by LJ Andrews
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Signs
Chapter 2: The Lost Tribes
Chapter 3: The Temple
Chapter 4: The Below
Chapter 5: Mr. Kobb
Chapter 6: Joining the Djinn
Chapter 7: The Plan
Chapter 8: The Eye and the Stone
Chapter 9: A City Burns
Chapter 10: Battle of Phoenix
Chapter 11: Lost in a Dream
Chapter 12: Fractured Lies
Chapter 13: Black Copper
Chapter 14: Left Behind
Chapter 15: Into the Unknown
Chapter 16 Land of the Lost
Chapter 17: Sea of Stars
Chapter 18: The Queen of Amissa
Chapter 19: The Ferox
Chapter 20: The Rebel Gathering
The Djinn Kingdom
Into the Unknown
LJ Andrews
Dedicated to
Katie
Copyright © 2017 LJ Andrews. No use of this work may be copied or replicated without explicit permission. This is a work of fiction and any similarities to real life events is coincidence.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Signs
Chapter 2: The Lost Tribes
Chapter 3: The Temple
Chapter 4: The Below
Chapter 5: Mr. Kobb
Chapter 6: Joining the Djinn
Chapter 7: The Plan
Chapter 8: The Eye and the Stone
Chapter 9: A City Burns
Chapter 10: Battle of Phoenix
Chapter 11: Lost in a Dream
Chapter 12: Fractured Lies
Chapter 13: Black Copper
Chapter 14: Left Behind
Chapter 15: Into the Unknown
Chapter 16 Land of the Lost
Chapter 17: Sea of Stars
Chapter 18: The Queen of Amissa
Chapter 19: The Ferox
Chapter 20: The Rebel Gathering
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
The Signs
The ash-colored clouds swirled in fluid waves along the coastline of the small micro-island. With each breezy current, the clouds would drift close to the rocky shore, then back out to the open skies in dark, smoky waves. Song birds sang shrill cries that echoed across the rolling mounds at the base of the large mountain in the center of the island. The palmettos and thorny shrubs were starting to dry across the island, the edges of their leaves curling against the north winds.
Nova crossed her arms over her chest, breathing the clean, crisp air deep into her lungs. The sun was low on the horizon, creating a hazy white beam cutting through the gray clouds. A line of peachy-gold hovered above the island as the bright peaceful sunset from the upper kingdom faded into dusk. No one above on the main islands of the floating kingdom of Launi knew of the small island bobbing just above the mysterious Below. There were too many micro-islands to count, and the odds of their hideaway being discovered was slim.
The deep light of the sun made it clear that the seasons were changing throughout the kingdom, and though the sharp, cool air was refreshing, it reinforced in Nova how much time was passing, and they had yet to leave.
The people known as the band of shadows were preparing tirelessly, gathering weapons, bottling food, and sending out word to the hidden people of the kingdom to aid in their plight—the call to attack the Djinn temple. Nova shuddered at the thought of losing anyone in the inevitable battle.
The band of shadows had become a true family to Nova. Once her most feared enemy, she’d come to realize the strength of the community. Watching the wispy gray clouds hover above the Below, she imagined a world she’d never known. The people of the band of shadows had escaped the rule of the Djinn and the Below was their home. Once thought to be an empty abyss, from which no one ever returned, now Nova knew it was a thriving culture of people oppressed and lost.
Three women passed behind her, chuckling as they strolled across the upper lawn at the base of the rocky peak. They chattered jovially, their long dark hair blowing in the chilly breeze. Each woman held a bundle of silver blades, expertly curved in such an angle to increase maximum damage during combat. Small children ran behind them tossing rocks in the babbling stream running off the hill toward the coast. Nova smiled but felt a weight of sadness fill her chest. The people in the band of shadows were warriors, some of the fiercest she’d ever encountered. They moved like silent predators in the night, it was as if their feet never touched the ground. But they were a people scattered. Many families living in the fort were divided, with some loved ones trapped in the Below. That wasn’t as bad as those who had sons, or daughters, or sisters, or brothers who fought for the Djinn and were among those who’d attacked with Captain Phoenix just weeks earlier.
