The room was silent but for the trickling water from the fountain. As if a tooth had been pulled, only a gap remained where the lion had been. Layla stood, awestruck. “What do you think happened?”
Ara studied the fountain, unable to make sense of it. “He can’t be gone,” she said, her voice cracking. “He’s my favorite.”
“Maybe he’s being repaired?” Layla offered without conviction. The two girls circled the area, finding no clues of the missing lion.
“Should we tell someone?” Ara questioned, unsure if her lion missing was good or bad.
“Yes, let’s find my mother.”
The girls edged into the King’s Hall hand in hand with Suleiman trailing after, all his attention on the fish remaining in Layla’s basket.
The wazir strode purposefully across the room. “So, daughters of the harem, here you are. I would speak with you.”
Suleiman backed up, spitting, his tail puffed out like a feather duster. Ara was unable to force a word out.
“Perhaps some other time, Abd al-Rahmid,” came a slightly breathless voice from across the room. Tahirah rapidly entered, her white cloak fluttering behind her. “They’re late as it is for their class.” She flashed her hand across his path and a burst of stars danced in rapid succession across the stone floor forming a line—Tahirah and the girls on one side, the wazir on the other. If Ara had ever doubted that Tahirah was a powerful mathemagician, she believed now.
The wazir hesitated as though confused, then forced a false smile. “Tahirah, how nice to see you,” he said, eyes narrowed with dislike. Then his voice took on the authority of his office. “But I must insist on speaking with these two.”
Ara felt the blood drain from her face. Tahirah came up beside her, and another coil of stars spun about at a twist of her hand. “It’s late. You need to go about the sultan’s business, don’t you?” She turned her back to the wazir and, with a conspiratorial wink, said to the girls, “Come along.”
He shook his head as if trying to clear it, then touched the wall. Ara saw the tile writhe beneath his hand. Then the wazir drew in a breath and seemed to gather strength. “Now,” he said. “I need to speak to them now.”
Tahirah smiled serenely as she steered the girls out of the room. “Regrettably, not today. We are behind in our lessons.”
The wazir started forward as if to push Tahirah aside when a low hiss stopped him in his tracks. Looking around in surprise, his eyes fixed on Suleiman, whose every hair stood on end as he backed slowly away from the wazir. “A cat,” Abd al-Rahmid said contemplatively. “A portly cat with the glow of magic surrounding him.” A sly look of comprehension crossed his face.
Tahirah opened her mouth as if to speak, but instead she flicked her hand once again. Out spilled tiny diamonds that shimmered in the air. They settled lightly on each of the girls’ feet then blinked out of sight. The wazir looked around as if uncertain, and Ara thought they might all escape now.
Suleiman made a sudden leap for the doorway and freedom. The wazir jerked as if the magic had suddenly released. He rushed after Suleiman but halted abruptly as a lion, as transparent as if formed of mist or smoke, materialized in his way. “Your destiny awaits,” the lion said in a deep resonant voice.
Abd al-Rahmid hesitated for a brief white-knuckled moment before stepping through the bodiless lion. “Go back to your fountain,” he jeered. “You can do me no harm.” He dashed after Suleiman into the gardens.
The lion image wavered, then disappeared. Wisps of golden motes of light remained where he had stood.
After a moment of stunned silence, the girls exploded with a whirlwind of words, the loudest being Ara’s, “My lion, that was my lion!”
“The wazir knows! What are we to do? What about Suleiman?”
A visibly shaken Tahirah quieted them with a gesture. “We must leave. The wazir could return in an instant. Suleiman knows enough to run to my quarters. Come, we must hurry.”
“But what if Suleiman gets caught?” Ara whispered, afraid for her friend. Their petty bickering was now a thing of the past.
“The stone lion bought him time. Cats are quick and wary. Suleiman should be safe,” Tahirah said.
Ara wished she could believe in those words, not just hope.
“We will speak no more of this until we are within the protection of my chambers.”