by A. Star
Wasn’t there always a war? In every fantasy movie I’d watched or book I’d read, there was always a war. Why did that have to be the case with me? Why couldn’t I just have gotten the too-good-to-be-true romance story instead?
I took a breath to calm myself. “How can I help? What do you need me to do?” I was sure my new glamour could prove useful somehow.
Irving reached up and pulled that stupid wig off of my head. His fingers caressed my short blonde locks. “You can help by keeping yourself safe and out of danger. I will remain by your side every moment possible just in case they are tracking you instead of me.”
My eyes popped wide. “Do you think that’s what it is? Are they using me to get to you?” Would I be safe in my apartment? What about Ash? What was the danger to her? And oh my fuck. What about my parents and Elena?
Irving seemed to sense my internal panic. “I promise I will not let anyone or anything harm you or the ones that you care about. Do you understand me, Glory?”
I struggled not to smile. Irving just looked so cute with his super serious expression. “So you don’t want me to release you now?”
He chuckled. “Do not even think about it. We are in this together.” Irving slid his goggles into place. “I will return for you tomorrow at sunrise.”
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
“But you just said I wasn’t safe!”
“I know, but I must speak with the Sultan. It cannot wait, Glory.” Irving held out his hand and a jeweled charm appeared in it. He chanted something I couldn’t understand and the charm rose up into the air, a green glow surrounding it.
“What is that?” I asked, staring up at it.
“A talisman that should protect you while I am gone.”
“Should protect?”
He smiled down at me. “Will protect.”
I still wasn’t sure, but I nodded. “Okay, I guess.”
“Sunrise, it is then.”
What he said finally registered. “Did I ever tell you I wasn’t a morning person? In fact, I hate the morning and the sun in general.”
Irving laughed. “Be waiting outside for me and do not wear a skirt.”
I frowned. “Huh? Why not? Where are we going?”
He bent down and kissed away my questions. “I will see you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I pouted, giving him permission to leave with a funky wave of my hand. “But can you do a couple of things for me?”
“Anything.”
I reached up and wrapped my arms around Irving’s neck. “Can you not get yourself killed between now and then, and can you please, please bring me breakfast with you in the morning? I’m no good without breakfast.”
He smiled and kissed me again. “Your wish is my command.”
Not soon after Irving vanished from sight, my cell phone rang.
“Glory!” It was my mother. “Are you okay?”
I knew what she meant and pretended I’d seen it on the news that I’d just turned on rather than in person. “I’m fine, Mom. I was nowhere near campus when the explosion went off.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “They’ve cancelled all classes until fall semester, possibly spring. Bet you’re plenty happy about that.”
“Actually, I’m not. I took summer classes so I could graduate early. Now that won’t happen.” And I truly was pissed about that. Fucking automaton!
“Well, at least you’re safe and—” I heard some rustling and my father’s voice in the background. He was on the phone a moment later.
“Hey, Daffodil.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hey, Dad. Just to reiterate, I’m fine. I wasn’t near the campus when that bomb or whatever went off.” There was all kinds of speculation flashing across my television screen and I pretended to speculate right along with them.
“Oh, I never doubted you were safe, kid. That was your mother. You know how she is. Overreact much? Ow!” My father burst out laughing. “Save the spanking for the bedroom, honey.”
“Oh my god,” I gagged. “I don’t want to hear this. I’m getting off the phone.”
“Okay,” he laughed. “Love you and see you soon.”
“Love you guys, too.”
After hanging up with my parents, I showered, safely stored Irving’s Chronolier, and snuggled down beneath my covers, but not before checking to make sure my door and windows were locked up tight, despite the talisman floating above my bed. Not that anything I did would keep a steel soldier out, but I didn’t care. Fronting like I was safe was better than admitting I was in danger.
