He waved for his men to exit the room, which they did, hastily. Bowing as he backed toward the door, the head guard made more excuses before leaving on a far too obvious sigh of relief.
“What’s going on?” I muttered as I found my voice. I didn’t want any help. And I didn’t want to see anyone, especially Kadin. I wanted to avoid him at all costs.
Didn’t I?
THEY POSTED A FEMALE guard inside my room, at the door to my balcony, and another just outside my rooms in the hall. Just in case the “intruder” came back, although I could tell they questioned my sanity.
At first, I paced up to the mirror and away again—each time something kept stopping me from actually opening the secret passageway and revealing the truth to the watching guard. Though she tried not to think about me, her thoughts were less than flattering. Her worries varied between her queen losing her mind and what she would do if the intruder was a ghost or a Jinni.
Hours passed, and over time, an awareness slowly came over me with the same tingling sensation as when a sleeping limb woke up. As it did, the guard’s presence began to feel intrusive. I moved into my sitting room to be alone, trying to get space to think.
Memories of the Jinni arriving in Hodafez floated through my mind. They didn’t mesh with the other memories already there, as if somehow two scenarios had happened simultaneously.
In one, I happily invited the Jinni ambassadors into my home without question. In the other, the one returning to me, I’d fought them with every inch of my being. That was the part of me that had saved Kadin, although just barely. Did he make it out of the castle safely? I have to find a way to stop this... I trailed off. Enoch could make me forget again at any moment; I needed to do something.
Sitting down at my desk, I dipped a quill in ink and hurriedly scribbled a note to myself with everything I could remember. Though the ink spattered and some of it smeared on my hand, I didn’t stop until I was done. Waving it rapidly, I blew on the ink, desperate for it to dry.
Multiple footsteps sounded in the hall, drawing closer. Even though the ink wasn’t fully dry, I hid the note in the folds of my skirts as I re-entered my bedchamber. Ignoring the guard by the balcony, I headed toward the lavatory. Locking myself inside, I searched the small bath for a hiding place. Inside the tub was too easy to spot. The mirror stood on a stand and was too open as well. There was little else in the room besides a rug on the floor to dry wet feet and the shelves for towels.
Outside, the door to my bedchambers opened. I ran to the towels and buried the note underneath the one furthest back and least likely to be moved by a well-meaning servant—for a few days anyway. I bit my lip. How will I know to look there later if I lose my memories again?
Too late.
“Queen Arie,” Enoch purred, his voice slightly muffled through the door, but the compulsion I’d learned to recognize was clear. “Please come speak with me as soon as you’re able. We have much to discuss about this intruder. I think you’re hiding something, but I am confident you’ll tell me whatever it is.”
My stomach sank as my feet carried me toward the door to open it and obey, numbness taking over. Unfortunately, I felt confident that if he asked the right questions, he was right. I would give Kadin away.
Chapter 10
Kadin
WHEN I REACHED THE Khov Inn in Hodafez less than a half hour later, I was still confused. What had possessed Arie?
I found a table in the common room and sat, leaning my head back against the wall with a sigh. A few small groups sat around the room eating breakfast or lounging, but most tables were unoccupied while travelers went about their day.
That left me alone in the corner with my thoughts. Ever since we’d come to Hodafez to help Arie evade her forced marriage, things had changed. Our group felt like it had splintered into pieces. Illium had left us completely. Naveed, Ryo, and Daichi were all off in different kingdoms, still searching for a solution for Arie’s father. They didn’t know yet that he’d passed away.
The only one who’d come back so far was Bosh. He was on the other side of the room, playing cards with a few gentlemen, but I didn’t really feel like talking to him. The only person I wanted to talk to right now besides Arie was Naveed. Maybe he would know what foolishness had caused Arie to react like that. Sure, she’d told me to leave her alone after her coronation a few weeks ago, but I’d thought she simply needed time, not that she hated me. Maybe I’d been wrong.
