Epilogue

It began in the desert, as it seemed all of Nailah's adventures did.

Rafiel had woken early, his eyes wide and luminous in the pale light before dawn.

"What's wrong?" she'd asked him, but he'd only shaken his head and stood, dressing quickly and leaving the room.

At a loss, Nailah hurried to follow as he made his way out of the palace and down the city streets, seemingly oblivious to the worried stares he got from vendors preparing for the morning market.

He reached the city gates and stepped out, his bare feet sinking into the soft sand. Raising his head, he stood straight and still, as if watching for something in the dark of the western sky.

"There is a voice," he said as Nailah came to his side. "A voice across the desert."

Nailah tilted her head, twisting her ears in every direction, but heard nothing of the sort.

"It is faint, but it is there, I hear it." His eyes were shining. "It's calling me."

"Calling you to do what?" Nailah was rightly wary of mystical voices calling from across a desert that none had been able to cross alive.

Besides Rafiel.

"I am to return to my homeland. But it does not say why."

Nailah took his hand. "Then Volug and I will accompany you."

Rafiel looked at her for the first time that morning, surprised. "But, my queen, who will rule Hatari?"

"The Council can manage for some time. You are too precious to me for me to let you go alone." She brought his hand to her lips. "Come, we will begin preparations."

He smiled. "Yes, my queen."

A week later, Nailah draped her royal cape over Rafiel's shoulders to protect him from the harsh sunlight and triple-checked their supplies for the journey. "Can you still hear it?" she asked him.

He nodded, looking out at the endless sea of sand.

Except it wasn't endless, Nailah reminded herself. Beyond it lay Rafiel's homeland, a land whose existence threw all of their old stories into question. Nailah was eager to learn the truth.

"Then we depart. Lead the way, Rafiel."

And so he did.

A/N: And we all know what is to come.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!