It was all true. Every one of those thoughts had flitted through his head last night as he worked on warding the bookshop. They weren’t unusual. He often thought of all the ways he could exploit the loopholes of a creature’s wishes.
What he didn’t tell her was that this was the first time in millennia that the thought disgusted him.
“But you can’t hurt me.” Her lips trembled as she spoke, and her words came out shaky. “You promised to protect—”
“The shop,” he finished for her. “Your wish was poorly phrased. You only asked me to stay by your side to protect the store. I’m under no obligation to protect you. I could’ve snapped your neck the moment you finished making your wish if I wanted to.”
She scooted back on the countertop, moving farther away from him.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you shouldn’t waste your energy caring about a monster.”
Nicole tried to draw in a deep breath, but her chest was too tight. The man she’d had a crush on, the man she thought she knew, wanted to kill her.
No, that wasn’t quite right. He didn’t say he’d wanted to. He’d said he’d thought about it.
It wasn’t a huge difference. Not to her at least. But to Shay, a jinni to whom the meanings of words were very important, it might be everything.
She forced herself to take a moment to calm down and think about what he’d said…and what he’d left out.
When she thought about it objectively, he was right. Killing her would have solved a ton of his problems. “But you didn’t do it. Why?”
He cocked his chin slightly to the side. Obviously, he hadn’t been expecting that question. He’d been looking for another reaction all together. Fear, defense, distance—that’s what he’d been hoping for.
Well, too bad. He wasn’t going to get it. Not when she could now somehow feel the longing inside him. It wasn’t a desire for sex or violence or anything so animalistic.He craved something else. Something deeper.
Nicole had no idea how she knew this about him. She only knew she did.
The knowledge made it easier to endure Shay’s long pause. He looked at her. Then down at the floor. Then back up at her. He was uncomfortable. Maybe for the first time in his life.
That was okay. She could wait him out. After all, it wasn’t like she was going anywhere.
“Because I didn’t want to,” he finally admitted. “I found even the thought of hurting you made me sick.”
Well, that was good to know…sort of.
“Almost sounds like you care about me.”
“Appreciate,” he was quick to clarify.
Apparently, the difference was important to him. Almost as important as staying alive was to her. “So, you’re not going to kill me?”
“No.” His dark hair swept across his brow as he shook his head. “I swear I will never harm you.”
Nicole did her best not to giggle at his solemn tone. He sounded a little too serious, as if he were a medieval knight making an unbreakable oath to his queen.
“You don’t have to swear,” she said. “Just so you know, enduring other people's existence is just considered common courtesy here on Earth.”
“And just so you know, we jinn don’t give our promises lightly, or our respect freely.”
Respect. So that’s what he was talking about.
“I can think of an even better way to show me respect,” she said, jumping off the edge of the counter. She landed right in front of Shay, and smiled. “Talk to me.”
The tight lines of confusion were back around his mouth. “Isn’t that what we’re doing now?”
“Not chit-chat. Really talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in your head. Tell me what you’re thinking. What you’re planning. Tell me the truth. Don’t keep me in the dark.”
He pressed his lips together tight. “That will be difficult.”
“Really?” Nicole didn’t hold back her laughter this time. “More or less difficult than drawing ancient banishing magic out of the ether and into the world with your mortal hands?”
His pained look softened. “Not that difficult. I’m just not used to talking to anyone.”
“No one?”
He nodded.
“Ever?”
Another nod.
“Every creature in the Realm knows the risks of speaking directly to my kind,” he said. “They tend to keep their distance and with good reason. That’s why I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to grow any closer.”
“Yeah.” Nicole gave an exaggerated sigh. “Just imagine the mistakes we could make. I might end up making a wish and owing you my soul or something.”
It took him half a second to realize she was joking, but when he did tiny creases appeared at the corners of his eyes. A smile? Maybe she was getting through to him after all.
She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, enjoying the solid feel of the muscle underneath. The man might be both self-centered and far too serious, but there was no denying he had an amazing body. It almost made her wonder what he looked like with that shirt off.
No.
It wasn’t time to fantasize about the hot jinni’s body. It was time to start her day.
Nicole stepped toward the door, but she only made it a couple of feet before Shay reached out and stopped her. “Where are you going?”
Where did he think? “I'm going open the store.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Sure I can,” she said. “I just need to turn on the lights and open the door.”
The tense lines bracketing his mouth came rushing back. “You shouldn’t do that.”
“Why not?” She pulled free from his grasp and turned all the way around. “Marrow and his army can’t get in here. You said your warding extended across the street, so no bad guys can make it through. I know there’s only a few hours of daylight left, but it’s either sit around and worry or get some productive work done.”
Shay stepped closer. Distractingly close. Nicole was beginning to think that he somehow knew how his nearness effected her and was using it against her. It was a dirty trick. Not to mention a damned effective one.
