Chapter 1

Iri Geshem — Noah’s 499th year

Turning her head to dodge the brilliant reflection of sunlight off the glimmering façade of Iri Geshem’s town hall to her right, Naamah marched toward the guest mansion reserved for foreign dignitaries. Jaw set in an angry line, she twisted the oversized iron bracer covering her left arm from elbow to wrist and stared at its intricate patterns.

Led by Nivlac, the quartet of guards flanking her increased their pace to keep up. Even after her many protests, they still accompanied her. Iri Geshem’s seedy characters always posed a slight threat, but the soldiers had remained on high alert since the day before. A mixture of outrage and grief had overtaken the town after the debacle in the arena, and the chance remained high that someone might seek revenge for loved ones lost. Still, being surrounded by overprotective men at all times did nothing to improve her mood, and she maintained a stony silence throughout their trek.

Two soldiers manned the doors into the residence. Normally, the gold trim along the frame, a sign of Havil’s influence in this city, would bring her happiness, but she was in no mood to be amused. The guards pushed the doors open and stepped inside as she approached.

The bearded man on her left nodded. “Welcome back, Princess.”

Ignoring him, Naamah stormed ahead into the spacious foyer. She glanced around, hoping there would be no delay. To her right, a small group of people spoke quietly around the low table in the sitting room. They fell silent at the sight of her, but she turned away without acknowledging them. The lavish dining hall to her left sat vacant except for a servant girl preparing the place settings. Other than Nivlac, the guards remained near the door.

Naamah moved to the stairs and ascended to the second floor. She turned left and hurried to her guest room at the end of the hall.

“Princess.” Nivlac gently touched her arm. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

She opened the door, jerked away from his touch, and glared at her loyal guard. “Just wait out here.”

He drew himself upright and faced the hallway. “As you command.”

Naamah shut the door behind her and tossed her green-hemmed cloak on a bench. She slid her shoes off and dropped onto the bed. As she loosened the strings on the bracer, regret and sadness filled her entire body. How long has it been since I’ve felt this way? She adjusted the metal and retied the cords, fitting it more comfortably, even though it was clearly made for a man’s large forearm. Studying the remarkable craftsmanship, her thoughts raced back to her brother’s final moments in the arena. She shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of that memory. Thankful for the opportunity to spend some time in Tubal-Cain’s shop earlier in the day, she stroked the one memento she had found to remember him by.

As she repositioned herself, an object pressed against her stomach. Withdrawing the small dagger from the pocket of her wrap, Naamah held it in front of her eyes and slowly twisted it about. For a brief moment, the thought of plunging it directly into her own chest raced into her mind. She raised the knife and gripped the handle with both hands. Taking a deep breath, she recalled her father’s smile as Tubal-Cain died. She lowered the blade and inserted it into its slot in the bracer. Not while he is still alive.

As she stared at the armband her brother had crafted, Naamah said, “And I’ll wear this until he’s dead.” She fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes. Why wouldn’t you bow, Tu? Her lip quavered and she squeezed her eyes tight, successfully preventing a tear from escaping. All because you came to this city with Noah.

Gathering her wits, she sat back up and gazed out the large window to her right. In her mind she watched the giant drag Noah into the arena, leaving him standing helplessly beneath her as the grendec entered and the crowd roared. No matter how many times she replayed the next moment, the outcome never changed. Brimming with a quiet confidence, Noah looked at her and said, “I will not die today.”

Her heart pounding, she clenched a fist and slammed it into the bed. “How did he know?” What if he’s right? What if the Creator is more pow— “No!” Impossible. Noah was just lucky. No matter. He’ll soon be back in our custody, and there will be no escape. How dare he try to make a fool of me in front of everyone!

Naamah stood and moved to the reflective plate on the wall. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing all of it over to the right. After straightening her gown, she held up her left arm to examine how the bracer looked on her. A hint of a smile grew on her lips as she focused on the hilt of the dagger. I like it.

A knock at the door ripped her attention away from her reflection. “Not now, Nivlac.”

The door creaked open. “Princess, the king told me to update you on the search.” The voice was not Nivlac’s.

Naamah briskly straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Enter.”

A guard stepped into the room and knelt before her. Keeping his head down, he said, “Every exit to the city has been blocked since yesterday. As you know, we stopped him from fleeing the city by boat. Our—”

“Where is he?” Naamah tapped her foot.

The guard hesitated and dropped his head even lower. “Still no sign of him, but he must be in the eastern part of the city. Our men have been searching every home.”

Naamah grabbed a small vase off the shelf beside her and smashed it onto the floor, shattering it into dozens of pieces. “Find him!”

The man flinched. “Yes, Princess.”

Glaring at the back of the man’s neck, she slid the dagger part way out of the armband. Letting out a breath, she replaced the blade with a clinking of metal. “You weren’t sent out to come back empty-handed. Return without him again, and you’ll be fed to the grendec.”

He nodded. “Yes, Princess.”

“Get out!”