I found a splinter along the side of my wooden chair and rubbed my finger across it, feeling the pain and doing it anyway. If you never forgot how pain felt, then it couldn’t surprise you when it happened again.
It felt like I’d lost my crew, and now Arie. And I’d lost someone before. The day my brother died still felt as fresh to me as the day it happened four years ago. Whether I should blame Prince Dev or his horse, it didn’t matter to me anymore. It was my baby brother. He’d been only five years old. I’d knelt in his blood, trying to save him, but there’d been nothing I could do. And nothing I could do when Prince Dev made the rest of my family disappear, either.
I’d wasted years gathering my crew, searching for a Jinni who would bear witness to the prince’s crimes and bring justice. I’d thought Gideon’s punishment would be what I needed. To finally fix what Prince Dev had done to my family. But it hadn’t solved anything. Not even close.
So here I was, leaning against the wall of some small village pub, drinking alone, more aimless than I’d ever been in my entire life. I picked up a toothpick, trying to ignore the niggling thought. Why was I still here? Maybe I should leave Arie alone like she asked.
My men hadn’t complained, but there wasn’t a single job here, besides Arie’s castle, of course. Arie—or should I say, the Queen of Hodafez—had gifted each of us a horse, along with a grand assortment of jewels from the castle keep after we helped stop her wedding, remarking that it was probably easier for her to just give the jewels directly to us—referencing our chosen occupation. As if I would ever stoop to robbing her.
Still. Job or no job, if I wasn’t welcome here, I should just leave.
I stepped outside for some fresh air, taking just a few steps when I spied a familiar red-headed girl bopping down the street on a horse. Already past our inn, she turned the corner down another street.
Frowning, I walked around the inn to the street behind it and waited, until she rounded the corner. She was so focused on staying in the saddle that she didn’t see me until the horse almost ran me over. “Kadin!”
“Stopping by for a visit?” I teased, but stopped at the way she said my name. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Arie—something’s wrong with her, and these Jinni came—”
“Not here,” I cut her off, glancing around to see if anyone had been close enough to overhear. “Come inside.”
I helped her out of the saddle, leaving the horse and some coin with the stable boy, and led the girl, who’s name escaped me, toward the front door.
“Arie’s not in her right mind,” the girl blurted as we walked. “I was—”
I held a finger to my lips. “Wait til we’re alone.” I flung open the door. Bosh still sat at one of the tables with a group of men in town playing cards. He swiveled around in his chair as the door crashed into the wall and grinned. “Rena! What’re you doing here?”
That was her name. I made a mental note to remember this time.
“It’s a long story,” Rena told him, opening her mouth as if she might spill it right in front of all the men at the table.
“Not here,” I reminded her under my breath. Strolling over to the table, I stopped to pick at a bit of dirt under my nails. “Just got wind of a job.”
Bosh immediately scooped up his small pile of winnings, and shoved them into his bag in one big swipe. “I’m out, fellas.” He nodded to the men around the table. “Probably better I go now anyway, while I still have my horse.” His wink and jovial smile, and probably the fact that they still had a good chu
nk of his reward, kept them from complaining.
I didn’t let either of them speak until we reached the room I shared with Bosh, and the door was closed. Moving to sit on one of the beds, I gestured for Rena to take the chair. “Go ahead.”
She threw up her hands as she sat, struggling to explain. “Something’s wrong with Arie. Do you remember that Jinni at Arie’s coronation with the purple eyes?”
I nodded.
“This morning, he and another Jinni came to the castle in disguise, and they told Arie ridiculous things, and she just... she believed them. He has her completely under his control! I think if he’d told her she was a Mere, she would’ve jumped right into the—”
“I understand,” I interrupted, glancing at Bosh. “I’ve seen it before.” With King Amir. It explained a lot. No wonder Arie had acted so strangely. The Jinni might have their code of unbreakable laws to protect the humans, but so far the only Jinni I’d ever met who honored the code was Gideon.
