A Hold on Me

by Pat Esden

  I blew out a breath. “This is totally crazy, sitting here with you in this gallery, talking about genies. I can’t even believe I just suggested Dad wasn’t my father. My mother’s alive. It’s overwhelming.”

  His voice once again went serious. “I promise. I’ll find a way to get your mother back.”

  An exhilarating possibility hurtled into my mind and I grabbed one of his arms with both of my hands. “My mother, did she ever talk about me? She didn’t give you a message for me, did she?” My excitement plummeted and I let go of his arm. “Sorry. Of course, she didn’t. She was imprisoned in a harem and you were a fighter. You didn’t really know each other.”

  “That’s not exactly true.” Chase’s eyes took on a distant look as if he were seeing all the way back to the djinn realm. “She’s an amazing woman, your mother. She used to slip away from Malphic’s quarters to teach us reading, history, and philosophy. I don’t know, maybe Malphic turned a blind eye and let her do it. She did talk about you, sometimes, and when she did, it was obvious she missed and loved you deeply. But, no, she didn’t give me a message. There wasn’t time for that. Neither of us knew about your family’s rescue plan.” He bowed his head. “Sorry.”

  I cupped his chin with my hand, his beard stubble sanding my palm as I lifted his face. Maybe I should have been angry because he was free instead of my mother. Maybe. But his regret was real. And I had no doubt he was telling me the truth. But more than anything, I wanted him to know he could trust me.

  “You’re right. We do need to free her. And we’ll do it together,” I said.

  His eyes, deep and gray as the ocean, lingered on mine.

  Warmth blossomed in my chest, spreading out. I released his chin and shifted in closer, my fingertips grazing his cheek. I wet my lips.

  Flinching away, he pulled my hand from his face and held it captive. “I can’t let you do that.”

  My heart squeezed. “Don’t shut me out, Chase. I like you.”

  He rubbed my hand, his voice gentle. “I’m not talking about that. You can’t have anything to do with rescuing your mother. It’s too dangerous. I’ll bring her back. But I couldn’t live with myself... I couldn’t face her if I let something happen to you.”

  Relief that I’d misinterpreted his words tangled with increasing fear for my mother. “Okay, maybe you’re right about the rescue,” I conceded. “But no matter what, you’re not alone in this. We’re together. Right?”

  He nodded. Then his brow furrowed and his grip on my hand tightened. “I meant what I said at the party. You don’t know me. I’m not normal and I never will be. And that’s not something that you, or hoping, or even a magic wand can change.”

  The sadness in his eyes made my chest ache. “Being a Death Warrior, whatever you went through, it wasn’t your fault. You were kidnapped. They did it to you. But you’re not a slave anymore and I’m not going to let you just push me away. I’m not afraid of you.”

  “You should be,” he said, his voice pitched so low it sent a chill slicing down my spine.

  I sat back, breathing deep. My hands shook and brain staggered, as if I’d eaten a huge chunk of Selena’s willow. I needed to focus. One problem at a time. That’s what Dad would say.

  Dad.

  I swallowed hard. “I don’t know if you’re right or wrong, but I can’t think about any of this right now. Not while that thing is inside my dad.”

  “That, I agree with,” he said.

  A shaft of early morning light slanted through the skylight, casting a stripe of brightness across the floor between us, and bringing with it another reality. It had to be around five o’clock.

  “What are you doing here, anyway?” I asked. “Don’t you ever sleep?”

  Chase grimaced. “I needed to talk to your uncle. Selena’s been arrested.”

  CHAPTER 20

  ♦♦♦♦♦♦.

  What tears also opens. What burns also builds.

  —Engraving on the blade of Malphic’s knife

  Two hours later, I still couldn’t get my head around everything I’d learned about the djinn, my family, and my past, not to mention the startling news of Selena’s arrest. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise after the raid at the beach party, but it had. Chase wasn’t sure what she’d been charged with: disturbing the peace, underage drinking, trespassing. Hopefully, it was nothing worse than that. Like drugs, for instance. Her parents had to be pissed.

