by Jessica Cage
“Yeah, and yet, I can’t bring myself to open it.” He lifted the bottle to look at it. He swirled the intoxicating brown liquid but then his hand dropped back to his side.
“Why is that?”
For a moment Bruto said nothing; the sound of the waves crashing filled the space between them.
“Because I know she doesn’t like when I drink.” He pointed to the house at the top of the cliff. “She especially hates it when I’m doing it to drown out the pain. And I’m in overload right now.”
“Take your time, go away and handle your emotions however you see fit, but you’re going to need to come back when we’re ready.” Jinn held his hand out and Bruto handed him the bottle. “We have the covens on our side, that was the most important piece. We can handle getting things ready for the ritual. Three days is the timeline.”
“Three days.”
“Yes, and then we’re going to need you back here, with your head clear.”
“Yeah, okay, three days.” He disappeared.
“Where is he?” Nitara looked back to the island shore when Jinn returned without Bruto.
“I told him to go away and clear his head. He’ll be back in time to help when we need him. We have three days to get things in order, and he has three days to get his head in the game.”
“Any word from Azalea and Cairo about preparations?” Zaria had been eager to get moving. The quicker they did, the quicker she could help those who were affected, including Ardyn’s father.
“Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll be receiving their instructions soon.” Jinn waved his hand in the air, opening the portal to Praia who was sleeping in the large chair where they last saw her. She’d been neglecting rest in order to continue her research.
“Praia?” Nitara said her name, and she stirred. “Are you okay?”
Bloodshot eyes opened to the trio of faces floating before her. “Yes. Sorry, just dozed off for a moment.”
“You look terrible,” Jinn said, and Nitara gave him an elbow shot to the side. “My bad.”
“No, it’s fine, the mirror doesn’t lie. I looked worse than I felt last time I checked.” She adjusted herself in her seat. “I can’t say that hasn’t changed though.”
“We’ve got more information for you,” Nitara told her as she examined the face of the sickly girl. “The visit to the summit went well. We were able to convince the collective leaders to help us.”
“Yes,” Jinn continued. “They’re going to work the spell to counteract what Akasha started. Just need three days.”
“That’s great news.” She coughed.
“You think you can last that long?” Zaria inquired, and Nitara shot her a look that told her she’d said the wrong thing. It wasn’t a moment after she had been scolded that Praia coughed once more then fell over onto her desk.
“Praia?” Jinn lurched forward nearly jumping through the portal. “Praia!” He reached out but the window, his connection to her, disappeared. Jinn waved his hand, trying to reopen the portal, but it wouldn’t work. “Fuck, something is blocking me.”
“Someone on the other side?” Nitara asked. “If there was someone there with her, another fae, they would have immediately put up a protection spell.”
“I’m sure they did. I have to go check on her.” Jinn tried again to reopen the communication but failed. “Will you be okay here?”
“Yes, of course.” Nitara nodded. “There is plenty to do.”
Pulling her into his arms, Jinn kissed her and whispered his good-byes in her ear. Before he could go, however, a flash of light appeared in the center of the room, and when it subsided, it left behind an envelope floating in mid-air. The black package was etched in silver and stamped with the letter A in calligraphy.
“Looks like we have our marching orders.” Nitara snatched the envelope down and opened it. After reading it over quickly, she handed it to Zaria. “Her instructions are simple enough, we should be able to handle things on our own. You go take care of Praia and we’ll head to the Peaks to prepare.”
“Okay.” Jinn pulled Nitara back into his arms. “I love you, Nitty.”
“I love you, too.” She touched her lips against his, a soft promise that they would return to each other again. When she opened her eyes, he was gone.
“I think I should check on Ardyn before we go.” Zaria wanted to burst after watching their display of affection. She missed her mate and could feel the bird within her becoming more restless. This was something new, something not usual for a phoenix. They didn’t typically bond in such an intense way, but she knew if she didn’t see him soon, things would get ugly.
“Yeah, and I’ll update Genesis. Meet you there?” Nitara said with the lovestruck expression still lingering on her face.
Zaria nodded and left her friend alone.
Nitara quietly appeared at the doorway to the room where Rosie still slept. Though she had reacted to Genesis’ presence, she still was held in suspension. Nitara peeked through the cracked door to watch him as he reached out to Rosie. His hand met the barrier that held her, and when he touched it, the room went crazy. The spark shocked him, and he pulled back his hand in pain. Again, Rosie’s voice sounded though her lips never moved. Nitara’s eyes widened. Rosie wasn’t longing for Genesis. Her response wasn’t because she wanted him there. She was angered by his presence.
“Damn it, woman,” he growled. “What the hell do I have to do to get you to forgive me?” He stood from the chair and kicked it away before turning to the open window and muttering just loud enough for Nitara to hear, “Why the hell do I care?"
“You care for her, don’t you?” Nitara whispered from the doorway. “You don’t want us to think you do, but you do. I can see it.”
“You’re really nosey, you know that?” Genesis kept his back to her and stared out at the ocean surrounding Rosie’s island.
