We Hunt the Flame

Nasir doesn’t participate in the conversation and is starting to realize that he may not be able to, or may not want to, kill his companions anymore. After dinner, Benyamin answers more of Zafira’s questions, as he promised. To everyone’s shock, he reveals that the Silver Witch is one of the Six Sisters—Anadil, the warden of Sharr, which explains why she’s so powerful. She is unable to return to Sharr herself to retrieve the Jawarat because the island’s magic has grown too strong. As the zumra process this new information, Kifah offers some candy to Zafira. She tells her about her life, raised by a father who wanted her to become an erudite when she wanted to be a warrior. When her brother, Tamim, tried to help her, her father had him killed. Kifah now wants to get revenge on her father by freeing magic, which he hates. She also tells Zafira that she’s a miragi (an illusionist) and claims that together, they can achieve their goals.

That night, Zafira leaves camp to clean herself in a nearby stream. There, she finds Nasir training with his scimitar. She spies on him from afar and notices dark scars all over his body. When she tries to walk away discreetly, the prince notices and confronts her. He is more genuine, less on guard, and Zafira feels unexpectedly attracted to him, especially when he taunts her with a joke about her spying on a barely clothed murderer.

Later, at camp, Nasir is sharpening his blades when Zafira approaches him. She asks about the tattoo she noticed on his arm the previous night. Nasir remains evasive because the tattoo is connected to his mother but, unbeknownst to him, Zafira reads some of the words: “I once loved” (296). The prince cuts the conversation short, unwilling to open up and show vulnerability. Though intrigued, Zafira reminds herself that her traveling companions are dangerous and she shouldn’t be trust them.

Zafira finds Sharr’s darkness more and more appealing, and notices that the members of the zumra are getting closer—while she still feels isolated from their conversations (outside of Nasir, who remains aloof).

Nasir abruptly wakes Zafira because their camp has been surrounded by snarling hyena-like creatures, the kaftar. One of the kaftar jumps to attack, but Benyamin throws some gold substance and the creatures turn into haggard men when the liquid touches them. The kaftar, who shapeshift every dawn and every sunset, were cursed by safin 100 years ago to remain in their beast forms. When Benyamin offers to let the kaftar keep their human forms if they leave the zumra alone, the leader reluctantly agrees. Before leaving, he adds “Whistle, and my pack might assist. [...] But the cursed take no oaths and make no promises” (307).

After the confrontation with the kaftar, Nasir violently confronts Benyamin about letting the creatures live and keeping his true intentions a mystery. In turn, Benyamin questions Nasir about the Sultan’s desire for the Jawarat. When Nasir doesn’t respond because he realizes his control over the situation is slipping, Altair interferes. The general, who understands that the prince isn’t privy to his father’s plans, defends him and urges the group to keep moving.

While walking, Zafira asks Altair why he defended Nasir. The general denies caring for Nasir but points out that Zafira herself may be getting attached to him. Later, when Benyamin casually mentions what he’ll do once he returns home, Zafira realizes she’s no longer simply the Hunter (as she revealed herself to her caliph) and grows anxious about her future.

Zafira wakes up on an unknown fishing boat, transported to Almas, the capital of Alderamin. It is a colorful, lively city bristling with activity and sights that she’s only ever heard of in stories. Zafira is joined by Benyamin, who explains that he is a dreamwalker, and that they are currently in a memory he reconstructed. He tells Zafira about his life and insists that “everyone has the capacity for both evil and benevolence” (322). He also reveals that the Lion of the Night purposefully got caught by the Sisters so he would be sent to Sharr, where he allied himself with cursed creatures. The Lion then manipulated the warden into loving him and, with her help, lured her Sisters into a trap. Benyamin asks for Zafira’s trust, arguing that she was “never intended to make the journey [on her own]” (322).

In light of Benyamin’s revelations, Zafira decides she neither trusts nor distrusts the Silver Witch. Nasir notices how pensive she is. Their conversation turns to the mysterious pull of the darkness around them, which Nasir reveals he can also feel.

After everyone falls asleep, Nasir slips away and finds a secluded area to contact the Sultan. He feels more and more divided about his mission, yet knows he can’t disobey his father. Eventually, the prince gets a grip on his conflicting emotions and throws a magical strip of papyrus into a fire to conjure the Sultan.

Zafira awakens and, when she realizes that Nasir is missing, follows the smell of fire. She finds him talking to the Sultan through his fire. She is soon joined by Altair, who warns her not to make a sound. The Sultan demeans his son and repeats his orders to have the Hunter, Altair, and the others killed after the Jawarat is found. When Nasir acquiesces, Zafira runs away. Nasir hears her and rejoins the camp soon after. There, Benyamin warns Nasir that something dark is slowly taking control over the Sultan. He doesn’t tell Nasir what it is for fear the threat would discourage him from continuing their quest.

Nasir struggles with the idea of killing Zafira and the others, so she warns him that the longer he waits, the harder it will be for him. Later, as the zumra seemingly walk in circles, Zafira gets scared that she can’t find her way anymore. Nasir and Altair try to reassure her, hypothesizing that she’s trying too hard to use her head rather than following her instinct. Zafira fears that “she had always been on a journey toward finding herself lost” (346), and eventually succumbs to the call of the darkness.