The Jinni Key

by Bethany Atazadeh

  I didn’t have an answer for that.

  “How come you won’t say it to each other?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Gideon won’t say anything either. I don’t understand why everyone keeps love quiet like it’s a big secret. Haven’t you ever thought the other person might like to know?”

  Even in the gravity of the moment, waiting for Arie to show up and worrying for her, I felt my lips twitch at Rena’s uncomplicated approach. “Love isn’t always simple.” I shrugged, though I couldn’t help but think of how obvious Gideon’s feelings were, and added, “Sometimes you have to think of what the other person wants.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.” Rena shook her head. “If you never tell Arie how you feel, how will you ever know? And how will you get your happily ever after, like in the stories?”

  “You aren’t listening, Rena. You can’t go into love looking for what you can get. Love is about giving.”

  She squinted at me, taking that in.

  I didn’t know why I was even discussing this with her. I knocked again. Still no answer.

  Rena didn’t say anything else, but she was starting to fidget.

  I hated to give up, but she was right. We left the dreamscape and while Rena said she wanted to go down to the beach because she missed the water, I turned to stare at the small fire. This was a living nightmare.

  Chapter 35

  Arie

  I HAD NO MEMORY of the morning. It was the noon meal, and I was sitting down to eat with only Enoch for company. That alone was strange, as I usually dined in the main hall, not alone in the smaller dining room.

  When King Amir strode in, I struggled to hide my confusion as we stood to greet him. “My apologies for not greeting you formally.” I searched for the right words. “I didn’t realize you’d arrived.” I didn’t even remember inviting him.

  He didn’t bother to explain, staring down his long nose at me as he flung his rich robes back in a shallow bow, moving to sit, though I was still standing.

  I forced a smile in return as Enoch told Amir we were both thrilled to see him. A wave of calm washed over me as he spoke and I turned to my meal.

  “There was a complete lack of fanfare,” Amir complained during the second course.

  Enoch murmured his response so quietly I couldn’t fully make it out. Something about needing to avoid prolonged exposure to the thoughts of others. A precaution.

  He caught my eye and raised his voice as he added, “Arie is so thrilled to see her old friend, the King of Sagh, after so long. Aren’t you, my queen?”

  “It really has been a long time,” I agreed with a pleasant smile. For whatever reason, I couldn’t quite place why that was. I chose not to bring it up and focused on the hot soup in front of me instead.

  Enoch and Amir held up most of the conversation on their own, although Enoch liked to remind me that we were all having a wonderful time.

  “Absolutely,” I always replied. For once, I wasn’t just keeping polite conversation, but truly meant it.

  They finished their meal before I did, and pushed back their chairs.

  “Queen Arie, I trust that you’ll have a pleasant evening in your chambers once you’re finished,” Enoch said in that soft, warm tone of his that always reassured me. He tucked one hand behind his back and the other bent in front of him, in a deep Jinni bow. Amir simply stopped in the doorway, waiting for him.

  “I will, thank you.” I smiled and turned back to my soup.

  “Your highness,” Enoch’s soft voice floated back to me as his footsteps echoed across the marble floor. “If I could have a word?”

  King Amir grunted his agreement. I glanced back in time to catch him waving a servant out of his way. “Everyone wears such a mournful expression,” he complained to Enoch. The door swung shut slowly and his voice carried from the hall. “I realize they buried their king yesterday, but I still find it rude.”

  The pain of his words sliced through the fog in my mind like a sharp knife.

  My father was dead?

  My father is dead.

  The reality of my situation flooded into my mind faster than it ever had before, as if a dam had been broken.

  I stood unconsciously, following them into the hall, keeping my distance.

  Enoch and Amir disappeared through the door to the throne room ahead. No one else was around. I couldn’t waste this opportunity. I glanced around to make sure no one saw before I trailed after them.

  Slipping inside the throne room, I ducked behind a grand pillar and out of sight.

