by Jessica Cage
“Where would we even begin?” Briar asked, including herself on the excursion she wasn’t invited to.
Jinn removed the phone from his back pocket, took a deep breath, and redialed the last and only number used. The line rang twice before the call was answered. “Mike, get over here.”
“Again, we meet, old friend.” Mike sauntered up to Jinn with a knowing grin on his face. “Perhaps we can part in better form this time? You know, no circles of fire trapping me in hazardous territories.”
“I see you made it out of the flame unscathed.” Jinn stood outside his home, wanting to start the conversation with Mike before the three women inside could chime in. He needed to clarify a few things before they went any further.
“I’m a talented guy after all.” Jinn noted the cautious way Mike moved around him. Until then, the man had nothing to be concerned about when he was around the djinn, a neutral party in a world of shit. Jinn had no stake in the game. All that had suddenly changed, just as Mike wanted. “So, I take it you found the proof you needed. You know that it’s true.”
“Yes, Sybella, the seer,” he nodded at the closed door that stood as barrier between them and the others, “she confirmed it.”
“Good, that will save us some time here.” Still not sure what his old friend wanted, Mike kept a safe distance. He wasn’t a fool; Jinn was a powerful being and if his ploy had pissed him off, Mike could be in danger.
“How do I know that you can really take me to her?” Jinn took the picture out of his pocket and held it up for Mike to see. “Wherever she is, I’m sure there isn’t an open-door policy. What makes you think you can get me in?”
“Hey, I got the photo, didn’t I?” Mike feigned a hurt expression. “Look, man, a shift is coming, power is about to change hands, we can all feel it, and I know you can too. Right now, our people have a real shit deal in the world and I’m looking to change that. I got a little girl coming, man. I’m about to be a father. I can’t have her growing up out there in all this shit, not like I did.”
“What is it that you want from me, Mike?” There was always something, the man didn’t just want Jinn to say he would be on his side. Odds were, he wanted access to his power, how else would a djinn be of use to the slithers?
“Jinn, you’re powerful as hell. I know you try to deny that, you keep your shit at bay because it will make you a target, but I know the truth, I know what you can do.” Taking a chance, Mike stepped closer to the agitated man still holding the picture of his lost love. “Help us, get our people a better deal out here. I’m not asking for much, I’m not trying to rule the world. Like you said, this shit was supposed to be better, for all of us. Hell, all we ever wanted was to not have to live our lives running and hiding from humans, but look at my people, look at how we are forced to live.” Mike put it all on the table. Now that he had Jinn listening, he couldn’t waste the opportunity. “This isn’t the life any of us deserve. Yeah, some of us are pretty bad, but that is because they are a product of their upbringing. You spend a lifetime in sewers, stealing to survive, and let me know how you make it out.”
“What makes you think I can do anything?” Jinn returned the photo to his pocket. There it would remain until he saved his girl, and long after. It would serve as a reminder to never let her out of his sight again.
“That day, when you saved my life, I saw it … I saw everything. That bomb was coming at us, and you stopped it.” Mike had always told Jinn that he was knocked out, but it was a lie. When the war started they were south. Mike had just stumbled out of a bar as alarms blared all around him. The night was young, but he’d gotten an early start on drowning his sorrow. Unsteady legs carried him forward, and with a miscommunication between his brain and his feet the man went tumbling forward. A firm grip on the back of his worn-out denim jacket saved him from being road kill. He turned to find the man he would come to be great friends with smirking at him and warning him about sobering up. Soon the streets were flooded with people, screams of terror rung out around them and Jinn released his hold on Mike. The slither fell backwards, hitting his head on the side of the building he’d just stumbled out of. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he saw it. In the sky above, it looked like a football trailed by flame—the missile was headed right for them. As the others screamed and ran with false hope of finding shelter to sustain the blast, Mike watched the djinn. With no wish at all, he held his hands to the sky. A trail of blue light shot from his palms, encapsulating the approaching missile and turning it into the best damn light show he had ever witnessed. Jinn always said he’d simply transported them out of the danger zone, but Mike knew the truth. “If you can do that, make an entire nuclear weapon implode and turn into dust, then you can help us broker a better way for our people. That’s all I’m asking. We need leverage, we need some way of getting peace. I’m not even asking for you to make anything implode, no fireworks necessary, just foster a conversation for us.”
“Where is the place in the photo?” He made no comment on the events of the past. “Where is she?”
“Does that mean you are going to help us?” Mike wasn’t a fool, he had to get Jinn’s word before he gave up any bit of information.
“Fuck!” Jinn cursed the sky, yelling out into the night, frustrated that yet again he was being pulled into some shit that had nothing to do with him. “Yeah, I’ll help.” He sighed. How could he say no when it meant that he would lose her, and this time for good? She was trapped, caged up like an animal. He couldn't leave her that way, he couldn't let them continue to do whatever it was that was slowly stealing the light from her eyes. “I’m assuming you have a plan?”
“Of course, I do.” The grin stretched across his face. “As long as I’ve been waiting for this moment, you think I wouldn’t have a plan figured out?”
