Chapter 6: Ali

At dawn, Qaid Wajed summons Prince Alizayd from the Citadel library for the public execution of Anas Bhatt. In the royal arena, Ali sees Anas brutalized but defiant. King Ghassan interrupts the proceedings, invokes Suleiman’s seal to nullify magic, and releases his karkadann, which kills Anas despite the sheikh’s refusal to flee.

Afterward, in the king’s office, Ghassan, Wajed, Kaveh, Muntadhir, and Ali debate security and sectarian tensions. Ghassan orders strict enforcement against shafit gatherings and threatens families of sympathizers. Evidence is revealed: crates of weapons—including stolen zulfiqar training blades—link the Tanzeem to insider theft and outside smuggling, suggesting wealthy patrons. Rumors implicate Ayaanle nobles; Ghassan sends Wajed to Ta Ntry to confront Queen Hatset’s kin.

Ghassan names Ali acting Qaid during Wajed’s absence, overruling Kaveh’s objections. In private, Ghassan challenges Ali’s egalitarian beliefs, warns of the shafit’s numbers and potential unrest, and insists on protecting Daevas as Daevabad’s primaries. Using an Afshin arrow as a parable, he urges Ali to be flexible. Ghassan orders Ali to move back to the palace and attend court.

Reeling from Anas’s death and his new role, Ali meets Muntadhir, who tries to buoy him. As they head to Ali’s new apartments, a long-vanished Nahid mural suddenly manifests and flickers to life, depicting Suleiman and Anahid—an ominous sign that the palace’s old magic is stirring.