  I padded across the foyer toward the dining room. I’d decided to wear jeans and a simple summer top. Probably there wouldn’t be many people at breakfast. Still, it was a day to blend into the background, feel things out, and then decide what to do. It was sheer luck that I hadn’t been with Selena when she got arrested.

  To my surprise, everyone—including Selena—was already at the breakfast table when I entered the room. The only people missing were Laura and Tibbs, and Dad.

  I lowered my head and made straight for coffee at the end of the buffet.

  The Professor was there, measuring teaspoons of sugar into his cup.

  “Feeling better?” I asked him as I poured my own coffee.

  He nodded. “Very much, thank you.”

  Kate cleared her throat. “It would be nice if you two would finish up and join us at the table.”

  The Professor took off with his steaming cup and settled into an empty chair. I grabbed my coffee and a muffin and slid into the seat next to Chase.

  I tossed him a smile. “Nice to see you’re eating with us.”

  “Yeah,” he said, staring at his coffee.

  I glanced at Selena. Her head was bowed, and her napkin lay unfolded beside her plate.

  Quickly, I scanned the rest of the table. Unlike Zachary, who was devouring his bowl of cereal, none of the adults were eating, and they weren’t talking, either. This wasn’t just breakfast. This was like a family meeting—or a firing squad for Selena.

  Kate tapped her fork on her juice glass. “Now that we’re all seated, there are some things that are best discussed as a group.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Chase’s jaw tense. That was odd. He didn’t have a reason to be nervous.

  “Our concern is not so much about the trouble Selena got herself into, it’s that several of you covered for her,” Kate said.

  Selena’s gaze stayed glued on her plate as her father rubbed her back sympathetically. His head swiveled toward me and he glared. “Selena would never have gotten into this situation if she hadn’t been egged on.”

  I stared back at him. What the hell was he talking about? Sure he didn’t like me, but I’d only been here a couple of days and just last night he’d ragged on her about responsibility. I gritted my teeth. This was stupid. What kind of story had Selena told them?

  “Chase,” Kate said. “You were asked on numerous occasions if there were any situations we should be aware of. You chose to lie by saying nothing.”

  He admitted his guilt with a nod.

  My fingers tightened around my coffee cup. I wanted to jab him in the ribs. Tell him to say something, to defend himself. At a minimum, to say he hadn’t forced Selena to sneak out.

  My pulse slammed so hard, I felt it in my throat. Maybe I wasn’t a part of their family, not really. Maybe everyone would be happy when Dad and I were gone. But I wasn’t going to be falsely accused of things or watch Chase get browbeaten for something Selena did. It wasn’t like any of them were lily white!

  I thumped my coffee cup on the table and snarled at Kate. “You’re calling Chase a liar! That’s rich coming from you. You lied to Dad. You said my mother was dead and she isn’t. You stole my memories! And you lied to me, saying Dad was seeing a doctor who didn’t even know his name. What can be worse than that?”

  Kate’s mouth gaped for a second. Then she snapped it shut and turned to Grandfather. “Like I said before, no manners whatsoever. And frankly, if her father were placed in a mental institution, I suspect his issue might resolve itself in time.”

  M
y chair crashed over as I jumped to my feet. “If you think threatening Dad is going to make me become some kind of subservient bobblehead, then you don’t know anything!”

  Chase shot me a warning glance. Zachary shook his head and emphatically mouthed, no.

  “No manners?” Grandfather rubbed his chin.

  A hush settled over the room.

  Selena’s head was still bowed. But everyone else stared at me, undoubtedly waiting for me to stomp out of the room or do something drastic. But doing that would feed right into Kate’s hands. I had to do the unexpected. I couldn’t let them win by playing by their rules.

  Biting my tongue to keep from saying something I’d regret, I picked the chair up and set it on its feet. “I’m sorry I got so angry. But if it wasn’t for the lies, my dad—”

  Suddenly Chase grabbed my wrist and gave it a quick squeeze. “Shush,” he said, glancing at the doorway.

  I turned to see what he was looking at, but no one was there.