  “I don’t like it,” Amir complained loudly as they walked. “Why would Queen Jezebel still want my kingdom to be merged with Hodafez? Why can’t she use my kingdom alone?”

  “That is not for you to know,” Enoch answered smoothly, as they stepped through the smaller door and into the back room behind the thrones, voices fading.

  I risked being seen and scurried across the wide room, ducking behind another pillar, closer to the open door, where I could hear them again.

  “I understand—” Enoch was saying.

  “No, you don’t understand,” Amir’s strident voice interrupted. “She’s a mind reader. I want nothing to do with that. She should have had a Severance long ago. You need to perform one on her immediately.”

  Enoch’s voice was softer. I leaned closer to the door to hear. “A Severance is not so simple. There are certain elements and materials that need to be gathered for all the components of a Severance to align correctly.”

  “Then get them,” Amir snapped. “Because the only way I’ll go through with this is if her Gift is severed. End of story. Remind your queen that she promised me this kingdom. I’ve done my part, now you do yours.”

  He strode out the door without warning. I ducked behind the pillar. A few long moments later, the grand doors to the throne room creaked open and slammed closed.

  Severed.

  He wanted Enoch to perform a Severance.

  My breathing came in short gasps. I shut my eyes and tried to hold my breath. I still sensed Enoch’s presence. Did that mean he could sense me?

  A chill stole over me at the thought.

  Opening my eyes, I considered what to do. Sneak back to my room and effectively return to my prison. Or face Enoch... somehow.

  I pulled the letter opener from my pocket. On silent feet, I tiptoed toward the door to the smaller room. When I peeked inside, Enoch’s back was to me.

  There wasn’t time to think about it. I stepped inside, moved behind him, and placed the sharp tip of the letter opener against his throat. “Don’t move.”

  “Queen Arie,” he replied calmly, obeying. “What brings you here at this hour?”

  “I finally have my mind back,” I hissed. “And you need to leave.”

  “I wish I could,” he replied. There was a touch of unexpected sadness in his voice.

  I angled so I could see his face. There was that insinuation again, that he wasn’t in control. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not up to me.” He quietly turned over his hand, palm up, and the letter opener appeared in it.

  My hand at his throat was empty. I gasped.

  Turning to face me, Enoch only said, “This isn’t personal. But I’m afraid you’re feeling faint, and you’re going to pass out.”

  His Gift swept over me at the same time as my knees grew weak and the edges of my vision grew dark. Head spinning, I fell to the floor and everything went black.

  KADIN’S WARM GOLDEN EYES met mine. He and I were in his hometown in the kingdom of Baradaan, where he’d shown me a secret oasis. Instead of dipping our toes in this time, though, I grinned at him, soaking up the sun.

  Time passed the way it does in dreams, long and short at the same time, but it didn’t seem very long before the space in my dream shifted. Instead of the oasis, I was in my bedroom, lying in my bed. An awareness returned, the way it had the last few times I’d met Kadin here.

  A tear escaped my eye. I hadn’t even realized I
was crying, but more tears came until my pillow was soaked.

  The whisper of something tickled my mind.

  It was Kadin.

  I could hear him thinking on the other side of the door—my reach had grown. Another new development for me. No longer was I limited to just one room, it seemed. At least not when the thoughts involved were his.

  It took a minute for it to sink in that this was no longer a regular dream, but the dreamscape where we’d met twice before.

  He was debating whether or not he should knock again. Again? How long had he been there?

  I took a quick moment to wipe my wet face with the sheets, not wanting him to see me with puffy, red eyes.

  A second later, there was only silence. I panicked. Was he still outside? This might be my last opportunity to speak to him before it’s too late!

  I threw off the covers, raced to the door, unbolted it, and swung it wide. It opened on a dark, empty hallway.

  He was gone.

