Rosie

by Jessica Cage

  “I’m sorry about what has happened to Praia, I never wanted any harm to come to her. I tried to get her to stay out of things, but—” Jinn began, but the stare he got from his female escort told him to stop. It seemed she was more concerned than the king was as the weak looking man kept the conversation going.

  “Yes, she is a stubborn one, we all know this. It’s the only reason you are allowed here now. I need to know what you know.” The king stood from his seat and sighed as the weight of his robe pulled down on his shoulders. “How do you intend to fix what has been done to her?”

  Jinn looked at the woman for confirmation that he could speak.

  “Never mind her,” the king spoke, and waved his hand, disregarding Jinn’s concern. “She is a bit of a prude sometimes though I love her valor. Do go on.”

  “I noticed you were not present at the summit meeting,” Jinn remarked, not answering the king’s question.

  “And you were?” He raised a brow. “Since when do the djinn have a representative in the world orders?”

  “Yes, we were there, but not by invitation,” Jinn smirked. “We crashed it, in plain terms.”

  “And what came of your crashing?” The king seemed almost thrilled about it. “Do tell me how Mino responded!”

  “I imagine everyone reacted just as you would think. Panic, escape, anger, the full wrap. I mention it because of the topic that was at hand, and how it relates to my being here. The one responsible for Praia’s current condition, and the condition of others like her, is a powerful and dark warlock named Daegal …” The two sharp intakes of breaths from the guards behind him drew Jinn’s attention in their direction. He glanced over his shoulder at the massive fae who appeared to be a tad less full of himself. Jinn took a deep breath, pulling in the smell—fear. “I take it you’re no stranger to him.”

  “We know of him and his doings, yes. It was our understanding, from reports, that you and your friends removed this problem from the world.” The king scoffed. “I take it you were not as successful as reported.”

  “We did as was reported to you and the rest of the world, but it would seem Daegal had a few disciples here, working to not only avenge his death, but to try to bring him back.” Jinn ran a hand through his hair. “He put a contingency plan in place should he fail at the Cascades. If only we’d known about that before, we could have possibly avoided all of this.”

  “Bring him back, as in raise the dead?” the scarred woman asked. “Are you serious? Can they do that?”

  “According to them, he never died, not fully, and they had a short window of time to enact the spell that would bring him from in between the worlds. That spell was started, we thought we ended it, but it seemed we only interrupted or prolonged its effects. It is still in fact working. Praia is connected to the spell which is why she is ill now.”

  “And how do you intend to fix this?” the king asked.

  “During the summit, we convinced the leaders of the Collective to help us, they are the only ones who have a shot of counteracting his magic. They are working on the spell now. We have to get everyone who was originally at the peak when it happened, back there, in just over two days.”

  “Meaning you want to take our Praia to this place?” The weary eyes rested on Jinn.

  “Yes,” Jinn answered, and waited with baited breath as the king chewed on the thought.

  “Fine, but you will stay here until then.” He moved closer to Jinn, and when he did, the guards tightened their positioning. “There is more that I need to know from you.”

  “My friends need me—”

  “They will have to figure things out without you.” The king laid his hand on Jinn’s shoulder. “Until the time of the spell, you will be here to assist me. Is that clear?”

  “Yes.” Jinn paused. “Assist you in what exactly?”

  “Oh, we’ll discuss that in due time.”

  “Right,” Jinn sighed as he looked down at his wrists which were still bound by the linked bracelets. “Whatever it takes, Your Highness.”

  “Oh, no, that is not necessary. You’ll have to excuse me for not introducing myself formally. My name is Cornell, you may address me as such for the duration of your stay. All of that ‘your highness’ became tiring many years ago.” Cornell spoke in a voice that conflicted with his physical presence, perky and energetic. “Very well, we will take you to Praia now.”

  Of course, the king was suddenly peppy. He had a djinn under his control.

  1

  They came to a dark doorway that opened to a set of winding stairs leading down into the natural caverns the palace was built on top of. Unlike the rest of the structure, the underground was left unpolished. It smelled of earth, and there was so much moisture in the air that Jinn’s skin became damp the moment they began to descend the steps. Candles lit their way as they continued from the steps down a narrow hall to finally come to a room where the fae healers worked calmly.

  In the center of the room was a small pool that glowed as if under a spotlight though there was no lighting but the candles. In the pool, a small frame floated, wrapped in milky white bandages from head to toe. Small women draped in blue robes worked around the pool, dipping things into it, stirring the water, and every now and again, humming a little song that echoed through the cavern.

  Jinn watched as a wave of water wrapped around her for a moment then released her again. “What is this?”

  “It’s a moonpool,” Cornell responded. “It holds the light of the moon. It’s a direct connection to our power source. Right now,” he pointed to the body in the water, “this is the only thing keeping her stable. The magic there is the most potent our people have access to.”

  At that moment, the ethereal being lifted from Praia’s still body and moved in a flowing dance above her. It glowed with strength and beauty, becoming brighter as it moved. Then, as magically as it appeared, it returned to her body. Jinn gasped at the sight. “How is this good for her? Her spirit just left her body. Is she dying?”