I stood to gather my things. “We need to help her. The tunnels might be compromised, but Bosh and I can find another way in, and we can help Arie get out of there.”
“And then what? Let the Jinni take over her kingdom while she runs away?” Rena mocked. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. Or, more likely, they’ll just capture you too.”
“What else do you expect me to do?” My voice rose, though I hadn’t meant it to. “Leave her there for them to kill her?”
“They’re not going to kill her,” Rena argued, shaking her head. “I heard them. They said something about needing her to prepare the people for changes, and um...” She squeezed her eyes shut trying to recall. “Also they mentioned King Amir coming in a few days.” She opened her eyes and smiled at me. “See? We have at least a few days before anything happens. Arie will be fine while we get help.”
“Help,” I repeated in a monotone.
She rolled her eyes. “Unless you have secret Jinni Gifts like Arie, you’re not going to be able to take them on your own. And I don’t know anything about Jinni. We need someone who will know what to do. We need Gideon.”
I blinked. Staring at her as I mulled it over, I had to admit, she had a point. If the Jinni caught me trying to get Arie out of the castle, I would be completely helpless. And I doubted Arie would be okay leaving her kingdom behind.
“There’s one flaw in your plan,” I told Rena after I’d gone through all the angles. “We don’t have any way to get in contact with Gideon.”
“I do,” she said with a proud smile. “I just need to figure out how to use it.”
I opened my mouth to question her when a fist pounded on the door to our room. “Were you expecting anyone?” I hissed at Bosh.
He shook his head, eyes darting to the door.
“Open up in the name of the Queen!” a male voice yelled.
Arie sent guards? This was worse than I’d thought. My mind raced as I ran to the window to see if there was a way out. We were on the second story. The jump to the roof below was too far.
“What’s going on?” Bosh whispered.
“Arie might’ve sent guards after me,” I glanced around the room. There was nowhere else to hide besides a tiny wardrobe or under the bed. The first places they would look. I waved them toward the window. “Quick, get on the roof!”
Bosh stepped through the wide window without question, holding out a hand for Rena from the other side. I followed, pulling the window shut softly. The roof wasn’t too steep, but it wasn’t very wide either. Bosh and Rena stepped to one side, out of sight, and I stepped to the other as the door slammed open inside. I pressed myself against the side of the inn. This was a poor plan. They only needed to poke their head out the window and our hiding place would be revealed.
Drawers opened and slammed closed, followed by multiple footsteps, as the owner of the inn complained loudly outside. Rena’s lips were moving inaudibly as she held her necklace of shells in one hand.
When the window burst open, I froze.
A guard’s head appeared, surveying the sharp drop down to the street.
“No one’s here,” a voice called from inside.
Grunting, the first guard turned to close the window. When his gaze hit me, my breath stopped. But there was no light of recognition. The window clicked shut. Footsteps tromped around inside, fading, and the door slammed shut behind them.
I stared at Rena as she let go of her shell necklace. Had she done that?
There wasn’t time to question it.
Pushing the window open, I hopped back inside to throw the rest of my supplies together. “Pack your bags,” I told Bosh over my shoulder. “We’re leaving.”
We hauled our bags over our shoulders and slipped down the back staircase.
Picking up my pace, I ran to the stables, tossing another round of coins to get the stable boys to help saddle our horses. Rena and Bosh were quiet, glancing at each other, and at me, but I didn’t say anything, and they didn’t ask.
Once outside we swung onto our steeds, and waited nearly a full minute for Rena to find her way onto her own, using a nearby gate. Without a word, I kicked my gelding. Hooves pounded the dirt road behind me as they followed, and I didn’t stop or slow until we’d left the town behind us.
We slowed our horses to a walk and continued that way for at least an hour, until another town appeared ahead.