“Yeah, I know … big demon, no feelings, whatever. You care about her, and it’s going to destroy you when she wakes up and you realize she doesn’t feel the same way about you.” Nitara stepped into the room to allow her a better chance to examine Rosie’s state. Nothing had changed since she last saw her, and she took that to be a good thing. “We’re headed to the peaks to prepare. I'll send for you when we’re ready."
“Yeah, whatever you say.” He waved her off and Nitara left. “Damn.”
Genesis returned to Rosie’s side and let his mind go back to the last time he saw her. The moment when he broke her heart. He never thought he’d see her again. He had no idea what would happen next but Nitara was right. There weren’t many things that Genesis was afraid of. Seeing that hatred in her eyes and knowing that his own actions were responsible for it. Knowing that she would never be able to love him the way she had once before. That was the thing he feared most of all.
“You should not be here!” The fae guard stood at the border of their land staring down from the high platform at the djinn who’d come to check on his friend. He’d considered popping into Praia’s room, but realized how that may look and how much shit it would cause it he were caught. Not only that, but with the barrier they put up, it would hurt like hell for him to break through and would likely leave him too weak to make a quick exit.
“I came to see Praia. I’m only here to make sure that she is okay.” Jinn held up his hands, a gesture of peace.
“She would have been fine had she not been involved with you!” Another fae, a woman whose face was hidden to him, stepped forward on the platform. “Now her life is in danger, yet again, because of you and your people.”
“I’m here to try to fix this,” Jinn responded to the allegations as calmly as he could.
“Why should we trust you? Every time she gets involved with you, things only get worse.” The woman, dressed in a hooded jacket that fell long around her legs and covered most of her face, jumped over the railing of the platform and fearlessly landed in front of the djinn. “Why shouldn’t I strike you down here and now?”
“Besides th
e fact that we both know you aren’t capable of doing that,” Jinn said plainly, “this thing that is affecting her, it’s affecting countless others. And the longer we allow it to grow, the worse it is going to get. For all we know, this thing can end her life. There are others working to fix this, but in order to do that, I need to take Praia with me to the Peaks in shifter territory.”
“You have got to be joking!” She knocked back her hood to reveal a head of blazing red hair and a dark, ragged scar that crossed from the top of her right brow down to her left cheek, interrupting her light complexion. “You think we would allow you to leave here with her?”
“Whatever I have to do to prove to you that I am trustworthy, I will do it. I only want what’s best for her,” Jinn promised. He recognized the scar. It was the only part of Praia’s life that she shared with him. The friend with the scar. She’d mentioned her just a few times, but never offered much detail. His curiosity was piqued.
“Leave our land and never return,” the shadowed fae from the platform above yelled at the djinn.
“I cannot do that, not while her life is at risk.” Jinn caught the eye of the scarred woman. “You know that.”
“If you will not leave of your own will, we will force you to do so.” A third and larger fae appeared from behind the first. His body nearly blocked out that of his counterpart entirely.
“You will do no such thing,” the scarred one spoke again and tapped her ear, initiating the device that was perched there. She frowned as a message was transmitted into the device in her ear. “The king has requested your presence, Jinn. Will you come willingly?”
“Of course,” Jinn nodded, “anything. As I said, I’m here to help my friend.”
“Follow me.” She turned her back to him, lifting her hood back to cover her wild hair, and signaled the guards above them to open the gate.
As they crossed underneath the platform, the two fae who had refused his entrance and threatened to end his life, dropped to the ground to walk behind him. Jinn refused to look back at them and give them the satisfaction of feeling like they had made him uncomfortable. Instead, he held his head high and walked forward, keeping Praia in his mind.
As Jinn was marched down the long stretch of road that led to the heart of Alune, the fae land, he couldn’t help but think about how Ardyn described his return home. He’d been put on display for the world to see and judged every step of the way. The hooded girl led Jinn to a statue of a winged woman that sat two miles from the gate. Once there, she touched the hand of the woman and her mouth opened and a ray of moonlight shone from within. The girl smiled at Jinn, stepped into the light, and vanished. He gasped as her form was swallowed by the light. The oversized man behind him pushed him forward, ordering him to follow suit. Taking a subtle breath, as not to show his reluctance, he stepped into the light.
When his foot passed through the barrier, he was transported through the tingling sensation of a thousand pins prickling his every atom, to the vibrant city of Alune. Sitting on what was once Alaska, the city was cloaked with the magic of the fae; no outsider had ever seen its beauty, even those who flew overhead. The dragons often reported seeing nothing but snowy grounds beneath them whenever they would pass the land of the fae. Their home was a mystical concoction birthed from magic and technology. Jinn took in the familiarity of the fae home which reminded him of the time before the wars. Vehicles rode around the city streets, buildings crafted of natural sources and made to look like the structures he remembered. Skyscrapers reached to the sky and held windows filled with light.
Fae territory was much like fairy, in the way that they allowed the land to do as it would. Their structures were made in rhythm with the natural growth of the planet. The earth was not excavated so that they could build, but the buildings were built in a way that allowed the earth to continue to grow and prosper. The only difference was that in Alaska, where the temperatures were much lower, the scenery was ice covered. The city’s inhabitants were dressed in layers, much like the scarred woman who led him. Jinn wished for warmer attire, but instead shivered as the temperature continued to drop. He knew that any display of his power, no matter if it were just to try to prevent himself from losing his fingers to frostbite, would be seen as a threat.
