Burning Hearts

by Melanie Matthews

  He laughed, catching her in a hug, and then brought her gently down with him on the blanket. “Don’t you want to get undressed?” He kissed her lips, urging her to give into his desires. “I’m dying to see you in that bikini.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, playing her own game of persuasion. “Why don’t you strip first?”

  He smiled. “All right.” He stood up before her, and began to quickly take off his white T-shirt until she stopped him.

  “Slowly,” she urged, halting his progress; he let his shirt fall, the bottom hem reaching the top of his thighs. She stretched her legs, crossing them at the ankles, but elevated her upper body with propped arms, tilting her head forward so she could see every bit of the show. “I wanna take this in slowly,” she said with a smile. “You didn’t happen to bring a boom box full of stripper music along in that picnic basket, did you?”

  He smiled. “No, sorry. You’ll have to contend with the twittering birds and splashing fish.”

  “I’ll just run a fast beat in my head while you do your thing.”

  She watched as he slowly pulled off his T-shirt, revealing a muscular chest of smooth caramel skin. Then he kicked off his sneakers and bent down, pulling off his white socks. Finally, he unzipped his blue jeans, taking his time, smiling at Jenna as he lowered his pants to his feet, and set them aside with his other clothes on the blanket.

  She wrinkled her nose, disappointed; the electrified music that she’d been playing in her head ended with a loud pop! of flying sparks.

  “Trunks?”

  She scanned his baggy red swimming shorts that fell to his knees. His legs were muscular and just the right amount of hairy.

  He held out his hands. “What were you expecting?”

  She bit her lip, and then replied, “Something a bit tighter.” She smiled. “Something to hug your curves.”

  He grinned, pointing his chin at her. “Your turn.”

  They switched positions and Malcolm stretched, watching her intently; his blue eyes were ablaze with anticipation.

  She kicked her flip-flops off and slowly, she unbuttoned her jean dress. She held either side of the garment and with dramatic flair, threw it wide apart and off, letting it fall on the grass.

  He wasn’t smiling.

  She held out her hands, wearing a mischievous smile on her face. “What?”

  He shook his head. “That’s not the polka-dot bikini.” He sounded disappointed.

  “I know.” She gestured with both hands at her plain white one piece. “I thought we’d work up to it.”

  He finally smiled. “I was on top of you while you were naked.” He waved at her conservative bathing suit. “I think this is a step back.”

  She wagged her finger. “But you didn’t see anything.”

  “But I felt something,” he said in a deep voice.

  She blushed. “Naughty Jinni.”

  He stood up and went to her, loosening her bun, letting her red hair fall down her back. “So,” he began, holding her in his arms, “does this mean that next time, I’ll see you in that two-piece?” He kissed her lips, enticing her to agree.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling. “Have you ever been skinny-dipping?”

  He grinned. “Ooh, so we’re skipping the two-piece entirely?”

  “Maybe. You’ll have to wait and see. But only if you’re on your best behavior.”

  “That’s difficult when I’m around you.” He held her close, kissing her passionately. After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled his lips from hers and asked, “Where’s the sunscreen?” Then he winked. “It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”

  She slapped her forehead. “I forgot!” Then she shook her head. “I brought a knife to slay demons and a necklace that helps me hide from them, but I left behind the one thing to protect me from the big bad sun.”

  “It’s okay.” He winked again. “Next time.” Then he went back to kissing her as he held onto her hips, massaging her curves with his talented fingers, making her legs feel like jelly.

  Their romantic moment abruptly ended when her stomach growled like a ravenous bear. “Oh!” She turned away from his face, embarrassed.

  He chuckled, giving her a hug. “Don’t worry. Sit. Let’s eat.”

  Malcolm had prepared turkey sandwiches on wheat bread, with Jenna’s having a tomato like she preferred. She washed it down with homemade lemonade, and for dessert, he served key lime pie.

  “How’d you keep all this stuff cold?”

  “Ice packs. Why?” He smiled. “Thought it was some Jinni trick?”

