the discarded silk against her as he let her slide away from him. ‘Do you know
what happened to the girl who lived in this room? While she slept, someone let a
serpent into here and it bit her. She died horribly. Sometimes I think I hear it
on the pillows, but they won’t let me have another room.’
There are no snakes in this room. Little Flower.’
In the shadows, she could not be certain of his expression, and his accent made
it difficult to read the sound of his voice. Recklessly, she continued.
‘That’s what they tell me. The only snakes in Sanctuary which are poisonous are
the Beysa’s holy snakes – and those never go far from her in the palace. But she
was killed by snake venom. Someone had to have put it in here. But she was only
a mad girl from the Street of Red Lanterns, so no one will search for her
killer.’
‘I’m sure your Prince will do all that he can. It would be a crime among us, as
well, if someone had stolen the Beysa’s serpent.’
‘I’m afraid. Suppose they didn’t need to steal the serpent, suppose they only
needed the venom. Suppose the Harka Bey are angry because men like you come here
to women like me.’
He took her in his arms again, brushing the sweat-dampened hair back from her
face. ‘The Harka Bey is a tale for children.’
She caught his hand in hers and felt the design of the ring on his hand: a
serpent, with fangs that rasped on the ridges of her fingertips. He pulled his
hand quickly away.
‘I’m afraid, Turghurt, of what will become of me -‘
He struck like a snake, grabbing at her throat and wrenching her head around