“That’s very kind of you,” Enoch said before I could offer further hospitality. “Most importantly, however, you will do everything we tell you to do because you trust us implicitly. Do you understand?”
“Of course,” I murmured, dipping my chin in agreement. “Anything you need.” The air around my feet lightened and I moved back to sit in my throne, embarrassed that I’d gotten up in front of the ambassadors in the first place. A queen should always be seated in negotiations to maintain control. I pressed a hand to my temples where a headache was forming.
The second Jinni moved around Enoch, and I got a closer look at him. He was nearly as tall as Enoch, but stood more casually, making Enoch’s posture, with his hands behind his back, look almost militant.
“Do you have her under your control this time, Enoch?” the second Jinni asked, climbing the short row of stairs to stand directly before my throne and peer into my face.
I frowned at how close he stood. This seems like inappropriate behavior before a queen... What does he mean by control?
Enoch sighed. “Ignore him,” he said to me. To the other Jinni, he added, “I would, Lemuel, if you didn’t undermine it.”
“Just checking.” Lemuel shrugged, his thin lips twisting into a smile. “I want to assure Queen Jezebel that her human kingdoms are in good hands before I return to that fool Amir. He still believes himself the Queen’s favorite.” Lemuel chuckled at that, but Enoch didn’t join him or say a word. My head hurt. How do I know this other Jinni? Why do I trust him? I couldn’t quite remember...
“Check in daily,” Lemuel continued as he wandered around my throne, circling me as he spoke to Enoch. “I want her preparing her people for the changes, and I’ll send Amir your way in just a few days’ time.”
Again, Enoch only nodded his agreement.
“I’ll take care of her father on my way out.”
My pulse skipped a beat and panic rushed through me even as another part of me stayed calm and content, listening to them.
“Keep your charge under control this time,” Lemuel growled at Enoch, and then he winked out of sight.
My mind was hazy. What’s happening?
Enoch’s long face was stiff, his chin jutting out proudly, and he stood to the side of the stairs, close by but facing the windows. We waited quietly. I wasn’t sure what we were waiting for, but I trusted Enoch, so I sat content. It was good he was here, I felt too tired to think straight anyway.
A bell tolled.
The thickness in my mind made it hard to remember what the bell meant. It was for big events. Weddings. Coronations. Funerals...
Enoch stepped up the stairs leading to my throne, until he stood close enough for me to see the different shades of violet in his eyes. “You are grieving your father’s death,” he murmured. “I’m truly sorry.” His eyes dropped from my face as he swung to the side and gestured toward the main doors. “You will retire to your rooms now to be alone and mourn. I’ll make sure the criers spread the word. You don’t need to speak to anyone the rest of today.”
Tears welled in my eyes at his words. My father’s dead? I wished I could’ve seen him one more time before he passed away. My feet obeyed Enoch with a will of their own, carrying me to my room in a blur as the tears fell. Someone tugged on my arm on the way, but I ignored them.
I crawled into bed, weeping, but as time passed, the fog began to lift. Why did I trust the Jinni? I dried my eyes, forcing myself to get up and move toward the door. I needed to see my father’s body, make sure he had a proper burial. And deal with this strange sensation that something deeper was going on.
My hand was on the doorknob when someone spoke behind me. “I’m afraid you need to stay in your rooms, your majesty.”
I whirled to face the speaker. Enoch. Though his posture was stiff and tall, he brought his hands from behind his back to pat me on the arm. “It’s better for everyone if you stay put.”
But my memories were returning. I might not be able to leave, but I could fight back. I reached for the tall lamp and threw it at him.
He ducked easily. The glass lamp crashed into the wall behind him and shattered.
“Why are you doing this?” I yelled, backing away as I searched for another weapon in my small sitting room. I knocked a chair over between us, circling the table. “What did my father ever do to you?”
“Keep your voice soft, please,” Enoch replied, and the command settled over me. I found that even though I opened my mouth, I couldn’t scream. I felt like throwing up. One more word from him and I could forget everything.
