Chapter 34: Nahri

Bound on a palace parapet, Nahri and an injured Kaveh await Ghassan while fearing for Jamshid, whom Wajed seized. Ghassan arrives with Ali’s letter, confirming Ali has taken the Citadel to halt reprisals. He accuses Nahri and Kaveh of collusion, and under pressure Kaveh admits faking the earlier Daeva attack to inflame tensions.

Ghassan then reveals a devastating secret: Jamshid bears Suleiman’s mark and is a hidden Nahid, Manizheh’s son and Nahri’s brother, his powers likely suppressed. Ghassan intends to force Kaveh to confess to arming the shafit and then commit suicide, and to make Nahri lure Ali into surrender with a letter so Ali can be executed.

Nahri refuses, declaring she will not let Ghassan weaponize her brother. Ghassan responds by threatening to expose Nahri’s betrayal to Jamshid and have him scourged. As Ghassan moves to leave, Kaveh shatters a ring, releasing a coppery vapor that rushes into Ghassan’s relic and kills him instantly, copper-flecked blood pouring from his face.

While Kaveh cuts his bonds and insists they must secure Jamshid and Muntadhir, a larger copper cloud rises from Ghassan’s blood. Flies swarm from the lake and flare into ash as a distant, monstrous roar echoes. Muntadhir breaks in, sees his father’s body, and the copper vapor attacks the guards’ relics, then surges toward Muntadhir.

Realizing the danger, Nahri sprints and hurls herself at Muntadhir to shield him as the expanded copper haze bears down, plunging the palace into a deadly, magical crisis.