An Aladdin Retelling: The Stolen Kingdom Series, #1

by Bethany Atazadeh

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” he asked then. So candid.

  “You don’t,” I said, choosing to be equally direct in return. “But you can test me, if you’d like. I can find a Jinni.” The truth was, I only knew limited bits and pieces of the methods; the book had been extremely vague. I needed him to help me with the rest. Including survival. “Hire me, and I’ll help you track and find a Jinni in under a week’s time.” A bold statement. I had no idea if it was true, but I needed work, I needed coin, and I needed time to plan.

  “There’s something odd about you,” he replied. “Tell you what. Come to dinner.” Though he didn’t mean for me to hear it, I caught the thought that followed. At least we can give her something to eat before we make any decisions. “If you can convince my crew, then you’re hired.”

  “Your crew?” My stomach wanted to ask more about dinner, but I made myself focus.

  “There’s six of us total.” Those warm golden eyes watched me closely. He still didn’t quite buy my lie. “Thought you would’ve heard that when you were making inquiries.”

  Best not to reply to that.

  “Do you promise I’ll be safe?” I asked. I didn’t mean for my voice to get so high and shrill at the end.

  “I give you my word,” he replied. But I listened for his thoughts. No sign of deceit. No ulterior motives. He meant it.

  I let myself relax, just a little. My feet ached, my stomach still pinched me as if to say one meal was not nearly enough. Once I let my guard down, weariness overcame me. I could’ve slept right there in the street. “Okay,” I said. “Dinner it is.”

  Chapter 1O

  Arie

  KADIN BROUGHT US TO a small abode on the edge of town. Made of the same pale limestone as the other buildings, I recognized the warm green door with peeling paint under a set of stairs leading to the homes above. It was where I’d first met him. An oddly small place for someone dressed like him.

  In the early afternoon heat, the streets and roofs were empty. No one lounged outside to witness me enter.

  My steps slowed.

  Kadin strode ahead of me, confident, head held high. But I’d gotten enough of his thoughts in piecemeal to know he was as unsure as I was.

  He glanced back as he pulled out a key. “Changing your mind?”

  “No,” I said after a long pause, feeling uncertain. Severance, I reminded myself. For myself, and maybe... maybe for Amir? That was an idea I hadn’t considered before. It would certainly solve a lot of problems. This is about more than just a job and a meal. I limped past him on blistered feet toward the green door with as much dignity as I could muster.

  Unlocking it, his fingers curled around the handle and he pushed it open, ushering me in ahead of him. Stepping inside, I blinked, waiting for my eyes to adjust, appreciating the cooler air after the sun had beaten down on me without ceasing the past few days.

  A low sofa stretched the span of three walls in the small front room, all three sides covered in brightly colored pillows. The decorative window covering let light in through a hundred different designs making patterns across the walls and floor. It was a beautiful home, but there was nothing personal, no paintings or tapestries. An older man lounged at the table, which held the noon meal.

  My mouth watered.

  The man didn’t look up, busy working with a knife and a piece of wood. He was nearly my father’s age and his skin was even darker than Baba’s. His head was shaved smooth, but he’d allowed a carefully trimmed beard to grow.

  Kadin cleared his throat. “We have company,” he told the man, who glanced up at me. “This is Arie. Arie, this is Illium.”

  The older man nodded, once, and returned to his work. The complete lack of thoughts about me proved his disinterest was real.

  A younger man came through the kitchen door holding a tray with steaming cups of tea. Kadin repeated the introductions, adding, “This is Naveed.” The younger man was closer to my age, and I assumed Kadin’s as well. He had light brown skin, closely cropped black hair, and warm brown eyes. He set the tea down and stepped forward to shake my hand. He didn’t say a word, only smiled and squeezed my hand. Hello, he thought and let go, still not speaking.

  It should’ve made me feel ill at ease, but it didn’t. I smiled back. “Wonderful to meet you both.”

  Illium grunted, focused on his whittling. Naveed nodded in reply. You as well. I began to feel nervous, but held myself still and composed, trying to hide it. Had he somehow sensed my Gift? Was this a test?

