By the time she got to Bast’s floor, she could hardly keep from retching up her dinner. Aside from a slight tension in his jaw, you wouldn’t know there was a psychological war being waged a few feet away by the expression on Killian's face. He looked like he was here for a dinner party. She could hear the shouting now, in the old tongue but it made little sense to her.
She could pick out a few words, like murder, die, pain, and it wasn't reassuring her that the situation was going to be easily resolved. Luckily she had the director of the Adel as back up; she just hoped that Donovan wouldn't see it as some kind of betrayal.
Azar aimed a hard kick at the bottom of Bast’s apartment door and silently apologized. Actually, it was the least she could do. Where the hell was Bast when she needed him?
The door slammed open and two sets of dead black eyes turned towards her. Both of them looked shocked by the appearance of Killian, more so than herself, and Azar didn’t take it to heart. Killian already had an impressive fireball of blue flame in his hand.
She quickly took in the scene. A tall dark Shaitan that she didn't recognize held Freya by the chin, stretching the little girl’s face up so he could place a bright bronze dagger to the taut skin of her throat. The maternal part of Azar wanted to leap to the aid of the girl, to just turn feral on the man until he was forced to release the child. But the recently trained Adel part of her brain assessed the situation, and decided not to make any rash moves. A little slip of the blade on the quarter-blood girl, and she'd be as dead as any human. Donovan was storming back and forth; pure wrath swirled around him like a thick fog.
“It's okay Donovan, ratchet it down. This assassin," she spat the word out with all the contempt she could muster, "knows this is over. He isn't going to risk killing a child, in cold blood, in front of the Director of the Adel." She said the last bit slowly, in case the assassin had been living under a rock and didn’t know who threateningly held a fireball in his direction at that particular moment.
Donovan consciously tried to tamp it down, but she could tell it was difficult; the fear for his daughter's life would be demanding that he kill the threat in front of him, consequences be damned. Azar watched him struggle, but the tension lessened. It was still there, but she no longer wanted to peel her skin off to escape it.
“Drop the knife,” Killian stated. It wasn’t a request, it was an order. The guy looked torn between his obedience to the leader of the Adel, and fear of his race. And probably the fact that he was now outnumbered three to one. Eventually, he dropped the ornate knife to the floor and shoved Freya away. She wasted no time in flashing across the room into Donovan’s arms. The little girl’s face was soaked with tears, the front of her pale pink shirt damp. A small cut on her neck showed how firmly the assassin had been holding the knife against her throat. The sight of that droplet of blood made Azar growl low in her throat. He would pay for that.
Killian strode over to the assassin, who was now kneeling on the floor. She didn't know how Killian did it, but she watched on approvingly as he looped the guy’s hands in cuffs of fire. The fire stayed a quarter inch from his skin, as long as the assassin didn’t move his wrists too violently, he would be safe from third degree burns. She was going to have to learn that technique.
Azar went over to Donovan who was stroking Freya’s hair, whispering soothing noises. Donovan met her eyes over the head of the little girl, who was nuzzled so far into the crook of her father’s neck that Azar thought they might need a surgeon to extract her.
"You brought the fucking Adel Director. Are you fucking insane?" His voice was chillingly cold. Yup, this was going to be an awkward conversation.
"I was having dinner with him when Oliver called. He ordered me to let him come along basically. What did you want me to do? Ignore a direct order?" As if that were even possible. She changed the subject. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You vacated an entire city block. What if it hadn't been me and Killian, but a squadron of Adel who had no vested interest in either you or Freya?" Her voice was a stern whisper. She snuck a look at Killian, who was calling for prisoner transport. He finished his call and strode over.
"Donovan." He nodded curtly, and Donovan begrudgingly returned the courtesy. "The girl is going to have to come to the compound."
"No!" Both Donovan and Azar yelled at once. Freya’s arms went tighter around Donovan's neck. Azar refused to let the little girl be locked in a cell for just existing.
