Loulie did not realize her knees were wobbling until Mazen came to stand beside her. He set a hand on her shoulder to balance her. “He called himself the Inferno,” he said.
“A fitting name for a king whose magic is as old as the flame of creation, no?”
Stupid. She bit back a self-mocking laugh. Of course he would never say anything.
Qadir had told her before that he ran from his problems. That he had been fearful of her reaction to his confession of being an ifrit. This—what was this but an added layer? Another secret. She was already numb to them.
Loulie stared blankly after Rijah. Slowly, Mazen grabbed her hand. “Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s go see where we are.” Despite his bloodied face, he looked, well, not broken. Though the light in his eyes was faded, there was a glimmer of curiosity in them.
He had changed, she thought. But then, maybe she had too.
She allowed him to lead her through the cold cave after Rijah. After Mazen had given his condolences to the ifrit for what was at least a hundred-year-old grudge, he said, “My name is Mazen, by the way. I’m of royal blood but no longer have any claim to the throne.”
Rijah turned, tilted their head. “Your brother ousted you?”
“Yes,” Mazen said. “I’m pretty sure he was going to use you to…” He faltered, glanced at Loulie. She looked away with a sigh. Why was he looking at her?
“To destroy the jinn? The world?” Loulie couldn’t see Rijah’s scowl, but she could hear it in their words. “What else would a power-hungry fool want but destruction?”
That was the question none of them could answer. Omar bin Malik was working with jinn to steal ifrit magic. But why? And to what end?
Memories flooded her mind: Dahlia, laughing with her in the tavern as she smoked her shisha pipe. Ahmed bin Walid, smiling as he twirled her across the diwan. Qadir, pressing his forehead to hers. Trust me.
How many more people would she lose before the gods were satisfied?
Mazen seemed just as uncertain. “I wonder if Aisha knows.” His expression fell. “I hope she’s okay.”
“Even though she betrayed you?”
Mazen nodded. He said nothing after that, only squeezed her hand as they neared the entrance. Loulie felt the change before she saw it. The air grew warmer, and a soft wind began to push at her robes. Then: sunlight.
Rijah paused at the cave entrance. Loulie and Mazen froze beside them.
“Gods,” Mazen whispered in awe.
Where the sky would normally be, there was an ocean. Schools of fish swam through the water like colorful clouds, and water crashed down in the form of waterfalls. Gigantic birds patrolled the air while down below, gorgeous cities of gleaming silver and gold dotted the vibrant landscape.
“Welcome,” Rijah said, “to the world of jinn.”
Loulie clutched the dagger. I’m here, Qadir, she thought. And I’m waiting for you.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For five years, The Stardust Thief has been a personal sanctuary, a world I carried with me through various upheavals and moves. What a surreal feeling to know that it will now sit on shelves in other places and that it will grow roots beyond me. There are so many people I need to thank for helping me shape this small and humble idea into the book it is now.
First and foremost to Jennifer Azantian, my agent: Thank you for being such a stalwart champion and for helping me strengthen the story’s narrative. Your enthusiasm and love for these characters （especially Aisha!） means so much. Thanks as well to Ben Baxter for helping me sharpen the little details.
Working with the Orbit team has been a dream. To my US and UK editors, Brit Hvide and Emily Byron: I am so grateful for your keen editorial insight. Thank you for encouraging me to push the boundaries of this world, and for reassuring me that it was okay to give these characters more time to breathe. Brit, huge thanks for the ghoul and interlude talks and for your sage wisdom about hats—you know the ones!
Thanks to Tim Holman, Anna Jackson, and Alex Lencicki for welcoming this book into the Orbit family; Nadia Saward, Angeline Rodriguez, and Joanna Kramer for your editorial perspective; Ellen Wright, Angela Man, Nazia Khatun, Madeleine Hall, and Casey Davoren for getting the word out there; Rachel Hairston and everyone in sales for finding this story a place on shelves; Lauren Panepinto, Lisa Marie Pompilio, Stephanie Hess, and Alexia Mazis for making it a piece of art; Tim Paul for the beautiful map; and Bryn A. McDonald, Rachel Goldstein, and Tom Webster for wrapping it up into a fantastic book-shaped package.
To my very first reader, Jasmine Peake: Thank you for cheering me on as I wrestled with that behemoth first draft. I will forever be grateful to you for handling my work with such care and for loving Loulie and Mazen from the get-go. You are the best partner in critique.