Burning Hearts

by Melanie Matthews

  She opened her mouth, desiring to give her condolences for such an outrageous act, but was silenced by the continuation of his story that he resumed after a short pause.

  “My mother was human, named Antonia King. She and my father fell in love while she was in Cairo, studying Egyptology at the university there. Not long after their...copulation, my father died.”

  “Was it a Mage? Like me?”

  “I don’t know. My mother, pregnant with me, fled to England where she had some friends. I was raised there—that’s why you heard a bit of the accent—until the age of twelve, when she died”—he’d been smiling, but now it was fading—“from cancer.” He paused, swallowing a lump of sorrow. Jenna kissed his cheek in comfort. He gave her a little smile of appreciation and continued, “I was alone and scared until a Jinniyah found me. She took me back to Egypt to live with her kin and that’s where I stayed until a few months ago.”

  “This…Jinniyah…is she still in Egypt? Was she like a mom to you?” Jenna shook her head. “Do demons even care?”

  He hesitated before replying as if he were considering how best to answer her questions. “As for the Jinniyah, yes, she’s still in Egypt. No, she wasn’t like a mom to me, more of a…companion…especially when I reached my teens. Demons are selfish creatures. Their idea of care is…twisted. They get jealous easily. They have no concept of forgiveness. In the end, they’re about as loving as a sandstorm.”

  She smiled. “But not you. You’re one of the most loving people I’ve ever known.” She chuckled. “You’re nicer than most humans.”

  They’d arrived at their first class. Malcolm didn’t smile back at Jenna’s praise, only squeezing her hand as if in warning. “But there’s still Jinni blood flowing through my veins. My humanity, my desire to love, suppresses my demonic tendencies. But Jenna, it’s still there. I was born this way, and if I allow my evil side to rise, I’ll become a monster. And then…you’ll have to kill me.”

  “No,” she countered. “If you were around those Jinn in Egypt, and you didn’t turn bad, you’re not gonna in Oasis.” She smiled. “We may not have the nicest people, but they’re not demons.” She gently squeezed his hand. “I trust you.”

  He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “And every day, I’ll act to ensure your trust in me.”

  When he opened the door, there was a loud groan from several students as they faced Mrs. Quinn, standing at the front of the class.

  “Yes,” she told the groaners; two of them were Daniela and Emma—who should be grateful they’re alive—and not buried in the ground from last night’s game. “There will be a test next week. At school, you take tests,” she added sarcastically.

  Jenna smiled at Malcolm. “Tell me why you’re enrolled in high school? If I was you, I’d be in Vegas, persuading the Blackjack dealer that you do in fact have 21.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve always wanted to go to an American high school. Movies made it seem fun.”

  “You’ve been watching the wrong movies.”

  When Jenna walked in holding Malcolm’s hand, everyone stared as usual. Kylie smiled, but moved to another seat, leaving the table they’ve always shared since becoming friends.

  “Where are you going?” Jenna asked her.

  “Well, I thought you’d wanna sit with your boyfriend.”

  “No, let’s still sit together. I don’t wanna change that. Malcolm can sit in his regular seat.” She turned to him, all gorgeous and otherworldly. “Is that all right?”

  He smiled. “No problem. I don’t want you to change your life for me.”

  He sat at his usual table and opened his chemistry textbook to the page indicated on the board. Jenna and Kylie sat at their table across from him.

  Kylie leaned into Jenna, whispering, “You have the best boyfriend.”

  Jenna grinned like an idiot. “I know.”

  “Too bad…you know…”

  Jenna sighed. “Well, yeah, there’s that. I’m sure my grandpa’s rolling in his grave, knowing I’m dating a guy who’s part demon, considering I’m supposed to kill ‘im and all.” She shrugged. “But he’s not evil. Even when he knows people talk about him, saying how he’s a terrorist, he just shrugs it off. Turns the other cheek. Sounds more like an angel than a demon to me.”

  Kylie’s face twisted as if she were about to deliver bad news. “Not that I’m criticizing, but it all seems too soon.” Then she shrugged, relaxing. “But I guess y’all don’t have any secrets, right? I mean, you know he’s a Jinni. Does he know about you?”

