“We have a slightly different form of payment in mind,” I answered. Now was the moment of truth. “I’ll give you the lamp for only half what we paid for it.” We’d make the coin back. We always did. “If you agree to come with us to the kingdom of Baradaan. To bear witness to the prince of Baradaan breaking the Jinni code.”
“Bear witness,” he repeated. Arie frowned at the phrase. I’d picked it up in my inquiries. It was the Jinni’s ancient term for observing an action and passing judgment. Legend had led me to believe it was a common practice in Jinn, but Gideon narrowed his eyes. “So you lust for revenge?”
I hesitated. How did he know that? “The princes are abusing their Gifts,” I answered after a long pause. I didn’t want to spill my story to a stranger. “Across all the kingdoms. Someone needs to hold them accountable.”
“You lust for revenge,” he repeated, and it was no longer a question. I wondered how he’d deciphered something I’d kept so carefully hidden. When I didn’t answer, he asked, “There is truly no other way I can convince you to part with it?”
“No.” I didn’t want it in the first place. I wanted his help.
“Then I’m truly sorry,” Gideon said. He knelt, scooping up a handful of rocks and picking through them. He chose a simple gray stone barely larger than his thumbnail, more a pebble than a rock, smooth and round. He dropped the other stones, placing the gray pebble in his palm, and running his other hand over it in a smooth motion. Was that... was he doing a Jinni spell?
He held it out, but he offered it to Arie, instead of me. I gritted my teeth yet again, keeping my face smooth, and peered over Arie’s shoulder to see it. There was a strange design etched into the previously smooth rock, a swirl that almost resembled a snail shell, intricate and detailed enough that someone could mistake it for an actual shell and not notice the uniqueness of the pebble.
“If either of you change your mind about selling the lamp, give my talisman a rub,” he told us, pointing to the pebble. Arie’s fingers curled around the talisman and she placed it within the folds of her dress pockets, making me nervous.
“We’re not changing our mind,” I repeated, emphasizing we to make it clear that Arie didn’t have a choice. I felt desperate and hated it. “What can we do to change yours?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid.” Gideon tugged his vest down as if to make himself presentable, though he was perfectly neat. Tapping his cane on the ground, he sighed. “I’m unable to spare time for your schemes, as I’m obligated to finish an urgent assignment of my own. Good day.”
The air bent around him as if folding him into it like a blanket, and he vanished. One second he stood in front of us, and the next we stared at the tree behind him.
“Wait!” I shouted into the thin air he’d left behind.
But he was gone.
Chapter 13
Kadin
“DO YOU THINK THE Jinni is gonna steal the lamp from the auctioneer?” Ryo asked without malice.
“No,” I shrugged, barely seeing the dirt road in front of me as we trudged back into town. Everything had fallen apart. “The Jinn honor their code. They wouldn’t stoop to stealing.” The code of Jinn. What I’d hinged my entire plan on in the first place. What if I was wrong?
According to the code, there were three unbreakable rules:
1) Never use a Gift to deceive
2) Never use a Gift to steal
3) Never use a Gift to harm another
Every bone in my body had been convinced that all I needed to do was point a Jinni in the right direction—to Baradaan—and my little brother would finally receive justice. I’d overestimated how important their code was to them. Something to keep in mind...
Arie walked beside me, lost in thought. Could the little Jinni-hunter find another Jinni as quickly as she had today? She glanced up at me as I thought this. She tended to do that a lot. I didn’t think on it long though, as another idea struck me. What if Gideon was bluffing? What if he might be willing to help us, if we called his bluff? After all, he’d given us his talisman as a way to reach him...
“Well, what’re we gonna do, boss?” Bosh asked me, picking up his pace until he was by my side.
“We’re going to return to the auction block and claim our lamp before the end of the week.” I smiled at him as my plan clicked into place. “We’ll just need a little more coin.” Bosh nodded, content to have another job on the horizon.
We would see if Gideon still turned me down when I held the object he so clearly wanted in the palm of my hand.
“What if the Jinni is still with us now?” Daichi whispered from the other side. The big man looked nervous. Not one to startle easily, he must be truly terrified.
