72 pages • 2 hours read
P. Djèlí ClarkA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
A warrant is issued for Alexander Worthington’s arrest. Though the case seems airtight, Fatma feels as though she’s missing something. Nonetheless, she assembles with the other officers, asking if Amir brought “him”; the director confirms, albeit by simply nodding at a nearby police wagon. Siti does not appear, causing mixed feelings for Fatma.
As Fatma climbs into the police wagon, Onsi rushes out to recount The Tales of the Lady Dhat al-Himm. The story tells of a warrior queen who raised her son as a knight. When the boy becomes arrogant, his mother adopts a disguise, defeats him in battle, and lifts her veil to show he has been defeated by a woman, his mother. The queen then speaks the same words Siwa did to Fatma.
On the journey to the Worthington estate, Fatma pulls out her pocket watch, explaining to Hadia that her father instructed her to look at it whenever she feels lost. Fatma requests Hadia’s trust, asking her partner to follow her lead during the arrest.
They surround Worthington’s house, unsure of how to fight an Ifrit. Aasim asks for the master, but Fatma interrupts, asking for both Abigail and Alexander. The Worthington siblings arrive, Abigail still wearing a bandage over her hand.
By P. Djèlí Clark