  She chewed up a grape and swallowed. “Possibly.” She smiled. “Never know with you demons.”

  “You’ll always know with me. I’ll never trick you.” He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  ~~~

  They relaxed under the sun, letting their food settle, as they sat on the blanket; Jenna was between Malcolm’s legs, her back to his chest, as he ran his fingertips through her hair.

  “Why do they call it the Rojo River? I know ‘rojo’ is Spanish for ‘red,’ but what’s the significance?”

  Jenna thought back to her history lessons. “If I remember correctly, there was a battle here a long time ago after the Civil War, between the Native Americans and the white settlers from the east. Hundreds were slaughtered, and it’s said the river turned red from all their blood, and stayed that way for years, until a member of the tribe and a white settler made peace, and then it was cleansed.” She shrugged against his muscled chest. “That’s the legend, anyway.”

  “Legends have a bit of truth in them.”

  “It’s not a very romantic spot now that I think about it.”

  He shifted. “Do you want to leave?”

  She pressed against his chest. “No, no, it’s okay. The river’s fine.” She smiled. “I’m happy. It doesn’t matter where we are or the history behind it as long as I’m with you.”

  He brushed her hair away from the side of her neck and kissed it, before trailing his warm lips down to the bare part of her shoulder, skipping over the wide white strap. “Ready for a swim?” he mouthed against her fair skin.

  It took her awhile to answer, still intoxicated from his pleasures. “Yes, but if there are any skeletons in there, I’m getting out.”

  “Agreed.”

  Malcolm got in the water first and Jenna followed. She swam away, enjoying the cool water on her skin, such a contrast from when she’d been burned by the sun. She just knew she’d get more freckles, but that didn’t matter. Malcolm would still love her.

  She held her breath and ducked under the surface. She didn’t see any skeletons, but the water was dark and dense, allowing anything to be hidden. When she propelled to the top, she looked around for Malcolm, but he was gone.

  “Malcolm?” She wiped the water from her eyes and nose as she moved to higher ground; the water level reached her hips as she planted her feet to the bottom. “Malcolm?”

  She twirled around in the water, turning and turning, until she felt gentle arms wrap around her from behind.

  “You called?” He kissed the side of her neck.

  She giggled. “Where were you?”

  “Hiding.”

  “Trying to scare me?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You could never scare me.”

  He twirled her around to face him; his fiery blue eyes were threatening to burn hers.

  “Don’t be so sure. I’m part evil, remember?”

  She rubbed his muscular arms. “Why do you do that?”

  His jaw unclenched. “Do what?”

  “Act like at any moment you’re gonna go bad and kill me.”

  “It’s in me, Jenna. I guess I’m just…warning you…in case.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. “Well, stop. You’re good. Even when you were with the Jinn in Egypt, you didn’t do bad things.”

/>   “But I wanted to.” He shook his head. “I had so many evil thoughts.”

  “But you didn’t. Thinking is not the same as acting.”

  She seemed to get through to him as he held her close, massaging her back. She lifted up her legs and wrapped them around his waist; she was glad that he was strong and that his knees didn’t buckle from her added weight. He secured her even more to his body, pressing her against his muscular frame.

  She could feel his rapidly beating heart against her own. “See? You’re human. Your heart’s beating. That means you’re good.”

  “Pureblood Jinn have beating hearts too,” he reminded her.

  “Oh, yeah...”

  She thought back to when Malcolm had ripped out the still beating bloody heart from the Jinni in the Twisted Trees. Any other girl would’ve run off screaming, but not her. He’d saved her life, but he also displayed a rage that she didn’t think he had in him.

  He kissed her lips, bringing her back to the now. “Enough talk about work.” He smiled. “We’re on vacation.”

  But just as Malcolm was about to lower the strap to her bathing suit, there was a scream from nearby, followed by a loud splash.

  “What was that?” She loosened her legs from around Malcolm’s waist, planted her feet to the bottom, and looked around. “There.” She pointed in the distance at a group of swimmers and gasped.

