The elders had remained to watch the battle. Maybe that was because they wanted to make sure everything would be on the up and up, or maybe because they simply needed to be on hand to spirit Aldair away as soon as the fight was over. Because either way, he was going into exile in the outer circles, whatever those might be.
And if Jace lost, I’d be going into exile, too. A temporary one, since apparently I wouldn’t be able to survive in the djinn world for more than an hour at best, but….
“Begin,” the leader of the elders said.
Out of nowhere, a howling wind descended on the two men. It buffeted them both, but they remained on their feet, glaring at each other. I couldn’t even tell who had conjured it, since it seemed to be affecting them both equally. As I’d imagined, this was how two air elementals would fight, by using the very thing that was part of their nature as a weapon against one another.
Oddly, that wind seemed to be confined to the open space they occupied. I couldn’t even feel a breath of a breeze against my skin or touching my hair. Were the other air elementals in the group doing something to keep the spectators protected, or was this one of the rules of the game, that whatever the two combatants did to each other had to leave their watching audience untouched?
Something else I’d have to ask Jace…assuming he emerged the victor. I had a feeling Aldair wouldn’t be too interested in answering any of my questions, even if I had time enough to pose them before I was snatched away to suffocate or die of heat stroke or whatever it was that would end up killing me in the djinn world.
And then it seemed as if the wind began to take shape, curling into what appeared to be two small tornadoes, one a dusty bronzy shade, the other grayish-blue. The tornadoes wrapped around one another, twisting and twining like two snakes attempting to choke the life out of each other. I couldn’t really tell which was Jace’s and which Aldair’s, although I guessed Aldair’s must be the bluish one, simply because of those blazing blue eyes he had.
If my guess was right, then it seemed as if the gray-blue tornado — for lack of a better word — was gaining on the other one, seeming almost to be swallowing the bronze-hued whirlwind, which shrank more and more as I watched. I looked over at Jace then, saw the muscles of his jaw and neck taut with effort. Aldair’s blue eyes flashed in triumph as the bronze tornado shrank further, and I swallowed, willing myself to not show any reaction. It couldn’t be over this quickly, could it?
Cool fingers slipped into mine, and I started, then glanced over to see Julia give me a single nod, as if to reassure me that everything would be all right. I didn’t know if I believed that, but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Beyond her, Zahrias was watching the battle of wills, face impassive. If Jace and Aldair were half-brothers, then that meant Aldair must be Zahrias’ cousin as well, since I was almost positive they must be connected on Jace’s father’s side. Was Zahrias at all conflicted because of his family connection with Aldair, or did that not matter to him, considering the traitor and oath-breaker Aldair had turned out to be?
Yet another question whose answer I might never know.
But even as I looked on, heart pounding, I saw the bronze-toned tornado that had to be Jace’s drop to the ground and spread out, seeming to disappear. Aldair grinned in triumph — only to have that grin turn to a rictus of pain as the whirlwind reappeared in the shape of a golden rope that dropped around his neck and began to pull. His fingers tore at it, but that was like trying to wrestle with the wind. Unable to gain a purchase, he dropped to his knees, gasping.
Julia’s fingers tightened on mine. I didn’t dare glance over at her, though. I couldn’t risk looking away for a single second. Good thing, because then I saw Aldair fall over on his side…but not in defeat. Even though all of us watching were somehow protected from the effects of this unearthly combat, I could almost feel my ears begin to ring as an enormous gust exploded outward from where Aldair lay on the ground, catching Jace off guard and sending him to his knees.
Despite Julia’s grip on my hand, I began to move forward, instinctively wanting to go to my lover’s side. I hadn’t gone a foot, though, before I collided with some sort of invisible barrier that blocked my way. It wasn’t as hard and unyielding as an actual wall, but it served more or less the same purpose. From across the way, the redheaded djinn caught my eye and shook her head slowly, just once.
