Fan the Flame

by September Thomas

  “As he bent to clean up the mess, dozens of shadows flew from his fingers and shaped themselves into creatures not quite man and not quite shadow. Through his own clumsiness, Davarius had finally succeeded in his attempts at creating life.”

  Phenex was so riveted on Joseph’s tale that his grip on his magic loosened. It flooded the room in waves of golden power.

  “Davarius was thrilled with his creations and set about teaching them all he knew. He’d always wanted sons and now he had them. Forty of them. They soaked up his teachings and learned his values. They gained independence and, as the decades passed, they demanded freedom, because, you see, Davarius wouldn’t let them past the temple walls. When he didn’t grant their requests, his sons rebelled and some tried to escape. Humans and fey caught in the middle died in the fight for dominance, and the Earth Temple began to splinter.”

  I eyed the crystal glass clutched in Phenex’s white-knuckled hand. I could barely see the rise and fall of his chest.

  “Realizing what he had done, what was going to happen, Davarius agreed to a truce. He requested a meeting with his sons, saying he wished to speak with them about how to release them into the world. Elated, his forty sons agreed.

  “Davarius said he would allow them out, but he worried for their safety. He told them humans and fey would fear them for they possessed great magic. They had inherited their father’s immense control of the desert, for they were made of sand. He told them they needed to be hidden in order to leave. He said they would need a safe place to shelter should anyone learn of their true existence.

  “Davarius was clever and had brought forty containers with him: a mixture of pendants and vases and metal boxes. Some were beautiful, others plain, some tall and others fat. He implored his sons to embrace their inner shadows, the life spirit that animated them and gave them free will and thought, and instructed them to use them to hide within the vessels.”

  Joseph shifted in his chair, leaning forward eagerly. Phenex reciprocated.

  “His sons agreed and tucked themselves inside those containers. Once they had disappeared, Davarius, for he was as cunning as he was creative, recited a spell of binding that he’d learned from a witch, a blood oath that could not be broken. The spell sealed his sons inside.

  “When they tried to come out, they realized their father’s treachery, for they couldn’t extend themselves farther than the opening in each container. Davarius said he would stick to their agreement and allow them to leave, but they would need to earn their true freedom. They could only find freedom by granting wishes to those who possessed their vessels. Three wishes to each master. Only their master could set them free by their own free will.

  “Enraged, his sons had no choice but to agree. They believed they could find ways to trick their masters into freeing them. But they soon discovered another twist to their captivity: For each master who failed to free them, they were permitted to kill them and absorb their life force.

  “And so the djinn was born. And the legends around them grew wild. For the sons knew freedom was elusive, but power was forever. And it was power they sought, biding their time and gaining strength, until, at last, they started to find freedom.”

  Phenex’s glass shattered in his grasp and Joseph smiled. “Phenex, that’s all I know of the djinn, but I have a feeling you know how the story ends.”

  If he hadn’t wanted to kill us before, it was clear the djinn wanted to now.

  “You’ve given me much to think about,” he spat. “Leave before I make a decision I’ll regret.”

  Chapter 14

  Time to think it over by Phenex’s definition did not, unfortunately, mean I’ll have a decision by morning.

  Joseph and I discovered that small fact by simultaneous knocks on our doors at 5 a.m. The nero messengers informed us that while we had free reign of the palace, we were not to seek out the djinn directly. I’d only managed to get about an hour of restless sleep before that, so I gave up on the concept entirely and set out to find out more about my not-quite-so-enemy.

  “Figures I’d find you here,” Ryder said. I lifted a hand in greeting when he dropped beside me. “Though why you aren’t spending your time soaking in the Nile is beyond me.”

  I squeezed my stress ball of water. During my prowls in one of the towers, I’d discovered this eight-feet wide window complete with a wide ledge that begged to be sat upon. After some fiddling, I’d figured out how to slide the glass aside and settled in. I’d spent the past hour watching the activity around the palace.

  I pinched the skin between my eyes where my headache pounded.