  “He’s trying to drown her,” Malcolm observed with horror. Then he scanned all around. “There’s a Jinni nearby.” He flared his nostrils. “I can smell him.” The look on his face indicated that the Jinni didn’t smell too good.

  “Go help them!” Jenna ordered. “I’ll take care of the Jinni!”

  Jenna rushed out of the water and ran across the grass with wet feet, trying not to slip and fall. She made it to her backpack, dug inside, and pulled out the only two items in there. She placed the amulet around her neck and removed the dagger from its sheath. Ready for danger, she quickly scanned the area to see Malcolm swimming like a speeding bullet over to the Stuck-Ups. She couldn’t believe that Kit, who was the least awful of the gang, would actually be trying to drown Sadie. She was a bitch, but she was his bitch.

  It had to be the work of the Jinni, whispering in Kit’s ear, telling him to do it. Even though she hated the Stuck-Ups with all her being, she never wanted them to die. Soon Val and the rest of them showed up in their boat, but instead of helping, Val jumped in the water after Malcolm, trying to get him in a tight hold. Malcolm easily fought him off, but then he was ganged up on by Barrie and Aidan.

  Soon, Daniela and Emma joined in, wearing matching pink bikinis, trying to scratch Malcolm’s eyes out. As strong as he was, it was difficult for him to get free with five possessed teenagers trying to tear him apart. The water was violently gurgling up all around them. Jenna could tell that Malcolm was trying not to hurt them, but she didn’t know how long he could restrain his innate power.

  She had to stop the Jinni. He was close by. She couldn’t smell him—that may have been a good thing considering Malcolm’s sickening reaction—but she could feel his evil intentions.

  There was a loud growl, followed by shrieks, as Kit dragged Sadie out of the water, and started choking her on the once tranquil sun-baked grass, now drowned wet with violent agitation. She got loose and knocked his legs out from under him. Then she pounced on top of his chest, trying to scratch at his face as he slapped her hands away.

  It was almost too much for Jenna to bear. She was angry and she was sad.

  Someone laughed nearby in uncontained delight.

  She turned to see a chestnut-haired Jinni, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, hovering above the surface of the water, watching in delight. She didn’t care if he’d hear her, and jumped in the water, swimming fast to meet him. He turned immediately to find the telltale signs of an intruder.

  “Mage,” he greeted with a wicked grin, looking straight at her. “You’re uglier than the last one I killed,” he insulted and boasted in an acidic Arabic accent.

  She was confused and looked down to see that her amulet was gone. It’d come off and gotten lost in the river as she powered ahead, hastily trying to reach her target. It didn’t matter. He would’ve seen her disturbance in the water and found her out anyway.

  She grabbed his white name-brand sneakers, splashed with a little water. “Were these expensive?” Without waiting for a reply, she pulled him below the water as she remained above, holding his head down.

  He struggled, but then exploded above the surface, where he latched onto her in a crushing hug from the front; his arms were like steel vines, ensnaring her chest and arms. His fiery eyes bored into hers. “My master will reward me greatly when I bring him your head.”

  “Your master?” she said weakly, suffering from his stranglehold.

  “Saladin will elevate me above the rest,” he boasted again.

  His hold loosened a bit for her to speak coherently. “How about I bring him your head?” She broke free of his restraints and raised her dagger. “No, wait. It’ll be your ashes.” She brought the blade down to his heart, but he raised his hand, blocking her attack. Her weapon was knocked away. It floated out of immediate reach before descending into the water.

  “Damn you!”

  She lifted her legs and kicked him away. Then she submerged, scanning in the dark for the only thing that could kill a Jinni. She wasn’t sure if she could rip out his heart, and even if she decided to, she’d still need fire to kill him for good.

  As she searched in vain, the Jinni lowered himself gracefully below the surface, and then swiftly grabbed her feet, yanking her down to the gloomiest, deepest bottom of the Rojo River. She wasn’t fast enough and sucked in a mouthful of water.