The fae were preparing for their winter solstice—the time with over two months of darkness when they would be at their strongest. It was another slip of the tongue from Praia that told him how they made a massive celebration at the start of the longest night. It was her intent to bribe him for another cut of steak before he sent her home.
The exotic floral smells reached him from the women who walked by carrying large baskets of Moon flowers, Japanese Wisteria, Brugmansias, and other flowers that bloomed in the night. They were all magically cured to withstand the frosty temperatures and extend the lifetime of the blooms. From the soft shimmer that covered their petals, he could tell that they would last the entire sixty days. Their fragranced scents filled the air and gave him an odd sense of calm that seemed misplaced for what he was doing.
He ran the coming scenario over in his mind though he had no real way of knowing what was to come. If he were to meet with the king it would likely mean that he’d need to first prove that he wasn’t there to do harm and then convince them that he was the person to help Praia. Considering the way that he was welcomed by the three who escorted him, he didn’t think that would be an easy thing to accomplish. Praia never mentioned much about the king, but he didn’t get the feeling that she was much of a fan of his either.
Looking straight ahead, he could see the palace. Perched once again in the center of their city, just like in Vilar. The structure was made of mirrors that reflected the moon. Although only one moon set in the sky above them, each pane reflected the moon at a different phase. He stared up at the display in awe, never believing he would ever lay eyes on the place. He wanted nothing more than to take it in and appreciate the beauty. As his eyes captured the sight of the building, he missed the approaching fae who quickly wrapped two chains around his wrist.
“What is this?” Jinn calmly looked down at his wrist; he knew exactly what the bindings were. The moment they snapped in place, the could feel the wall form between him and his magic.
“It’s a precautionary measure. The links are spelled to block your use of magic while you’re here. We must take the appropriate measures to protect our king,” the hooded girl explained. “You understand.”
“You’re taking away my magic?” Jinn shot her a questioning look. “How am I to know that you won’t be the ones to try to harm me?”
“We didn’t come knocking at your door, you came to us.” She dropped her hood and pulled the blazes of her hair into a tight bun reminiscent of Briar. A smile lifted at the corner of his lips and she frowned. “We will remove them once you leave our borders.”
“Right.” He nodded because there wasn’t much more he could say on the topic. They already had him bound, and he wouldn’t be able to get them off without their assistance. Again, the convoy moved forward, and he fell in line.
Inside of the capital building, which looked more like a palace than the city tower at Vilar, was decorated with art depicting the phases of the moon. All of the statues and paintings, and every artistic touch was done to give homage to the source of their magic. They walked down a long, winding hallway that ended atop a platform. Once they were all aligned, the hooded girl waved her hand over a panel and the wall-less structure began to rise into the air. Looking out the window nearby that ran the length of the building, he could see the entirety of Alune and all its wonders. Even the pathways surrounding the palace where designed so that from above they looked like the moon phases, and depending on which moon rose to touch the sky at the time, that was the phase that was lit from below.
“This place is magnificent,” Jinn whispered, wishing that Nitara had been there with him to view it. Her love of the moon would have had her head over heels for the place. He would have to find a way to s
how her. Instead of thinking about the moments that passed, bringing him closer to face their kind, he was thinking about how he could pull the image from his mind and restore it as a gift for his love.
“We are here, keep yourself in check. The king is not very welcoming to outsiders. Speak only when spoken to.” The woman who still had not introduced herself shot him a warning look over her shoulder as the platform stopped rising. He nodded as two massively ornate doors trembled in front of them then vanished from sight, an optical illusion.
They continued moving, the abrasive guard giving Jinn an unnecessary nudge forward. He kept his mouth shut, holding in any commentary because he knew the oversized brat would have never tried that stunt had he not been cut off from his powers. Not only that but it was obvious that the fae he was dealing with was one who would use any excuse to kick off a fight. Jinn would give him no such ammo.
“Jinn, I would say it is good to finally meet the man who has our Praia sneaking away from home, but with current circumstances that would be a lie.” The king, an underwhelming presence, mounted himself at the head of his court. The man looked tired even from the distance, his heavy attire of a massive robe and gaudy jewelry weighed on a frail frame. He was the first of the fae that Jinn witnessed whose features looked almost elfish. His ears were elongated, his eyes wide and curious. Jinn was shocked that the man hadn’t worn a crown on his head. He realized then that the fae king was missing in action at the summit with the other leaders; he would have remembered the sickly-looking thing. It was a wonder no one brought up his absence. However, with the world enthralled with greater matters, a missing Fae king seemed a minor thing.
The hall Jinn had been ushered to was one designed for witnessing. Lined with empty chairs, it seemed the king had decided instead to have a private meeting with their guest. Jinn wondered to himself if that was a good thing. Usually something like having a djinn powerless would have proved something one would want to brag about and show off to the world, and yet while they were in the perfect arena for it, they were alone.