  “I don’t understand them,” I said, nodding at the nero guards sparring inside the fenced-off courtyard. Phenex’s palace was set up similarly to medieval castles. It had a main building that seemed to be his domain, with a smattering of smaller, yet equally gorgeous, buildings that housed the nero. I’d counted a half-dozen courtyards and mini markets from up here but imagined there were likely more tucked away between the houses. “It bothers me.”

  Ryder propped his shoulder on the frame, his golden eyes fixed on the clashing partners. Some thrust and blocked staffs, while others ran laps. A range not far from away provided plenty of target practice for those with guns.

  My team was down there with them, too. Earlier, I’d watched as the pixies had approached, and after a conversation that involved a lot of hand waving the wing flapping, they’d finagled their way into the training grounds. Joseph had joined not long after that.

  “Your mind is a fascination of mine,” the incubus said. “Please elaborate.”

  “Why are they here? Why are they tucked away in this little community?” I ran a hand through my hair and teased apart the knots created by the wind. “They’re people of the sand, right? Why are they beside the Nile then? And why do they serve Phenex? It’s like something I’ve only ever watched in movies and on television, similar to peasants and serfs serving a king.”

  “Maybe it’s their way of life,” Ryder said. “It could also be a security thing. Supposedly this is the last group of them left. They could be like pixies who cluster in small communes. Their philosophies are similar.”

  “I can understand that,” I acquiesced. “Though I can’t see fey as strong as they’re believed to be willingly subjecting themselves to the whims of someone else, no matter how powerful.”

  “You’ve seen Phenex.” Ryder leaned back on his palms, his back arching in a supine stretch. “He’s not exactly a pushover.”

  “No, but the Gods were gone for two-thousand years,” I reminded him and winced when Rose failed to block a thrust of one of the sand-fey’s staffs. “And, as you well know, that means the fey couldn’t access their magic during that time. So while he has power, it’s human power. I’m not sure if that would be much of a threat.”

  “I think you assume a lot,” Ryder said. “People have an uncanny ability to adapt to a certain way of living. He also doesn’t necessarily need magic to appeal to them. Money and security speak strongly to more than just humans.”

  I glanced at the incubus and realized he’d taken my hand and rested it on his thigh. The back of it tingled pleasantly where he rubbed a slow circle with his thumb. I decided to let him keep it for now.

  “It’s more than the logic of their circumstances, though,” I said, enjoying our debate. Ryder might be more devilishly handsome than anyone in their right mind should be, but he was also intelligent. I liked that. “Their magic feels… off. It’s wrong. They’re clearly powerful. I can sense it. But none of them seems to be in possession of it.

  “Sure, they use their magic to walk through stone walls and throw sand.” One of the smaller nero hurled sandy projectiles at Joseph, who swatted them away with a gust of wind. “But I’m expecting more. They’re capable of more, but it’s like none of them can do it. I don’t—” I stopped and pursed my lips, my frustration mounting and my magic heating. “I’ve sat here for an hour trying to figure out what I’m trying to say, and I
still don’t know how to say it. But it’s wrong. There’s something wrong.”

  Rather than release my hand when the blood reached a boiling point, Ryder tightened his grip and flipped it over so he could massage my palm.

  I shuddered and my magic retreated. “What do you think? Am I being crazy?”

  “While you may occasionally do crazy things, I’d never actually attribute that adjective to your character.” His cheeks tightened as Joseph launched himself up a series of invisible steps crafted of air. He flipped off the end, spinning with a wooden practice sword as he landed in a cluster of nero who immediately launched into attacks. It was incredible what he was able to do. As much as my thoughts irritated me, I’d enjoyed watching my fellow God test his abilities like this. I’d never had a chance to watch him train back in the States since I had always been wrapped up in my own training.