Clenching her jaw, Nova kicked a smooth, emerald-colored stone off the edge of the island and watched it fall through the clouds, down to Lurline’s kingdom. Lurlina, the one the band of shadows called the Great Djinn. She’d felt Lurlina pull at her, appealing to Nova’s Djinn side. Lurlina wanted her, and her Uncle Hadwin warned her not to open her thoughts and heart to Lurlina. She couldn’t be trusted. Hadwin had been schooling Nova whenever he could on how to balance her Djinn power against the humanity she desperately wished to keep.
“Nova, you have too much anger inside,” he’d said. “You must not allow the Djinn to control your heart, for it will steal your empathy for others.”
Gripping her dagger, she closed her eyes tightly thinking of Lurlina keeping her mother hostage. The darkness burned. Her cheeks flushed with the heat of the burning desire to destroy the Djinn at the temple. The dagger responded, flooding with heat so the jewels and metal burned in her hand.
“No, no,” Hadwin said. Nova remembered how he always sighed while tilting his head. “You are thinking of the bad, you give Lurlina too much attention. The anger and fear of the Djinn inside you will drain your energy faster than anything. If you truly want to be powerful enough to face Lurlina, you must focus on your purpose.”
“My purpose is to destroy Lurlina,” she’d argued.
“Is it? I thought it was to free your mother and the people of the Below?”
Nova had gnawed on her lip so hard, she still had the cut as she’d considered Hadwin’s advice. Taking her dagger in her hand again, she’d tried valiantly to think only of her mother. She’d imagined living on Mollem again, her family together and happy. By the end of the lesson, Nova had pinned Hadwin to the stone ground, both laughing ecstatically.
She smiled, feeling the pride of her growth swell in her heart. Hadwin was an anomaly among the Djinn. He’d taught himself through centuries of living estranged from the temple of the Djinn how to be compassionate to those once thought to be beneath him.
He fought to protect the people of the Below and of Launi, a fight he’d begun with Kamali. Nova’s eyes burned with emotion as thoughts of her mother’s buttery-smooth laugh and brilliant diamond eyes came to mind. The storm settled in her chest as desperation made it nearly impossible to stay put on the island. She needed to move forward, to act. She needed to find her mother.
Nova jumped as something brushed the back of her arm. Kale laughed at her reaction and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You’re jumpy this morning.”
Nova rested her head against his shoulder and moved in closer, enjoying the warmth his body offered against the chill. “You startled me, I think you’ve been around the people here a little too long. I didn’t hear you coming at all.”
Kale had taken up his normal habit of twirling her rose-gold girls around his fingers as he watched the trickle
s of white sunlight battle on through the hazy clouds. He rested his cheek on her forehead, his brown hair tickling her skin. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he said, smiling. “They know how to use stealth in battle, that’s for sure. You seem rather thoughtful this morning. What’s going on in that head?”
Nova sighed, watching a bulge of gray drift against the island then rip away as a strong wind current passed by. “I’m just anxious to take action. Phoenix has disappeared, it would seem. We’re no closer to finding Raine than we were four weeks ago.”
“We’ll find her,” Kale said, his jaw tensing. “Raine is a survivor and a fighter. She’ll be all right.”
“Have you heard from Jenna or your father?” Nova asked, entwining his fingers with hers.
Kale shook his head. “Maddox brought one response when he went to the upper kingdom for ore, but I haven’t been able to respond since no one seems to be leaving the island.”
“Do you ever wish you were back home?” she asked, her eyes staying focused on the sunrise. The Tucker family was magnificent. Loving, understanding, supportive. Her heart ached for Kale and what he was missing, but he refused to leave although he was no longer a prisoner of the band of shadows.