  When I looked back at the table, they were still watching me. It was time to switch the topic in a different direction, before my anger returned. “Selena,” I said softly. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  She peeked up. “Thanks,” she mumbled. Before I could say anything more, a voice cut through the dining room.

  “Hi-de-ho!” Dad’s voice came from the doorway. He swaggered into the dining room wearing nothing except a silk bathrobe and more gold necklaces than I realized he owned. Tibbs was two steps behind him. “The lad here was bent on me eating in my ivory tower.” He jerked his thumb at Tibbs. “But I said it’s time to join the masses. No more sickroom for me.”

  Fear and anger pulsed through me and I dropped my gaze to his feet. He reminded me of a murderous clown I’d seen in a horror movie, luring kids into a funhouse filled with warped mirrors. This was so not Dad. This was the damn genie.

  Looking up, I turned on my best fake smile. “Dad, you look—well.”

  “I’m marvelous,” he said. “Like a new man. It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do.” He strode directly up to Kate.

  Wide-eyed, she scuffed her chair back. “I’m glad you’re feeling well?” It was more of a question than a statement.

  “Thanks to your”—he shot Grandfather a wide grin—“both your quick thinking. I don’t recall most of it or the last few months for that matter, or even the exorcism, but Tibbs— kind lad that he is—filled me in.” He winked at me. “Looking pretty as ever,” he said. Then he rubbed his hands together and headed for the buffet.

  As I watched Dad mound food on his plate, I hid my trembling hands on my lap. It seemed like the genie would realize how unlike Dad he was acting. After all, everything he’d done up until now had been above-average clever.

  Then again, perhaps some of that cleverness had been Dad’s doing and now the genie was the one in full control. There was another possibility as well, something I’d seen happen at auctions. Sometimes a person would start to think they knew everything and were smarter than everyone else. Then their super-charged ego would get the better of them and they’d start making silly mistakes. Just like the genie was doing. Trouble was, those people weren’t any less clever. They were just more unpredictable and dangerous than anyone else.

  Dad wolfed everything on his plate while talking nonstop about his new philosophy on how personal difficulties can help a man see the foolishness of past resentments.

  When Laura wandered in with a fresh pot of coffee, Dad raised his voice. “Bring me a brandy, wench,” he said to her. “And there better be mutton on the lunch buffet, or heads will roll.”

  Laura turned a deep shade of red, but produced a decanter and glass from the sideboard and hurried over to Dad.

  “When you’re done,” Kate said to Dad, her voice a bit more subdued than usual, “perhaps you’d like to take the decanter back to your room. Maybe watch some television?”

  Dad closed his eyes, sniffing the brandy fumes rising from his glass. “As enticing as that idea isn’t, I think I’ll take a tour about this place, reacquaint myself with the collections, and the nooks and crannies.”

  “I’d be glad to show you our latest acquisitions,” Grandfather offered.

  “No. I don’t think so.” Dad took a long sip of his brandy, swooshing it around in his mouth before swallowing loudly.

  I raked my fingernails down my pants legs. Dad couldn’t just wander around, not with the genie in control of his body.

  For a second, my fear let up and a possibility came to me. With the genie in full control, it seemed like whatever came out of Dad’s mouth would have to come from the genie’s mind. I needed to learn all I could about genies, and who would know more than an actual genie?

  “Dad?” My voice quivered more than I’d have preferred. It would be a miracle if I could pull this off.

  “Yes, dear.” He set down his empty glass.

  “Would you like to take a walk in the garden? The sun might feel good after being cooped up in your room for so long.” I bit my lip. Maybe that was a bad suggestion, considering the shadows fled from light and genies were stronger at night. But it would get him out of the house and away from the cellar and the treasury where the army of bottled-up genies were undoubtedly kept. And it would give me a chance to quiz him.

  Dad shot up from his chair, his necklaces jangling. “What a fabulous idea. These old bones could use a bit of warmth. A nap on a sandy beach would be pure heaven. Then I’ll take my tour.”

  My hand automatically went to my ear and touched where he had sliced me. The beach?