  “If you think or feel that something is wrong, I’m willing to bet it is,” Ryder said. “Your magic is tied to all magic, it’s the root of it after all. The nero’s abilities are some of the closest to yours I’ve ever seen.” I almost groaned in protest when he stopped rubbing my hand, though he still clasped it loosely. “You’re smart, you’ll figure it out. But please, for my sake and the sake of everyone here, be careful. Phenex may have been toying with you yesterday, but if he’s anything like…” He paused, pondering his words, “…other powerful creatures who are used to one way of life, it doesn’t take much for him to snap.”

  “Who are you talking about?” I asked and immediately regretted it when his face tightened with pure, ugly hatred. He caught himself and the expression smoothed into his normal lightheartedness. He dropped my hand and leaned in until our faces were a few inches apart.

  “That would be a truth, wouldn’t it?” A dimple popped as his grin spread. “And I think you’re the one who’s overdue spilling some of yours.”

  His scent wrapped around me, more cinnamon than smoke today, and I inhaled deeply, loving the molten quality of his eyes. I couldn’t deny how he affected me, how I couldn’t stay away from him no matter how much I wanted to.

  “Come on, glowstick,” he whispered, moving closer. He traced the healing cut at the base of my throat. “Your eyes are telling me so much, but I need to hear it from your lips.” His finger moved drifted upward, caressing my neck.

  “I don’t know if winning more gold medals at the next Olympics would have been enough for me,” I admitted, stunned at voicing the small suspicions that had rattled around in my head for weeks during our team summer trip. Ryder’s thumb brushed the underside of my jaw. Our faces drifted closer. “It’s what I wanted, and I knew I could do it. It was always the goal, one I’d pushed for my entire life. But I think I knew deep down I was meant for more.”

  He didn’t respond for so long, simply caressing the silky skin beneath my ear, I wondered if he’d even heard me. But when I opened my mouth to repeat it, he said, “That’s why you’ll figure this out. The nero. Phenex. The end of the world, all of it. Because you know you can.”

  I closed my eyes when he leaned in, his breath tingly on my lips, but at the last moment, he pulled up and pecked the tip of my nose. My insides turned gooey, and I ducked my head when heat filled my cheeks. This man… he was something else.

  Chapter 15

  When Ryder warned me to be careful, this was probably the very behavior he meant for me to avoid.

  I glanced down the darkened hallway. When I didn’t see anyone following me, I rounded another corner and twisted the handle of a doorknob. Ryder had left with a bite of laughter and a bounce in his step after my confession, and I’d resumed slinking around the castle like a cat in need of a new hiding place. After pausing for dinner, which I’d actually sampled today, I was back at it.

  My sleuthing paid off when I discovered a secret passageway that led me to these darkened tunnels. It smelled like mold and stale water, and I was only able to see by the flame I sent bouncing ahead.

  The door opened, revealing yet another nearly empty room badly in need of bleach and a good scrubbing. The rusted frame for a bed leaned against a wall in one corner, exactly the same as the last four rooms I’d tried. Was this a prison of some sort? Holding cells? I felt Kaleal stir behind my eyes, and while she still wasn’t talking to me, the relief I felt knowing she was back surprised me.

  I pulled the door closed, noting its silent hinges despite the disrepair of everything else down here, and continued onward, my dejection growing as I uncovered more of the same. When I was ready to turn back and give up entirely, the ground rose sharply and a new door emerged at my left. Unlike the others made of metal, this was wooden. Across from it was a peg for a torch. The stone above was blackened.

  I flattened my hand against the board and tingles raced across my skin.

  Something was in there.

  I tested the knob, not surprised when it didn’t give. “Phenex, what are you keeping in here,” I mused to myself as I knelt. The keyhole was large, the decoration ornate. No, this door definitely wasn’t like the others. The mystery enticed Kaleal enough to speak.

  Push water into the keyhole and freeze it in the shape of the key, she suggested.

  Genius, I replied. On my first attempt, I froze the whole lock, but after two more tries, I finally formed the right shape. However, it didn’t work, no matter how hard I pulled, tugged, and kicked at the knob.

  Kaleal leaned in, crowding the space behind my eyes. Fire?

  Why not, I said, balling some flames in my hand. This time, when I attempted to move in, the flames went out. I couldn’t so much as singe the wood.