Kale turned her to face him, slowly and gently cupping her face in his hands. Nova held her breath in thrilling anticipation as he pulled her lips to his and kissed her deeply. It was her favorite part of every day. Her stomach whirled in happy flips the more Kale kissed her, a feeling she’d never experienced and berated herself for being so stubborn to fight it not long ago.
Kale pulled back after a moment and locked eyes with her. “I want to be right here. My family is fine, they know I’m alive, and that is all that matters. Well, not to Jenna—she was more relieved to hear I’d found you.”
Nova laughed. “That isn’t true. She cares about you.”
He nodded. “I’m certain she does, but her exact words were ‘Don’t mess things up with Nova, Kale, or you are no longer welcome in our family.’”
Her cheeks flushed as she thought of Kale’s outspoken sister and the bond they’d developed on Silva. Nova pecked his lips quickly. “I don’t think she has anything to worry about.”
Kale’s face turned serious as he brushed a curl behind her ear. “What else is bothering you? I can see it in your eyes.”
She frowned at his perception into her thoughts, a gift of Kale’s she wasn’t thrilled about. Somehow, he always knew when something was bothering her. “It’s nothing really. I’m mostly concerned for Raine, but lately I feel as if something is happening to my mother. I don’t know what it is, but it’s unnerving,” she admitted, before turning back to face the coast. “And I wish my father would come back. You’d think I’d be used to being without him, but now that we’ve found him, I want him to stay close.”
She scoffed and nudged in closer, thinking of Varick. He’d left shortly after the attack from Captain Phoenix, whom Nova had learned was under the command of Lurlina and the temple. She missed her father and wanted to know what he and her Uncle Briggs were doing. She’d wanted to go, but he’d insisted she stay and learn all she could from Hadwin and the band.
Kale kissed her forehead and pulled back slightly. “Well good thing I found you, then,” he began, “because Briggs and your father just returned.”
Nova pulled back in a start, searching his face with wide, desperate eyes. “You’re serious?” she said.
Kale chuckled. “Yes. They left immediately to the weapon magazine, asking to be alone for a moment, but I thought it would be good to let you know.”
Nova turned and rushed toward the cave mouth at the top of the small incline. Kale jogged behind her, trying to keep up with her determined pace. Inside the cave, people bustled around like any town found throughout the island. Mothers hushed children’s whines of hunger, despite the children having smears of food stuck on their pudgy cheeks. The people traded goods with neighbors, blacksmiths pounded more iron and ore into the sleek blades, and groups of the dark-haired people practiced leaping off the stone walls and rolling once they landed. The band of shadows were light on their feet and had the skill of flipping and rolling without effort during combat.
They sailed through the air like birds before softly landing, tucking, or spinning beneath the feet of attackers. They propelled themselves effortlessly up walls with only their arms like a wild beast clamoring up a tree trunk. Their strength was amazing and mind-bending. As she pushed through the inner cave, she nodded and smiled greetings to those who waved and called her name. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Atlas sparring with Talia, a tall woman with long blue-black hair that seemed to sparkle even in the dim lighting. Talia was fierce, quiet, and angry. Maddox was her brother; he stood nearby watching their technique like a silent specter. The siblings were quiet, but Talia had softened toward Nova over the past weeks, though she couldn’t say the same for Maddox.
Talia showed Nova regal respect because of the Djinn inside, but it made her uncomfortable. Maddox had been the one to rescue Talia from the Below, and it had been difficult for her to shift her mindset not to worship the Djinn. As the days passed, Nova saw Talia ignite a fire inside, and her fury fueled her onward as she prepared to go against the temple.
Atlas ducked quickly as Talia swung her blade over his head. She smiled and nodded as they both caught their breath from the exercise. Atlas caught Nova’s eye as she darted past; his light eyes watched her curiously but without the same longing he once had. She didn’t want to admit it because Kale caused her heart to burst at the seams, but letting go of what she had once shared with Atlas was hard.