  “Yeah, and I’m surprised that he’d wanna be with me, love me, considering I’m destined to kill him. Well, just the demonic part of him. He’s half-human. And besides, aren’t there a hundred percent humans out there who do evil things too?”

  Kylie nodded. “Guess you have a point there.” She smiled. “Well, you deserve to be happy, Jen, especially since how you were treated by your last beau.”

  Jenna smiled. “Thanks. I hope…no, wait, I know everything’s gonna be just fine.”

  She turned to Malcolm. He wasn’t looking at her, scanning the periodic table at the back of his textbook. But she noticed that his head was cocked; obviously, he’d been listening in to her and Kylie’s whispers. She was worried that he was upset.

  “Hey,” she called out to him with a smile, gauging his emotions.

  He turned to her. At first, he was like a stone figure, lifeless, and then his mouth spread, lips separating, teeth showing in a wide warm smile. “Hey,” he greeted back.

  She relaxed, feeling better.

  But not for long.

  Without warning, the windows along the other wall of the classroom burst, sending glass shards flying across the room. Everyone started yelling and screaming, running for their lives.

  “EARTHQUAKE!” several yelled.

  “TWISTER!” someone countered as they ran past the open door to the classroom.

  “Jenna, let’s get outta here!” Kylie urged, tugging at her arm.

  But Jenna turned to Malcolm. Before she could even open her mouth, he snarled, “Jinni.”

  She turned back to Kylie. “I have to go after him, stop him.”

  Kylie furrowed her brow. “Stop who?”

  The classroom was deserted. Even Mrs. Quinn had fled, not even seeing if everyone had made it out all right. But it was the perfect opportunity for Jenna to release her dagger from its sheath. The bronze blade glistened like gold. The inscription upon the length of the weapon swirled, coming alive in an ancient summons of her destiny. She’d been keeping it hidden in her pocket, glad that Oasis High didn’t have metal detectors.

  Kylie squealed, scared. “Oh, no! I mean, I know it’s your new job and all, but you could get hurt, die even!”

  “I’ll be with her,” Malcolm assured Kylie. He turned to Jenna. “Remember to wear your amulet. It’ll give you an advantage over him.”

  Jenna nodded. “Right.” She’d been keeping it in her backpack all morning. Wearing a low-cut tee, she’d decided not to display it in open view; her skin show was enough of an attention-grabber. “Well, let’s go hunt a demon.”

  Kylie almost fainted. “Me too?”

  Jenna stifled an eye roll and clasped Kylie’s hand. “No. Go find Pru, Riddick, and Caleb. Make sure they’re safe and stick together! I’ll lead the Jinni away.”

  Kylie was reluctant to move until Jenna pushed her with gentle force out of the classroom amongst the running students and staff in the hall. More windows were being blown out and an eardrum-piercing wind was howling from outside the school.

  She raised her voice. “Why’s everyone acting so crazy?” she asked Malcolm as they remained in the room. “Shouldn’t someone be calm and rational, getting everyone to safety?”

  “It’s the Jinni,” he replied in an equally loud tone. “He’s causing fear, along with the tornadoes.”

  “He’s that powerful?”

  “Yes,” he replied matter-of-factly.

  She grunted. “All ri
ght, let’s see if I’m Mage material.” She went into her backpack, retrieved the amulet, and secured the bronze necklace around her neck. Then she turned to Malcolm. “Can you see me?”

  He narrowed his eyes as if he were trying to focus. “You’re blurry, like you’re fading in and out.” Then he widened his fiery blues back to a relaxed state. “If I was pureblood, you’d be invisible.”

  “Well, thank your lucky stars that you’re not, ’cause I’d have to kill ya.”

  But he didn’t smile at her joke. “Let’s go before he destroys the school.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, no,” she whined sarcastically.

  “This isn’t funny, Jenna. People could die.”

  She sighed. “Yes, yes, I know. All right,” she said, making the “t” hard, expressing her displeasure at Malcolm’s soft scolding—even if he was in the right.

