by Kailin Gow
“But I’m worried about him. If the Catchers have him…what would they do to him? He’s a Prince, like you, and a close friend of General Adon, their biggest enemy.”
“Don’t worry,” Rodin said. “I know your thoughts must be with Torrid, but he’ll be fine. I’m certain of that.”
“Thanks for the reassuring words, but I’ll only feel better when I can actually see him with my own eyes; touch him with my fingers.” My voice was husky with emotion as I thought about how much I longed to touch him again.
“You must care for him very much,” Rodin said with a touch of envy. His eyes darkened a little, revealing his desire for me.
“He’s come to mean a lot to me,” I admitted.
“I’m glad,” Rodin said. “That you can have so much love and passion for more than one man. Liam and even Torrid. You are quite a woman, you know, and it is no wonder men fall over themselves for you.”
“I bet all the women in your kingdom fall over themselves for you and your brother.”
“Me because I will be King one day, perhaps,” Rodin said shyly. “But Torrid because he had always ooze charm…the very definition of the charming prince.”
I laughed, remembering how Torrid immediately captured my heart. Even Sarah was hot for him when she first laid eyes on him. “Torrid does have his charm.”
“One time,” Rodin went on, “when he was nine, he decided to play hide and seek with my parents’ crowns… right before an important royal ceremony. My parents were incensed by the missing crowns and the entire household staff was put in search of them. They searched every room, every cupboard, every drawer and every box. Only after the ceremony, however, did they find the two crowns; one in my bedroom closet in a box that otherwise housed a play warrior helmet, and the other in the kitchen pantry.” He chuckled with wry amusement. “Can you imagine? A crown glistening with the finest jewels amidst bags of flour, wheels of cheese and jars of pickles?”
“I imagine your parents weren’t too happy about that,” I said, imagining a naughty young Torrid.
“Not at all. And guess who paid the price.” With mock anger he pointed to his chest. “Older brother and heir to the throne Rodin.”
“Were you punished?” I said, holding back an amused snort.
“Of course. My parents couldn’t let a thing like that go by unpunished. I was banned from the next three royal ceremonies, the thought being I needed to find greater respect for these occasions.”
“How horrible for you,” I said, aghast at the punishment he had to endure for Torrid’s naughty deeds.
But Rodin’s mischievous grin told me there was more.
“Actually, those royal ceremonies were a real bore. I mean, they’d go on and on. A lot of formalities. A lot of small talk. A lot of kissing up to people I didn’t even know. Think about it; I was, what, fourteen? I had better things to do with my time than chat up a bunch of blue-haired bores.”
“What an awful thing to say,” I said with an understanding chuckle.
“Well, I’ve grown out of that disdain for idle chatter and endless formalities, and have come to be quite a distinguished prince when it comes to royal ceremonies.”
“And has Torrid grown to be more respectful of them?”
“Hardly.”
Though I managed to smile at him, the longing to see Torrid increased, almost to the point of incapacitating me. I sat on a small wooden chair set up before the larger of the tents and stared down at my feet. The blood that had trickled from the bite wound on my ankle was dried and caked on my sock, but I didn’t feel an ounce of that pain. All I felt was the emptiness in my heart.
Rodin grunted and came to face me, taking my hands in his. His touch was firm, yet gentle. “I’m sorry. Please forgive my nonsensical ramblings. Here I am going on and on about my childhood with Torrid while you're obviously aching, both physically and emotionally.”
“Don’t apologize, Rodin. I enjoyed your story very much. To tell you the truth, with or without that story, I miss Torrid.”
“And your ankle. I’ll go get a Healer.”
“I’m fine, really Rodin. The bleeding has stopped, and I feel no pain.”
“You don’t understand. You're part djinn. You need to see a Healer. You’ve been locked up in that place for too long and probably haven’t had anything decent to eat. You have to get better before we set out to find Torrid.”
“So we are going to get Torrid back,” I said, filled with sudden hope.
“Yes, but you need to see a djinn healer now to get better in minutes. I need you to be in top shape for what we’re about to do.” He raised his hand to cup my cheeks, and before I knew it, he kissed me on the lips. A light soft kiss that sent tingles through me. “I know how you want to run off to save Torrid right away, because that’s how you are, Kama. Willing to sacrifice yourself without hesitation for your friends and family, which is admirable, and why I can’t help falling for you, but you need to get well before you can save anyone else. Please?” He smiled at me with such charm that I couldn’t help smiling back and agreeing to him.
I blushed as I asked, “You really do like me?”
He leaned in to whisper into my ears, a warm breath that made me feel so safe. “Yeah, I do…maybe a lot more than just like. But since I’ve met you, you’ve become the person who has occupied my mind the most.”
Chapter 3
Prodding and probing, the healer checked for broken bones, abrasions and any hidden lacerations. He was thorough, almost too thorough. After placing his hands over the area where the feral dog bit me and using magic to heal the wound, washing out any infections from the bite, he gave me a canister filled with refreshing water.