"The girl has done nothing wrong under our laws. But her very existence presents some problems, as you well know, or you wouldn't be hiding her. The Shaitan will just send someone else to resolve the issue, and you both know it. She'll be safer back at the compound, where it is impossible for assassins to gain access to her."
"Unless they are already on the payroll," Donovan growled.
Killian gave him a hard glare. It was a possibility; Azar knew personally that just because you were a member of the Adel, didn't mean you weren't an assassin for your race. Lida was case in point. And Freya made a far easier target than Azar, so she had to agree with Donovan on this one.
Killian must have sensed her objection, because he raised a hand to stop it. "I will personally guarantee her safety until we can get this cleared up. We will put the issue before the Council as soon as possible. They will decide on the best course of action." Killian's protection was the equivalent of a squad of Special Forces bodyguards inside of Fort Knox.
"And if the Council agree with the Shaitan, that the problem is better off being resolved,” that was the most hypocritical word for murder she'd ever heard, “rather than becoming a Djinn wide issue, what then?" Azar taunted.
Killian's mouth thinned into a hard line. "Then no matter how hard you hide her, she will be found. This is the only course of action, Donovan. Let it go, before they find a reason to charge you with treason, and the girl no longer has a protector."
Donovan's eyes shot to hers, and they shared a knowing look. He knew that if anything happened to him, Azar would fight tooth and nail to keep the girl safe. So would Bast. The girl would not be without a protector.
Donovan finally nodded his assent. "But she stays with Azar, at all times." He fixed her with a hard look. "Don't let her out of your sight." The 'or else' was implied.
Donovan turned away, whispering something into the girl's ear as he gathered up some of her things. Freya didn't let go of his neck, but she had loosened her grip. He picked up a stuffed, spotted cat and Freya squeezed it tight beneath her arm. It kind of looked like a jungle cat.
Azar fought back a smile and raised her eyebrows. "A gift?" She raised an eyebrow at Donovan but addressed the question to Freya. The little girl let out a tiny smile and absently rubbed the toy’s ear between her fingers.
"Oliver gave it to me. Sometimes, he turns into a cat just like this but way bigger, and lets me ride him like a pony!" Excitement bubbled in her voice, memories of jaguar rides around the apartment obviously trumping the remnants of fear. Kids were so resilient.
Donovan put her down and told her to go and get her toothbrush and a few toys to take with her. It was endearingly domesticated.
"He's meant to be protecting her," Donovan half-heartedly grumbled. No one could begrudge Freya a single moment of happiness. Plus they both knew that if someone had come to harm her during these 'pony rides’, Oliver would have been ten times more dangerous in his Jaguar form.
They turned and looked at the assassin trying to lie perfectly still on the floor, avoiding the flames binding his wrists. A few red welts on his wrists showed that he wasn't trying hard enough.
“Oliver had only been gone five minutes when that piece of filth came through the door. I guess I owe the cat a thank you.” He swallowed hard. “You too.”
Azar just grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Touchy-feely moments of thanks were never her forte. She never knew what to say, so her policy was to just say nothing.
Adel prisoner transport turned up just as Freya emerged from
her room, a bulging Barbie backpack in her hand. She took in all the soldiers, weapons strapped to their sides, and hid behind her father again.
Killian was saying something to the Adel in charge, who was nodding obediently.
The assassin was mumbling something over and over but the guards were paying him no attention as they dragged him towards the door. He looked back at Freya. "I couldn't do it! I couldn't hurt her." His face was a mask of confusion and pain as they finally dragged him out into the hall and into the waiting lift. The guy was probably losing it; she would be too in his shoes. The Shaitan accepted failure about as well as they as they accepted half-bloods.
Freya struggled to put the overstuffed backpack on her back. "Of course he couldn't hurt me; he loves me." She said it with such pure conviction that Azar just stared, unsure what to say. She looked at Donovan and he looked just as confused. From where she was standing when they'd walked in, it looked like the Shaitan planned to hurt Freya. The Shaitan weren't known for their remorse. Maybe the girl's mind was compensating for the trauma.