The Jinni had appeared and disappeared into thin air. For the second time that day I felt a prickly unease. I tried not to show it. “Then he should know we’re serious.” My voice rose higher than usual at the end.
“His name is Gideon,” Arie piped up from behind us where she’d slowly fallen behind and now trailed after the group. I’d forgotten she was there. “And he was perfectly nice.”
I paused at the entrance to town, turning to face her. “Nice enough, but not very helpful.”
“Well, maybe not everyone is interested in going on a little revenge assignment. I think I’d prefer not to go either, actually.” She tossed some of that beautiful raven hair over her shoulder and skirted around me, continuing on down the road into town. “It was very nice to meet everyone, thank you for letting me stay with you for a while. And good luck on getting your payback, whatever that might be.”
“Not so fast,” I called after her, picking up my pace until I walked beside her again. “I’ll need that talisman before you go.” I held out my hand.
“I’d like to keep it.” So casual. As if she wasn’t withholding the most precious item in all of our possessions combined.
“I don’t think so.” She clutched it tighter. She wanted the Jinni’s help as badly as we did. But why? Had she ever meant to help us, or had she only joined our crew for herself?
When she just smiled at me, I dropped my hand. “Please.” The word fell flat. “I need it to call Gideon back once we officially purchase the lamp.”
“He gave it to me,” she argued, not slowing down for a second. “How do you know it would even work for you?”
I considered that. Then considered stealing it from her. The idea of taking it by force made me uncomfortable. Glancing back, I found my men trailing us, wide-eyed at the girl standing up to the boss. Not something that happened every day.
“Unless you’ve come into a fortune recently, you can’t go anywhere,” I told her, grinning in triumph. “The auctioneer expects you to pay him by the end of the week for that lamp.”
She froze mid-step.
“And it’s strange,” I continued, stopping beside her to cross my arms and tap my chin. “I don’t know how I know this, maybe I have a Gift—but I feel fairly certain you don’t have any coin to pay for it.” I let my eyes drift to her clothing, ripped along the collar and by her feet, as if someone had hacked at it with shears, and dirty from sleeping on the ground at least once.
The men had grown silent behind me. Probably trying to fade into the background as Arie’s glare burned up all the air in the space between us. She took one menacing step toward me. I stayed planted in the middle of the road.
“I don’t want the lamp.” She took a step toward me. “I don’t need the lamp,” she said on another step. “And I have no plans to pick it up, so why should I worry about paying for it?”
She stopped in front of me, less than a foot of space between us, hands on her hips.
“I hate to break it to you, but creditors aren’t going to see it that way.” I shrugged, whistling a tuneless song as I stepped around her now, gesturing for the others to follow. “As far as they’re concerned, your bid means you bought it. No excuses, no changing your mind.”
Over my shoulder, I spoke up in case she was too stubborn t
o follow just yet. “Illium, what do the creditors do to people who can’t pay their debts?”
“Well, sometimes they’ll enslave them,” Illium answered in his deep voice, as serious and dour as ever. “Other times, they’ll put them in a cell or cut off a hand.” He shrugged. “Depends on the size of the debt, really.”
I let that sink in for a moment, before I paused, turning back to face Arie, where she still stood in the middle of the street. “I suppose you could try to go into hiding. But I can’t guarantee that’d be very effective.”
Ryo caught on to my tricks and backed me up. “Oh, they always find you.” He shook his head. “It’s terrible what they do when someone backs down on their word.” He lowered his voice so she was forced to step up and join us as we walked on. “I’ve heard awful stories of them taking the payment however they can...”
“Aww, maybe it won’t be that bad,” Bosh tried to encourage her, not realizing my ploy. “How much did you bid again?”
When she told him, he whistled a high note that fell low and final. “Ah,” he said, “Nevermind.”
I smirked a little, but didn’t turn around. “It’s up to you,” I shrugged, still not looking back. “But we’re going to need that Jinni’s talisman back, either way.”