  No. I couldn’t think about what had happened the last time he and I were there. I had to do this. For Dad’s sake. For me and everyone. At least this time the razor was in my pocket.

  “Annie,” Grandfather said, raising an eyebrow. “Perhaps Chase would like to go with you.”

  I gave Chase a pleading look. “Would you?”

  “You couldn’t stop me,” he said, already halfway out of his chair.

  As we followed Dad out of the dining room, Chase’s fingers entwined with mine. I cast him a sideways glance. One corner of his mouth twitched into a smile and he squeezed my hand, which I hoped meant he knew what I was up to. Better yet, that he had an idea of what information we should try to get out of Dad. I sure didn’t.

  However, I realized we had another problem. Whoever was inside Dad knew Chase was an escaped slave. Maybe he’d attack Chase, for revenge or something. No. More likely he’d pretend to know nothing, at least for the time being.

  When we reached the terrace, Dad stopped. Shading his eyes with his hand, he stared out across the gardens toward the ocean. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  He was right about that. Only a few white clouds and soaring gulls dotted the sky. Otherwise it was perfectly clear and blue. The chime of crickets and the scent of roses filled the air. It was balmy, but not sweltering hot.

  Still, a chill swept my skin, like cold night air slipping in through a cracked window.

  Dad thrust an arm into the air ahead of him as if he were a general leading a charge. “To the beach!” he shouted.

  He took off at a trot, down the steps and through the gardens, his bathrobe flaring out as he hurried. Chase and I dashed after him, past the Shakespeare garden, where the vase that had supposedly held Mother’s ashes still sat, down the metal steps to the rocky shore and a narrow crescent of sun-heated sand and pebbles, left untouched by the high tide.

  With a sigh, he dropped onto a sandy spot and lay back with his arms folded behind his head. “Perfect,” he said. “Absolutely perfect. It reminds me of Egypt.” He raised his head and looked at me. “What are you waiting for, girl? Sit.”

  After I scanned the outside of Dad’s bathrobe for any suspicious shapes—like a concealed weapon, for instance—I took a deep breath and settled down cross-legged, a few yards away from him. My fingers again went to my ear. He sounded good-natured, but that could change in an instant.

  Chase crouched on the other
side of Dad.

  I raised my eyes to Chase’s. He nodded, like he was waiting for me to ask something brilliant. But the only thing that came to mind was how terrified I’d been when Dad had pulled the razor on me.

  A fresh jolt of adrenaline shot through me as I realized why Dad had made me open the vase. The genie inside him couldn’t open locked things, like a sealed vase. Sure, Dad could, but perhaps not when the genie was in full control of his body like he was right now.

  I untangled my legs and drew my knees up close to my chest. Probably the genie hadn’t known for sure what was inside the vase. Maybe he thought it held an imprisoned genie that had died. That would explain why the shadow-genies had been so curious about the vase. Or maybe the genie dumped the ashes to show Dad he was in control, as a warning intended to make Dad behave. Whatever the genie’s motive was, I didn’t have time to try to puzzle it out right now.

  I took a steadying breath and pasted on a confident expression, like I was about to talk a customer into buying a chipped piece of porcelain. “I’m so glad you’re feeling better,” I said to Dad. “You know what I’ve really missed?”

  “What, child?” He pulled himself up on one elbow and gave me a crazy clown grin.

  “Your stories. I’ve been bragging to Chase about them. It’s such a beautiful day. Why don’t you treat us? Tell us the one about the genies.”

  His grin narrowed into a sly smile. “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you tell me a story for a change? I’d like to hear the one about the Lamp of the Everlasting Flame.”

  I frowned. “I don’t remember that story.” It wasn’t a lie, Dad never talked about that.

  “I think he’s referring to the Lamp of Methuselah?” Chase said.

  Dad’s gaze swung toward Chase, then he turned back and nodded forcefully at me. “Yes. That’s it. That’s the story I want.”

  I caught Chase’s eyes and gave a slight shrug. I couldn’t very well tell a story about something I’d never heard of. Besides, I had the strange feeling the genie was turning the tables on me—like Chase had tried to do with the beer at the party.