Freya smiled up at her, and it was like the sun coming out during a tornado. "I made him love me."
Azar's mouth dropped open as what the girl was trying to say clicked into place. She rocked back on her heels and stared. If Freya could channel positive emotions, bend people to her will using love as a weapon, such a revelation would unbalance the Shaitan's power. It could unbalance the very fabric of Djinn society. There were three benevolent societies, and three malevolent societies. For one race to flip sides, to evolve out of the niche that it had so carefully been put into a millennium before, well it could be catastrophic. Or it could be a wonder, but whatever it was, it was change, and neither the Shaitan, or the Council itself, embraced change well. No, it was best that Freya's abilities remained a secret, for the girl’s well-being. The shock on Donovan's face was almost comical.
Azar threw a quick look over her shoulder at Killian, but he was still talking to the Adel in charge. "That's really good sweetie, I'm very proud, and so is your Dad. But I don't think you should tell anyone else about this, okay?" Freya shrugged and nodded.
Killian announced it was time to go, and Donovan bent down to hug Freya. She kissed his cheek noisily and slipped her hand into Azar’s.
“The Council are assembling in two days time, and I imagine Freya’s situation will be heard then. I will call you when I have more details,” Killian said, but he didn’t make any empty promises about how he thought the whole situation would play out. Donovan’s eyes found hers, and the worry and fear in them was so unlike the Donovan she knew that it made her heart hurt.
She nodded to the worried father, a reassurance and a promise. She would do her best for the girl, even if it killed her.
Chapter 14
"Strike!" Azar yelled, her voice echoing off the walls. Freya ran around her, her arms stretched out, pretending to be an airplane and Azar laughed. "Hey kid, this is water jug ten pin bowling, not football. There’s no showboating here." She ruffled Freya’s dark hair until it stuck up at odd angles.
They were playing a makeshift game of ten pin bowling in the gymnasium, using empty water bottles from the coolers in the cafeteria, and a one pound medicine ball. What had started out as an easy way to get Freya out of Azar's dorm room had caught on, and soon it was a huge competition. There were teams now, and she finally grasped how competitive the Djinn really were. They'd worked out some kind of scoring handicap that took into account the weight of the medicine ball and the distance they stood from the pin. The rules had quickly compounded but everyone seemed to be having fun.
Freya was smiling and cheering as Bast stepped up to the line. He was on their team, and the guy could seriously bowl. She leaned back against the bleachers, and took in the smiling faces of everyone around her.
When they'd arrived at the compound with Freya, she had expected bedlam, or at least antipathy. But Killian had given a very dire warning about how the girl's safety was paramount, and the values on which their society was founded. He was very clear that any blatant flouting of those values regarding Freya, or any child, would be dealt with severely and summarily.
Azar wasn't sure that he could legally kill someone on the spot for assassinating a child, who was for the most part human, but his bluff worked because Freya had been accepted as some kind of compound mascot. The cooks in the cafeteria gave her extra dinner rolls and handfuls of after dinner mints. Scary Adel members brought her puzzles and toys to play with. Even the Sila doted on her. The Sila! They were the natural enemy of the Shaitan, but they braided Freya's hair, bought her pretty wool dresses and told her how to count cards at casinos. All within the last two days!
It was like stepping into the twilight zone, and as far as Azar could see, it wasn't because she was using her abilities on the entire compound. But maybe, instead of the underlying threatening feeling you usually got with Shaitan, the switch to positive feelings had her leaking out happiness. Or maybe she was just a great kid who people couldn’t help but like.
The Djinn population had been steadily decreasing for centuries, so each child was now treasured. Plus, no one knew who Freya was, or her parentage. They only knew there had been a threat on her life and she was in the compound for her protection. Luckily, there had been no other Shaitan Adel in the compound at the time. She didn't know if that was a coincidence, or due to Killian's influence, but Azar was thankful for small mercies. They were still waiting for the Council to convene, but that could be in hours or days.
