Charmed: A Haven Realm Novel

by Young, Mila

  I ran my fingers along the yellowing bruises on my ankle. Last time I’d rolled my foot, I’d been out of action for two weeks. If it wasn’t for my neighbor sharing her scraps, Ali and I would have starved. Time was not a luxury when the vizier and the palace guards were hunting us.

  Suddenly, the stew tasted like sand, and I didn’t feel hungry anymore. I pushed the bowl aside and turned to Zand. “Any luck with the medicine?”

  The red-vested genie scowled. “The Avestan did not have what I needed.” His voice was hard and strained.

  “But, Brother,” said Dahvi, pausing his massaging. “We must get the herbs before the vizier finds us, or Kaza will perish.”

  None of the genies were dying on my watch. I owed them a debt for saving my life. Honor might not be my middle name, but I always repaid my debts. Anyway, I couldn’t deny the selfish voice rising in my head, reminding me I needed these three genies to save my brother. Now that the vizier was out for my blood, I was also dead.

  I glanced at my brother, and he pursed his lips.

  Zand cleared his throat. “He told me a lady called Scarlet, out in Terra, might have what we’re after.”

  “I know Scarlet very well,” I said. “She owns an apothecary store out in the Terran province. She also happens to be my close friend.”

  Zand’s heavy brows relaxed as if this news gave him comfort.

  Over the years, she’d helped me so many times when Ali was sick. Couldn’t thank her enough. She tried to get Ali’s medicine but was unable to without payment upfront.

  Terra, where Scarlet lived, was a dangerous province in Haven. Ruled by a strict priestess and her order. Magic was forbidden in Terra, and no one was permitted to enter or leave. Combine that with the guards crawling all over my city, and…well, my skills were really going to come in handy. But I wasn’t going alone. Not with my banged-up ankle. One of the genies was coming along with me. Since Dahvi had done such a wonderful job with my massage, he’d just earned himself a ticket. While he might be better at caring for my brother, I believed Zand would do a better job to protect Ali.

  Dahvi jumped to his feet. “We must leave at once.”

  “No,” said Zand. “We need to sit and meditate for a few hours.”

  Whoa. One at a time please.

  “What?” I said. Time was of the essence here.

  “We need to rejuvenate our power,” said Zand. “We’ll leave tomorrow.”

  “Someone has to stay and protect my brother,” I said, grabbing another bag with my belongings.

  “But I want to see Scarlet, too,” said Ali.

  “No way, mister.” I ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss.

  Zand’s broody brows pressed lower. “I’ll stay. But first we must meditate.”

  “All right.” I sat down beside my brother as the genies sat cross legged on the floor.

  “Call our names if there is any danger,” instructed Zand.

  * * *

  The next morning, Dahvi fumbled to grab the lamp out of enthusiasm for our journey to Terra. Cute. Reminded me of Ali in a way. But those sexy and sincere blue eyes set the genie a world apart from that of my brother and promised me a lot more heartache.

  Karim squawked at me as if demanding a cuddle before I left. I gave into his request and placed kisses all over his furry little head. Then I set him back down.

  In my bag I stuffed some exotic spices, which I would give to Scarlet as she couldn’t get them in Terra, and loved the stuff.

  “Bye,” I said, glancing at my brother, who was still pissed with me and wouldn’t meet my eye. My gaze drifted to Zand as I closed the door behind Dahvi and I.

  Outside my apartment, warm, midday air enveloped me, caressing my cheeks and promising me the world. It helped clear my head a little and stripped away the strong emotions tugging at my heart.

  Dahvi was by my side. “Master, how far is Terra? Will we make it there by sunset?”

  I just wanted to lick those full lips of his.

  Gods! There I went again. Hormones raging and everything. I had to stop this. Using every ounce of restraint, I buried my attraction…no, my lust…for the genies down deep.

  Dahvi caught me around the waist. “Master watch…”

  But it was too late. I smacked into a rug drying on a line between two rows of shacks. That’d teach me for not watching where I was going.