“I’m still worried someone or something might get through,” he said.
“You’re worried?” She raised her chin. “Worried about me?”
“You won’t be happy until I say it, will you?”
“Nope.”
A shiver ran through Nicole as he slid his hand down her arm. There was something about his touch. Something strange that caused her to feel more than just the physical sensation of his skin against hers.
It was as if she could feel his emotions. It wasn’t much, just a hint, a whisper. But she couldn’t deny the sensation. This sudden concern for her welfare—she could feel it. It was inside her, and yet it wasn’t coming from her.
This was Shay—his thoughts, his feelings, his spirit. Even the small taste she received sent shock waves reeling inside her. The depth of his soul felt so ancient and deep. It would have been terrifying if he weren’t so alluring.
The moment he pulled his hand away the feeling was gone.
“I’m worried if you open that door something bad might happen to you.” His expression was honest and strong. Just like the sense of concern that had just rocked her to her core.
Nicole sucked in a steadying breath. What the hell was happening? Was she imagining things? Was it a byproduct of yesterday’s magic?
Whatever it was Nicole was pretty sure Shay hadn’t felt it. At least, his face didn’t show that he had, and she couldn’t think of anything good that would come from telling him.
“It’s okay. No one can eliminate all the risks in the world,” she said. “They’re just a part of life.”
“I don’t think you understand what’s at risk.”
“Really? You think I don’t understand the danger?” Nicole laughed. For an ancient being, he was naive as hell. “You’ve never had to walk through this world while committin
g the terrible crime of having dark skin. Trust me, I know exactly how scary my world can be.”
“But you’re not afraid?”
“Of course, I’m afraid,” she said. “But if I let fear stop me, I’d never get anything done. So, there’s a seven-foot tall fairy out there who wants us dead. I am still going to go over there and open that door.”
Shay probably never had to face anything like this before. He didn’t have to worry about fear. He didn’t know what it meant to persevere in the face of danger. He was used to being invincible and dealing with eternity, not the events of the next hour.
“It’ll be okay,” she told him.
The simple promise must have done the trick because, as she walked over and flipped the row of switches on the wall, he didn’t try to stop her. The store filled with light. The nooks and crannies of the store came to life.
It looked like it was just another day inside Starling Books. Like nothing earth-shattering had ever happened there.
“See.” She smiled as she turned to face him. “Just another day in paradise.”
Chapter Eight
“It’s Sunday night,” Nicole said, returning a copy of Jane Eyre to the shelf. She puffed a breath as the leather binding slid against the wood. “I was supposed to go over to Kevin’s tonight. Guess I need to call him now and let him know I won’t be coming.”
“Who’s Kevin?”
Nicole started a little at the sound of Shay’s voice. Sure, she knew he was there, but he hadn’t exactly been talkative. He’d been so quiet that Nicole felt like she’d been talking to herself all day. So much so, that somewhere along the way she’d lost track of what she’d said aloud and what she’d kept in her head.
She hoped it wasn’t anything too embarrassing. Not that there was anything all that embarrassing to say about Kevin.
“He’s a friend of mine,” she said, poking her head out the side of the aisle. Shay was still standing behind the counter, draped in shadows, looking all mysterious. The look fit him. “He’s part of my game league.”
Shay leaned forward, just enough for his face to come into the light. Little crinkles dug into the space between his eyes.
“What kind of games do you play with Kevin?”
There was something about his voice, a concerned note. No…that wasn’t quite right. It sounded closer to jealousy.
“Board games, mostly. Sometimes card games.” She laughed and shot him a questioning look as she moved closer. “Why? What kind did you imagine we were playing?”
“I didn’t know,” he said, his voice a little too even. “That’s why I asked.”
“Really?” she said, drawing out the word, imbuing it with as much skepticism as she could muster. “Because it sounded like you were worried I was spending my nights doing something far more exciting.”
“That isn’t it.” He crossed his arms. The pose made him look big, but also very defensive. “I don’t mind what you do in your own time.”
Nicole shot him a wicked smile. “Good. Then maybe I’ll invite Kevin over here and we can all play strip poker.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said, his voice suddenly stern.
“Whoa there, tiger.” She winked. “I’m just joking. I don’t play strip poker with Kevin. At least, not on Sunday.”
He didn’t laugh, but the scowl faded from his face. His eyes narrowed, and he gave her a long studying look.
“You’re teasing me,” he said.
“And you’re catching on.”
She had the distinct feeling no one had ever teased him before. She could understand why. The amount of power running through his veins was enough to scare off even the most resilient jokers.
“So, you don’t take off your clothes for this Kevin?”
Nicole stilled at the sincerity in his voice. The faint note of hopefulness…or maybe that was inside her. With every hour that passed she was having a harder time knowing where he ended and she began.
