by Devin Hanson
“I’ve only met a marid once before. He was acting as a bodyguard for a one-time client of mine.” I swallowed. “He scared me.”
Hu entered the room from the back, his bulk filling the space and making it seem cramped.
“Hu, be a dear and bring our guest some food.”
He grunted something in Chinese and exited out the front. I heard the steel shutter clatter upward.
“The marid are like all djinn,” Lei said once we were alone again. “They were created of fire, as men were of earth, and that ephemeral nature stays with them even now. The marid are perhaps the least representative of that, but you would do well not to forget it.”
This was steering too close to the vagueness of fortune telling to suit me. I needed facts if I was going to track down this marid and find out what he wanted. “That’s still not very helpful,” I pointed out. “What do you mean by ephemeral nature?”
“They are like the fire that created them. Humans are solid, reliable in their nature. Djinn are feral, flighty and possessed of quick emotions. You would do better to avoid them altogether. If your apartment was destroyed by one, it might behoove you to forget it and move on.”
“What would you do if a djinn destroyed the Sanctuary?” I demanded.
Lei’s lips pursed. “That would be unlikely. But I see your point. I said I would ask around, and I will. But I urge caution.”
“I’m not going to pick a fistfight with a marid, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I assured her. “I mostly just want my laptop back.”
“Your laptop was stolen?” Lei’s eyebrows rose.
There was a rattling clatter as Hu returned and pulled the shutter down behind him. He carried heavily-laden plastic bags in one hand, and the little room filled with the smell of pho.
Lei fell silent as Hu puttered around, laying out food for them. Something about the set of Lei’s shoulders kept me quiet as well. There was an unaccustomed discomfort between Hu and Lei, some conflict that I wasn’t observant enough to pick up on until just now.
Suddenly feeling unsure of myself, I kept my gaze down and ate my pho in silence. After a moment, I became aware that Hu was staring at me, a confusing mix of emotion on his face. I looked up and met his gaze. Lei saw me look up and turned to face Hu.
“Thank you for the pho, Hu,” she said.
Hu grunted something in Chinese but didn’t look away from me. Lei snapped something that sounded imperious, the kind of borderline astonishment a grandmother expresses when her polite suggestion isn’t taken as gospel. Hu tore his eyes away from me and stomped out of the room. I heard his heavy footsteps go up the stairs and a distant door slammed.
“I’m sorry, Lei,” I started.
The old woman held up a hand, cutting me off. “Eat. There will be time enough for that later.”
I complied as best I could, but my appetite was gone. Hu and I had never seen eye to eye, but he had never treated me with anything but distant impatience. He had certainly never looked at me with that combination of fear and hate.
When I finally pushed my bowl away, Lei seemed to have gathered her thoughts.
“How old are you, Alexandra?”
“Twenty. Almost twenty-one.”
“When is your birthday?”
“A few days. The first of October.”
Lei pursed her lips. “I know you don’t believe in these sorts of things, but in this case, I think it’s important. Many… things… don’t manifest until certain milestones in life. The birth of a first child. The death of a parent. Puberty.”
“A twenty-first birthday,” I jumped in, guessing at where Lei’s thoughts were heading.
“It’s unusual,” Lei admitted. “I can’t think of anything that fits, necessarily. There are cultural influences, though. Some creatures in South America target women on their fifteenth birthday, as that is when a girl becomes a woman.”
“Eighteen is the age of consent in California,” I objected. “The only thing that happens when I turn twenty-one is I can legally get drunk.”
Lei rolled a shoulder. “I don’t have the answer, Alexandra, but I can see the change that is coming. The tarot hinted at it; the Moon is about change and dual natures. On your birthday, something major will change for you.”
“Do you think my apartment getting trashed is related?”
She hesitated, then shook her head. “I can’t say. I doubt it, but until the change happens for you, all is guesswork.”
My phone buzzed, and I looked down to find a text from Ethan. “Sorry, I have to get this,” I said.
Lei nodded. She got up stiffly and started clearing the table.
