The Harem Master by Megan Derr Read Free Book Online Page B

slippers, and a black, well-fitted sleeveless shirt. He then pulled on the sleeves, which connected at the back and front with small, hidden catches. The ends covered his knuckles with a loop for his thumb. Finally he tied a large green sash around his waist, the tasseled ends falling to just above his knees. He slipped two small, poisoned daggers into the folds. His hair he pulled back into a knot at the back of his head, securing it with a long, sharp pin decorated with emeralds and pearls.
    Kitt snickered softly, the sound echoing quietly through the room. "I've only ever set one palace into a state of panic. It's not my fault the wrong person found the body."
    "You are a concubine now, not an assassin."
    "A snake is a snake."
    "Well, you're a pet snake, then, not a wild snake. Come on, my pretty little viper." They padded out of the room and into the hall, where Ihsan turned right and headed away from the private areas to the public portions of the palace. "Once we've had time to settle and the novelty of my being back has worn off, I will show you and the others the secret passages. They lead through the whole palace and offer two ways in and out."
    Kitt scowled. "Secret passages are stupid. Do you know how many people I've killed by way of secret passages?"
    "You've mentioned it before, once or twice." Ihsan's mouth ticked up at one corner. "But I'm not getting rid of them. I don't think it's possible, even if I wanted to."
    Kitt huffed but let the matter rest. Ihsan drew to a halt as they reached one of his favorite rooms. It was a gathering room, large enough for thirty or so people to mingle comfortably. The center was taken over by a pool deep enough to reach his knees, filled with lazily swimming fish and bright flowers floating along the top.
    "Where does a desert country come by so much water?"
    "The baths come from hot springs piped here from the hills where they're located. The drinking water and such are fed by an underground river," Ihsan replied. "People think the city was built here because of the coast, but the coast was merely a bonus. There's an enormous underground river that comes all the way from the mountains and dumps into the sea. We pull water up from it. These decorative pools come from the sea, however."
    "That's a lot of pipework."
    Ihsan shrugged. "I admit I do not know well how it all works. I was given rudimentary knowledge, but mostly what I learned was to leave it to the people who understand and maintain it. Haluk knows much more, but I am sure that does not come as a surprise."
    Kitt snickered. Haluk might be a soldier by trade, and a concubine by choice, but he was endlessly fascinated—obsessed with—engineering, mechanics, and other such sciences. He was forever reading and talking about things that Ihsan only vaguely followed. Though he always enjoyed listening, because Haluk was rarely so animated.
    Leaving the gathering room, Ihsan continued the tour through the public places and into the restricted areas, pointing out living quarters, meeting halls, offices, dining rooms, and the library. They paused outside it, as Ihsan explained, "Once it was much larger than this, but my great grandfather wanted more room for his harem. He had a record seventy-six concubines. So the library was largely packed away and sent off to the archives, and what remained was put here."
    "That's unfortunate. Who in the world really needs seventy-six concubines?"
    Ihsan shook his head. "I do not know. That was never how it was meant to be. It is one of the many things I hope to fix." He gestured down the hall. "This way is the Jeweled Garden, also simply called the harem hall. Do I need to ban you from it, or can I trust you to leave Lord Demir in peace?"
    Kitt cast him a look. "The real question is can any of us be trusted to behave around him. Do not think any of us missed the I want you naked and spread open look you were giving him. Though to be fair, I do not think his thoughts were any more