  WHEN I WOKE, IT WAS because Enoch was placing me gently on a bed. But it wasn’t my bed. I didn’t recognize this room at all. It was small with bare stone walls. The bedposts were thick, solid wood stretching to meet a maroon canopy overhead. And there was dust on the furniture, even on the scratchy bedspread. It tickled my nose and made me sneeze as I shifted.

  He turned to leave without a word, reaching the door before I’d managed to sit up.

  “Wait,” I called after him. “Will you really go through with it? The Severance?”

  Enoch’s pride kept his posture stiff, but he turned back, meeting my gaze and letting me see his shame instead of hiding it. “I can help you forget,” he offered finally, taking a step closer.

  “No!” I threw my hands up. “Please... don’t.”

  He stopped. Surprising me, he obeyed my wishes and left, closing the door behind him softly. A key turned in the lock. Even so, I leapt out of bed and ran to test it. Locked. I ran through the small attached rooms, but there was only a lavatory and a closet. Neither had any outside access and the windows in the bedroom were too high to use for an escape. The view revealed where they’d put me. I was in the East wing of the castle, which had been closed for weeks since guests were few and far between. No one would hear me scream for help.

  Curling up in the bed, I drew the covers over myself, shivering. It was still summer. Why was I so cold? I pulled myself into a ball, as small as possible, and wished for sleep. Maybe Kadin would come back.

  Thoughts raced through my head, making sleep impossible. Every time I thought about the Severance, a spike of adrenaline would pump through my veins. I got up to pace. Was there any way to avoid a Severance? Any way to protect a Gift, so it couldn’t be removed?

  I’d never thought to ask Gideon. Because I’d never wanted to keep it before. In fact, before this moment, I hadn’t even known how much it had come to mean to me. But it truly was a part of me. I couldn’t imagine losing it.

  Closing my eyes, I took deep breaths, hoping desperately to fall asleep and meet Kadin. He could ask Gideon for me if there was any way to prevent a Severance. There had to be a way. I refused to listen to the niggling thought that said there wasn’t.

  Chapter 36

  Rena

  I STARED OUT AT the crashing waves. There wasn’t anything like this back home, far beneath the surface. Here, the ocean wasn’t peaceful. It seemed angry.

  Gideon hadn’t left any word for me. No special greeting when he’d arrived either. If anything, he seemed almost like he held a new grudge, though I couldn’t imagine what that might be now.

  Gazing at the ocean, the wide-open horizon calmed me somewhat. I tilted my head to let the sun warm my face, digging my toes into the sand as the waves licked at them. The sun was beginning its descent. Kadin’s plan would begin in a few hours.

  I was so torn in this moment. Missing the sea, yet not wanting to go home. Especially not wanting to leave if there was even the slightest chance Gideon could love me in return.

  A throat cleared. I whipped my head around to face the sound, blinking when I found the object of my thoughts only a few feet away. “You’re back,” I whispered, but the wind stole the words and I had to repeat myself in a louder voice. “You’re back.”

  “Ah, yes.” Gideon tucked his hands behind him, stiff, facing the ocean instead of me. “I came to report. But before I do, I felt I should find you and apologize for losing my temper yesterday.”

  I tilted my head, confused. “That’s okay. I already forgave you. I thought you knew that when we talked last night?”

  “What exactly are you referring to?”

  “You know...” I stepped closer, thinking of the way I’d held his hands in mine. “After you stormed out, when you found me outside later? Looking at the stars?” I waved at the sky.

  His expression didn’t change. No flair of recognition. “That didn’t happen,” he said flatly.

  I gave a short laugh, though I didn’t really appreciate his joke. “Yes. It did.” I took another step, so that there was only a foot of space between us, willing him to close the remaining distance. “I was there.”

  “Well, I wasn’t.”

  “I have to be honest,” I said, crossing my arms now. “I don’t understand.”

  “You weren’t talking to me,” he said bluntly.

  “Yes,” I repeated more firmly, digging into my pocket to pull out the white handkerchief he’d left behind and waving it in the air. “I was. You gave me this, and tried to give the shell back. And then I told you that I loved you! How can you not remember that?”