The message was brief. Call me.
I got up from the table and stepped into the foyer. Ethan picked up after the second ring.
“What’s going on?” I asked, a little worried.
“Nothing bad. I’m out of my interview with my client. He would like to meet you. Do you have anything that you could wear to a fancy restaurant?”
“You saw my apartment,” I said peevishly. “I have nothing that wouldn’t require a roll of duct tape to put back together.”
There was a deep voice just barely unintelligible and Ethan laughed. “Actually, never mind. It’s taken care of. Can you get to my place by four?”
My eyes narrowed. “What is this about?”
“I told my client about your business and he was fascinated. Said he’d love to meet you. Look, think of this as networking, Alex. There could be work for you here. If nothing else, a free dinner.”
I looked back at Lei as she vanished through the bead curtain and further into the building. “Yeah. Okay. I’ve done about all I can on my end anyway.”
“You find any leads?”
“Not as such, but I’m not out of options.”
“Well, in case you get back before I do, I’ll send you my gate code soon as we hang up.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I mean it. You’re a life saver.”
“Mmhm. I’m recording this, by the way. No take-backs. Oh! Before I forget. My girlfriend should be there too. No fighting!”
“Way to stay classy, Ethan,” I said, but I couldn’t suppress my grin.
“I gotta run. See you soon.”
“Bye.” I hung up the phone and went back into the main room.
“Was that your man?” Lei called from the other side of the bead curtain.
“He’s not my man,” I sighed. “And he has a girlfriend.”
“Must be blind then,” she walked back in and sniffed.
My phone buzzed and I glanced down to see Ethan’s gate code. “Not every male is boyfriend material, Lei.”
“Mmm.” She shuffled over and looked over my shoulder. “But not all men give you keys to their house. Do not write him off yet, child.”
“Thanks, mom. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Lei gave me a swat on the arm and shooed me off. “I’m keeping you. You have a man to go meet, and I have questions to ask.”
“For the last time, he’s…” I covered my face with my hands. “Whatever. Thanks for the help, Lei. You have my phone number?”
“I’ll reach you if I find anything,” she assured me.
With a last wave, I left the Sanctuary. A vague trepidation sat in my chest, along with a feeling of things tipping over, of being on the brink of collapse. I shook it off irritably. This was no time for superstition.
I had to get back to Ethan’s place. With a sigh, I got my phone out and arranged for another uber. I really needed a better method of transportation. At this rate, I’d be completely broke by the end of tomorrow.
Chapter Five
I got out of the uber and waved, thankful that the driver hadn’t been that stalker creep Eric. If he had shown up again, I would have called the cops.
There was an unfamiliar car on the curb outside Ethan’s house, a fancy white BMW, and I remembered Ethan’s warning about his girlfriend being home. I climbed up the driveway and let myself in the
gate with Ethan’s code. The driveway was lined with banana trees and spiky-tipped agave, a contrasting biome choice that I decided to have strong words with Ethan about.
I let myself into the front door, took a left into the kitchen, and stopped in my tracks. Ethan’s sterile, manly kitchen had been assaulted by a female. A bouquet of flowers was on the island, brightly colored hand towels hung from the oven handle, his precise, orderly rows of logo-stamped coffee mugs had been thrown into disarray by the introduction of wine and mixed drink glasses.
“You must be Alexandra, or can I call you Alex?”
“My friends call me Alex,” I said reflexively, and turned toward the living room, a pleasant smile on my face.
Ethan’s girlfriend was a good four inches taller than me in her heels, slender, with green eyes and brown hair styled into loose curls. She was beautiful, the kind of woman that turns heads, dressed in a pencil skirt and a billowy blouse that showed off a little too much cleavage and the hint of a red bra beneath.
“I’m Elaida,” she oozed. “I hope we can be friends.” She had an accent that I guessed must drive the men nuts. Middle European, of some sort. Slavic, maybe?
I disliked her immediately. “Sure,” I said. My smile was slipping, so I put it back with fake brilliance. “It could happen. I see what you did to his kitchen.”