Bosh and I still had jewels from Arie, but two men and a Mere spending the Queen of Hodafez’ jewels might draw a bit more attention than we wanted. I swiveled in my saddle to face Rena. “Did you happen to bring any money?”
“Oh, lots.” Rena’s smile was genuine, stretching lazily across her face in confidence. She patted the saddlebags on both sides of her horse. I relaxed. With Rena’s money, we’d be fine.
“I know how attached you humans are to your metal,” she added, when I didn’t say anything.
I choked a little. Coughing, I managed to catch my breath and said, “What? Show me.” My gut told me I was going to regret asking.
Bosh and I drew closer, letting our horses set the pace as we flanked Rena. She struggled to open the leather saddlebags with one hand.
She pulled out horse shoes. Dozens and dozens of horse shoes. With a few bridles mixed in.
I rubbed a hand across my face and sighed.
Bosh broke out laughing, which made Rena scowl.
My lips twitched. I couldn’t help myself and joined him. Rena, however dense she might be about the human world, was smart enough to realize she’d made some sort of mistake, but it was equally clear she had no idea what she’d done wrong.
Bosh reached over to take one of the horse shoes from her hand, pretending to study it, though it wasn’t like there was much of a price range for horse shoes. “Hmm.” He nodded, handing it back to her. “If you sell all of those, you might get enough to buy everyone dinner.”
“That’s it?” Rena frowned at the metal. “I thought for sure we’d be set for weeks.”
Chapter 11
Rena
I FLOPPED AROUND ON horseback like a fish on land, which I supposed, described me perfectly. Kadin rolled his eyes at my complaints, but I was certain my poor backside swelled with bruises within minutes of mounting. Even though we’d slowed to a walk ten minutes down the road, my legs ached from gripping the saddle.
“Honestly,” I told Bosh for the hundredth time, “I don’t think these creatures were meant to be ridden. I feel quite certain.”
He just laughed. I’d met him a few weeks ago, and though we hadn’t spent much time together, I liked making him laugh.
“How much further do we have to go?” I whined. My legs were numb.
Kadin glanced over his shoulder. “I’m thinking a half day’s ride should be far enough. Just over the border into the kingdom of Piruz. We can’t help Arie if the Hodafez guard puts us in the dungeons.” He sat on his steed as if he and the horse were one, flowing with the dark animal’s movements, patting its black mane, not even bothering to keep one
hand on the saddle horn. A complete natural or a complete fool, depending on who was watching.
I had a few protection spells from the sea to hide us and fend off at least a few men, but I didn’t say that. I needed to keep my family’s secrets, even if I didn’t keep my tail.
Hoof beats pounded the road behind us. A small contingent of four guards from Arie’s castle approached. I reluctantly loosed one hand from the pommel where I’d held on tight. I needed it for the spell. I reached a hand to my neck, tugging at the necklaces there, searching for a particular shell. I found the shell, clutching it in my hand and whispering over it.
The guards came roaring down the road.
Bosh paled. His hands shook, and I was almost tempted to tell him what I’d done, but in just a few short seconds the men galloped up to us and passed, without a second glance.
Bosh and Kadin both watched them go. “That was... lucky?” Bosh said, squinting at them in the distance.
“Mmmhmm,” I agreed. “They must be on a different errand.”
Though a frown wrinkled Bosh’s forehead still, he nodded to himself, mumbling, “That must be it.”
“I’m sure,” Kadin said, not sounding remotely convinced. His eyes narrowed as he studied me. “Did I imagine it or did you do something like that back at the inn too?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, squinting back at him. My horse tripped over nothing yet again. “Oof! This beast is determined to kill me! How much further do we have to go?”
The reminder of our hasty escape closed the door on Kadin’s questions like a final shove. His brows drew together. “We should pick up the pace.” But then he glanced back at me over his shoulder and added, “Whatever you were doing before, keep doing it.”
The Jinni Key Page 7