“Great. Let’s hear it.”
“Okay, well—” Mike started but was cut short.
“No, not here. Follow me.” They weren’t in a place known to have many visitors, but Jinn knew that he was followed before and after his little visit to Vilar, it wouldn’t surprise him if Alesea had eyes on him again. Despite what Briar said, the queen was no fool. “As far as I know, we’re being watched right now. Let’s take this conversation inside.”
Jinn had never invited Mike to his place, it was too close to Vilar. If he was ever seen there, it would be a problem for the both of them. Considering he’d actually taken the plunge and decided to join up with Mike, he thought it worth the risk. Hell, it wouldn’t be long before everyone figured it out anyway. Regardless of the risk, he wasn’t ready to go to Scourge where Mike’s people were. He needed to be sure they were on the same page and had a solid strategy before they went any further. It had to be a plan where minimal risk was involved.
Scourge was a place of torture; living there meant dealing with the worst the world had to offer. Nuclear and magical warfare combined to change the climate of the earth, making parts of the world completely uninhabitable. Mike’s people were tough, able to adapt to any environment, but it didn't mean they were happy to live in a place where plants couldn’t grow, and animals couldn’t survive. They had to travel hours to get food, and even then, there weren’t many places welcoming to their kind. Jinn understood Mike’s plea, he got it, he just really had no desire to be involved. Decades of war and he managed to keep his head out of it all, but now he was diving in, cannonball.
Regardless of Mike’s passion to uplift his people, it was their own fault that life had dished them such a shitty meal to partake. Slithers tried to play both sides of the field, never truly taking a side in the wars, and when it came known that certain members were double crossing, they were cast out by all sides—pushed into the Scourge as their punishment for not being strong enough in their conventions to choose a side to fight for. Jinn had no sympathy for them. He was neutral, yeah, but he stayed out of it completely, refusing to aid or handicap either side of the war.
“What is it that you want?” They stood in the
garage, not yet entering the house where the three women waited. He’d used magic to cloak Mike’s entrance to his home, anything to avoid anyone knowing what he was considering. If anyone was watching them, it would look like Mike turned, and exited through the same sewer system he used upon his arrival. “Foster a conversation, what exactly does that mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like, Jinn. I want face time with the fairies, a chance to talk to them and get my people out of Scourge. That’s all. I just want a better life for us.”
“Seriously? That’s all you want? I find that hard to believe, Mike.”
“You’re good with them, they like you, and they fear you for your power. If anyone can help us, it's you.” Mike sighed. Jinn understood his frustration, but he had to make sure that Mike wasn’t trying to mislead him about his true intentions. “Hell, you know damn well no one else would be able to get them to even consider this! If they think that you have sided with us, for real, they won’t have a choice but to listen to our terms.”
“I’m not going to walk in there with threats, Mike.”
“I’m not asking you to. That would only mean more war, and a worse outcome for my people. I just need you to be convincing enough that they hear what I have to say.”
“So, I convince them to give you what you want, in exchange for what exactly?” Jinn walked over to his bike, picking up a cloth and wiping away a bit of dirt on the side. “You know just as well as I do, everything is a bargain. You’re going to have to offer them something big for them to even consider this, Mike. As far as I know, you have nothing to offer.”
“That’s the other bit of it. They help us,” he paused, the next words would likely cause a flash of blue anger, “and you help them. You’re just about the only one who has a chance of keeping them from losing their shit right now.”
“Losing their shit? What the hell are you talking about, Mike? What do you know?” The fairies were the most powerful entity on earth. Outside of the fae, who opted out of the nonsense from the jump, who could possibly be strong enough to take them out?
“I told you that there is a change coming, and someone very powerful has put a target on the fairies. It’s all over the underground. Whoever this dude is, he is strong as fuck, like something I’ve never even heard of. He has some crazy shit in the works. Bits and pieces of it leaked out, but bottom line is, he is out for power and the fairies are on the chopping block. They’re going to need you, man.”
“I get it … your idea is for me to pimp myself out to them so you can get what you want?”
“Not just me. Remember Nitara.” Mike leaned against the work bench as Jinn admired his bike. “It’s a win all around, for everyone involved.”
“I can find her on my own. I don’t need you for that.” He grunted as he tossed the cloth back onto a nearby bench.
“Maybe, in time, but I know exactly where she is. She is hidden, and magic can’t be used to find her. By the time you work the network of misfits to get the information that will lead you to her, it will be too late.”
“Too late?” Rage snapped his calm mind in half. Jinn turned on his friend, two hands planted against Mike’s chest and knocked back against the bench and held him down with his back bent awkwardly over the table. “What do you know? What do you mean too late?”
“I don't think she is held up there for show.” He didn’t struggle with Jinn as he pinned him down; his instincts would be telling him to fight, but Jinn knew that Mike was smarter than that. “I think there is more going on, more that may just mean the end of your wife’s life, and for real this time,” Mike choked out. “Come on, man, let me go. I’m not here to fight. I want the same thing you do.”
Jinn relaxed. “Sorry, man.” He released Mike, who slowly rose, rubbing the sore spot on his back caused by a rogue screwdriver.