  It’s blocking the magic, Kaleal mused. But feel that, that sensation of ants crawling under your skin and spiders nibbling at your eyes? That’s magic, very powerful magic. We definitely need to get in there.

  What do you think I’m trying to do? I snarled. In frustration, I froze the handle solid, then blasted it with a burst of fire so hot it turned blue. The knob cracked, then shattered. The door swung wide.

  Clearly, you weren’t trying hard enough, Kaleal chided, her presence lingering as I marched in. What I found made my breath catch.

  Gold stretched for what felt like a mile, the treasure illuminated by trenches of orange flames running the lengths of the walls. Coins were stacked taller than me, jewels in glass containers glittered an array of colors more brilliant than any rainbow, and statues of marble and quartz guarded the troves jealously. I paused beside one barrel high as my waist filled with rings and bracelets and necklaces adorned with gems bigger than my thumb. A barrel beside it of equal height was flooded with diamonds big and small. On shelves pounded into the jade walls rested an array of portraits and paintings by artists so famous even I recognized their work.

  My magic hummed as I moved down an aisle carved in the middle of the riches. I wanted to touch everything all at once, but couldn’t figure out which to settle on first, so I kept walking, each new discovery more glorious than the rest.

  Then I stumbled upon a single emerald trapped beneath a bubble of glass.

  It wasn’t particularly large or rich in color. It lacked any sort of adornment, yet the longer I hovered there, the more its power reverberated through me. I tilted my head, moving so I was nearly on top of it. It reminded me of something. The cut, the color…

  “How did you get in here?”

  Phenex’s silvery voice ripped me from my thoughts. I was in the middle of reaching for the globe, probably to push it aside and hold the gem myself, and I stopped short. I couldn’t move, my mind racing…

  The sickening sensation of falling backward hit me.

  Kaleal smoothly slipped into place.

  “Your wards aren’t as powerful as you think they are,” she chastised, drawing back her—my—hand, in no hurry to face the djinn. “It was remarkably easy to get in here. I’d suggest finding a more effective means of protecting your precious collection in the future.”

  His face was smooth, his eyes bland, but my magic brush
ed his and I knew he was barely holding himself back from strangling me. The djinn’s eyes flicked over her before stopping on her eyes.

  “You’re back,” Phenex said bluntly. “Right when I’d thought I’d imagined it, too.”

  “The eyes are a bit of a giveaway, aren’t they.” Kaleal fingered a cloudy, white rock the size of a quarter. “It would be so much easier if that weren’t the case.”

  “Who are you?” His anger tempered as his curiosity grew. This was why he’d allowed me past his barriers and into his home. He’d seen Kaleal and wanted to know what she was.

  “Does it matter who I am?”

  “It does to me.” He plucked a coin from a nearby pedestal and balanced it on the back of his knuckles, sending it dancing across them. “I’m not in the habit of allowing just anyone on my premises.”

  “How about this,” Kaleal said. “You hear me out about why you should help us, and I’ll consider revealing my identity.”

  Dread filled me and I launched myself forward, only to have her throw me back and pin me in place. I had no idea what she was about to say, what she was even thinking, but I had a miserable feeling this wasn’t going to end well.

  “That seems hardly fair since you already said you know who I am,” he drawled. I knew it. He had heard her in my head back at the airport. “But I’m willing to play your game.”

  “Odds are you’re seriously considering trying to take me out and wiping your hands of this whole mess.” Kaleal moved to examine a gilded statue of a stallion. “I imagine that’s the direction you’re leaning because it’s by far the easier option. However, doing so will cause problems for you.”

  “Oh?” He sounded bored.

  “For starters, the Order will want to know why you took so long taking action. They likely already know we’re here. Maybe not here in your delightful home, but they know where we’re headed next.” She touched a banner of green silk draped across the back of a copper chair. “You claim to be rogue, but only because the Order hasn’t minded you much over the past several centuries. They knew you were here, and that was good enough for them. However, there’s the simple matter that magic has returned to the world.”