Clearly, I wouldn’t be able to help Jace in any way…not that I was sure I could, even if I had been able to get to him.
As Jace was hunched over, trying to catch his breath, Aldair approached, a nasty smile on his face. But he apparently didn’t want to waste any air on a mocking speech. Instead, he raised his hands, and a gust of wind came forth, one so strong that it knocked Jace flat. His fingers scrabbled at the hard earth, but he couldn’t gain enough purchase to raise himself.
It was worse than torture, having to stand there and watch and know that I could do nothing to save him. In that moment, my own fate mattered very little. What mattered was that Aldair seemed intent on killing the man I loved. And all I could do was watch as the breath was slowly being crushed out of him.
“Do something!” I hissed at Zahrias, but he merely shook his head.
“I am sorry, Jessica,” he murmured. “This is between the two of them. No matter what my personal feelings might be, I can do nothing that would interfere with their combat.”
I hadn’t expected anything else, really, but even so, Zahrias’ words only added to the crushing sensation of despair that seemed to overtake me then, smothering my hopes just as surely as Aldair was smothering Jace. A quick glance around the ring of spectators told me that I could expect no help from any of the djinn — their faces were tense, but stoic, and their Chosen equally tense, yet helpless, as if they chafed at these alien laws that kept them from assisting someone they now viewed as one of their own.
Cursing, I let go of Julia’s fingers and pushed against the barriers with both my hands. I knew that wouldn’t solve anything, and yet I couldn’t simply stand there and do nothing. Palms flat against the force field — or whatever it was — I watched as Jace lay pinned on the ground, his breaths appearing to grow more and more labored. While I looked on, my own throat grew more and more tight, as if I were suffocating right along with him. That would be the final cruel irony, wouldn’t it? Perhaps I would die along with Jace, and Aldair would be deprived of his revenge.
I didn’t want to die…but I also didn’t want to live in a world without Jace.
Somehow he managed to move slightly, shifting so he was able to raise himself an inch or so off the earth, black hair spilling over his shoulders. In that moment, his eyes met mine. To my surprise, he didn’t look worried or frightened at all. One corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Are you ready, beloved?
Ready for what? I returned, shocked that he’d been able to reach out to me beyond the invisible barrier the elders had erected.
You’ll see.
And then — it wasn’t a gust of wind, or a tornado. It was a shockwave, bursting outward from where Jace lay. And when it hit the barrier, I felt the resistance against the palms of my hand disappear, even as my hair blew backward from my face and I heard everyone around me cry out.
Aldair staggered but somehow managed to retain his footing. Jace’s gaze was still fixed on me, that small smile playing around his mouth.
Now, beloved.
I didn’t stop to think. I knew what Jace needed, what had to be done.
Together, we were far, far stronger than Aldair had counted on.
My feet propelled me forward, onto the fighting ground. The rogue djinn’s back was to me, and I hurtled into him with every ounce of strength I possessed, gathering my anger, my worry for Jace, all the pain and doubt and struggle of the last twelve hours, and used them to lash out, to kick his feet out from under him the way my father had trained me.
Aldair went down like the proverbial ton of bricks, hitting the ground with a crack! that made me wince, even though
I really didn’t care how much pain he might be in. At the same time, Jace pushed himself up to a crouching position and then knelt on his half-brother’s back while another of those bronze-colored winds came from nowhere, knotting itself into a rope and wrapping itself around Aldair’s throat.
“You are beaten,” Jace said then, his voice remarkably calm and unruffled, considering that he’d been the one to be almost smothered to death just a minute or two earlier.
A snarling sound of negation emerged from Aldair, who didn’t seem capable of actual speech in that moment. At the same time, the elders came forth to stand in a semicircle around us. The lead djinn did not look particularly pleased by the turn of events, possibly because of the way Jace had knocked down their barrier as if it were nothing. Next to him, however, the red-haired djinn woman appeared to be having some difficulty keeping a smile from her lips.