Ash came home about an hour later and I abandoned my bed so we could sit on the couch with the TV on and exchange theories on what had really happened on campus. The damage to campus property was unspeakable, the security guards hadn’t seen a thing, and as it turned out, all campus cameras had suspiciously gone out only seconds before Irving and I had arrived, so the authorities had no video surveillance to go off of. It only further confirmed my suspicion that someone else had been watching us and when they had realized Irving was going to beat the bot, they’d summoned their beast back to them through the black hole. Whoever this enemy was, this sorcerer, they were exactly what Irving said they were. Powerful.
As Ash spewed more theories, the truth churned my stomach, but I kept my mouth closed. Involving Ashlyn was not an option. Irving and I would fix this and she would be safe, along with my family and everyone else in Boston. Possibly the world. The worst thing that could happen would be if someone innocent got hurt because of my poor decision-making and involvement with the Djinn. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.
The next morning arrived sooner than I wanted it to. Although I was curious as to where Irving was taking me, I was dead ass tired. Trying not to be killed by an automaton programmed for murder was quite trying on the body. But nevertheless, I dragged myself out of bed, dressed and went down to meet my Djinn.
I felt Irving before I saw him. My stomach fluttered with the usual nervous excitement and I knew he was nearby. Shifting my bag with Irving’s Chronolier to the other shoulder, I went to stand on the sidewalk in front of my building, looking both ways down the street while I anticipated his arrival.
Irving finally appeared…beautiful as ever…riding the baddest fucking motorcycle I’d ever seen. It sat low to the ground, so low that the gold piping nearly scraped the road. The thin front tire was positioned a good two feet out in front of the rest of the bike, held in place by two gold arms, while the fat rear tire was kept close by an arch of gold that acted as a protective cover for the wheel. Gold and black fiberglass made up the main body of the bike, and there was just enough of a seat that two could sit comfortably. This bike was bad, and I was sure I would never even glance at my little moped ever again.
Irving was in his usual gear, though it was glamoured behind the facade of jeans, a leather jacket, and a motorcycle helmet for any humans in the vicinity. I almost wished it was real, because glamour or not, Irving looked damn good.
As he brought the bike to a halt and killed the purr-fect engine, he pushed his gold-rimmed goggles to the top of his head.
“Am I late?” He checked his pocket watch and frowned. “I am. It is three minutes after sunrise. I apologize, Glory.”
“What? Dude, nobody gives a shit.” I pointed at the bike. “What the hell…”
He grinned and swung himself off of the machine. “Do you like it?”
“Are you kidding me?” I practically screeched. “This is the single most fantastic thing I’ve ever seen!”
He leaned down to kiss me. “My raptor is pleased with your compliment.”
“Your raptor? As in, a velociraptor?”
“Precisely. Velociraptor means ‘swift seizer’.” His hand glided over the gold handlebars. “There are no two words in existence to better describe this treasure.”
I stooped down to check out the wheels. They were gold rimmed and double-plated with gears connecting the spokes. On closer insp
ection, I could see that the gears had a very important function. “I have to agree, Irving. It’s priceless. I mean, look at it. The steam engine powers the gears, and it’s the gears that propel the bike forward. They all work together to produce the ultimate speed machine, and the engine doesn’t even have to work as hard.”
I looked up to catch Irving smiling at me. “You have industrial knowledge.”
I raised a brow. “Industrial knowledge is pushing it. I know a little bit about sikes and that’s it.”
“Sikes?”
“Yeah, cycles and bikes.”
Irving chuckled. “You are an interesting character, Glory St. Pierre.”
“You should talk, Irving Amir.”
Years passed as he held my gaze and I actually had to conduct breathing exercises to keep from jumping his sexy Djinn bones right there on the sidewalk.
“Ready for an adventure, darling?”
I wanted to punch his lights out and take off on the bike alone, but instead I replied, “Hell yeah.”
“Climb aboard then.” He handed me my own pair of gold-rimmed goggles and a leather aviator’s cap that I immediately adored.
