The City of Brass

Ali goes for a swim that mysteriously heals his wounds. He finds his sister when he emerges, who tells him about Nahri’s marriage demands: an equal cut in patient payments, an enormous dowry, a clause that states that Muntadhir accepts no other wives, a paid training sabbatical, a pensioned position for Dara, and more. After Zaynab tells him that she spoke to Muntadhir about the struggles of being half Geziri and half Ayaanle, Ali realizes that he has not been a good brother to her and asks her to get tea the next day.

Ali goes searching for Muntadhir and finds him at Khanzada’s house with Jamshid and Dara. Slightly drunk, Muntadhir confesses that these recent realizations about Ali have made him rethink Ali’s character. He fears that Ali will kill Jamshid for witnessing his attempted assassination, and he fears that Ali’s dealings with the Tanzeem include him scheming to have Muntadhir killed. Ali denies it fervently, but Muntadhir is drunk and angry and begins to take it out on Dara, rubbing it in that Nahri and Muntadhir are to be married. Dara then begins to expose Khanzada’s desires and even implies a romance between Muntadhir and Jamshid.