She still dreamed of the dragon every night, but there were other dreams: dreams of playing with Jashemi when they were children, dreams of touching him before he left for his first battle, dreams of looking into his deep brown eyes and knowing that she was truly seen.How did anyone live when a loved one was gone? she wondered. How did her own body continue to function, when all that gave it light and life was so terribly far away?

She refused to think of him lying with another woman. While in her heart she knew she yearned for his physical embrace as much as his presence and voice, that was a longing she had never dared utter. She was Bai-sha, he was a khashim's son, and he would never be able to take her as wife. She had known of this reality since childhood.

But she was fiercely jealous that this unknown Shali, daughter of a khashim, had Jashemi's presence. She could talk to him as she wished, without hiding and deception, without fear of repercussions. She could wrap her arms around him, fall into the warm, strong comfort of him. This, Kevla had known, had tasted, and as with honey on the tongue, she wanted more.

The single thing that kept her sane was knowing that now, she was the only person who could protect Tahmu. She and Jashemi knew of Yeshi's betrayal and Halid's treason, and Jashemi was many leagues away. He could do nothing. Kevla knew that there was very little even she could do, but at least she was here, at the House. When Tahmu rode to a raid, she begged the Great Dragon every day to send him home safely. She knew, as the other household members could not, that Tahmu was a target not just for rival clans, but for his own Second. It would be easy for Halid to slip into Tahmu's tent at night, a sharp knife between his teeth...

Pain blossomed in her hand and she bit back a cry. She had become so lost in her thoughts that she had not paid attention while she was chopping vegetables, and had nicked her finger. She stuck it in her mouth and sucked on it, her eyes darting about to make sure no one had noticed her slip, but the kitchen was busy and noisy.

He came home safely, Kevla, she chastised herself as she rinsed her bloody hand until it stopped bleeding. You should be thanking the Dragon, not imagining frightening scenes.

Indeed, that was the reason the kitchen was bustling so. Tahmu had returned, without losing a single man, in the raid against the Sandcattle Clan. Such an event warranted a special feast, and the household was eager to give him one.

Kevla returned to her task and was chopping vegetables with renewed concentration when the kitchen suddenly fell silent. Along with everyone else, she looked up, and her eyes went wide with shock.

Standing in the entrance to the kitchens, her clothing and person both spotless and elegant, was Yeshi. She smiled at Sahlik. The elderly servant hastened to her mistress and bowed.

"Great lady," said Sahlik, "what do you desire? Some paraah, perhaps?"

All the other servants had stopped what they were doing, but did not dare look directly at the khashima. Kevla, too, bowed her head, but watched Yeshi out of the corner of her eye. She knew her mistress well enough to know that Yeshi rarely visited the kitchens, and in fact had not done so in several years. That was what shehad servants for. Why had she not sent them today to fetch her favorite tidbits?

"No, thank you, Sahlik. I just wanted to see and taste for myself how well the feast is progressing."

Kevla's eyes widened and her breathing quickened. Something was definitely afoot.

Sahlik clapped her hands. "Return to your duties," she called, and the servants obeyed. No one dared look at Yeshi except for Sahlik. Kevla continued to chop vegetables, but unlike the others, did not let Yeshi out of her sight.

"What have you prepared?" Yeshi inquired. As Sahlik told her, she nodded, listening. She stepped over to where a girl was carving a decorative bird out of a gourd, removing the fleshy, deliciously sweet fruit with a spoon.

"That looks lovely, child," Yeshi said, causing the girl to blush and smile. "Tahmu will be pleased. Oh, and is this balaan stew?" She bent over the cauldron and smelled. "Delicious!" she pronounced. "Worthy of such a celebration."

Kevla clenched her teeth, willing Yeshi to not come to her. She had not looked the woman in the face for years and did not want to do so now. Fortunately, Yeshi seemed to share her sentiment, and brushed past Kevla as if the girl was not there.