“Let him speak,” the lead djinn told Jace, who then got up off his half-brother…although the wind-rope remained knotted around the other man’s neck.
A few hoarse gasps, and then Aldair said, “You see? A cheat. Declare my victory now.”
Shit. I wasn’t familiar enough with the rules regarding these sorts of confrontations to know whether Aldair was correct or not. I glanced over at Jace, but for once he wasn’t looking at me, his gaze instead fixed on the elders.
“I think not,” the redhead said. She seemed to have given up fighting back a smile, as she now wore one quite prominently. “There is no rule against knocking down our barrier.” A sidelong flicker of her eyes toward the lead elder, who still wore a disapproving expression on his face. “Although that may change in the future.”
“He brought in his whore to help him!” Aldair protested, and Jace let out a snarl of his own, the rope tightening still more around the other djinn’s neck.
“Peace, Jasreel,” said the female elder. “You have won, so there is no need to torture your brother further. As for Jessica, Aldair, she is your brother’s Chosen. As such, they are one. She had every right to come to his aid. True, we had not thought you would be able to bring her to your side to assist you, Jasreel, but I must commend you for your original thinking.”
“Original — ” Aldair began, but he didn’t get any further than that. The lead elder nodded at the others in his group, and two of them came up to flank the rogue djinn.
“I cannot say I approve of your methods, Jasreel,” the elder said. “But as they did not violate our rules for these battles, I will declare you the victor here. Aldair’s claim on Jessica Monroe is negated for all time, and he will be taken from this place to an exile from whence he will not return.”
After making this pronouncement, the elder djinn bowed toward me, then inclined his head toward the rest of the group.
“No — ”
That was the last we heard of Aldair, because in the next instant, all of them vanished, the red-haired djinn last. I could have sworn she winked at me before disappearing, but it could have been my imagination.
What wasn’t my imagination was Jace’s arms going around me, and his lips on mine as he swept me into his arms. And all around was cheering and congratulations, the flames generated by the fire elementals leaping into the sky, as if from sheer joy.
We had won.
Chapter Seventeen
Zahrias was the first to approach us, Julia standing diffidently a few paces away, as if she wasn’t quite sure what she should do.
“Clever,” he said, although there was a faint note of disapproval in his voice, as if he wasn’t sure he would have employed such rule-bending methods if he’d been in the same situation.
“Desperate, actually,” Jace replied, but he was grinning despite his words.
“I suppose that is what these situations sometimes require.” Zahrias’ gaze moved from Jace to me, and he actually smiled. “You two do make quite the formidable team.”
Together, we are stronger.
Yes, Jace had been right about that. And now…now that the enemy had been vanquished, the dragon slain?
Zahrias seemed to pick up something of my thoughts, or maybe the question had been clear enough on my face. He glanced back toward the resort, where some of the people in the crowd now appeared to be headed. Well, why wouldn’t they? The show was over, and the night cold. Better to be inside.
“Now,” he said simply, “we go to Santa Fe.”
I didn’t pretend to understand all of it, but it seemed that when the elders spoke, the rest of the djinn listened. If they didn’t want us in Taos, even now that Khalim and the rest of his followers couldn’t lay claim to it, then we’d move. Apparently the elders had decided that no djinn should call Taos home, now that they had been here themselves and felt whatever “power” existed in the Rio Grande river gorge and the mountain lakes the people of the pueblo had once called their own sacred places.
Part of me was really hoping that Jace and I could go back to the house outside town, but when I asked, he shook his head sadly. “It’s not safe.”
“Why?” I demanded, even as I shoved the last of my things into my duffle bag. Off to one side, Dutchie was watching the proceedings with a resigned air, as if she knew we were about to change our base of operations once again. “We don’t have to worry about the renegade djinn anymore.”
“True, but Richard Margolis and his followers are still out there, and they’re still in possession of two of Miles’s devices.”
