The Seven Kings of Jinn

by S. Young

  The woods were deathly silent.

  The Brother with the bottle stood and turned to Jai. “It is done.” He bowed formally and he and the Brothers made their way past the three of them like they hadn’t just cut open their own wrists and exorcised an evil spirit from a teenage boy’s body. A Brother stopped before Jai, who handed over a wad of cash. Ari frowned. She hadn’t known this was going to cost Jai money. Great. Now she was even more in his debt. Literally and figuratively.

  “Thanks,” Jai said gruffly. “Appreciate it.”

  The Brother merely nodded and followed the others out of the woods.

  Ari gaped. “Where are they going?”

  “To call a cab back to the airport.”

  “But what about…” she trailed off, tentatively taking a step toward Nick, who lay unconscious on the ground. She gulped down guilt. “Will he be alright?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Jai said and then seemed to think better of it. “He won’t remember a thing of the last eighteen months, so actually he won’t be fine. But he’ll be physically fine.” He pulled out a cloth and handed it to Ari. “Clean the gunk off him and then you and Charlie load him back into the SUV.”

  Nick lay in the back of the SUV, unconscious but black goo-free. Ari gripped the dashboard as they pulled into the cinema lot.

  Charlie sighed, cutting the engine. He turned to her, his dark eyes concerned. “This isn’t your fault. You didn’t get him possessed, okay. It happened.”

  Ari laughed humorlessly. “He’s going to wake up any minute now and he will remember nothing about the last eighteen months. How will he get over that?”

  Her oldest friend reached across the seats and took her hand. “He’ll get through it. Just like you’re getting through all of this. Did I tell you how proud I am of you?”

  She smiled sadly. “Me? What about you? I want to throw up all the time but you, you’re handling all of this amazingly well.”

  He shrugged. “It fascinates me. Besides, I feel different.”

  Glad that Charlie was no longer carrying around the weight of his brother’s death, she squeezed his hand. “Freer?”

  Just like that, the temperature in the car dropped and her momentary happiness fled as Charlie’s eyes darkened and he withdrew his hand. He didn’t say a word and Ari felt her skin prickle uneasily.

  “Ari!”

  She turned at the sound of Staci yelling. She and A.J. were running across the lot toward the SUV. Ari and Charlie jumped out and walked around Nick’s car to meet them. A.J. looked ready to launch himself at Charlie, so Ari dove between them.

  Staci’s pretty face was pinched with concern. “You were taking so long we came out to check everything was okay. Where’s Nick?”

  Reciting the story they’d come up with, Ari put on an innocent and, not entirely untrue, frightened expression. “He passed out. We were just talking and he collapsed so we’re taking him to the hospital.”

  “Passed out my ass!” A.J. yelled, moving toward Charlie. “What did you do?”

  “A.J., A.J.” Ari grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the back of the SUV and away from Charlie, who looked far too willing to engage in a fistfight. She wrenched open the back door and pointed at Nick. “See, not a mark on him. We have to get him to the hospital.”

  Nick chose that exact moment to groan, and A.J. practically shoved Ari out of the way to lean in and slap his face gently. “Dude, dude, you okay?” he asked frantically, making Ari feel terrible for their deception.

  “What happened?” Nick mumbled, smacking his mouth open and shut. “My mouth. Oh God, my head.” A.J. put an arm around his shoulders, helping him sit up and Nick opened his eyes. They widened with confusion as he stared at the four of them. “What happened? Where am I?”

  “Ari said you passed out,” A.J. explained.

  Nick frowned. “Ari?” He looked over A.J.’s shoulder and his eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Ari? Why? Where am I?”

  “Dude, at the movies. The four of us came here together.”

  “We did?” He glanced around, shaking his head. “I don’t remember.”

  Staci tutted. “A.J. we have to take him to hospital if he can’t remember even getting here.”

  Charlie sighed and pushed forward. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Jesus Christ, Charlie! Ari pinched him for asking such an asinine question and he winced, batting her hand away.

  Nick looked near tears now and she watched A.J. grow pale with concern. “I don’t know. I was in my bed. I just got home from my date with Louise.”

  “Louise?” Staci frowned.

