After arriving in the Merow, Salahudin and Abida draw unwanted attention when Salahudin asks about exotic slave caravans and a jinni rumored to have entered the city, leading them to be escorted by guards to meet a powerful, unnamed official charged with protecting the city of Meroe. During a tense boat ride away from the city, Salahudin confesses that the jinni is his daughter, unintentionally transformed by forbidden magic he once attempted out of grief, and that he is now pursuing her in hopes of undoing his mistake. Deeming the situation dangerous but unresolved, the official bars them from entering the city, has them detained for further questioning, and reports the matter to his father, the ruler, who decides their fate will hinge on whether Abida is truly the daughter of a man already in their custody—offering hospitality if the claim proves true, and if it does not …