  He said nothing in response to her childish behavior, only flaring his blue eyes at her, in what she hoped was a wordless expression of loving frustration.

  Students and staff were still running around, screaming, but Jenna and Malcolm were able to make it outside to witness absolute destruction. The tornado was gone, but the evidence of its existence still lingered in a long trail of debris, having sucked up and spit out everything in its path. The school’s gymnasium had been torn to shreds with piles of bricks and bleachers scattered throughout the student parking lot.

  “I hope your car is okay.”

  He grunted at her ability to go off track.

  “All right, all right, I’m focused. Jinni. Bad. Kill.”

  There was a shrill laugh in the distance, near the woods around the school. Jenna spied what looked to be an ordinary man, but with fiery eyes, wearing a wicked smile. Quick to switch moods, he then snarled in their direction before taking off down a narrow trail into the heart of the Twisted Trees, as it was affectionately called by the locals for how contorted the limbs were.

  “Why’s he running?” she asked Malcolm.

  “He wants the advantage. A dense wood is exactly his ground for attack. Be careful. Jinn can disappear and reappear at will. Be on your guard. Your amulet will help, but Jinn are very aware of their surroundings and any distortion will alert their senses.”

  “Distortion?”

  “You’re invisible, but not silent. Stepping on a downed branch can give you away, and a Jinni’s hearing is excellent.”

  So Malcolm definitely heard her and Kylie’s conversation from earlier.

  “Oh, yeah.” Her tone was casual. “I think I remember reading that in my grandpa’s journal.” Then she got serious. “Are you okay with me killing one of your own?”

  “Humans allow the killing of other humans in matters of justice. This is no different to me. Besides, I won’t allow him to harm anyone in Oasis. I’ll stop him myself if I have to.”

  There was something in his fiery blue eyes that told Jenna he was deadly serious.

  “How? How would you kill him? I thought only my dagger could do that.”

  “That’s one way, stabbing him in the heart. Another way is more gruesome: you could rip his heart out. But that’s not an immediate kill. He’ll suffer for hours.” He allowed himself to smile. “That’s an option if you want him to suffer.” His smile vanished, all business. “After ripping out his heart, you burn it, along with his body. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.”

  “My parents do that for a living. The fire part. Not the ripping out the heart part,” she clarified unnecessarily. “But they burn deceased people…good people…who wanted it that way instead of burial.” She turned to the Twisted Trees. “I guess I’m just in a different line of work.” She turned back to Malcolm, smiling. “Demon disposal.”

  But he wasn’t smiling. “Be careful in there.”

  She felt like he was abandoning her. “You’re not going in with me?”

  “If I did, I’d be by your side, and to the Jinni, that would give away your position.” He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips, finding her even as she shifted in and out of focus before him. “I have faith in you. You’ll slay and you’ll survive. But hurry before he creates even more havoc and this time, kills someone.”

  Her heart was racing, thumping against her chest, pounding in her ears. She was going to kill someone, but not anyone—a demon. A bad guy. Justified. Right?

  She took a deep breath in, and then out. This was her destiny. Even if it wasn’t, she had to do something to stop the Jinni. She couldn’t allow him to terrorize her town, and she couldn’t allow him to take Malcolm away from her. There was something called Free Will and he exercised it, desiring to flee their evil grasp and be with his true kin—the humans. Yes, Kismet was real. She and Malcolm were destined to be together as she was destined to be a Mage. She could feel the rightness of it in her bones as she clung to her dagger.

  It was eerily quiet as Jenna strode forward to begin the first test of her destiny.

  SCORCHED EARTH

  It was an advantage to have the amulet. Invisibility had always been desired by Jenna, especially when Val broke up with her, beginning his reign of terror with her former friends.

  But she had to remember her footsteps. It was hard. There were downed branches all along a scorched trail into the woods.

  Why was the woods partially burned? Her question was quickly answered when she smelt the smoke, and then felt the heat. She moved in a 360 degree turn to witness the Twisted Trees on fire, crackling and hissing, resonating in undeniable laughter.