Chapter 14
Arie
I’D WANTED TO FIND a quiet corner in the city where I could call Gideon back and make my request. I’d been rehearsing what I could say to convince him since the moment he’d vanished. But now... I clutched my skirts and squeezed, imagining they were wrapped around Kadin’s neck. His cocky smile made me furious. After my brush with slavery just the day before, he knew I wouldn’t risk that again.
But he was beginning to worry. Is she going to follow? He and his men continued to walk on, though Bosh broke the unspoken agreement between them and glanced back at me multiple times as the space between us grew. Good. Let them stew a bit longer.
Why hadn’t I just asked Gideon sooner? It had only taken me a few short minutes to work it out. I would start by appealing to his Jinni code, I’m sure the Jinn dislike humans stealing their abilities. And then, straight to the point: I don’t even want my Gift and would like to request a Severance... No... maybe a bit more formal. He seemed to appreciate formality: I would like to beg you to consider providing me with a Severance... I could improvise that part... In return, I’ll sign the lamp over to you. A willing subject asking for their Gift to be removed? How could he say no? But the only way it would work was if I could get away from the crew and it didn’t look like Kadin was going to let that happen anytime soon.
“If I’m staying with you, I’m keeping it,” I finally called out after them as I started to walk. I slipped my hand into my pocket, clutching the small pebble before I caught myself. Making every effort to avoid rubbing it, I carefully let go and pulled my cloak around me as if that would stop them from taking it. I could only trust Kadin’s thought earlier would hold. He didn’t want to harm me.
I stopped in front of him. “Gideon gave it to me.” We stood at a crossroads in the streets, literally and figuratively. I could tell he was frustrated, as much as he tried to hide it. The way those golden-brown eyes squinted at me. But I didn’t back down.
“Fine,” he said, after a long moment. He turned, leading us through the narrow passages between tall buildings, winding this way and that until I was thoroughly lost. The men kept me in the center of the group, and no one said another word until we reached the now-familiar green door of their small dwelling. They didn’t trust me as much now. We’ll have to keep an eye on her at all times, Naveed signed and they nodded agreement.
Everyone kept quiet as we entered, sensitive to the strange mood that had settled over us. I didn’t care. I had nothing to say, so I stayed silent as well.
We sat down to the piping hot stew that Naveed had put together before we left. I sat on the far side of the sofa from Kadin. We ate in silence that grew more awkward the longer it stretched.
Why doesn’t she want to help us? I tried to ignore Bosh’s thought, holding my bowl out to Naveed and gesturing for a refill. I’d eat until I couldn’t take another bite. At least then I’d have a full stomach when I snuck away later.
“Please, Arie,” Bosh surprised me by speaking up. “I know you don’t want to stay with us. But we’re not all bad. We can be quieter and Naveed’s food is really good and—”
“Shut it,” Daichi growled. “She doesn’t care about us.”
Ryo smacked him across the head. “Not you at least, if you go around talking like that.”
Kadin cleared his throat. “What they’re trying to say, so poorly—” he lifted one eyebrow at the men and it disappeared under his long hair, “—is that we really need a Jinni’s help. It’s not right what these princes get away with. No one stands up to them. We just want justice. You understand, don’t you?”
I accepted the second bowl from Naveed slowly. His eyes pleaded with me. Glancing around the room, I saw that all of them hung on my answer. Daichi restlessly played with his doorknob, while Ryo chewed his lip. Illium scowled, even grouchier than usual; he’d already made up his mind that he didn’t like me. Kadin wouldn’t lower himself to beg, but his eyes implored me to reconsider, almost as if he knew what I was planning.
Lowering the bowl, I stared down at the food in thought, avoiding their gaze. I’d grown up with the princes and their foolish, power hungry ways. At least I’d been somewhat protected, as a princess. What must it have been like for these men, for them to venture out on a quest for vengeance?
Glancing up again after a minute, I caught the men signing to each other, but whatever they were saying, it wasn’t about me because the thoughts stayed a wordless hum. Bosh’s head whipped back and forth, watching Daichi sign, then Illium and Kadin respond. Naveed joined in, hands moving faster than all of theirs combined. Bosh squinted, looking as confused as I felt.