  “Each member of my crew has a job,” Kadin said, pulling my thoughts away from the strangely quiet man. “Illium is in charge of potions and poisons. Naveed is my eyes and ears.” Again, a grunt from one and a nod from the other.

  Naveed’s hands moved lightning fast, almost like a dance, and I heard his thoughts as he spoke to Kadin. Tell her what happened.

  “Naveed is unable to speak,” Kadin added. “He lost his tongue many years ago when one of the princes decided they didn’t like something he said.”

  I swallowed, suddenly very aware of my own tongue. Kadin said the words casually, but a muscle tightened in his jaw and there was fire in his eyes.

  His thoughts were only a soft hum since he wasn’t thinking of me. Had he been involved somehow? He sat on the sofa, gesturing for me to join them. I chose the empty side across from Illium, and a few feet from Kadin, perching on the edge. I eyed the food, but tried to focus on Kadin’s words.

  “You’d think Illium over there is mute as well.” Kadin joked, which eased the tension in Naveed’s shoulders as he settled onto the sofa by Illium. “But his silence is just by choice.” The older man’s hands never stopped moving, but he flung one up in a crude gesture before returning to his work, and Kadin laughed at the response.

  I picked at the dirt under my nails, feeling completely out of my element, but forced myself to stop. Turning to Naveed, I cleared my throat. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.” I knew it hadn’t happened in our kingdom or I’d have heard of it, yet I still felt responsible. Rulers should be just and fair.

  He smiled. She’s kind.

  I watched his hands as Naveed signed and Kadin translated. “He says don’t worry about it.”

  I pressed my lips together and nodded, but knew I wouldn’t forget his story anytime soon.

  “Arie’s here for a meal,” Kadin told them both, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. “I’ll explain more when the others get here.”

  Naveed waved toward the food on the table, offering me a bowl.

  “Yes, please. Thank you,” I said in a rush, leaning forward.

  He filled the bowl with rice and vegetables. It was simpler than what we ate back home, yet tasted better than any meal I’d ever had in my entire life.

  I’d only taken a few bites when the door burst open, startling me. Three men entered mid-conversation, shutting the door and stepping into the room before they noticed me and fell silent.

  “This is Arie,” Kadin began all over again, and introduced them to me one by one. “This is Ryo, Daichi, and Bosh.” Each of them waved.

  Nice.

  How’d she get here?

  She’s pretty!

  The onslaught of thoughts made my head ache, but I tried not to wince as I greeted them.

  Ryo gave me a wide smile that he assumed worked on all the ladies as he sat down first. “Make room, make room,” he said, grinning at me. I scooted over to the bench where Kadin sat as they crowded in, but I didn’t have far to go. I felt oddly aware of Kadin’s presence, even though we weren’t touching.

  Daichi moved slowly, more cautious, and if his thoughts were any indication, a bit shy. He and Ryo were both handsome, with black hair and almost equally dark eyes, the only difference was while Ryo was clean shaven with closely shorn hair, Daichi’s most defining features were his beard and topknot. Both had tattoos that swirled out from underneath their shirts, which spoke of them hailing from Bafrin in the East.

  �
��You’re taking all the food,” Daichi grumbled as Ryo scooped more and more until he’d made a tiny mountain in his bowl.

  “Oh, shut it, I worked harder than you.” Ryo took his time scooping yet another helping, which only made Daichi grumble more.

  “Those two are cousins,” Kadin murmured as they bickered. “But you’d think they were brothers the way they argue.”

  Normally they would’ve had my full attention, and the quiet boy seated in the corner would’ve gone unnoticed, but his thoughts were louder than all of the conversation combined. She’s so pretty. I wonder if she’s older than me? I wonder if she likes Kadin? She probably likes Kadin...

  I ducked my head, focusing on my bowl instead of the boy. He looked younger than the others, tall and gaunt with gangly arms and legs, like he’d missed a lot of meals growing up or had just recently grown a foot. The dark fuzz on his upper lip grew in patches.