  Nick nodded, glancing warily at Ari. “Louise. Louise Buckman.”

  “Your ex-girlfriend?” Staci looked up at A.J. in horror. “Were they dating again?” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “No. Definitely not. He can’t stand her.” He gulped and turned back to Nick. “Nick, what year is it?”

  “W-why?” Nick asked frantically now, his eyes growing larger and brighter with unshed, confused tears. “Why? You’re scaring me, man.”

  “You’re scaring me. What year is it?”

  He told them the year he thought it was. He thought it was two years ago.

  As a collective, they gasped, even though Ari and Charlie knew it was coming.

  A.J. cursed and patted his friend’s shoulder. “We’re going to take care of you, man.” He turned now to Charlie, glaring at him. “Give me the keys, I’ll take him.”

  Charlie handed them over somberly. “You need help?”

  “Not from you.”

  Nick and Staci drove off with Nick toward Ridge Heart hospital. Shivering, Ari wrapped her arms around herself, hating her father and her mother for doing this to the people she cared about. They might not have done this with their own two hands, but indirectly they had caused this. Their actions had put a dangerous being like Ari in among good, ordinary folks and she’d drawn evil to them.

  A brawny arm came around her shoulders and she found herself pulled against Charlie’s strong chest. She breathed him in, clutching his Nine Inch Nails T-shirt. He smelled like lemons and damp soil and fresh musky sweat. She wanted to curl up with him and never let go.

  “You didn’t do this,” he murmured against her forehead, pressing a soft kiss to her skin. “Don’t do this to yourself.”

  “I’m trying,” she whispered.

  He rubbed her arm in comfort. “Try harder. Nobody beats up on my friend Ari. Including my friend Ari.”

  She smiled weakly, glad that at least one good thing had come of all this. Every second she grew closer to getting her old Charlie back.

  Chapter 13

  Years of stars I’ve yet to know

  When Ari and Jai returned home that night, there was a message from Staci on her answer machine explaining that Nick had lost his memories from the last eighteen months and the doctors couldn’t figure out why. There didn’t seem to be any physical injury and there was no head trauma, so they’d kept him in overnight. She said she’d keep Ari updated and then quietly added that A.J. was wondering if they had told them everything that had happened in the parking lot.

  “I’m really sorry, Ari,” Staci whispered, as if she didn’t want to be overheard. “But if my dufus boyfriend has his way, he’ll get the police involved. Nothing happened, right?”

  Swallowing down the guilt, Ari deleted the message and listened to the one Rachel had left explaining how she had heard what had happened with Nick and was wondering if Ari was alright. Not one to hold a grudge against Rachel for her sporadic brattiness, Ari called her back and they arranged for Rachel to come over to the house in the morning to catch up. All the while, Jai sat on the floor reading another Sci-Fi novel. The only time he moved was when they heard her dad coming upstairs. Jai changed into the Great Dane in a burst of fire and flame and they waited with bated breath to see if her dad would knock on her door.

  He didn’t.

  His footsteps echoed on down the hallway
to his bedroom and the door closed quietly. When Jai transformed back, she could feel his eyes on her, but she didn’t want him to see her hurt or disappointment in her dad, so she grabbed up the leather-bound book he had given her, too wired to go to sleep. Her breathing eased when she heard him rustling back down into the sleeping bag to read. Suddenly realizing how selfish she’d been acting with Jai (he had to move when she moved, eat when she ate, sleep when she slept) Ari lowered the tome in her hands and let her gaze fall on Jai’s dark head. His hair was cut pretty close, almost military. He suited the severity of the cut, but she thought perhaps he’d look younger, softer, with longer hair. Feeling her study of him, Jai lifted his gaze from his book without moving his head.

  His mouth quirked up at the corners. “Something wrong?”

  “I haven’t been the best hostess, have I?”

  His eyes glittered under the lamp on her computer desk, and the quirk turned into a half-smile that softened his hard countenance. She ignored the tiny flutter in her chest. “You’re not supposed to be a hostess here. I’m not a guest. I’m a guardian.”

  “But if you’re tired and want to sleep, I’ll turn off the lights.”

  “I’m fine, Ari. Read the book.”

