Manganic, the capital of Maralana, was both larger and more densely populated than Qayit. Getting from the airport to the hotel seemed to take a lifetime, though whether it was because of the distance or the traffic, Abhijat couldn’t tell.

He had never thought he’d miss the congested, bumper-to-bumper traffic of Qayit. And yet, the cars here seemed almost ready to climb onto one another in their rush to get ahead.

Abhijat wasn’t a fan of megacities, but he’d pick Qayit over Manganic in a heartbeat, and it wasn’t just because it was the capital of his country.

The relief after they reached their hotel was short-lived. A small welcome party had been organized in honor of the visiting dignitaries in the banquet hall. Many of the important players in Maralanese politics were present, as were most top government officials and ministers. Only President Maganti was conspicuous by his absence.

Beautiful, carefully rendered replicas of famous Naijani artefacts featured prominently in the banquet hall. Fresh, fragrant flowers, arranged in the traditional styles of the five Naijani states adorned the walls. Somebody had put a lot of effort into wooing the Naijani delegates.

Fasih fluttered from group to group, making conversation, cracking jokes, taking the measure of everyone present, all while looking distracted and slightly dazzled by the grandeur of their surroundings.

Abhijat would’ve fallen for it, had he not had months of close proximity to study Fasih in all kinds of situations. Right now, Fasih looked relaxed and nonchalant, ambling aimlessly about, laughing and talking to everyone who approached him.

And yet, his eyes were keen and his smile a tad too bright, his expression far from the dazed and dreamy look he wore when truly at ease. He was prowling the perimeter, stalking potential prey, trying to pin down the easiest kill. Abhijat could feel it under his skin.

Out of the corner of his eye, Abhijat watched Dileep and Sinya Haval enter the banquet hall, followed by Rito. A few other senior scientists from Haval’s team at the QRI had also arrived with them. His sister spotted him and broke away from the group, coming to stand beside Abhijat.

“Having fun?” she asked, bumping her shoulder against his.

“My dream vacation.”

A tall, elegantly dressed woman in her fifties stepped through the massive doorway after the scientists. She was accompanied by a young woman who looked a lot like her, but couldn’t have been older than twenty-five.

Outfitted in a long, bottle-green dress, her auburn hair swept up in a perfect chignon, she smiled and spoke pleasantly with all those around her. Abhijat couldn’t help but notice, though, that from the moment she set foot over the threshold, her sharp eyes had been following Fasih around the hall.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Eventually, Fasih came forward, his hands outstretched, and the older woman moved in his direction to meet him halfway.

“Madam Ivanovna!” he said, embracing her warmly just a few steps away from where Abhijat stood near the back of the room with Rito.

“Jehan Fasih.” Her baritone rang through the room as she returned the hug enthusiastically. “It’s been a long time. You’re still just as handsome as I remember.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere, Madam,” he smiled, wrapping one hand around the younger woman, who kissed him affectionately on the cheek. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.”

He turned towards the Shians, one arm still wrapped around the younger woman, who wore an old-fashioned shrug over a simple silk dress. “Milli, meet Abhijat Shian, my head of security. And that’s Rito, his sister, and a brilliant young academic.”

Abhijat froze, and he could feel Rito go still beside him. The fact that this was against protocol didn’t bother him as much as the fact that Fasih had singled out not only him, but also his sister, and brought them deliberately to the notice of some random foreigner for no apparent reason. And yet, he knew Fasih well enough to know that he did everything for a reason.

“And this, of course,” Jehan continued, seemingly oblivious to the reactions of those around him. “Is Madam Ivanovna, and her daughter Ludmila Maganti.”

“I prefer Milli,” the girl said, smiling shyly at Rito, who extended her hand at once. As hands were shaken and greetings exchanged all around, something clicked inside Abhijat’s brain.

Ludmila Maganti...daughter of Ivanovna Maganti, who happened to be President Maganti’s step-mother and the leader of the Opposition, one of his greatest political opponents in Maralana.

It was rumored that Maganti had tried to have her – and his half-sister Ludmila – killed several times in the past, but to no avail. They always seemed to slip away from between his fingers.

And now, Fasih was chatting up Madam Ivanovna like they were long lost friends, unexpectedly reunited at a party. Like he’d had no idea she would be here. He wondered what Fasih’s angle was, what he thought he could get out of the Maganti women. And why he thought involving him and Rito in his little game would be beneficial.

Abhijat turned to his sister, only to realize that Rito had already retreated into a corner with Milli, and they were now talking animatedly about something that Abhijat couldn’t quite catch. He did, however, realize that they were talking rapidly in Birhani. Ludmilla spoke with a slight accent but kept up with the conversation easily enough. Rito’s cheeks were flushed and she was smiling brightly from ear to ear.

Despite himself, Abhijat felt his lips twitch in a smile. It had been a long time since he’d seen Rito so free and unguarded, so unabashedly happy.

A slim, feminine hand pressed down on his shoulder. Abhijat stilled. He forced himself to breathe, and turned slowly around, only to see Rinisa smiling up at him from behind a half-empty champagne flute.

She wore a figure-hugging peach dress, and a plethora of complicated braids held her dark hair away from her face. A broad, silver choker around her throat was the only piece of jewelry on her person. “Have a drink with me,” she said, turning slightly to look at the bar at the opposite end of the room. It wasn’t so much a question as a command.

“I’m afraid I can’t,” he said easily, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “As you can see, I’m on duty.” He spared a glance at Fasih, who was still chatting with Madam Ivanovna a few feet away. “It wouldn’t do to abandon my post.”

Rinisa’s smile widened, and she took a single step closer to Abhijat, so that they stood flush against one another. Abhijat stood his ground, refusing to take a step back. This seemed to amuse Rinisa even more, and she stood on tiptoes until her lips brushed his earlobe. “Have a drink with me. You wouldn’t want to return to Qayit only to find your beloved parents have passed away in a tragic accident, would you now?”