  As they settled in to eat, they talked less, and I inhaled my food. I found myself grateful that men could only think about one thing at a time. Focused on the food—or in Illium’s case, the strange little object he was carving—the quiet allowed me to finish my own meal in peace. With the warm food in my belly, I started feeling sleepy.

  “More?” Kadin asked, taking the bowl from my hands. I nodded, embarrassed but still hungry.

  He scooped another helping, handing it to me before he sat back down. The light from the window reflected the gold flecks in his brown eyes and distracted me until he spoke to the others, “Arie here tells me she’s an expert in the Jinn.”

  Their thoughts assaulted me all at once and I couldn’t even separate them in the jumble. Ryo winked at me. “That true, gorgeous?”

  “It is,” I managed a weak smile. Not very convincing. “I’m trained in hunting the Jinn.”

  “Says she’d be a good addition to our team,” Kadin added, and then took a bite. It seemed that was as much introduction as I would be given.

  “The question is, why are you all looking for a Jinni?” I asked. Did they want some extra help to steal something? Or did they want to steal something from a Jinni?

  Illium blew all the wood shavings from his lap in the silence, and the others watched him, none of them replying. Bits and pieces of their thoughts flooded my mind. Why does she want to know...how does... can we trust... she telling the truth? It was overwhelming. I pressed a hand to my forehead, rubbing my temples. I didn’t know if I’d ever learn to pick a thought out of a group when they all coincided like this. Hopefully, if this went according to plan, I’d never have to. I cleared my throat and added, “You know what, it’s none of my business. All I need to know is if you want my help.”

  “We definitely need your help,” Bosh said, licking his finger as he spoke. “We haven’t had any luck—” he cut off as Kadin lifted a few subtle fingers. “Um... today that is...” he faltered, trying to recover, but Kadin just sighed and shook his head. I bit the inside of my lip to keep from smiling.

  Naveed set down his bowl to sign something. Kadin didn’t translate, but I overheard, How did she know?

  “That’s what I want to know too.” Kadin replied, still not bothering to interpret for me. He signed something further. She has secrets. Don’t know what they are yet.

  You have such a soft spot for the unfortunate souls, Naveed signed back, shaking his head at Kadin with a small smile. At first I thought my Gift was growing and expanding to all thoughts, until I realized Naveed meant me.

  I schooled my face not to react, scooping up the last kernels of rice until my bowl was clean. Kadin wasn’t as convinced as I’d hoped. He finally spoke, “I figure we can hear her out. See what she knows. What do you all think?”

  Illium shrugged, turning over the wood to scrape away at a new place, speaking for the first time. “Whatever it takes.” His deep baritone voice surprised me. It was soothing and melodic, with the cadence of a natural speaker.

  Kadin nodded. “That’s a yes from Illium,” he said to me as Naveed signed something. “And from Naveed as well.”

  Ryo spoke with his mouthful. “I vote yes.” Daichi lifted his spoon in agreement, which Kadin noted with a nod.

  “Definitely,” Bosh’s voice came out a bit higher than he might’ve intended, “We need a lady in the crew.”

  “A lady, huh?” Ryo teased him. “Trying to flirt, are we?”

  Bosh blushed and stuttered, “I just meant, for all the, you know, for when we need to get into certain places that—”

  “We knew what you meant, Bosh,” Kadin cut him off. Why did I get the feeling Bosh had been about to say something Kadin didn’t want me to hear? Were they looking for a Jinni or were they thieves? Or both? Kadin set down his bowl to give me his undivided attention. “So, Arie. How do you go about hunting a Jinni?”

  Their gazes turned to me. “Before I start,” I said, clearing my throat to buy myself time. “I should ask what you already know?”

  Kadin frowned. Is it a ploy? Maybe she’s using us and doesn’t know anything. I kept my face clear and open, not letting a single twitch reveal I was doing exactly that.

  “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to exchange information,” Kadin said slowly. I could tell the men trusted him; they waited for him to continue. “We know the Jinn are drawn to certain objects. Ancient relics and antiques. But we’re not entirely certain which ones. Daichi—” he waved to the bearded man, “—show her the artifact.”

  I eyed the tattoos curling out across Daichi’s thick arms as he pulled a small, circular item out of his pocket.