  “If you’re sure?”

  He shook his head, lowering his gaze again. “Ari, unlike some folks, when I say I’m fine, I actually mean it.”

  Smirking at that, Ari picked the book up. Opening the pages, she felt a shiver cascade down her spine. The crinkling of the paper seemed obnoxiously loud in the quiet of her bedroom. She stared down at the first page, her stomach churning. She was afraid of a book. Afraid of discovering more about her—

  Say it, Ari.

  Kind.

  She wasn’t human.

  Without meaning to, her gaze drifted over to Jai again. He wasn’t human either. But he seemed human. He seemed like one of the good guys. Of course, she couldn’t know that for sure, but she felt it somehow.

  Her fingers trembled as she traced the bold black script on the page in her lap.

  Jinn: A History

  By Anonymous

  Anonymous

  Ari wondered who Anonymous was and why he/she felt the need to be anonymous. That seemed a little ominous to her. Maybe people weren’t supposed to write stuff about the jinn. Maybe the book was taboo. Shrugging off her unease, Ari turned the pages and read. The first few chapters were about the different races of jinn, the most powerful ones, the more common ones. Her eyes trailed over one list, and she wondered if she’d ever be able to remember this stuff.

  Jinn: This term is collective, used to describe individual jinn and tribes of fire spirits. Jinn in their varied forms, like man, carry good souls within them or evil souls.

  Hierarchy of the jinn:

  Azazil (also known as Iblis): Sultan of the Jinn, Azazil is the first and most powerful of his children. He was born out of Chaos, but legend tells us he has also fought on the side of good. Azazil’s mercurial nature lends itself to good and evil.

  The Seven Kings of Jinn: Azazil’s seven sons. Each king reigns supreme over one day in the mortal week. They have jurisdiction over their allocated day and can interfere in the lives of importants (see page 112 paragraph 2). In descending order:

  The Gilder King—Ruler of Sunday (neutral in the War of the Flames [see page 245])

  The Glass King—Ruler of Monday (subject to Azazil in the War of the Flames [as above])

  The Red King—Ruler of Tuesday (subject to Azazil in the War of the Flames)

  The Gleaming King–Ruler of Wednesday (subject to the White King in the War of the Flames)

  The White King—Ruler of Thursday (inciter of the War of the Flames [see page 243-245 onward])

  The Shadow King—Ruler of Friday (subject to the White King in the War of the Flames)

  The Lucky King—Ruler of Saturday (neutral in the War of the Flames)

  Intrigued by the so-called ‘War of the Flames,’ Ari wanted to skip through all the other stuff to page 243 to learn what it was and why the White King—her father—had incited it. But if there was one thing Ari knew when studying for her SATs, it was to never skip the boring parts, because that’s usually what came up on the exam. She drew her knees up to her chest, the book balancing on them, and she narrowed her eyes over the top of it to study Jai.

  He wasn’t going to quiz her on this, was he?

  “Keep reading,” he murmured, turning his page.

  Her mouth fell open in amazement. How did he do that? Flushing at having been caught staring, Ari sunk deeper into her pillows to hide behind her knees and bury her head in the book.

  Some argue whether the next in the order of hierarchy should come before the Seven Kings of Jinn, for none truly understand the extent of his power…

  Asmodeus: often referred to as Prince Asmodeus, he is Azazil’s first lieutenant and the very first of the race of marids (see page 87 para 4). Terrifyingly powerful and born of the evil jinn, Asmodeus is loyal to Azazil—it is unknown why he is loyal to the sultan, but his loyalty is absolute.

  The lesser royal jinn that followed weren’t nearly so interesting as this Prince Asmodeus guy, but Ari read on, her eyes glazing over now and then until she snapped herself to attention at a list of the most common jinn.

  Marid: Always evil, the marid have extraordinary power and are known to live as long as 2500 years, although Asmodeus is far older (his true age remains unknown, although some postulate he is almost as old as Azazil).

  Ifrit: Like all jinn, the ifrit are telepathic and can converse with other jinn this way. Like most jinn, the ifrit can shape-shift, possess, shield themselves with invisibility by stepping into the cloak, conjure with magic and enchantments, and place curses upon lesser beings—although their magic is not as powerful as the marid. However, each individual ifrit has one gift specific to them that can even overshadow the power of the marid. The soul of the ifrit is more ambiguous than the marid. Although some are evil, some are good.