  She struggled and struggled against the Jinni, but with the dense water rushing down her throat, and a lack of gills in her neck to push it out, she felt powerless. As he was crushing her lungs with his arms tightly wound around her chest, she saw a light in the dark. It was faint to her, but blinding to the Jinni, who let go of her, and blocked his eyes.

  She felt for the glow, hoping to capture it, and to her astonishment, it was the dagger; the bronze was lit like fiery gold. With renewed strength, she grasped the cedar hilt, and twirled around in the water to find the Jinni struggling, as if he were trying to move, but couldn’t—paralyzed by some unseen force.

  She welcomed the opportunity and struck where he was most vulnerable. She watched as he burned alive; his mouth fell open, screaming as water rushed in, but it didn’t extinguish the flames. Finally, his body disintegrated, and his ashes fell to the bottom, weighed down by the ghosts of the river, who wanted nothing but peace and quiet.

  Jenna propelled from the depths and exploded above the surface, spewing out the water that should’ve killed her.

  “Malcolm?!” she croaked loudly.

  “Here!” he yelled, swimming to her.

  She witnessed the Stuck-Ups looking confused, shaking their wounded faces, full of bruises and bloody cuts, stumbling around like drunks.

  When Malcolm came near, she asked, “Are they all right? Are you all right?”

  He wrapped her in a pressing hug as if he hadn’t seen her in years. “I love you.”

  She kissed his lips, warm and comforting. “I love you too.”

  “They’re fine,” he finally replied to her earlier question. Then he smirked. “And it takes a lot more than clueless brats to take me down.”

  She chuckled, and then looked around. “Are there any other Jinn?”

  He kissed her again. “If they were here, they’re gone now.”

  “And so is my amulet. It got lost when I was chasing after the Jinni.”

  Without saying a word, he let go of her and submerged, disappearing in the river. She waited and waited until he popped back up with the amulet, holding it warily by its chain. He quickly handed it to her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, taking it firmly in the same hand where she held the dagger.

  �
�I can sense it, but it hurts to touch. I think it’s a Magi failsafe in case the Jinn try to steal it from you.”

  “Lemme see your hand.”

  He smiled, shaking his head full of wet black hair. “It’s all right. Just a little burn.”

  To express his good health, he embraced her in another hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful to keep her knife-wielding hand away from his vital organs. He touched his lips to her shoulder, holding it there in a long kiss as she watched the Stuck-Ups get back in their boat and leave. From fighting the Jinni to Malcolm’s sensual display of affection, her legs felt too weak to keep her body afloat, so she motioned for him to follow her toward the same spot of higher ground they’d been at before; they secured their feet to the bottom, with the water lapping at their hips.

  “I’m really getting tired of these Jinn.” She kissed his cheek. “Present company excluded, of course.”

  He sighed. “I know. I just wish they’d leave. They must know I want nothing to do with them. But of course they’re wreaking havoc anyway, just as they always do.”

  “Maybe it’s something to do with Saladin,” she casually offered.

  He gasped and let her go, disturbing the tranquility of the water around them. His fiery blue eyes went wide from some unseen horror. “Fatima,” he whispered only to himself, looking away from Jenna.

  She held out her hand to him, grasping for understanding. “What? Who? What’s going on?”

  He rushed back to her, holding her in his arms, as the water shook with anxiety, unable to find its former peace. “You love me, right?”

  She nodded. “Of course. You know I do.”

  “You trust me, right?”

  For a split second, she hesitated, before nodding again. “Why are you so afraid?”

  His words came out in a rush. “If Saladin’s here, Fatima’s here—I didn’t think she’d come here—and to drag him along—why didn’t I sense them?—why didn’t I sense her?”

  Jenna was frustrated. “Who the hell are you talking about?! I get this Saladin is like some ruler to the Jinn, but who’s Fatima?”

  He turned his face away, refusing to look at her. “She’s his sister and…my ex-girlfriend.”