“Are you okay?” Jinn had returned to himself as quickly as he snapped.
“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s just get this shit over with.”
“We have to find out who this witch is, and where she is keeping Nitara.” Praia was still actively plotting; Briar looked annoyed, but Sybella appeared amused by the fae’s enthusiasm. The three women occupied the living room. Praia periodically gave the seer the side eye due to her new position on the couch. She considered telling the woman that it was her spot but thought better of it. It would be in poor taste to be rude to the Seer of the Queen.
“For the hundredth time, we need to wait until Jinn gets back before we can do any plotting or speculating.” The fairy rolled her eyes. “We don’t have enough information to go on. What exactly are you going to do with a three second description of a vision from a future just hours from now?”
“I can help with that.” Mike stepped through the threshold and Praia hissed. Knowing exactly what he was, she was ready to defend herself and her friends. “You know, with the information bit, unless you all would prefer that I not be here.”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Praia jumped back, and Briar held a similar defensive stance; neither of them trusted his kind.
“He is a friend and he’s here to help me find Nitara. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t even know that she is still alive,” Jinn inserted. “Praia, Briar, please settle down.”
“Mike, at your service.” The unwanted visitor bowed, and Briar rolled her eyes. “It is my greatest pleasure to meet two such beauties.”
“I didn’t sign up to be working with bottom feeders.” Briar spoke to Jinn directly, refusing to acknowledge Mike, who feigned a look of hurt.
“Look, right now, Mike is the best bet I have to saving my wife. If you have a problem with working with him, the door is to your left.” He nodded toward the exit. When she didn’t take the offer, he continued. “I don’t have the time or patience to be dealing with your petty ideas of who is or isn’t good enough to fight beside. Please do not make the mistake of misunderstanding why I am here. It isn’t to make sure you’re comfortable.”
“Fine.” Though Briar would have loved to walk out, she was ordered by Alesea, her queen, to help Jinn in whatever it was that he needed. If she could figure out what the hell he held over the queen’s head, maybe she could use it to bargain for some more vacation time. “What does lizard boy get out of it?”
Mike bristled at the insult, and Briar prepared for a fight; she was egging him on. The Slithers came in all sorts—lizards, snakes, those who were the result of the failed experiments were grouped together. Despite the insult from Briar, Mike kept his gaze trained on the smaller of the two women. Praia was still on edge, waiting for the tension to ease. Briar was a shit talker, but if he didn’t act accordingly, he could see that Praia who was so clearly on edge, would be the one to jump first.
“Bottom line is, Mike is here to stay, so get over it,” Jinn stated, new power and agitation to his voice. “Let’s put the petty shit aside so we can focus on what really needs to be done, shall we?”
“Where is Nitara?” Praia asked. There was nothing more to say on the topic, but she could finally start the plotting Briar was making her put off. If Mike had information, she would extract every bit of it from him, one way or another.
“She is being held captive within the Collective. In the Ashen area,” Mike answered her. “That is where my intel came from. I have friends in the area.”
“Of course, you’re friends with witches,” Briar mumbled under her breath. Since the wars, the coven was at the top of their list of enemies.
“Wait, she is actually inside of the Collective?” Praia questioned. They’d realized magic was involved, but to have her in their territory meant that this was bigger than just a rogue witch trying to get a genie to do their bidding.
Not long after the war started, the covens were forced to take up together, realizing that apart they would never be able to defend themselves against the fae and fairies who were a larger, more powerful force. The word was put out and covens from all over the world merged together. Their land was one of t
he few safe places for humans … well, certain areas, not all of the witches felt the humans deserved safe haven after the havoc they’d caused on earth. Those with the affinities for the forces of nature, who pulled their magic from the natural occurrences—air, earth, fire, and water—were less likely to befriend the human population as they blamed them for the diminished condition of the earth. They called their area, formally Africa, the Collective. Within there were sectors, dividing the different covens and faiths. The land was split evenly and with each coven in mind, for what they would need from their land. A treaty was formed; there would be no infighting, and everyone would be able to do as they pleased within their own sectors. Ashen was the darkest area—where witches practiced dark magic, and humans were slaves or subject matters, test dummies for new spells and potions. The Ashen was no vacation spot for Mike or his people, most of them avoided the place and for good reason. It was because of experiments such as the one practiced by those who used dark magic that he and his people were the monsters they were.
“Yes, it’s true.” Mike nodded. “It’s gonna be hell trying to get her out of there, too. They have her deep in the area, which means trying to get in without being seen is going to be quite difficult.”
“How the hell do you expect us to believe that you made it in and out of there alive?” Briar asserted. Briar, like most people had been programed not to trust Mike or his people. They were told to always assume that the slithers were lying and hiding their true agenda.
“I never said I was in there.” He flopped down on the couch, which caused Praia to bristle even more. “I said that is where my intel came from.”
“Well, how did you get the picture?” Briar dug in further.
“Contrary to popular belief, not everyone hates my kind. Some see that we got the short end of the stick.” He sighed. “I have friends who have access to things you and I would never be able to get to.”