Kevla caught a faint whiff of scented oils, and for a moment was transported back to when she was eleven years old and massaging the khashima. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

She continued to watch Yeshi as one of the aerie's hawks might. Looking as out of place as a silver goblet in a sand-cattle pen, Yeshi made her way through the kitchen, stopping in front of the plate that would be the khashim's that evening.

"Will the gourd-bird sit here, on my husband's plate?" Yeshi inquired.

The girl looked alarmed at being directly addressed and glanced at Sahlik, who nodded. "Yes, Great Lady. On the khashim's plate, if it pleases you."

"It does indeed," Yeshi said, smiling warmly. "I see you are almost done. Finish it quickly, and I will fill it with delicious treats myself."

The girl whirled around and began to carve rapidly. Kevla hoped she did not cut herself. She averted her eyes momentarily as she heard the rustle of Yeshi's clothing and knew that the woman was regarding her. Then Yeshi turned, and began to fill the gourd from a bowl full of delicacies placed next to it.

Again, Kevla lifted her gaze just slightly and watched as Yeshi worked. Sahlik was tasting the stew, and the other servants had their eyes on their tasks. Into the hollow went dates, nuts, cleverly fashioned pastries- -and something else, a green powder that poured from Yeshi's sleeve and dissolved when it hit the juicy fruit- A gray mist swirled before Kevla's eyes as she realized what was happening. The scream welled up and ripped free from her throat.

"No!"Righteous fury and a terrible fear for Tahmu shuddered through Kevla as she lifted her hand and pointed at the tray, pointed at the poison-soaked fruit that a supposedly devoted wife was going to feed to her unsuspecting husband, pointed at the evidence that would save Tahmu's life and expose Yeshi's crime for all to see- The thin ribbon of fire began at the tip of her finger and sped across the room like a lightning strike.

It struck the gourd and the small table exploded. A curtain of flame leaped upward. Sparks scattered across the room to ignite hair and clothing. Kevla heard the screams of terrified servants and saw Yeshi leap backward, staring first at her burned hands and then at Kevla. Smoke filled the room. Others coughed and shrieked, but Kevla felt no sting from the smoke. The only thing she felt was a sickening horror as Yeshi pointed a red, oozing finger at her and cried, "Kuli!"

"No," Kevla said again, her voice a hoarse whisper. She knew she should run, should flee before they could catch her, but she remained rooted to the spot, her eyes locked with Yeshi's, and she saw in those dark orbs a hot blaze of triumph.

Kevla suddenly snapped out of her paralysis. The kitchen was chaos. Servants were screaming, fighting to escape. The walls were of stone, but everything that could catch fire had, and the smoke was thick and acrid. She turned and tried to run with the others, but felt strong hands close on her arms and shoulders.

"Sahlik!" she screamed as she twisted in the implacable grasp of two of Yeshi's servants. "Sahlik, help me, she tried to poison Tahmu... please! Help me!"

She screamed the last two words over and over, craning her neck to try to find the elderly servant. Hard hands clamped over her mouth. Kevla squirmed, fighting to escape, fighting to warn someone, fighting to breathe. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she knew no more.

Tahmu was pleased with the new irrigation system his men had devised. It would be a good year for the crops. He smiled as he turned Swift from the Four Waters and headed home.

The smile faded as he saw black smoke curling up from the house. He clapped heels to Swift and the horse sprang into a gallop. As he drew closer, he realized that the fire was coming from the kitchens. His heart contracted.

Kevla...

A small figure was running toward him. He recognized the youth as one of the kitchen servants. The boy was now waving frantically, and Tahmu slowed as he approached.

"Fire!" the boy gasped.

"I can see that," Tahmu snapped. "Was anyone hurt?"

The boy nodded, leaning forward with his hands on his knees as he gulped air.

"Your wife, great khashim. Her hands were burned. Asha is with her now."