  “No, she is not. She is communing with the mother. The best thing for her now is to be as close to our ancestors as possible. This is where she must stay until it is time to join your friends,” Cornell explained. “Allowing her spirit to leave the body is allowing it to heal and strengthen. I know it looks alarming, but trust me, it is a good thing that’s happening here.”

  “What do you need from me?” Jinn turned to the king. “You said you need my help with something, what is it?”

  Placing his hand on Jinn’s shoulder, Cornell ushered him away from the pool and the others who listened in on their conversation. What he had to say was of a delicate and private nature. “The change of power has come for our people. It is time for me to step down as king and we are preparing for that now. During the winter solstice, my son, Leron, will take his place as our new king.” He glanced back at the still body wrapped by the water of the moonpool. “Praia was to be his queen.”

  “And she doesn’t want to be,” Jinn looked the king in the eye knowing full well what he wanted in return for his hospitality. It wasn’t difficult to understand. Praia never conformed. She never accepted the path that was laid out for her. She’d also never mentioned the coming change of her status among her people. A fair indication that she was not thrilled about it or looking forward to it.

  “Yes, you know her well.” Cornell smiled but there was sadness behind the expression. “Praia formally announced that she had chosen not to take her place by Leron’s side when she returned from the shifters land, and my son was, of course, devastated.” He lowered his voice further. “No one knows outside of us.”

  “What do you think I can do about that?” Jinn laughed, hoping like hell that the fae king wasn’t thinking of asking him to cast a love spell. Those never worked out well. “Something tells me you know that woman just as well as I do.”

  “When you’ve healed her, before she returns home,” Cornell looked back at Praia and then to Jinn, “I just ask that you try
to convince her to change her mind.”

  “I don’t think that’s possible. Even if she wasn’t a woman, capable of making her own decisions and set in her ways, she loves someone else.” He thought of the man who’d nearly gotten their entire team killed when they were trying to rescue the fae. He wondered how Jax was keeping him under control knowing that he wouldn’t be allowed into the fae city. “Praia doesn’t take me as the person to throw away something like that.”

  “The dragon,” the king snorted. “It’s a ridiculous claim. How could she love one of those things over her own people?”

  “Yes, the dragon, the one who, no offense, unlike your son, actually risked his life to save her.” Jinn shook his head, annoyed at the judgement the king placed on the man he didn’t know. “I can talk to her about duties to her people and whatnot, but it will fall on deaf ears. As you said, you know this woman. So that means you know that Praia is loyal to those who are loyal to her. You all just left her hanging out there in the wind. When she went missing, you turned your backs, and instead of searching for her, or fighting to bring her home, you mourned the loss of her. Perhaps she feels that your son, who also remained in the safety of your home and mourned, doesn’t deserve to expect her to honor any oath or promise she made to him.”

  The king stared at him with wide eyes of disbelief that he would dare talk to him that way, but then settled into the truth he spoke.

  “All I ask is that you try,” Cornell sighed. “I have run out of ideas here and time is no longer on my side.”

  “I will speak to her, but I offer you no promises of her decision. I will not try to sway her in any way.” Jinn didn’t believe that the fae deserved Praia, and they definitely didn’t deserve the right to expect anything from her after they left her to die.

  “That is fair.” He paused and looked over his shoulder at the girl. “Do you think you can save her, really?”

  “I believe we can if we work quickly.”

  “What will you need from us?” the king asked.

  “She will need an anchor, the closest person to her. I’m assuming that would be your son?”

  “No, actually.” He nodded to the girl with the scar over her face. She stood by the pool staring down at Praia’s still form. “That would be Laurel. Those two have been inseparable since they were little girls. When Praia wasn’t sneaking away to be with you, she was hidden in one of the many repositories with Laurel right by her side.”

  “Do you mind if I speak to her?” Jinn was happy to put a name to the face that scolded him so much.

  “Not at all, whatever you need.” He laughed shortly. “She isn’t the easiest to get along with. Not sure how Praia ever managed it.”

  “Yeah, I get that, thank you.” Jinn bowed as a show of respect for the king who left his side.

  Jinn watched the healers work with Praia until the king and his guards were out of ear shot.

  “Laurel?” He approached the woman who shot him a look of indifference.

  “It seems you’ve learned my name, great.” She rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

  “The king tells me that you are very close with Praia.”

  “I am.” Her eyes dropped to her friend, revealing how hard this was for her.

  “I would like to learn a bit about your relationship.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t already know all about it.” Laurel snapped her focus back to him. “She was always running off to see you. I had to cover for her for so long. Eventually, the secret got out, and … well, everyone loves Praia so they all just pretended not to know.”

  “Well, Praia was always very secretive about her life here, and I respected that, so I didn’t pry.” Jinn had wanted to ask more about her home, he was intrigued by the secrecy just as much as anyone else would have been, but he would have been a hypocrite to refuse her the very thing he coveted. Just as he allowed her the secrets of her home, she allowed him the secrets of his past.

  “You’ve decided to take on a new leaf it seems,” Laurel spoke. “No problem with prying now?”