“You killed my father,” I cried, quietly now. I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t call for help. I spied the letter opener on my small writing desk and sidled toward it.
“I’m not a murderer,” Enoch replied. For some reason, he didn’t take away my free will completely.
I stopped in front of the desk, feeling along the surface of it behind me until I found the small metal object with the sharp tip. “Then why is my father dead?”
“That wasn’t me. There are some things that are out of my control.”
“Aren’t you the Jinni here?” I asked. Then, not waiting for him to answer, I hurled the letter opener at him.
My aim was off. It nicked his shoulder before bouncing off the wall behind him.
Enoch grimaced at the small rip in his sleeve that revealed hard muscle underneath. A small cut from the letter opener bled lightly. “We’re done here,” he said, his voice returning to an indifferent monotone as he strode toward me. He captured my gaze as he added, “You don’t want to see anyone for the rest of the day. You’re mourning your father’s passing. If anyone tries to help you, you’ll turn them in to me immediately. Understand?”
I nodded, tears filling my eyes at the mention of my father. “I understand.”
Chapter 7
Rena
INSTEAD OF GOING TO the king as Arie had asked, I’d scurried up the stairs to the throne room’s balcony seating. A low railing surrounded the opening into the throne room on three sides. Without shame, I dropped to my knees and crawled forward to eavesdrop, shoving the annoying human dress out of the way, until I neared the wall. Slowly, I lifted myself up to catch a glimpse of the room below.
Peering over the edge, I was just in time to catch the ambassadors of King Amir shifting into Jinni.
My forehead wrinkled in confusion. Are they friends of Gideon? If so, why did they come in disguise?
The room’s perfect acoustics made their words echo and reach me easily. It all happened so fast. By the time I recognized the purple-eyed Jinni from two weeks prior, he was already vanishing after his friend and Arie was exiting the throne room crying as a bell rang.
I raced down the stairs and long hallway after her. “Arie, what happened? Are you okay?”
She didn’t answer.
I put a hand on her arm, but it didn’t slow her in the slightest. Glancing around, I waited until the nearby servants were out of hearing distance before I added, “You don’t actually believe what those Jinni were saying, do you?”
It was as if she couldn’t hear me.
“Come. We need to leave.” I would help her keep her head. I held out my hand the way I would to a little-Mere, but she didn’t take it, continuing to walk down the hall.
“You can’t stay here,” I said in a sing-song tone, comforting her the way I would my little nieces and nephews in the ocean. “Trust in Rena, come with Rena, Rena will keep you safe,” I crooned, tugging her arm. She dug in her heels and stopped. As soon as I let go, she returned to her original path toward her rooms.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you listening to me?”
I followed her all the way to her room, where she shut the door in my face. The strange vacant expression as she did worried me more than anything else. The lock clicked into place on the other side. She’d ignored me before, but this was different. The Jinni’s magic must be stronger than I’d thought. I hadn’t felt a thing, but Arie was compl
etely at their mercy, like a human puppet. At least she didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger.
Though I hesitated to leave Arie like this, I didn’t know what to do. The other Jinni being in the castle made me nervous.
I hurried out to the stables and stopped the first servant I saw, a quiet man brushing down one of the looming beasts that Arie admired so much.
“I need a horse saddled immediately,” I told the man, out of breath. I couldn’t remember his name—human names were so odd—but he recognized me and nodded, which was all that mattered. “And hurry,” I added, in case immediately wasn’t enough. “There’s no time to waste.”
He nodded and bowed, showing me the balding spot on the top of his gray head as he scurried out of the stall to do as I asked.
I’d yet to feel comfortable riding, but I’d learned just enough balance to keep my seat and had to admit I didn’t mind the view. From the ground, though, the beasts were a different story. I always preferred to keep my distance until it was time to mount.
Tapping my lip, I glanced around the stables. No telling how long I’ll be on my own. I should plan ahead for a few days, just in case. There certainly wasn’t anything edible in the stables, and it was too risky to stop by the kitchen on my way out...