  Her dagger was at the ready. She could only assume it was invisible too. Don’t drop it, she told herself. Don’t drop it. She knew what she had to do. She had to plunge the blade into the Jinni’s heart. It seemed simple as she played it out in her head, but when the time came, could she do it? Could she kill? Yes, he was evil, but who was she to exercise justice?

  Her worries of right or wrong melted away as the fire drew closer and closer to her, destroying the trees that’d been there for centuries. It was her duty to stop him. No one else could do it.

  She held her weapon steady, telling herself to imagine plunging an ordinary kitchen knife into a stick of butter. She hoped that the Jinni didn’t have armor; neither Malcolm nor the journal mentioned anything about a thick shell.

  A shrill laugh echoed throughout the woods. The noise came closer, behind her. Another laugh approached her right, followed by one at her left.

  Three. There were three Jinn.

  She held her ground, making sure not to move, not to step on a branch and give away her position. Twisting her neck, she turned her head every which way she could, scanning the woods. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a black fog that disappeared as soon as it’d appeared.

  Moving. The Jinn were moving.

  The flames continued to approach, desiring to lick her skin right off. She was having difficulty breathing. Too bad the amulet didn’t come with a respirator mask.

  There was a sound like a whoosh! and a black fog formed three feet from her before materializing into a Jinni. He was tall, wearing a casual T-shirt and jeans with unkempt shaggy brown hair. To anyone else, he was just another student who didn’t care how he looked. But Jenna knew. She could see his true self; his red eyes were blazing with fury, scanning, trying to locate her. Like Malcolm said, the Jinni could sense a distortion in the environment, but he hadn’t found her…yet.

  The other two Jinn were either hiding or gone. The fire continued to move closer and closer to her. She had to act now.

  One step forward.

  Two steps forward.

  Three steps forward.

  Crack!

  She stepped on an unseen branch. The Jinni sucked in air, widening his fiery eyes, seeking her out. He swiveled here and there before finally coming to a halt as he stared straight into her eyes, the same color green as the tree leaves, quickly burning all around her.

  He let out a loud slow exhale.

  Then his lips formed into a deadly smile. “Mage,” he drawled.


  Well, it was now or never.

  She raised her dagger, eyeing the position of his heart, imagining it to be soft as butter. At the same time, they each lunged; but Jenna struck first, plunging the knife with absolute precision in the middle of his demon heart, right down to the hilt. Before she even pulled the bloody blade out, he screamed in pain; and just like her waking nightmares, the Jinni caught fire, burning from the inside out and disintegrated, settling into a pile of ashes on the ground.

  It was too easy, she thought. Too easy. How could killing someone be so easy? Is there such a thing as a natural born killer?

  A growl was cast behind her, interrupting her inner one-sided conversation about morality. She turned to see another brown-haired Jinni, casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, looking like a normal member of society but with fiery eyes. She didn’t know if he could see her, but he sensed she was nearby.

  And the pile of his friend’s ashes near her feet was probably a dead giveaway.

  As he reached for her, suddenly, she was pushed from behind by the second Jinni. She fell to the ground, smashing her face against the charred dirt. The encompassing wall of fire threatened to consume her, but she remained low, wiping the overcooked soil from her face, as her back ached from the collision of his steel hand.

  Her attacker took a step forward, locking eyes with hers.

  “Show yourself, Mage,” he commanded. “I want to see your face when I choke you to death.” His mouth and tongue moved in a perceptible Arabic accent, similar to the sound of the first one she’d killed; this Jinni’s tone was hard, yet soft in pitch; a confusion of simultaneously-executed opposites.

  The other one, similar in looks and dress, laughed, obviously enjoying himself. She stood up, not bothering to brush the dirt from her jeans; her back was almost healed, but she wasn’t going to strain her muscles with unnecessary grooming. She was flanked on both sides by the Jinn with the raging fire rounding out the rest of the demonic army.

  She could hear the sirens of Fire Rescue in the distance.

  She had to act fast.

  But how was she to take on two demons? And escape before being burned to death?