“If you crash this thing, my head will crack like an egg, you know.” I jerked the soft cap on, regardless.
Irving laughed and positioned himself on the bike. “I won’t crash. I am an excellent driver.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I snapped the goggles into place. “Where’s your cap?” All he had on protection-wise were his own goggles.
“That is my cap. But I think it looks much better on you, though not as good as those pants you’re wearing.” He winked.
I tried not to grin like an idiot as I climbed onto the raptor and settled in behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and slid my hands beneath his leather suspenders. My fingers spread and glided over his hot, smooth skin. I didn’t even try to pretend like I wasn’t feeling him up. I was and I loved it.
I heard Irving chuckle over the soft roar of the engine as he pulled out his timepiece. “Great. Six minutes. Plenty of time.”
“Plenty of time for what?”
He glanced over his shoulder at me and grinned. “Hold on tight.”
We took off so fast, I almost flew off the bike. “Fuck, Irving! Slow down!” But he didn’t, and over the next sixty seconds, we only picked up speed. Soon, Boston was nothing but a blur as we sped through it, stopping for nothing. Not stop lights, stop signs or even other vehicles. Traffic was super light this early in the morning, but the little bit we did encounter did not stop Irving. Popping a wheelie, Irving directed his raptor up and over the cars stopped at a red light. We didn’t damage a single one. The raptor hit the ground after we’d cleared the last automobile and the wheels spun as Irving gunned it. I was sure if he had actually remembered to bring me breakfast, I would have barfed it up all over him by now.
“What the hell is this thing?” I shouted in his ear as we leaned into a turn that took us down a dead end street.
“The kind of thing that can do anything!” was his reply. The next thing I knew, we were being sucked through some kind of time warp that shot us through to the other side with a pop. The action caused my stomach to lurch and eyes clench shut. I held on to Irving for dear life and buried my face in the collar of his duster.
It was a smoother transition than I expected though, and we made it to the other side safely. I lifted my head to see where we had ended up and was surprised to find Irving weaving his raptor down a solid gold path through a forest that was so thick, plush and beautiful it took my breath away.
I wanted to ask where we were, but I couldn’t speak. Steel birds flew overhead and from tree-to-tree like any real birds would. They chirped and tweeted at us as we passed, like a greeting, and I couldn’t help but smile. Other steel critters scurried back beneath the brush at our approach, their glowing eyes peeking out at us as their excited chatter filled my ears. I couldn’t believe we were surrounded by a forest filled with mechanical creatures. And they were magnificent, every one of them, and my first thought was that Irving must have invented them.
The forest eventually ended and opened into a roundabout. Perched upon the island of perfectly manicured grass in the center of the roundabout was a massive golden statue of an airship, complete with a golden crew and actual cloth sails that billowed in the gentle breeze. It was fantastic, but it wasn’t the most spectacular structure in the vicinity. That belonged to the gold, planet-sized sphere glittering in the background.
We circled the grass island and pulled up to the marble staircase that led up to the entrance of the sphere, which I could now see had multiple shimmering structures, spheres and turrets extending up into the mountain it sat on. The sphere didn’t appear to have any windows, but it did have a dazzling fixture atop it that sparkled in the sunlight. Gold bars were welded together and bent into a diamond shape, and rubies lined the bars, drawing my eyes upward. I could see that many of the other structures had similar fixtures, along with large balustrades and arched windows. Dozens of umbrella-shaped trees had blocked the mountain from view, but from our new position, I could see everything.
Twelve guards stood at attention at the entrance to the grand structure and in equal intervals, ending at the bottom of the staircase. Each of the hulking men were bare-chested and tatted with intricate designs all over their torsos and arms. Long saber swords hung from their waists and were thin near the hilt but widened at the tip with a vicious curve. Leather pants and boots adorned their lower halves, while gas masks hid their faces from view. A sneering skull formed the mouthpiece for them to breathe through and their violet eyes stared out through two small glass domes connected to the steel band that latched behind each of their heads. If they were supposed to be menacing and scary, mission accomplished. They wouldn’t ever get any trouble out of me.