I scanned the stables again, picking up anything metal I saw lying around. The humans seemed to find metal valuable. I could use it to buy food.
Filling two saddlebags, I nodded to myself, satisfied with their weight. Now for my next problem: the guards. It wouldn’t be wise to let the Jinni know I was leaving, but my red hair was such a vibrant color, even on land, that it would undoubtedly draw attention.
Hanging on the wall were an assortment of brown and gray riding cloaks, simple and worn. I snatched one off the wall and pulled up the hood, tying it in place. That should help.
A throat cleared behind me. “Excuse me, miss?”
I turned to find the stable hand waiting.
“Your horse is ready, as requested.”
“Tides be with you,” I recited the traditional Mere blessing automatically. Pointing at the saddlebags I’d filled, I added, “Could you strap those on as well, please? I’ll saddle up in the usual spot.”
He nodded, not questioning me. He knew the spot I referred to. To the side of the stables, they’d set up a series of sturdy wooden boxes for me to use as steps. Arie and the other humans could swing onto the enormous beasts from the ground, but to my everlasting embarrassment, the creatures and I couldn’t seem to figure it out.
It took three tries, but once I put the correct foot into the stirrup and gained enough confidence to crawl into the saddle, I held onto the pommel for dear life.
“Don’t tell anyone where I went,” I commanded the man who’d helped me, even as the beast lurched into motion below me. I squealed a little, embarrassing myself, and panicked as the horse headed toward the main gate on its own before I finally remembered to pick up the reins.
Glancing up at the guards stationed along the outer wall, I hoped they wouldn’t pay me any extra attention in the stream of travelers entering and exiting Hodafez. They paced along the walls, studying the crowd, but none of their gazes lingered on me.
I took a deep breath and blew it out. Now, if I could just find Kadin and his crew; they could help save Arie and allow me to closer to finding Gideon, all in one. But where exactly did Arie say they were staying? The city of Hodafez stretched out before me like a maze. This might take longer than I’d thought.
The horse and I slipped down the mountainside through the city of Hodafez, sometimes literally. Why did I ever leave the ocean?
This is for Gideon, I reminded myself, for the thousandth time. And for me. After all, there was only one acceptable way for this deal with Yuliya to end: I had to win.
Chapter 8
Kadin
THE CRIERS RAN THROUGH town yelling the news. Arie’s father was dead. She’d been mourning him for weeks now as he’d slowly faded, but today the whole kingdom let out their grief, wailing outside the city walls as they prepared for his funeral to take place the following day.
I passed a woman with rich black hair that made me do a double-take. But, of course, it wasn’t her. Despite my best efforts, I saw Arie everywhere. Even in the honey-colored slant of the shop-keeper’s brown eyes when she handed me the lunch I’d purchased. At night, the men would ask if I’d seen her, even though my report was always the same: I wasn’t looking for her. Just looking for work. They’d nod, exchanging disbelieving glances, and we’d return to our food. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t get away from her.
We hadn’t seen each other in two weeks. Not because I hadn’t wanted to, but because she’d asked me not to. Though I’d occasionally found quiet places in the courtyard to watch for her or stole inside the castle itself on occasion, I’d respected her wishes. But if there was ever a time to go see her, it was now. She needed someone to comfort her; she shouldn’t be alone. My feet carried me in the direction of the castle with a will of their own.
The streets were subdued. Everyone worried what would happen to Hodafez now that its king was gone, and his daughter, Arie, the Queen Regent, was now officially their Queen.
At the castle gates, I was told the Queen was not receiving visitors. I didn’t let that deter me. If she still wanted my visits to be a secret, I knew another way in.
It didn’t take me long to sneak into the stables, find the entrance to the secret tunnels, and creep through the pitch-black space until I reached her rooms. I hesitated. Perhaps I was assuming too much that she would want to see me. I couldn’t bear making her grief worse.