  At first, I thought it was a metal ball. He held it out toward me and I accepted, feeling the cold weight of the object in my palm. “It’s a doorknob...”

  “Close,” Bosh spoke up, “It’s a door knocker.” He grinned at my surprise.

  When I glanced back up at Daichi, a blush had risen above his beard. Was he embarrassed of the item? He held out his hand to take it back and I returned the odd metal door knocker.

  “Why...” I trailed off, not knowing where to start.

  “The Jinn are known to appear at auctions looking for particularly old items,” Kadin explained. Naveed took my bowl and I pressed my hands together, unsure what to do with them. Everyone was finished, but we stayed seated, listening to Kadin. His men clearly respected him. It made me wonder what he’d done to earn such loyalty.

  “It’s believed that certain antiques may be enchanted for different Jinni, to enhance their Gifts. Different objects for different abilities.” Kadin clasped his hands together, speaking quietly. His words reminded me of the book full of Jinni spells back home. “At first we searched for individual items.” He gestured to the door knocker. “But if you don’t know what you’re looking for it’s nearly impossible to know if you’re chasing the right item. We were never able to find a Jinni that way. A while back we decided to try auctions with some success.”

  “Success?” Ryo scoffed. “We’ve been to dozens of auctions. In almost as many towns. We’ve seen one Jinni.” Illium looked up sharply at Ryo, furious with him for revealing so much information to a stranger. Without this reaction, I’d have missed it. They hadn’t been here long. That explained why there was nothing personal in the décor, nothing to speak of a home.

  Kadin only shrugged. “We made the mistake of waiting for the last Jinni to win the bid before trying to meet him. He disappeared before we could approach.”

  “We even tried coming back the next day,” Bosh added helpfully, “You know, when the bidders pay for their winnings and pick them up? But he’d already came and went.”

  Kadin waved a hand. “The important thing is, we know an auction is the best place to find a Jinni. And now we know, the best way to gain an introduction, will be to possess the item they’re bidding for. Then, they’ll have to come to us.”

  The puzzle pieces fell into place. I hadn’t known that, but I finally remembered what I’d noticed in the Jinni book back home. It was a tidbit that would immediately place me as an expert now. Exce
pt... the door knocker didn’t make sense. “Was a Jinni actually bidding for the door knocker?”

  “I told you it was stupid,” Ryo muttered.

  “Shut it,” Daichi snapped, shoving the piece back into his pocket, growing redder.

  “We were experimenting,” Kadin pacified the men, speaking to me and ignoring the muttered jabs at Daichi over his ‘precious door knocker.’ “We’ve spent a few months traveling from one auction to the next. Usually we bid low and let someone else outbid us, once we feel confident the other person isn’t a Jinni. But in a few rare cases, our bid ended up being the highest.”

  “Yeah,” Bosh joked, trying to impress me, “like when this dingbat thought a Jinni would want something as stupid as an old piece of a door.”

  “I said, shut it,” Daichi stood so fast he knocked the table in front of him, spilling a half empty cup of tea. Naveed jumped up to catch it, mopping up the spill before it reached the floor.

  “Daichi, why don’t you go get some air,” Kadin said lightly.

  Glaring around the circle, Daichi stomped out the door and it slammed shut behind him. Instead of being ashamed, Bosh chuckled, and Ryo and Illium joined him.

  Kadin’s lips quirked, but he resumed his explanation as if nothing had happened, leaning back against the bench. “That’s all we know. Your turn.” His sharp gaze met mine, deceptively casual but I knew from his thoughts that he was convinced I was about to reveal how little I knew.

  I shouldn’t have been offended. He was wise to be skeptical, right even. But if he hadn’t thought I had true information then this whole meal had been charity. It made me bristle. “It’s not just any artifacts they want,” I told Kadin with a tone of authority, shaking my head at him. “They need to be timepieces.”

  I paused, waiting for a reaction, but Kadin only frowned, studying me.

  “You know, items that mark time in some form or fashion,” I prompted, keeping my features still, trying not to be nervous. I didn’t have any other information to share. If he’d already discovered this, I was in trouble.