Elaida swayed by me on her three-inch fuck-me heels. I resisted the urge to trip her and followed at half her pace. She did a little pirouette behind the counter.
“What do you think? I hope Ethan loves it.”
She leaned over the island and smiled at me, from a range of about three feet. If I hadn’t just spent the day worried about a marid jumping me from the shadows and discussing the djinn with Lei, I would never have noticed it. The skin around her nose, where her smile lines would normally be, seemed stiff and didn’t move with the expected elasticity of skin.
It could have been cosmetic surgery. Elaida could have had a nose job done, or maybe she was undergoing Botox to get rid of unwanted wrinkles.
“Nice implants,” I said.
Elaida jerked back as if I had slapped her, and she raised a hand halfway to her face before controlling the gesture. “What?” she asked. “What are you talking about?” She changed the hand motion to giving her breasts a cup and a squeeze. “These are quite real.”
“Right. Does Ethan know?”
Elaida’s smile vanished. “No. Leave him out of this.”
I felt my smile grow a little more sincere, if less pleasant. Calling out a djinn to a straight was the height of bad manners. More than a few people had died because of it over the years. It just wasn’t done. As much as my snap judgement of Elaida wasn’t favorable, I could be putting Ethan in real danger if I told him his girlfriend was a houri.
“Ethan is my friend,” I told her. “I could give a shit if you’re looking for some nookie or a sugar daddy, but if you hurt him, I will bring your world down around you.”
Elaida’s mouth twisted, making the patches around her nose suddenly stand out. She hadn’t received implants, I realized, just filled in the grooves with costume putty and skillful makeup. “I assure you, my intentions with Ethan are not long-term. I am not here for his money or his dick. If that’s what you’re after, halfblood, you’re free to pursue it once I’m gone.”
Halfblood? What was she talking about? I hesitated for half a beat before shooting back, “Well, now I’m curious. Most girls would say that’s all a man is good for. You sure aren’t here for his interior decorating skills.”
Elaida settled back, a confident smile returning to her face. “You’re just going to have to wait like the rest of them.”
“Did you have my apartment trashed?” I demanded. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but her superior attitude was irritating me and I hoped to catch her out with a reaction.
Her smile spread slightly. “No. But I do find it amusing. You can always tell the quality of a woman by where she buys her clothing.” She touched her hair, adjusting a strand of her bangs to fall more artfully around her cheek. “Ethan asked me to tell you to freshen up. A package was delivered for you and is waiting in your room.”
I eyed Elaida, but she had recovered from whatever uncertainty I had caused by outing her. “Great.” I touched the vase with its spray of flowers. The arrangement probably cost more than my monthly rent. “Ethan is allergic to lilies.”
This last I delivered over my shoulder as I left the kitchen. He wasn’t, but it felt good to spike her wheels a little. Dumb broad probably didn’t know what lilies were and I doubted she had the skill to rearrange the flowers after pulling them out if she did. Besides, she deserved it after that crack about my clothes.
I climbed the stairs to my room and locked the door behind me. The promised packages were on the bed, a pile about the size of a suitcase. Curiosity overcame my lingering sour mood from talking with Elaida. Was this what Ethan had known about when he had said never mind during our last phone call?
Feeling a little like a child at Christmas, I peeled back brown paper wrapping and discovered garment boxes from a ritzy downtown boutique that I could never have afforded. I unpacked the boxes and found a sleek black dress with a thigh-high slit, a handbag, heels, assorted jewelry, makeup, and… lingerie?
That last box made me hesitate. Lingerie was a personal item that had to be fitted if it was to look good. I checked the sizes, then hung it all up thoughtfully. Whoever had purchased this clothing knew my measurements exactly.
I replayed the conversation with Ethan as I climbed into the shower. Whoever this client was, it was likely he had purchased the clothing. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. On the one hand, it was nice of him to shell out hundreds of dollars for a dinner date, on the other hand, I felt violated, like he had been spying on me.