“No.” The smile crept back on her face. “Not with Kevin. Not with anybody right now.”
“Good.”
It was a simple statement, but Nicole didn’t want to think too hard about what Shay meant when he said it. So, she turned, went over to the front door, closed it up, and threw the lock.
She didn’t turn around, though. Not right away. Instead, she looked out at the long shadows slowly creeping down the street and the warm glow of the street light switching on.
“Well, we survived another business day,” she said. “The building is still standing, and there’s no sign of the fae.”
“Yet,” Shay’s voice carried across the empty store.
Nicole’s shoulders tightened. Yet. He was right. Marrow was out there somewhere.
But he wasn’t here now.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she said.
“So, you plan to go on living your life as normal until Marrow reappears?”
She turned around and found Shay standing out in the open on the other side of the counter. It was almost as if he’d been waiting for the store to close to step back into the light.
“I wouldn’t exactly call this normal,” she said.
“No?” He didn’t sound convinced. “Are you’re still planning on opening the store everyday?”
Nicole shrugged. “It’s my responsibility”
Shay shook his head. He really wasn’t buying her arguments. “You keep smiling and laughing like nothing’s wrong.”
“Would things get better if I sulked or cried?”
“No.” He walked toward her, each step slow and deliberate. “But you haven’t even spoken to your parents about what’s happening here.”
“That’s because I don’t want them to come home early,” she explained. “They’re safer on vacation in Maui. Bringing my father home would only give Marrow two targets to go after instead of one.”
She didn’t bother keeping the annoyance out of her voice. She understood that he was concerned, but she didn’t like the inference that she wasn’t. This was her store, after all. This was her life. And she’d already proved that she was willing to risk a hell of a lot to protect it.
“Besides,” she went on, trying not to get flustered when he stopped right in front of her. “I’m not going on with my life as normal. Like I said, I’m canceling my plans.”
“Game night with Kevin is hardly a major sacrifice.”
A rush of hot blood flushed her cheeks. Was this the kind of crap he’d been thinking to himself while he stood in silence all day?
“You only say that because you don’t know what it means to have friends.”
The second the words were out Nicole’s mouth, she regretted them.
“I’m sorry.” She raised her hand and pressed in against his chest, right over his heart. “I don’t know why I said that. The stress is no excuse.”
Shay gazed down at her. His eyes were dark, but she could still make out the glow of embers burning just underneath. What she didn’t see was any sign of hurt or anger.
“Don’t apologize,” he said. “You’re right. Connection isn’t valued where I come from. Neither friendship nor love.”
Nicole’s hand still trembled against his body. Somehow that didn’t make her feel like any less of an ass.
So, what did jinn value? She didn’t have to guess. He’d already told her.
“You value respect,” she said.
He nodded.
“Well, you’ve got mine by the truckload.”
“Because I can protect what’s yours.” The even tone of his voice shot straight through her heart. He wasn’t asking a question. He was stating a cold, hard fact.
Now Nicole didn’t just feel like an ass. She knew she was one. A huge one.
Shay was right. She didn’t respect him. She respected his power. There was a difference. Just like there was a difference between lusting after his face and body, and liking the man inside.
Fortunately, these were the kind
of problems she knew how to solve.
She pulled her hand away and started for the front counter. “Chinese or Thai?”
“Excuse me?”
“Which do you like better, Chinese food or Thai?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“How about Thai, then?” Nicole winked at him as she pulled the store’s phone from the charger. “You strike me as someone who appreciates the spicy stuff.”
His eyes narrowed. “What are you planning?”
“A way for us to get to know each other better,” she said. “To learn to respect each other. To become friends.”
He arched a brow. “How do you plan on that?”
“The best way I know how,” she said. “Board games and takeout.”
“No. You can’t kill an orc that way,” Nicole said with a deep sigh—one of dozens she’d made in the last hour.
“Of course I can.” Shay laughed. “I’ve done it countless times.”
“Not in this game you haven’t,” she said, lifting her head. She was belly down on his living room floor, her chest up on bent forearms, her feet cocked up in the air behind her.
It was a position Shay liked. The angle gave a tantalizing view down the deep V of her shirt. Unfortunately, it also made it harder to think about killing orcs.
“In this game you need an enchanted arrow.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Shay said. “Their hide is far too tough for an arrow tip, no matter how enchanted. It would be a waste of time to even try, especially when I could simply use my magic and make their blood boil, cooking them from the inside out.”
The corners of Nicole’s mouth turned down at his description. She let the noodles she held in her chopsticks drop back inside their container.
“First, ew,” she said. “Second, you’re not a jinni in the game.”
“I don’t see why not,” he said.
Another sigh. Another heated look in her eyes. She was right. He did like game night…just not for the reasons she imagined.
Jinn: Exiles of the Realm Page 8