  “You can’t be serious.” Gideon’s brows rose at the confession. He truly seemed surprised.

  I swallowed, hurt. “Don’t you remember? When you tried to give the shell back,” my voice barely above a whisper, “I told you to keep it.”

  Gideon only squinted at me, perplexed.

  My throat felt tight. “It really wasn’t you?”

  “I threw the shell on the table that night,” Gideon replied.

  I winced.

  He dropped his gaze as he added, “I told them to return it to you.”

  Them. Which one of them? In my mind, I could see immediately who would take on the task. The only one who even wanted to talk to me. Bosh. That’s why he’d been trying to warn me to move slowly with Gideon. Because it’d been him in the dark, trying to return the unwanted gift, while still trying to salvage my pride. Suddenly the shifting and throat clearing made sense. The way he’d tried to bring it up again this morning.

  “I understand you were angry,” I said slowly, trying to move past this unfortunate revelation. “Maybe we can start over. Let the tide wash away what’s happened?”

  “I don’t think so.” Gideon crushed my hopes, shaking his head slowly. “You say that you meant to confess feelings for me?”

  “That I love you,” I corrected him, striving to be confident, but sounding small. “I fell in love with you a year ago when I saved you from drowning, and I hoped... I had hoped that if you got to know me you might feel the same.”

  “I see.” He cleared his throat, staring out at the waves as he clutched his cane. He grew so still that he could’ve been one of the stone sentries back home.

  This was not going the way I’d imagined it would at all. When Gideon finally spoke, he shifted just once to look me in the eyes. “I was in love once. A long time ago.” His voice was wistful. “I’ve lived more than a hundred years and don’t expect I’ll ever find love like that again.”

  I forced myself to hold his gaze, though I felt like a little-Mere being scolded by an elder. I’d not realized there was such an age difference between us. Gideon still looked young enough to be just a few years my senior.

  “Please understand me,” he said gently. “I don’t want to mislead you. I feel it’s only right to let you know that not only are we from two very different worlds, but we are completely unsuited for each other. I apologize for the brutal honesty, but I do suggest you find someone else w
ho might be able to return your affection.”

  At some point during his speech, I’d grown unable to hold his gaze, staring at the sand under my feet now, watching the tears drip off my nose.

  “I’ll leave you alone,” he said, “and report to Kadin. Do we have an understanding?”

  I nodded at his feet, and they moved out of my vision as he walked away, until the crunch of his boots on the sand faded into nothing.

  What a fool I’d been.

  Chapter 37

  Kadin

  “WHERE’S RENA?” BOSH ASKED.

  I didn’t turn away from the fire as I opened my mouth to answer, but another voice spoke first, “Down by the water.”

  I sat up, recognizing it immediately. Gideon stood at the edge of our little camp. He stepped forward as Bosh’s back disappeared over the hill, headed toward the ocean.

  “Is everything in place?”

  He nodded. “They’re ready. But there’s still another two hours before it’s time.”

  Two more hours until we would find out if our tenuous plan would work. If Arie could be saved. Gideon let me stew in silence, moving closer to the fire. I chewed on a toothpick until it snapped in half.

  Bosh appeared over the hill, running, yelling something unintelligible. As he grew closer, the words grew clear. “Rena’s leaving. Something happened. I asked her to wait, but she keeps saying she has to go!” He stopped in front of us, panting, speaking between breathes. “We have to do something.”

  “What? Why is she leaving?” I demanded.

  “She wouldn’t say.” Bosh bent over, leaning on his knees, but glanced up at Gideon. “Something must’ve happened.”

  Gideon cleared his throat. “I fear it’s my fault.”

  I tensed. “What did you do?”

  “I may have... spurned her affections.”

  I gaped at him. “Can you take it back?”

  “I’m truly sorry,” Gideon said, and his shoulders were bowed as if he carried a heavy burden. “I cannot.”