  “Circumstances call for me to break standard protocol,” he chuckled. “As soon as she is back on her feet, I will go back to minding my own damned business.”

  “I suppose it does,” she sighed. “Why couldn’t she just stay still? Why did she have to go out there and have an adventure? That’s what she always said, she loved going out there with you because it made her feel like she was a part of something bigger, more important.” Laurel touched the surface of the water, and the ripple that spread from her fingertip moved the fabric wrapped around her friend. “Well, tell me, what do you need from me? I want my friend back. She has to make it through this.”

  “We can start by you telling me as much as you can about her, anything that will help.” Jinn wanted to touch the water in the moonpool but decided that wasn’t the best idea, especially with the robed healers who kept a close watch on him. “As much as I love this girl, there is a lot that I don’t understand about her. Her life here is a mystery. And I know she was working on something, I’m just not sure how far she got with that.”

  “Look, I know what the king asked you, to convince her to marry the prince. She doesn’t want that. She never did. She loves Rick, the dragon. Since she’s been back, he’s all she talks about.” Laurel laughed at a memory she wouldn’t share with him. “I wish I could tell you there was a chance in hell that she would want the prince but there isn’t.”

  “I’m not really concerned with any of that. I only care about saving her life.” As Jinn promised Cornell, he would talk to Praia but he wouldn’t try to push her to change any decisions she’d already made. “The king said you were often with her when she did her research. Is there anything at all, something she was working on that might help us in this? Did she speak to you about it?”

  “Actually, I think there might be, but we’ll have to discuss that at a later time.” She nodded over her shoulder to the healer who pretended not to be listening, but clearly was. Jinn winked and sighed. If he had his magic, he could take away the woman’s hearing with a snap of his fingers, but he’d have to wait it out, like every other regular person.

  “How is he doing?” Zaria appeared back in the grand hall where the summit took place. The room was now completely abandoned aside for Ardyn who remained by his father’s side. With her arrival, he stood from the small chair next to the bed he’d conjured for Kamshi’s comfort.

  “Stable, at least. There isn’t really much more that I can do except wait until we get word from the witches.” He pressed his fingers against his eyes and took a deep breath; the lack of sleep was beginning to weigh on him. “How long has it been?”

  “Not long, but that is what I’m here to tell you. We have received their instructions and will continue with the preparations for the spell.” She stepped closer to Kamshi and examined him. “He is still stable. You should really try to get some rest while you’re here. You won’t be any good to us if you can’t stay on your feet.”

  “That’s good news.” Ardyn nodded. “I would like to get this over with soon, and I know I should rest but it’s hard to do that right now. There is so much at stake.”

  “Yeah, I know. This is spreading a lot farther than I think we imagined it would. Jinn went to Alune. Praia is ill, and the moment she dropped they put up their defenses. There is no telling what hell they are going to subject him to. But whatever it is, he better suck it up and pull through. If we don’t get Praia there, this will all be for nothing. We’ll need to have her there when the spell is worked. I just hope he doesn’t piss anyone off too bad. They aren’t the friendliest, or the most welcoming of outsiders. Nitara and I are headed to the Peaks now to get things in order.”

  “What about the others?” Ardyn absorbed the information she provided. “Why aren’t they helping you?”

  “Bruto left, he needed some time alone, Genesis is staying with Rosie. She responded to him even though she hadn’t with Bruto.”

/>   “Damn.”

  “Yeah. Hence, his need to leave. Being there was killing him, but he promised he would be at the Peaks when it is time.” She waved her hand over Kamshi, reinforcing the magic she’d put in place.

  “I should be out there with you, not here.” Once again, Ardyn was letting his guilt eat him up.

  “You’re exactly where you need to be. We can handle this. Like I said, the person with the biggest issues is Jinn. We haven’t heard from him since he left.”

  “Especially after everything that happened in Reverie.” Ardyn sat back down. “The fae have been on edge since the world found out Cassandra had fae in her pocket. Hell, if there wasn’t such a big threat to balance, I’m sure that making them answer for it would be a primary focus.”

  “On top of that, I’m sure they blame Jinn for what is happening to Praia now.” Zaria rolled her eyes. “As if the fae girl doesn’t have a mind of her own.”

  “That isn’t entirely fair.” He dropped back into the chair, exhaustion taking its toll.

  “Life never is.” She left Kamshi’s side to sit on Ardn’s lap and nuzzled herself into him.

  “I miss you,” he whispered in her ear.

  “It hasn’t been that long,” she teased, but inside her phoenix was rejoicing.

  “I mean I miss this, this closeness with you, just holding you in my arms. I feel complete when you’re with me.” He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I can’t recall how I ever existed before you.”

  “I know the feeling. Soon, this will be over, and we can be together, at peace.” Smiling, she ran her fingers through his silken hair.

  “I wonder how many times Jinn and Nitara have said that to each other,” he grunted.

  “Yeah, you’re right. We better enjoy these little moments while we can!” she laughed. “The world will be falling apart again soon enough, and we’ll be running to pick up the pieces.”