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The deep voice hit her like a blow to the heart

Because it wasn’t Rashid’s

It was Haidar’s Jalal ith hiered around to the to them, shook them “Did you find him? Is he okay? Tell me!”

Haidar scowled down at her “What do you care? Don’t you hate hie sob tore out of her “I—I could never hate him I will always love himno matter what”

“That isn’t what you’ve made him believe He believes you hate hi in despair”

Horror mushroomed inside her “You—you mean”

Jalal exhaled “You need to sit doe tell you this”

And she wailed “Laalaaya Ullahlaa”

“He hasn’t hurt hi wave of panic It rose again as he exchanged a look with Jalal as if agreeing on divulging so her down firh he swore us to secrecy, at peril of so”

As they sat down, her soul seeped down her cheeks with the terror of anticipation

“You knohy Rashid joined the aruardian’s debts The ar top recruits lucrative salaries and educational opportunities Rashid had calculated he’d repay those debts in five years, get a better education than the one he’d been able to afford, and become a soldier, a career he’d always admired

Haidar and Jalal had tried to dissuade hi between Az the army in time to be sent to war But he’d made up his mind And war had broken out

On one mission, his squad leader had led his troops astray in the desert They would have perished if not for Rashid Using what he’d learned alongside Haidar and Jalal in the harshest survival methods, he’d led his squad to safety Laylah re for him Zohayd and Judar had mediated peace But that hadn’t been the end She’d continued to go insane orry as he’d fought in more armed conflicts