“I’m impressed,” the djinn healer said. “Most humans show more fragility than this. Despite what you’ve been through, you're remarkably healthy and well…a bit dehydrated, but other than that, you will be fine in no time.”
“I told you she was part djinn,” Rodin said beside me, looking at me with pride and adoration. “Our Kama is very special.”
“Yes, yes,” he said, almost absentmindedly. “So you say.” He peered into my ears. “But her sturdy build, though one wouldn’t guess it by looking at her delicate features, are not simply explained by the fact that she’s part djinn.”
Rodin grinned at me. “Yes, well I guess she is a rather special specimen.” Again, he appraised me with his eyes, which made me warm all over.
“Indeed.” He stepped back and looked at me. “All you need, young lady, is to drink up your canister of water and a hearty meal and you're good to go.”
“That’s good to hear,” I said, flattered by his assessment of my health, but feeling more tired than he seemed to think I should.
“Well, my work here is done,” he said as he collected his odd assortment of devices and tools and packed them away in a multicolored cloth bag. “Should you require my services again, my young lady, it would be my pleasure.” He turned to Rodin and nodded before leaving us.
“Somehow I don’t feel as impressive as he seemed to think. In fact, I feel rather overwhelmed.”
“Not that I doubt you're healthy and strong, but I think he was more taken in by your beauty than anything else.”
I felt a rush of heated blood come to my cheeks. “Well, that’s very sweet, but I hardly think a doctor would be so taken in.” I snorted and made a face. “Puh-leeze!”
Rodin lips curled up in amusement. “You’d be surprise.” His eyes roved over me as he said, “A man’s a man, no matter what he does for his profession. I may be a crowned prince, held to such high standards, but when it comes to love, I’m a servant at its mercy just like any hot-blooded man.” He bent down to kiss me.
A djinn entered the tent and set a lunch tray nearby. After thanking him, Rodin brought the tray to me.
I finished my canister and grabbed a big glass of water and gulped down half of it, then stood. “We have to hurry if we’re going to find Torrid.”
“E
at first,” he ordered.
“And I think the best way to find Torrid is to find Liam first.”
He pushed the lunch plate toward me and was about to insist I eat, but his eyes darkened. He pursed his lips as though he’d eaten too many lemons while his fingers lingered over the edge of the plate. “Liam,” he echoed. “That’s the little human being you had a relationship with before Torrid, right?” I was surprised by the jealous expression on his face.
I resisted the urge to glare at him and simply gazed at him calmly and with as much maturity as my eighteen year old self could. “Liam is not ‘a little human being.’ He’s a lifelong friend who has always been there for me. And, yes, I have a romantic relationship with him. Is that a problem?”
“I apologize. I didn’t mean to sound judgmental. From what I’ve learned, Liam is related to the man who is behind all this.”
“And would you condemn him for that.”
He straightened his shoulders and seemed at a loss for words a long moment. Shifting back and forth, then from one foot to the other, he parted his lips to speak, then clammed shut, opting to remain silent. “Okay,” he finally blurted out. “Let’s start over. So you want to find Liam in order to find Torrid. Fine. Eat and we’ll go looking for Liam.”
I laughed, charmed and amused by his awkward moment despite being a powerful prince and djinn. “Look, Liam is Pim Seer’s son and, yes, Pim Seer is the governor of Arcadia and, I guess, to a certain degree responsible for what’s happening, but Liam isn’t a part of it. He’s innocent in all this and deserves my help.”
“So it’s not just a matter of getting him to help you find Torrid. You want to find him… period.”
“I want to find and help as many people as I can, and, yes, Torrid and Liam are at the top of my list. Now, are you with me or are you just going to keep arguing the point?” I crossed my arms in front of me and turned away from Rodin. He was reminding too much of Torrid…the way he looked, the way he frustrated me when it came to Liam. Heavens, I missed Torrid or was I finding Rodin extremely attractive?
“I reserve the right to form an opinion of this little human… hmmm, sorry, this fine young man you know so well, but if he’s going to help you find Torrid, then I’m with you. I want to find him before anything…”
He stopped himself and I felt my heart jump to my throat. “What?”
“Don’t listen to me. That’s just the normal fears of an older brother. I know Torrid is more than capable, but I still can’t help being a big brother.”
“Right,” I said, unconvinced. “I know. Torrid is smart. That’s why my father sent him to be with me,” I muttered in a robotic and automatic tone.
“Don’t let this psych you out. What do we have to do to find this Liam person? How much back up do you want? A few soldiers? A small battalion? A whole army?”
“No. None of that. I know Arcadia better than any of your soldiers, and I think I know where we can find Liam.”
“Just me and you… and this human.”
“If you're too chicken to come, you could stay here and wait,” I said with open hostility. Though I felt such a passionate love for Torrid, I still felt an unbelievable love, affection and devotion to Liam whom I had desperately wanted to marry before when my Life’s Plan went awry. I definitely felt protective of him. A friendship we had and a close romantic one where he knew me so well for years is hard to leave behind. “I mean, if you're afraid to face a little human being all by yourself.”
Rodin laughed. “You sure have a way with words. By the way, my fear is not for myself but for you.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s just hightail it out of here and find Liam.”