Crap. I’d almost let the entire conundrum of the Los Alamos community slip from my mind. Jace’s words brought them to the forefront, unfortunately. The good part was that Miles was with us — for now, anyway — and so my nightmarish visions of Margolis being able to wield dozens of the damn djinn-neutralizing things would never come to pass. That didn’t mean the commander and his followers might not put the ones they still had to bad use, however.
Interpreting my silence correctly, Jace went on, “I doubt they’ll come after a group as large as ours, especially if we stay more or less in and around the city center. But our house back in the canyon is too remote. We would be easy prey there, especially since Margolis already knows where it’s located. And if he brought a device to block my powers, I would not be able to call out for help.”
“I could help,” I grumbled. “I’d meet him at the door with a machine gun and tell him to say hello to my little friend.”
Apparently Scarface wasn’t in Jace’s pop-culture database, because he frowned slightly and said, “Beloved, I admire your bravery, but he brought seven men with him last time, and most likely would bring even more the next. It’s simply not worth the risk.”
He was right. It wasn’t worth the risk, and it wasn’t worth arguing about. I went over to him and put my arms around his waist, then laid my head on his chest. As his arms wrapped around me, I told him, “I know. And it doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we’re together.”
A light kiss brushed against the top of my head. “Exactly. Besides, I think Zahrias will do his best to accommodate us. After all, Santa Fe appeared to be a lovely town, from what I saw of it. There are actually far more options for housing there than here.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I told myself to give Zahrias some credit, and wait and see where we’d end up.
Well, I doubted anyone had the nerve to accuse Zahrias of playing favorites, but I also doubted it was coincidence that Jace and I ended up in a quaint little five-bedroom pueblo-style mansion only a few blocks off the square, with Zahrias in an even larger house just down the street. The rest of the Taos community weren’t all that far away, in an area probably just a little bigger than the mile-radius safe zone we’d been allowed back in Taos.
I couldn’t blame everyone for still being a little spooked, even though the rogue djinn had been safely hauled off and exiled to the outer circles. After we were more or less settled in our house, and I’d carefully gathered up any personal belongings from the former owners — there weren’t many, which led me to believe this enormous p
lace had been a second or even a third home — I asked Jace, “Just what are the outer circles, anyway?”
He’d been silent for a moment, apparently considering his reply. Then he said, “Picture the place your people called Death Valley, but with the atmosphere of Venus.”
Ouch. No wonder we mere mortals wouldn’t last more than a few minutes there. And having to spend all of eternity in such a place….
No, I wouldn’t feel sorry for Khalim and Aldair and the rest, since they didn’t deserve my pity. At the same time, the mental image of the outer circles that Jace’s words conjured made me wince. Those djinn must have really hated us humans to have taken such an enormous risk.
Or maybe they’d thought the elders just wouldn’t care, and wouldn’t act against them. Thank God they’d been wrong.
But our community had obviously decided there was strength in numbers, and since there wasn’t any shortage of housing near the center of town, everyone seemed to get more or less situated in a place that suited them. Martine was returned to her djinn lover and seemed to be slowly recovering from her ordeal, while the other girl rescued from Khalim’s band of rogue djinn, Emma, also went back to the partner who thought he had lost her forever. Aldair’s erstwhile Chosen, Katelyn, moved into a casita on the grounds of Dani’s and Lauren’s place, where they did their best to look after the shell-shocked young woman. She still didn’t seem to recall exactly what had happened to her, which was probably for the best.
And Julia took a townhouse only a block or two from the Plaza, explaining, “I’d feel silly in anything bigger. It’s just me, after all.”
I didn’t press her. If that was where she felt comfortable, fine. And if things happened to change in the not-too-distant future, well, I’d be more than happy to help her move her things. Not that there was any sign of something like that going on. Once we were in Santa Fe, Zahrias seemed content to settle into his enormous home and direct things from there. Lauren and Dani were just down the street, so she could still act as Zahrias’ de facto secretary.
djinn wars 03 - fallen Page 24