head of Sidi and acts as the voice of the gods of balance and order.
[4] Lupo (LOO-poh): Beastkin with the characteristics of wolves.