Chapter 21: Ali

In the Royal Library’s deepest archives, Ali crawls into a narrow shelf to retrieve a papyrus while Nahri warns of dangers. A neighboring lizard-hide scroll bellows, blasting Ali across the room. When Nahri breaks a snake-sealed papyrus, a massive apep serpent attacks and draws her blood; Ali decapitates it with his zulfiqar.

Confirming Nahri’s swift healing, Ali encourages her to try basic fire magic. After failures in Divasti, Nahri succeeds using Arabic and anger—especially when Ali mentions Dara—lighting a torch and mastering small bursts of flame. Their fragile rapport strengthens as she thanks him, though Ali privately notes the risk of empowering a Daeva healer.

They unroll the sought scroll on Egyptian marid but find only indecipherable pictograms. Ali proposes a discreet Ayaanle scholar to translate. As they leave, Nahri questions djinn slavery; Ali explains the ifrit slave curse, relics that preserve a djinn’s essence, and how Nahids once forged new bodies to free slaves—intensifying Nahri’s sense of inadequacy but giving context to her heritage.

In the main library, Rashid intercepts Ali, spurning the retirement Ali arranged and condemning his crackdowns and withdrawal from the Tanzeem. Retreating to privacy, Ali cites duty and reveals his father’s scrutiny; he outlines a plan to back Muntadhir now in exchange for future reforms to aid the shafit.

Rashid scorns Ali’s faith in Muntadhir and his middle path, warning he must choose between family and justice. He refuses to leave Daevabad or end their work freeing shafit slaves, invoking Anas’s sacrifice. Ali holds to a cautious, political strategy, even as Rashid’s final rebuke—family loyalty won’t excuse inaction—lands heavily.