  Shaitan: children and servants of the sultan, the shaitan have never been known to be anything but evil and are loyal only to those strong enough to call themselves their master.

  Ari read on, discovering the names of some pretty disgusting creatures, along with the nisnas she had encountered and the labartu that had killed Charlie’s little brother. Most of the information concentrated on the bad jinn, and it left Ari with a sick feeling in her stomach. It was weird. She had never wanted to know about her heritage, but as she read on, it became impossible to put the book down. Now that she knew what was out there, she had to know what else was out there. She had to arm herself against the force of the jinn. It fascinated her to learn that there existed half-breed jinn—half-human, half-Jinn—they called hybrids. There were two kinds: sorcerers and The Guild. According to Ari’s findings, sorcerers were rare because most hybrids did not know about the jinn and, therefore, didn’t connect with their magical abilities. The rare few who did usually couldn’t handle the strength of the power without it turning their minds. They used talismans, seals, and inscriptions to channel their magic. Theirs was considered ‘illicit’ magic, for they often used it for their own means and to enslave jinn. On the other end of the spectrum was The Guild, tribes of hybrids who grew up learning ‘licit’ magic to hunt down sorcerers and prevent any harm to humans from them or evil jinn. They technically got away with killing sorcerers because they were half-human, but if a member of The Guild killed a jinn, rather than merely disarming them, they were called to Mount Qaf to face trial in the jinn courts. Wincing at how unfair that was, Ari moved on, surprised to discover that The Guild was created centuries ago by the Gilder King. Apparently, he was known among the jinn as the most benevolent of his brothers. It made Ari feel easier about the Red King; maybe he wasn’t so bad after all too? Maybe she really could trust him. At least she felt like she could trust Jai.

  Skimming through, Ari stumbled upon the history pages. What was written was only what ‘Anonymous’ considered the
most important of jinn history. She read about stuff the White King had already told her: that for centuries he and his brothers meddled in the lives of importants, shaping destinies, building empires, destroying cities. Soaking it up, Ari turned the page to a new chapter and felt her heart pick up for no good reason at all.

  Chapter 14:

  The Seal of Solomon

  Religious scripts called him a Prophet, the son of David, but here he is known simply as King Solomon, enslaver of jinn and master of the Seal of Solomon. Stories differ as to who bestowed the Seal of Solomon upon this important but what we do know is that it was a god. Placing into Solomon’s hand a ring of brass and iron, this god offered the mortal king the greatest of power. With the brass part, Solomon could stamp his written commands to the good jinn and, with the iron part, he stamped his commands to the evil jinn. With this unlimited power, King Solomon enslaved many jinn, using them to build his magnificent temples and provide him with whatever he wished. Over the years, out of pride and greed, he abused his power, and Azazil the Great Sultan grew uneasy for the first time. Enlisting Asmodeus to determine the true power of the seal, it astonished Asmodeus to discover that with the seal upon his finger, Solomon could feel Asmodeus there even when hidden within the cloak. Demanding he reveal himself, Asmodeus was bound before King Solomon and trapped within a bottle as punishment for spying. Unknown to any of us, the being who had given the ring to Solomon grew furious with his subject for treating the jinn so carelessly. He stripped Solomon of his crown and the seal and sent him out into the desert to die. To prevent unrest among the people, He freed Asmodeus from the bottle and in exchange for the Seal of Solomon, Asmodeus transformed into the mortal king to reign in his stead until his death. When his time as Solomon was over, it is said Asmodeus returned to the jinn realm of Mount Qaf, where he offered his master the seal. Azazil attempted to destroy the ring but discovered it was indestructible. Confident in his own mastery over his people—for Azazil needed no ring to be obeyed—he offered the ring to Asmodeus, commanding he protect it with his life and never use it against the jinn. It is said Asmodeus is evil, but he never breaks his word. For centuries he has guarded the ring, wearing it in confidence on a strip of leather tied around his neck, daring lesser jinn to steal it from him.