  “Inconsiderate…” I almost said a nasty curse as I rubbed my forehead.

  Dahvi gave my temples a nice knead. Then he moved to my neck. My body thrummed from his touch and begged for more.

  No. No. No. No. I had to pull away before I allowed my desire to carry me away.

  “Zand and Kaza,” I said, sidestepping the rug. “Do they get along?”

  “For the most part,” replied Dahvi.

  I noticed his gait matched mine and somehow didn’t leave a footprint down the sandy lane we traipsed. Damn, that trait would come in handy on heists.

  The whole foot thing reminded me of my ankle. It complained a little with a light ache. But the pain wasn’t bad enough to keep me from getting to my friend’s apothecary.

  We took the corner and headed down another back lane, crowded with wooden crates and empty wine barrels. Laughter drifted from the tavern inside the building. The air carried the scent of baked flatbread and dips from the market several hundred feet to the north. For once my stomach was full and didn’t groan at the tantalizing odors.

  Okay. I couldn’t help but pry. “Why do they seem cross with each other?”

  “Kaza has a frivolous past with women.” Dahvi’s liquid gestures entranced me, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  Oh no. I was in for trouble then. I’d better not fall for him. My last boyfriend cheated on me. I didn’t need any more heartache. But something deep inside me ached for Kaza…for all the genies…and it wasn’t just lust.

  “It’s Zand’s nature to be very protective. He doesn’t want to see you get hurt.” The blue genie’s warm blue eyes soaked me up, as if I were a sunset.

  Man, I could stare at those babies all day.

  Stop! Stop it girl. Get a hold of yourself. Geez. What was that? Like ten seconds? I wasn’t doing very well with forgetting about my whole genie-lust issue.

  Zand cared about me? Sure, I totally understood the protective thing, going crazy on anyone if they hurt Ali, like a lion with her cubs. A man who would fight to protect me was sexy as hell. I’ll be damned if this news didn’t make him even more attractive to me.

  Dahvi smiled as if he knew the effect his words had on me. “My brother is very passionate. It’s the Ifrit fire burning in his veins.”

  “Ifrit?” I said, tilting my head.

  “It is a type of djinn,” said Dahvi. “Their power stems from fire. It expresses itself as passion, love, loyalty, and sensuality.”

  That sure explained a lot about Zand. “And Kaza, what is he?”

  “He is a Shaitan,” said Dahvi. “His magic wields the power of air, and they are the embodiment of lighthearted, mischievous, carefree and fun.”

  Yep. That wrapped up Kaza in a nutshell. Nothing, not even a wound from a tiger, dented his stride.

  Most of all I was intrigued about Dahvi. Like me, he had a sensitive and compassionate side to him. “What type of djinn are you?”

  “I am a Marid,” said Dahvi, lifting me over a short iron fence. “Our element is water. We represent emotion, wisdom, patience and intuition.”

  Ahhh. Totally suited Dahvi.

  Something about having them with me made me feel protected and safe. That was a strange thing for me. I’d always been the one to protect and look after Ali. No one watched out for me. This whole genie thing would take some getting used to.

  Filled with this new knowledge, we turned another corner of our journey. My foot struck something, accidentally knocking it over. Candles and bowls flew to the ground, spilling coins, fruit, and candy onto the sand.

  Gods.

  We were at the wall haunted
by the djinn.

  I froze. Last night, it hadn’t blessed my wish for a good mission. Two guesses as to why I’d been caught by the guard. Had I upset the djinn? Knocking over its offerings just now was bound to piss it off even more. What would it do to me in return? Make my eyeballs explode out of my head?

  Dahvi ran his hand along the cracked wall decorated in a floral motif. “A djinn dwells here. It is trapped by magic.”

  I didn’t want to hear anymore. My feet carried me out of there. No more curses or bad luck for me. I’d had enough for one day.

  But as I turned the corner into the marketplace, instinct flared in my belly, a sign I always had when trouble was afoot.

  Dahvi bumped into the back of me. “Master?”

  “Shhh.” Prickles spread higher into my upper intestines as I scanned the immediate area.

  Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Patrons dawdling along the aisles carrying baskets. Merchants cooking meals on hotplates. The baker stacking more bread on his pile. The butcher wrapping up meat in paper and handing it to a customer.

  Most of the traders here barely scraped by, so I stole from the wealthier markets across town. Plus, it never paid to pinch so close to home. People knew where I lived. Taking from these people would be stupid and asking for trouble. In the slums, the merchants in this market always looked out for me, giving me whatever they could spare. But that was only occasionally.

  Someone grabbed me by the arm.

  My heart exploded, and I let out a nervous squeal.

  “Azar, it’s just me,” said Farhad, the merchant selling fez hats.

  I placed a hand on my chest to calm my raging heartbeat. “Farhad, you scared me half to death.”

  Dahvi stepped protectively between us.

  Farhad squinted at the genie, assessing Dahvi. The merchant released his hold on me. “What trouble are you in, Azar? The sultan’s guards have been asking around about you.”

  A new wave of panic stretched through me. Crap! That’d make getting around tough. I trusted Farhad and a few other merchants with my life. But for a few gold markos, what was to stop one of the others from selling me out?

  “Got into a bit of trouble with the vizier,” I replied.

  “Gods! That is a man not to be messed with.” Farhad pressed his hands together in prayer and raised them to the sky. “May the gods protect you.”

  I swallowed hard. Yeah, I was going to need all the prayers I could get.

  “Master.” Dahvi tugged at my shirt.

  I looked in the direction he pointed. Two guards leaned against the tobacco merchant’s stall one hundred feet to the north. One smoked a cigarette. The other took big gulps from a hookah pipe. A third wandered between the spice and pastry stands. The hilt of his sword gleamed in the afternoon sun.

  I nearly choked when I recognized him as the guard who had arrested me.

  “Bye, Farhad.” I backtracked, taking Dahvi with me.

  A stallholder did a double take as I passed.

  “Guards!” the female merchant cried. “There she is. The girl you’re looking for.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. The three guards were on the move, chasing after us. Horror fluttered inside me.

  “Thief, stop!” one yelled.

  Chapter 7

  My heart dropped to my toes.

  Dahvi grabbed my hand, and we ran down the center of the market, away from the vizier’s guards. A kid carrying a tray of meat got in our way. I skipped left, accidentally bumping into a woman reorganizing her stall. She stumbled and her basketful of dates crashed to the ground.

  “Sorry,” I shouted.

  Sand crunched under our feet. It still hurt to put pressure on my ankle, but I couldn’t get caught as I had the other night in the Sultan’s cave. We needed to hide and fast.

  Unable to keep up with Dahvi, I slowed my pace to a limp. My nerves were stretched. I glanced over my shoulder as two guards shoved people out of the way, cutting a straight line for us.

  Shish kebab.

  I overturned a stall of pastries and a rack of clothing. Merchants shouted curses at me. I heard the guards grind to a halt. The table scraped against the ground, and they were back on our trail.

  Dahvi stopped to yank the cloth off a tent and let it fall on the guards. They shouted and scratched to get free.

  Up ahead, a man played a flute, charming three cobras in a basket.

  As we passed him, the genie kicked the receptacle over, and snakes spilled all over the ground. They reared up, flaring and hissing. Everybody screamed as the place descended into chaos.

  Sorry. But we needed something to slow down the guards.

  If only the genie had his powers, we’d be out of the mess in a puff of smoke, and no one would get hurt.

  “Which way?” said Dahvi as we arrived at an intersection at the end of the market.

  I chanced a look over my shoulder. The guard who had apprehended me in the cave jump over the snakes and continue his pursuit.

  Crap.

  My pulse thundered in my veins. “This way.”

  We ducked down the next lane to our right.

  The genie and I took another right and then a left into the back alleys. I scanned the buildings surrounding us for a way out of this mess. Clothes air-dried on wire stretching between the buildings. Potted plants lined windowsills, their leaves stretching out toward the sunlight. A metal grille crawled up the wall of one of the buildings.