My mind drifted back home, to the reminder of my own power-hungry, unwanted fiancé, King Amir. I imagined Gideon teaching him a lesson that would send him running back to his castle, leaving my father in peace. That alone made me reassess my decision.
Maybe it was possible to do both; to help them convince Gideon and to convince Gideon myself. I didn’t really have anywhere else to go. No one was hiring. I didn’t have any coin. Better to stay with this small group of people whom I half-trusted, where I could get a warm meal. If I helped them first, and asked for Gideon’s help later, it would give me time to get to know Gideon too. That seemed reasonable.
“If I stay long-term,” I began, and Bosh and Ryo cheered. “Then I get paid as a partner. Whatever the rest of you earn, that’s what I’ll earn too.” I had no idea how much that might be, but judging by their clothing, they had to have some coin. If I was careful, I could save my pay and make it last. No one would steal from me again without serious consequences.
“Agreed,” Kadin said. And this time everyone cheered. Except me.
I paused in chewing. “So how are you going to pay for the lamp?” I asked. “Because as you said, I obviously don’t have enough.” Out of everyone here, I should’ve been most able to afford it. I ignored the urge to mourn the loss of my tiara and jewels once more. “Do you have some treasure hidden somewhere that I don’t know about?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Kadin said, waving off my concerns. “It’s something we know how to do.”
Chapter 15
Kadin
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING up so early?” I asked Arie, stepping out onto the roof. The morning sun still kissed the horizon and the light had a pure, shimmery quality to it, cool and refreshing before the heat of the day took effect, if a bit damp with dew.
I tried to catch my breath as I approached. When I’d woken, her door had been open—and though I wouldn’t admit it to her, I’d run through the entire house searching for her, terrified she’d left in the night with the talisman.
She sat curled up on the sofa surrounded by pillows, wearing the s
ame dress she’d worn the last two days. It occurred to me, belatedly, that she didn’t have anything else. Didn’t have a single bag or coin to her name. And yet, besides a hint of dark circles under her eyes, she looked beautiful and perfect. A blush rose in her cheeks as I admired her.
“Were the men too loud last night?” I pulled a chair over to sit by her, turning it backwards so I could straddle it and drape my arms over the back, facing the colorful sky as well. “They aren’t used to having a lady in the crew. Have we made you uncomfortable?”
“No.” She shook her head, but didn’t take her eyes off the sunrise. “They’re fine. You’re all fine. I just couldn’t sleep.”
“Are you worried about something?” I studied her out of the corner of my eye. “Something you want to share?” Ever since we’d told her our plans for the heist last night, she’d been quiet.
That got her attention. One perfect brow arched as she glanced over at me. “Something I want to share? How about you go first? It’s not every day one meets six men preparing to steal treasure from a king. And not to keep, but to pay for a Jinni’s services? All of which, everyone immediately changes the subject when I ask...”
I laughed. “Fair point.” The men were just following orders. They had their secrets, and I had mine. The pink streaks in the sky were fading to a more normal blue. The men would be up soon if they weren’t already.
“You’re good at keeping secrets, you know that? You’re impossible to... read,” Arie faltered over the last word.
“Am I?” I smiled, liking the idea. When she frowned back at me, I chuckled. Oh, why not tell her a little? “You want to know about us? About how we started stealing from castles?”
She nodded. Swinging her legs off the sofa, she faced me fully, leaning forward.
“Where should I start?” I teased, tapping my chin. “Well, Illium, Ryo, and Daichi aren’t here for the Jinni. They only care about getting paid. I caught the cousins fleecing travelers along the road for small coin almost two years ago. They’re better at working together than they let on. Illium, we met even more recently; about nine months back. We’d heard rumors he was good with poisons, but he was selling sleeping tonics and other potions when we met. We went looking for him, since we needed someone with his talents for some jobs. He’s a bit spooked by the Jinni though. I’m not sure if he’ll stay with us.” The thought made me pause. The older man could be dangerous if he wanted to be. I’d have to handle him with care and a generous send off.
An Aladdin Retelling: The Stolen Kingdom Series, #1 Page 9