Prince Ahmad drew his own sword and braced himself for another fight against impossible odds. But before he could advance against the foe, Jafar al-Sharif stepped forward and raised his arms above his head. “Begone!” the would-be wizard bellowed. “He who interferes with us in any way will suffer a worse fate than the king’s wizard.” Jafar had no idea whether Cari was still with him, or whether she had been responsible for the mayhem he’d witnessed in the other room. He had no idea how he could back up his threat if any of the guards defied him—but fortunately, none of them was that foolhardy. Their king couldn’t single out any one person for punishment—and in any case, they would rather face his wrath than the supernatural menace Jafar al-Sharif had used against the royal sorcerer. A pat