Tahmu saw that his rhia had been singed. "Is it bad?""Yes, khashim."

Tahmu felt sick. "Will she have the use of her hands? What does Asha say?"

"I have not spoken with him, great lord."

When he was done talking to the boy, he would ride to Asha's hut. The youth was skilled and had been well taught. He would do all he could. It would have to be enough. Pleas to the Great Dragon would be in order.

"How did it start?"

The boy's eyes were enormous as he replied, "Kevla."

Tahmu's heart sank. Yeshi would surely insist on a terrible punishment. Curse the girl's carelessness! "What happened?'Did she get too close to the fire?"

The boy shook his head solemnly. "Great lord... she made the fire. It flew from her hand like an arrow of flame." Tears of fear filled his eyes. "The khashima named her... kuli."

This could not be. Tahmu refused to believe it. Kevla was just a girl, a Bai-sha, not a demon. His mind raced back to that day so many years ago, when he had held her in front of him as they rode, just as he would a pure-blooded daughter. He thought of watching her dance in the square, of standing demurely by Yeshi, of her uncomplaining adaptation to life in the kitchens.

This was not a kuli. This was just a young woman.

"Yeshi said this?" he asked. "You are certain?" He knew he was grasping at straws, but perhaps, just perhaps, Yeshi was trying to turn a common kitchen accident into a way to destroy the young woman she hated.

The boy nodded. "Yes, great lord. But we all saw it. Yeshi just said it first."

Tahmu began to tremble. Was it possible? Had he truly unleashed a kuli upon his household?

"There is one more thing, great lord," said the boy. He looked even more frightened now that he had earlier, if such a thing was possible.

"Speak," Tahmu said, in a hoarse voice.

"Kevla said that the khashima was trying to poison you."

"Poison me?" The words were yet another blow. Yeshi disliked him, he knew that much, but poison him? Surely not. If Kevla had done what this boy said she had done-and he would speak to Sahlik, she would not participate in any slanderous campaign Yeshi had contrived to start against Kevla-then she was indeed a kuli, and her words were lies.

Asha was waiting outside the House for him. Anticipating his lord's question, he said, "Great lord, Yeshi will recover. The burns are bad, and will leave their mark, but if Yeshi will let me tend her properly and obey me when I ask her to move her hands in certain ways, she will not lose the use of them."

"Good," Tahmu said. "May I see her?""Yes, but only briefly, my lord. Rest will help her heal."

Tahmu nodded his understanding. A crowd was starting to gather. It was to be expected. He was the head of the clan; when something like this happened, they would look to him to make things right.

He turned and regarded them. It seemed that everyone had stopped what they were doing to come to him; he could not blame them. He regarded the sea of upturned, frightened faces. They were expecting him to pronounce swift judgment.

But he could not bear to do so, not yet.

He followed Asha up the stairs to Yeshi's quarters. His wife lay on the silken sheets. Her hair was loose on the pillow, her face pale, her hands swathed with bandages. Despite the fact that there was little affection between them, Tahmu felt a stab of sympathy. He sat down beside her and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Leave us," he told the healer. When the door had closed, Tahmu said gently, "Asha tells me you will recover." She tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace.

"Tell me what happened."

Tears filled her eyes. "I was in the kitchens, thinking to make you a special treat with my own hands, my husband," she said. "Then Kevla screamed out and-fire came from her hands! She was trying to kill me! I am lucky I am alive."

He didn't look at her. "You think she is a kuli?"

"What else could she be? We have burned men for less than this, my husband.

Everyone saw it! I know you are fond of her because she is your Bai-sha, but you must not let that cloud your mind against what you know you must do. You must protect your people."

Now Tahmu did look at her. He wanted to see her reaction to his next words.

"She accused you of trying to poison me."

Yeshi smiled sadly. "And does that not make it even more obvious what she is?

You and I are not in love, Tahmu, but that does not make me a murderer. Even if I hated you with all my heart, why would I try to kill you? I could not be khashima without a khashim."