“Your faith in this human is that strong?”
Putting aside the playful or not so playful banter, I turned to him and looked him square in the eye. “Yes, Rodin, honestly and truly, I have that much faith in Liam. I would put my life in his hands in a heartbeat.”
Our eyes remained locked for a long moment, mine with certainty and conviction, and his with lifelong suspicion and distrust of humans.
“Not all humans are like Pim Seer, Rodin. I know that may be hard to believe, but most humans are pretty decent. A little misguided sometimes, but still decent.”
“I understand, but this is the son of the man who created all this…”
“And Liam was devastated when he learned of that. The moment he comes into power he wants to change so many things. He’s dead set against much of what his father brought to Arcadia.”
“I hope you're right,” he said after a long silence. “When everything finally settles down, Arcadia is going to need a strong leader who has the good of the people at heart. As Crowned Prince of all djinns, I’m expected to mend relations between humans and djinns. That task would be far simpler if I could find several humans I could trust.”
“And Liam is that person you could trust. He’s an honorable man and he’ll make a strong leader. I know it must be hard for you to trust, but, please, trust me, follow me, and you’ll see for yourself the kind of man Liam is.”
A hopeful glimmer came to his eyes as he nodded and I couldn’t resist hugging him. “Everything will be all right,” I said, amused by the shift. I was now the one reassuring him. “Someday everything truly will be perfect… for humans and djinns.”
He tightened his arms around me and pulled me close to him so we were face to face. “I hope so,” he said, bending down to kiss my nose and then the top of my head. “If every human or human/djinn were like you, everything would be perfect, Kama.”
It felt so good having his arms wrapped around me. It felt right being in his arms right at this moment that when I looked up into his eyes, I could see his growing feelings for me. His concerns, his worries. “I don’t know why, Rodin,” I said, “But with you…”
His lips were on mine then, at first hesitating, but then he took hold of me. Took control as his kiss deepened, sending my head spinning as I opened my mouth more for him, wanting more. “Kama,” he whispered against my mouth. “Oh beautiful and brave Kama. How I wish you were mine. How I wished I was the one to have been sent to find you first, instead of Torrid. I was supposed to be the one to find you, not Torrid. But as General Adon’s second, I could not go. Torrid went in my place instead.”
“Is that why I’m feeling something for you, too?” I asked. “Was it destiny for you to have been the djinn I was supposed to have met and loved first, instead of Torrid?”
Rodin’s face broke into a wide grin. “You feel something for me, Kama?”
I shook my head, wanting to clear it. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I can’t help my attraction to you. I can’t help feeling as though we have a connection…one that is like my…”
“Destiny,” Rodin said.
“Yes,” I sighed, putting my head on his chest. “I feel as though I’ve known you before…that we’ve been longtime friends and lovers…”
Rodin smiled and said, “I too had that sensation when I first saw you. Although you have two men already in your life, I feel as though I had to let you know how I felt. That it was destiny. A djinn’s destiny.”
“Perhaps it was something in our past,” I said. “But whatever it is, whenever you touch me, hold me, and kiss me; it felt like it was meant to be. I wouldn’t have jumped so quickly with you into bed if I didn’t have such an overwhelming connection with you, Rodin. Believe me. I’ thought I was only meant to be with one man…Liam, but now I’m beginning to think I was destined for more than that.”
Rodin said, “Sometimes the magic in us do work in mysterious wonders. Ours is as ancient as time itself. It is said that all djinns’ magic come from one original source…that whenever we use magic, it is intertwined. My destiny was to find you, bring you back into the djinn’s world, to reconnect you with your heritage. The General has always been close to the Royal Family. Before General Adon met your mother, it had always been assumed his children would be close to
the Royal Family’s children. Even marry. Perhaps this is how our magic connects us. Perhaps despite my brother going in my stead to reach you and teach you about your djinn heritage, we were still destined to be together. As it is now my destiny and your father’s command to be by your side, to protect you, and be your champion. What do you desire?”
Everything my father said back at the Coliseum made more sense now. With such a strong bond between my father and the royal family, it was foreseeable it would be the crowned prince that General Adon’s daughter would marry. But what if it was both the princes?
I reached out to take his hand and saw the surprised arch of his brow. “Come on, Champion! I desire to get Torrid back safe.” I led him outside the tent and headed to the edge of the park that now served as a djinn encampment. On the street I looked for a car. “If we can find a car, we’ll make it to the other side of town in about fifteen minutes. Beats walking there.”
“Or we can fly and be there in five minutes. Beats driving.”
I shot him a dubious glance.
“Well, if you don’t trust me enough to fly with me, maybe you can fly there yourself. Has Torrid taught you yet?”
“Fly? Me? No, he didn’t teach me that. I didn’t even know it was a possibility.”
“It certainly is. All djinns can fly, though some better than others. Most soar effortlessly, control dips and banks with ease, while a few kind of struggle to maintain control. And then there’s the young blood who think they know everything so they fly in a haphazard way, flying into walls, trees, or each other.”