Pressing my ear against the entrance, an enormous mirror that swung open on silent hinges, it was difficult to hear anything at first. Then, sobbing. Heartbreaking gasps between crying. That decided it for me. I pressed the latch that would let the mirror swing open and stepped through.
At first, she didn’t know I was there.
When I stepped forward on silent feet, she sniffed and turned to wipe her face, pausing as I came into her line of view.
Her face lit up. “Kadin!” She stood, wiping away the tears that kept falling. I covered the rest of the distance, pulling her gently into my arms.
She started crying again. “He’s gone. He’s dead.” Her tears seeped through the shoulder of my shirt, but I didn’t mind.
I squeezed tighter, wishing there was something I could do. “I know,” was all I could say. “I know.”
I waited until her tears slowed, before I pulled back. “I’m sure he died peacefully.”
She sniffed, wiping her face with the back of her hand as her forehead wrinkled. “I... I can’t remember...”
“Were you not there?”
“I don’t think so... Kadin, something isn’t right,” Arie’s voice trembled. I’d never seen her so vulnerable. “I don’t know why I can’t remember, but... I’m scared.”
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “Let me help you.”
At my words, a blank expression stole over her features. She stepped back and yelled, “Guards!”
I froze. “Arie, what happened?” I stretched my hands toward her, not quite touching her. “What did I do? I just wanted to make sure you were alright—”
“Guards!” Arie screamed again. She stood, fists clenched at her sides, but something flickered over her face and she stopped yelling.
I swallowed whatever words I’d been about to say, holding up my hands in protest. “I’ll go, if that’s what you want. It wasn’t my intention to upset you. I’m sorry.”
Turning back to the mirror, I stepped through the secret entrance, hand on the clasp to pull it closed behind me. I couldn’t quite believe her reaction; something made me stay. “If you ever do want to talk, I’m here for you,” I offered.
“I’ll have you thrown in the dungeons.” Her voice wavered.
It hurt. More than I would’ve expected.
A key turned audibly in the lock and her outer door slammed op
en. Heavy footsteps, at least a dozen, pounded into the front room. If they came through the door while I was still here, I couldn’t say what might happen.
In a hurry, I yanked the mirror closed behind me. Even though it was pitch black, I ran. Hands on the walls on both sides to keep me balanced and on track, I slowed when I came near the stairs, but still nearly tripped down them. I didn’t dare waste time lighting a candle.
I ran on.
Listening hard for the sound of pursuit behind me, all I could hear was my heavy panting and the scrape of my hands along the walls. They were uneven and occasionally rough, sending tiny spikes of pain along my fingers at the rough spots, but I didn’t slow, not even when I reached the courtyard.
I wouldn’t stop until I left the castle far behind—or until someone stopped me.
Chapter 9
Arie
THE GUARD’S ARRIVED ONLY moments after Kadin disappeared behind the mirror-door. They poured into my room, ready to fight whatever I asked them to.
I wanted to tell them where Kadin had gone, but something stopped me.
The first guard strode up to me. “What is it, my Queen? Why did you call?”
“There was an intruder!”
He gestured to the other men, and they immediately began a search of the room. “How did he get in?” he asked, his hand hovering over the sword at his waist.
One of his men called from the side, “We were in the halls and didn’t see anyone.”
“Maybe over the balcony, then?” The guard pointed in that direction and two of his men strode toward it.
My mouth opened, but no words came out. Wrestling against the strange protectiveness I felt toward someone who’d just trespassed, I raised a finger and pointed toward the mirror. Still the words wouldn’t come to explain how Kadin had come in through the secret entrance. Frustrated with myself, I pointed more aggressively.
The guard frowned, following the direction to my reflection in the mirror. “Your intruder is...” he trailed off, growing uneasy, “is you, your highness?” He cleared his throat, glancing around at his men, who’d all slowed in their search. “Ahh...” It was his turn to struggle to find words. “If you feel that way about yourself, perhaps a friend or mentor could help. The guard isn’t her majesty’s best solution in this case, I’m afraid.”
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