Tahmu had to admit that she spoke the truth. While he could stretch his imagination to accommodate Yeshi as hate-filled enough to kill, he could not see her jeopardizing her luxurious life as khashima.

He bent to kiss her forehead with a heart that grew heavier by the moment. "Rest, now," he said.

"Where is she?" he demanded as he strode into the courtyard. "Bring her before me."

Everyone knew who he meant, and a ripple of surprise ran through the crowd.

They were curious as to why he would even bother seeing the kuli-cursed girl.

He spotted Sahlik and waved her forward. The old woman forced her way through the crowd. He extended a hand and helped her up the steps. Placing his lipsclose to her ear, he whispered, "Tell me that this was a simple kitchen accident."

Sahlik had begun looking old to him when he was twelve. Since then, it seemed to him that she had not aged. Now, though, all the years seemed to have descended upon her at once. Her eyes were red, and not, he suspected, just from the smoke.

"Great lord," she said, "I would that I could. But I saw it with my own eyes.

Kevla extended a hand, and fire came from it."

Tahmu let out a low groan. "I had hoped this was nothing more than Yeshi's jealousies," he whispered.

Sahlik clutched his hand. "Perhaps it was a divine blessing from the Dragon," she said. "Kevla said that Yeshi had put poison in your dish. Perhaps the Dragon gave her his fire to protect you."

"The Dragon is a distant god," Tahmu said, his face impassive. "He doesn't come when he is needed." He squeezed her hand, and gently touched her arm to indicate that she rejoin the crowd. Tears filled the old woman's eyes, but she obeyed.

It was then that Tahmu saw his daughter.

Halid had taken charge of the kuli masquerading as a beautiful, illegitimate young woman. She had been beaten, he saw, and his heart ached. But he was not surprised.

A rough cloth had been tied around her mouth, and her hands were tightly bound.

Halid clutched another rope that snaked around her waist. She limped as she moved forward, and the crowd parted to give her a wide berth. Tahmu heard muttered curses and watched as someone spat upon her. Step by slow, unsteady step, Kevla Bai-Sha made her way toward the House. Halid led her as he might a cow or goat, but with far less gentleness.

Finally, she stood before him, and before he could say anything she had collapsed at his feet. Her hands, the hands that had supposedly shot fire across the room, reached to touch his sandals. Reacting instinctively, he jerked back, and heard the murmur of the crowd.

He swallowed hard. "Speak," he ordered his daughter.

She was crying so hard that she could not. Her hair had come undone from its customary braid and fell like a black river down her back and face. Her body shook with each sob.

Tahmu could not help himself. Knowing full well that he should not, he stepped forward and raised her, shaking her gently to get her attention.

Her head came up and she looked him full in the face. He had not looked at her so for many years, and with a pang realized that she had blossomed into a true beauty. There was much of him in her face still, but more of the radiant, exquisite Keishla.

His words to her came back to haunt him as he stared at their child: This I swear to you-she will never want for food or a safe place to sleep. No man will dare lay a hand on her without my permission.He had lied to his true love, had betrayed her trust in him. Now, he feared he would have to do something every bone in his body screamed at him not to do.

"Kevla," he said, for her ears alone, "give me something, anything, to defend you with. Tell me you didn't do this thing and I will believe you."

Her eyes filled with fresh tears. They spilled down her cheeks as she replied, "I wasn't trying to hurt her, great lord. I was trying to save you. Yeshi and Halid have been conspiring against-"

Her voice continued speaking, but Tahmu didn't hear another word. Even she had confessed to her evil.

My daughter has become a demon.

He let her go and with a sudden rush of pain and anger shoved her. She fell backward hard; no one rushed to break the kuli'sfall.

"Take her," he ordered, fighting to keep his composure. "Take her and build the fire."

"My lord," said Halid, "it will take time to gather so much wood."