  Perfect.

  “Quick, up there.” I climbed the grille, scaling the sandstone wall, passing one level of the two-story apartments in a matter of seconds.

  “Hey!” shouted the guard as he entered the alley. “Get back here.”

  Nothing was stopping me from getting to the top.

  “Hurry, Master,” Dahvi said.

  “Can’t move any faster with my ankle,” I said.

  The genie’s hand cupped my bottom and pushed me up, giving me the boost I needed.

  “Gods!” I said, surprised yet aroused by the position of his hand.

  Once I reached the top, I flung my leg over the edge and pulled myself up.

  “Here.” I offered Dahvi a hand to help him.

  Dahvi took my hand, climbed up, and I lead him across four mica rooftops toward the west. Sure, they were dilapidated and old, but I’d been up here plenty of times to star gaze and knew they’d take my weight.

  “The guard is not far behind us,” he puffed, out of breath from the climb.

  My breaths came fast and heavy. Not because of the activity; I was used to sprinting and climbing things. But the adrenaline spiking in my blood was sending my system into overdrive.

  “There’s a plank over there, where we can cross to the next building.” I pointed to the north. “Once we’re over, we’ll take down the board so he’s trapped.”

  From up there, we could see out across the city. Palm trees along the river swayed in the breeze. Water spurted from the fountain in the city’s heart. Golden domes and tiled mosaics, geometric patterns dotting the landscape. The wild desert beyond gleamed a rich orange.

  “Spectacular view,” commented Dahvi as he lifted me over a parapet. “Reminds me of home.”

  “Yes,” I replied, fighting the giddiness from his touch…or was it the pain in my ankle? I wasn’t sure which. “One we don’t have time to enjoy right now.”

  I heard the grunts of the guard from fifty feet behind us. I assumed he was trying to climb the grille. A fat, old, lazy lump like him might take a while to get to the top.

  Dahvi stormed across another roof, dragging me with him as my limp worsened by the moment. Thank the gods, most of the apartment buildings were joined or very close together, otherwise, there’d be nowhere to run. That said, in about another twenty or so rooftops, we’d have to cross the plank to the next block of apartments. From there, we’d have to return to street level, cross the sultan’s road, then it was a clear path along the river leading to Terra.

  By the time we’d reached the el
eventh roof, I glanced over my shoulder.

  “Gods,” I spat. “The guard’s here.”

  Crap. Crap. Crap. He was faster than I had anticipated for an old guy. Fear thumped in my chest so hard I thought my heart might burst through my ribcage.

  The pain in my ankle scaled up three notches as I pushed into a run. I wanted to stop to rest for a few moments but couldn’t. Tightness settled across my ribcage as I contemplated the agony of climbing down the next building.

  “Master, your ankle,” said Dahvi. “Let me carry you.”

  “No, I’ll be okay.” I waved him away.

  I glanced over my shoulder again, and my breath hiccupped.

  The guard was catching up and fast. His eyes blazed with hatred and the promise of death—retribution for all the torture he’d probably received from the vizier as a result of my escape.

  Something caught my foot, and I tripped, rolling along the mica, scraping my legs and hands. Pain flared on my grazed knees. A whimper flew out my mouth at the sight of my blood.

  “Are you all right?” Dahvi scooped me into his arms as if I weighed nothing.

  Something about being curled in his grasp felt familiar. Protected. Safe. But how could I enjoy it with the guard gaining on us?

  Terror coursed in my veins as he drew his sword. Metal grating against the scabbard turned my blood to ice.

  “Shish kebab,” I whispered under my breath.

  Dahvi skidded to a halt as he reached the end of the last roof. “The plank’s not here.”

  “What?” My words came out strangled and hoarse.

  When he set me back on my feet, I missed his touch at once. I inched closer to the edge, hardly able to bare the weight or the pain in my ankle. One peek over the side revealed what used to be the plank, now nothing but broken shards of wood on the cobbled ground below. Crap. Now we were left with no other option but to climb down the building. Since I could barely stand that was not going to be easy.