Wednesday Snippet: Meet the Vizier!

This week’s teaser is from The Alchemist’s Apprentice. It is from the second scene, and I did my best to make it non spoilery. Not long now, before the release!

 

Mahin’s gift whispered to her that Jafar was in the study.  She paused in front of the closed door, then opened it and stepped inside.

Jafar looked up from the scroll in front of him, a frown on his face. The frown vanished when he saw her. “Mahin!”

Her husband dropped the scroll, and hurried to meet her. “Is something wrong with the unborn child?” He led her to a padded chair.

She smiled at him. There were new streaks of grey in his  beard. The title of vizier were taking its tolls. “The baby is just fine.”

Despite their differences in age and background, being around Jafar felt like being surrounded by a cocoon of love and support.

“What gives me the pleasure of having you here?” Jafar asked.

“I need to talk with you about Sherezade.”

Jafar looked worried. “Is she sick?”

Mahin shook her head. Part of her wished it had been that easy. “No, she is healthy. She helped me select herbs for a tisane… but the way she selected the herbs made me suspect she has a gift.”

She held her breath, waiting for his reaction. He had been surprisingly accepting of her gift, but she knew that accepting your wife didn’t always mean you accepted  your children’s gifts.