Irving killed the raptor’s engine and dismounted the bike. He held his hand out to me, and I took it to balance myself as I climbed off behind him.
I yanked off my goggles and cap. “Where in the hell are we?” I asked, staring up at the glittering sphere in awe. The guards didn’t move a muscle or acknowledge us in any way.
Irving chuckled and looked at me like it should have been obvious. “This is the Sultan’s palace. Welcome to Shrinelyn, Glory.”
“We’re in Shrinelyn!?” My head jerked back and forth like a cartoon character, trying to figure it all out. “How in the hell…”
“Don’t try to work it over too hard, Glory. Just take my hand and let me open your eyes to this beautiful place that I call home.”
“But I thought humans weren’t allowed here!”
He grinned. “I lied about that because I was trying not to like you.”
“What happened to ‘lies are for cowards’?”
He wiggled his brows in a shameless confession of his cowardice. “That’s exactly why I lied.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Irving had finally admitted that he’d been too chicken to say he was digging me when we first met. I thought it was cute.
“But I like you now and so I’ve brought you,” he said. “And now I want you to meet the Sultan.”
“The Sultan?” I looked down at what I was wearing. “I’m not dressed to meet any Sultan!” My pants were too tight and my shirt was too short, exposing my pierced naval. With all my tattoos and gothic jewelry, the Sultan was sure to think I was just some dirty rocker chick who’d lucked up on a Djinn and hadn’t utilized any of her wishes to make herself look presentable, despite the fact that the guards had more tats than I did.
Irving smiled and grabbed my hand when I refused to offer it. “You look beautiful, Glory. As always. Now come. The Sultan waits.”
I allowed Irving to lead me up the staircase toward the entrance to the palace. The armed guards each dropped to a knee as we ascended and the two stationed at the twenty foot tall doors pushed them open to allow us access to the palace. We entered and I almost passed out from awe. The Sultan’s palace was beyond my i
magination.
On the way to the Sultan’s assembly chamber, which apparently was where he took meetings and met with the Grand Council, I looked and admired, and tried to not breathe too hard as to not disturb any of the plush beauty I was surrounded by—the exotic flora, the golden effigies, the glittering light fixtures. I walked on my tiptoes because the rich red carpet that covered the floors looked like it cost a fortune, and I didn’t want to leave a single footprint, let alone any dirt from my shoes.
I could never have imagined such luxury, let alone ever dreamed I’d be in the presence of it. Everything glittered and sparkled. What wasn’t made of gold was made of diamonds. And what wasn’t made of diamonds was replaced by rubies and emeralds and jewels with colors I couldn’t name. I felt unworthy of being there and wanted to curse Irving for bringing me. Why was it so important I meet the Sultan, that he would bring me into this realm and taint it with my commonness?
Giant tapestries made from silk decorated many of the walls we passed, but the walls leading to the assembly chamber were the most spectacular. They were palatial water walls, back lit with the most serene glow. The water drained into a steel basin that ran along the bottom edge of the wall. Where it went, I couldn’t tell, but who cared? They were beautiful and the trickling sound of the water made me want to curl up on the comfy floor and nap forever.
Four guards stood at the end of the corridor in front of a set of humongous doors. Each was bare-chested with a saber hooked to their waist. They bowed as we approached and pushed open the doors to let us through.
“The Sultan is referred to as ‘Your Grandness’.” That was the only thing Irving said to me before we entered the assembly chamber.
The Sultan sat alone at a desk in a chamber so big my parents’ entire house could have fit inside it. The lush red carpet continued on inside and spread over the space, closing it in a bit. Statues, paintings and books filled up the space, and as with the rest of the palace, gold covered everything. Even the Sultan’s marble desk and throne were accented with the stuff.