Or maybe Ethan had told him my measurements when the subject of meeting me over dinner had come up. It was fast work on the client’s part, if that was true. Finding nice clothes for a woman was a difficult task if you wanted to do it cheaply, but like all things, the more money you threw at the problem the easier it became.
I decided not to worry about it. I trusted Ethan, despite his choice of women. If suffering a little invasion of my privacy meant I could land a wealthy client, that was worth the indignity, wasn’t it?
The hot water in the shower felt good and I lingered, rinsing away the stresses of the day. When I finally spun the tap off and stepped out of the shower, my skin was pink and my fingertips shriveled. I blow-dried my hair and decided to wear it up. I didn’t want to take half an hour putting curls in it.
The makeup matched my skin tone perfectly. I wasn’t surprised by that, not any more. I took my time applying it. If someone was going to spend this much money making me look good, then by God, I was going to knock them dead.
I heard Ethan’s car arrive and the distant voices of him and Elaida talking downstairs. I wasn’t in a rush. They could wait. Lingerie next. I put it on, half-expecting the usual scratchy lace and stiff fabric, and was pleasantly surprised by the comfort of the clothing. Stockings, thong, garters, and bra, all fit perfectly, like it had been molded to my body. My estimation of the price of the clothing went up a notch.
Heels, and then the dress. The silk poured over me, cool to the touch and making me shiver a little. I drew up the zipper on the side and went to go look at myself in the mirror.
Damn, but I looked good. I couldn’t help but smile as I turned to check my profile. The line of the garter was all but invisible, and when I stepped, the slit flashed enough leg to show the tops of the stockings. After a last check to make sure everything looked good, from top to bottom, I tucked my phone into the little clutch and went downstairs to find Ethan.
I followed the sound of his voice into the kitchen and paused in the doorway. Ethan was dressed in a formal dinner jacket, freshly shaved with his hair slicked back into careful waves. He had his back to me, and was leaning over Elaida, lip-locked with her.
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br /> Gross. I clicked a heel on the tile to announce my presence, then did it again when I didn’t get a response. Ethan finally straightened up and turned toward me.
“Ah, Alex, there you… woah.”
I smiled and put a hand on my hip. “Don’t stare, Ethan, it’s not polite.”
Behind him, Elaida stared daggers at me. I deliberately glanced toward the island where the bouquet was conspicuously absent then turned to focus on Ethan. I did a quick turn for him, letting him get a good look. Elaida wasn’t the only one who could spin in heels.
“You look amazing, Alex.”
“Ethan, baby, I have some business downtown.” Elaida swayed up behind Ethan and put a hand on his arm possessively. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to miss your dinner.”
Ethan tore his eyes away from me and frowned down at Elaida. “What? How come?”
“Work,” Elaida sighed. “After I went through the trouble of getting made up and everything.”
“What do you do for work?” I asked politely.
“Acquisitions for an auction house,” she shrugged. “It’s not glamorous, but it does pay the bills and then some.”
So, you’re a glorified pawn broker, I almost said, but remembered my promise to Ethan to play nice. “How fun,” I said instead, “it must be nice to travel for work.”
“It has its perks,” Elaida admitted. “But my client is in something of a rush, so I had better run.” She pulled Ethan down for a last, wet kiss, then went out the door.
“She seems… nice.” I said once I was alone with Ethan.
Ethan looked at me sharply. “You hate her.”
“Well, I don’t know. Hate is a strong word.”
“No, I know that look. You think she’s awful. Why else would you flaunt yourself?”
“A girl likes being noticed every once in a while,” I said, but it was a weak excuse, and I knew it.
“Bullshit.” Ethan knew it too. “Spill. What is it about her?”
I couldn’t tell him Elaida was a houri, so I gestured at his kitchen instead. “Look at this place. Pastel colors, wine glasses, hand towels on the oven. You don’t even cook, and she sure as hell doesn’t either. She’s not right for you. Next thing you know, your duvet will be pink and she’ll be planning a wedding.”