The soldier stood and bowed before spinning around and hustling out of the room.

Naamah kicked a clay shard across the floor. Tubal-Cain is dead and Noah’s free. “Ah!” Her breathing quickened as her anger kindled. Trying to shake the image of Tubal-Cain’s bloodied corpse from her mind, she paused and let it fuel her temper instead. She scratched an itch near the top edge of the bracer, the irritation increasing her rage even more. Her eyes locked onto the handle. “This comes off today.”

Stepping carefully over shattered pottery, she reached for her shoes and pulled them on. “Nivlac!”

He stepped into the room, and his eyes darted from the mess on the floor to her. “Yes, Highness.”

Controlling the tone of her voice, Naamah asked, “Do you know where my father is?”

“I believe he’s in a meeting with leaders from the city.”

Biting her lip, she contemplated how to take revenge. Yes, that should work. “Very good. That’s all.”

Nivlac nodded. “Would you like me to inform the king that you’d like to see him?”

She strode past him. “That won’t be necessary. Follow me.”

Rushing down the hall, Naamah allowed the memory of Tubal-Cain’s murder to drive her forward while ignoring all the warnings that rang inside her. I don’t care if this is a deadly mistake. It’s worth the risk. As she reached the middle of the passage, she turned left and pushed the double doors open, then stepped confidently into the spacious meeting hall. The city’s councilmembers reclined on lush cushions around a low table loaded with colorful fruits and vegetables along with a variety of meats. Skimpily clad male and female dancers twirled and twisted near the musicians on the far side of the room.

Seated at the opposite end of the table, her father handed a tray of food to a young woman dressed in a tawdry outfit standing at his side. His eyes lingered after her as she stepped away. Only when the girl had disappeared through the servants’ entrance in the corner did he turn to face his daughter. “Naamah, please join us.”

Nivlac remained at the door as she glided around the councilmembers and stopped about ten cubits before the king. As she bowed her head slightly, she glimpsed the hilt of the dagger at her forearm. She raised her voice for the benefit of everyone in the room. “Father, why did you murder Tubal-Cain?”

The music stopped and Lamech raised his eyebrows. “Murder?” He snorted. “That’s called justice, my dear. He disobeyed direct orders from both of us. He needed to be punished for his treason.”

“But he was your son, and my brother!” Her tone grew sharp and accusatory. “You never should have put him in that situation.”

“He sought to undermine my rule.” The king raised a finger and pointed at her. “And you’d better watch yourself.”

“Pah! Are you threatening me?” Naamah stepped closer, defiantly challenging his authority and anticipating a blow to the face as he had dealt her several times before. But at over 700 years old, he was weaker and slower than he had once been. He would never see the dagger until she had planted it deep into his chest in an act of self-defense. “Without Nachash’s followers, your rule would crumble.”

Anger burned in his eyes as he glanced at the councilmembers, many of whom wore shocked expressions. He stood and took a step toward her. “If you ever speak to me that way again—”

“What? You’ll kill me just like you’ve killed your son?”

“Enough!” Lamech raised his hand to hit her, but he froze when the twin doors burst open.

Jolted by the interruption, Naamah turned to see two guards dash into the room just as she placed her hand over the bracer.

“Sir!” The guard who entered first dropped to a knee, and his companion followed suit. “Please forgive the interruption. I have urgent news!”

Glaring at Naamah, the king said, “This had better be important. What is it?”

“The Nodite army,” the first guard said.

Lamech broke eye contact with Naamah. “What about the Nodites?”

The second sentry lowered his gaze. “They were spotted one day’s march from here and are headed this way.”

A few gasps and nervous chatter broke out from the others in the room. Lamech raised his hand to silence his guests and turned to Iri Geshem’s new chief councilmember. “Get your security commanders here immediately.”

Ashur nodded once and whispered something to the man next to him, who abruptly stood and dashed out of the room.

Glancing again at the dagger hidden against her forearm, Naamah dismissed the urge to stab her father while he was distracted. Patience. It must be in self-defense or in private. She cautiously stepped away, hoping the news would make him forget her insubordination. Upset that her plan had been foiled, she clenched her jaw tightly until she remembered the small vial tucked inside a hidden pocket of her gown. She spotted the drinks on the table and the faintest of grins tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Lamech barked a command, causing Naamah’s heart to skip a beat.

The first guard shot to his feet. “Sir?”

“Find Commander Tsek and tell him to gather my war council right away. The city gates and the river shall remain closed and guarded. No one enters the city without inspection and no one leaves. Noah is the least of our problems now. If the Nodites have any spies here, we cannot allow them to get out.”

The man nodded and raced toward the door with his companion on his heels.

“King Lamech,” Ashur said as he climbed to his feet. “Might I suggest that we reconvene in the city planning hall downstairs? It’s larger than this room and has a model of Iri Geshem that may be useful in planning our defense.”

Lamech’s gaze shifted to Naamah. His lip curled, as if promising retaliation to come, but then he turned away. “Very well. Prepare the room.”