She’d watched him flourish as a fighter on the micro-island, but also grow into a man fond of the women. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort when she saw him plod down the hallway with a new woman, headed somewhere she didn’t want to think about. Something had changed within him after seeing Captain Phoenix fly away with Raine as his prisoner. He was focused during training and determined to learn all he could to get her back. But it seemed when the sun fell, Atlas would do all it took to forget she was missing. It caused Nova to wonder at the depth of his true feelings. But Atlas was now only her friend and was not obligated to share the truth of his heart.
Turning her attention back to where she was going, Nova pushed through the doorway leading to the ring. The arena was filled with crates of weapons and supplies. Even more people practiced with their curved blades all over the wooden benches and the stone floor. Once Nova thought she would die in the ring. She’d fought her own uncle, not knowing she was going against a fellow Djinn, or that her father was a member of the band. She looked at the podium covered by a white canopy just as the door leading from the magazine tunnel opened.
A surge of relief flooded her chest almost painfully as she saw Varick step out, Briggs close behind. Varick looked exhausted, but his broad shoulders still stood straight and confident. His hair wasn’t tied neatly behind his neck; instead, he let it fall loosely just to the top of his shoulders, and his kind face notably lit up when he saw Nova rushing toward him.
Nova sunk into his arms as her father held her close. “I’m so glad you’re back. You were gone much too long,” she said, feeling like a small child when she spoke.
Varick chuckled as she clutched his neck. “After so many years apart, you’d think a few weeks would be nothing. I missed you,” he said, kissing her forehead.
Nova smiled and hugged Briggs tightly. “Did you find any help?” she asked.
“Ye might say that, Lass,” Briggs said, eyeing Varick.
Nova watched her father as he turned from shaking Kale’s hand and his eyes darkened slightly. At least she thought they had. “We found what we were looking for,” he said.
“What?” she questioned, glancing between the two men. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing, love,” Varick said, pulling her against his side. “Nothing to worry about right now. Tell me, what has happened here while we’ve
been gone? How have your lessons gone with Hadwin?”
Nova shrugged and rushed to keep up with Varick’s long stride into the open cave. Kale and Briggs stayed close behind, chattering about the rough currents leading into the band’s island. “He does what he can, but he is needed in so many places. I would like to know more about the Djinn history, but he is very vague. Don’t you think I should know how the Djinn came to be?”
Varick stopped and tugged on several lines of rough, scratchy rope hanging from one side of the cave. A large platform rose from a locked supply chamber. The platform was loaded with flintlock pistols, long, sleek muskets, and cutlasses of all shapes and sizes. Varick took two pistols and secured them to his hips, as well as a long cutlass with a gold tip.
“I’m sure Hadwin has reasons why he keeps some information to himself. Have you ever asked him why he doesn’t tell you?” Nova shook her head, and Varick smiled as he fastened the cutlass in front of one of the pistols. “Well, perhaps you should. He might surprise you, Love.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Nova said, glancing at the golden pistol hidden inside Varick’s vest. It seemed worn and recently fired, and the thought caused her heart to pound wildly. The pistol was a gift from Hadwin and behaved much like her dagger. Varick had needed a weapon to use against the power of a Djinn, and Hadwin had offered it to him in the pistol. Nova had learned of many objects given to humans from the Djinn. Her own dagger had been infused with Lurlina’s power and given to a mortal long ago. Hadwin had explained Lurlina’s power came at a price, and the human had paid dearly. According to her uncle, Lurlina was the only Djinn who had earned her artifact back, which was the reason she carried the prestigious position as leader of the temple.
“Father,” Nova said, folding her arms over her chest. “Do you really believe in up front honesty? You believe Hadwin will be truthful if I ask?”
Varick faced her, his eyes studying her, before his chiseled mouth pulled up into a smile. “In times such as these, we must be up front with our people. Too much is at risk. Hadwin understands that.”