Killian had told Donovan within two days, but the Council members kept their own hours and didn't care about the timeline of the common plebeian.
"Azar!" Freya tugged on her sleeve. "It's your turn. We are down ten points, you need to strike!" She crossed her arms as she said strike and Azar smiled. She still had the stuffed jaguar under her arm, and she never went anywhere without it or Azar. Damn, the kid was cute. It made her a little, well, clucky. Not that she would ever mention that fact to a single soul.
She shadowed the girl everywhere. In the last day and a half, there hadn’t been a single moment that the girl had been further than four feet from her side, and always within eyesight. Although everyone had been kind to Freya, Azar didn't let her guard down for a minute. When she couldn't have her eyes on Freya, Bast took over guard dog duties. He was the only other person she or Freya could trust, and that included Killian. Her brother would do what he was told, no matter how badly it grated against his conscience.
She stepped up to the designated line and grabbed the heaviest medicine ball from the pile stacked beside it. She'd swung her arm back to deliver it down the lane when the gym door opened and Malee walked in. Her roll went wild and she only knocked down the two water bottles on the left. There was an audible groan from Bast, but Freya patted her back and smiled.
"It's okay, at least you tried," she said sagely. She was eight going on thirty-eight.
Malee walked over to her, grinning sheepishly.
“Malee, what brings you here?" Azar found herself genuinely happy to see her half-sister. She remembered Freya next to her. “This is my BFF, Freya." She wrapped an arm around Freya's shoulders. Freya politely said hello, her old world manners impeccable. Malee squatted down in front of the child.
"Hi Freya,” she said brightly. "Did you help invent water cooler bowling? It looks like half the compound is here."
Malee wasn't wrong. When someone had suggested a round robin competition, dozens of people turned out. Due to the Council convening, all their personal security was currently residing in the compound as well, just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Most of them had jumped on the chance for some healthy competition.
Malee listened intently as Freya told her how they'd just lost the game, and were now out of the competition and her sister nodded sympathetically.
Bast called Freya over to help referee the next game and Freya waved goodbye. Such was the competitive spirit of the Djinn, that they needed referees for
bowling matches.
"Cute kid,” Malee said a little wistfully and Azar smiled at the echoing of her earlier thoughts. "Let’s sit and talk?" she suggested.
They climbed the stairs to the highest part of the bleachers. "So Saraf mentioned in passing to Killian, who mentioned it subtly to Keeley, who told me outright, that it might be judicious for me to be here today to support you and Freya." She gave a little half grin. "Such is the dissemination of information in this family. Saraf has to be impartial, and Killian has to follow the rules, but as long as neither of them approached me directly, everyone is staying on the right side of the law.”
She was extremely thankful that Saraf shirked his responsibilities and arranged it so Malee could be here. She would do a much better job of protecting Freya’s rights than Azar could. Advocating for the rights of half-bloods was Malee's passion.
"This is the first time that the rights of a Djinn with less than half-blood has ever been discussed by the Council, so I'm not surprised that they are keeping it very in-house and not doing a public hearing. They don't like to admit that there are far more mixed bloods than they like to acknowledge." She lowered her voice. "If the hearing goes how I think it will, I know some people who can take Freya, an underground society. They'll make sure she is protected, both against our people and the humans." Malee's face was burning with intensity and somehow it made her even more beautiful. Despite her hushed tones, several gazes were turned towards them.
"We've got that figured out already, but thank you. Your help would be very much appreciated for the trial, though." Azar put a hand over her sister's. "Seriously, thank you. I owe you one." Malee just smiled and rubbed Azar's arm.
"What is family for? Besides, this is my passion, and if they hadn’t kept it so shrouded in secrecy, I would have offered earlier."
Azar had been tempted to call Malee herself, but had decided against dragging any more of her family into this mess. But now that she was here, she couldn’t be happier. Malee's arrival also meant that today was D-Day, and the interminable wait was finally over.
The Azar Omnibus: The Complete Azar Trilogy (The Azar Trilogy Book 0) Page 36