Marked (The Secrets of the Djinn)

by Bonnie Lamer

  “Zane, it’s the mark.”

  He nods, doubt swimming in his eyes, but tries to mask it from his face. “That’s what I want to believe.”

  “Then believe it,” I say softly.

  He drops his hands and steps back when the elevator door opens. “Skye, I’m developing feelings for you that I’m not used to having, hence my raging jealousy downstairs. After my parents died, dating was the last thing on my mind. Especially when the whole djinn shit fell on top of us. So maybe it’s normal for me to feel like this after knowing you for such a short period of time. Maybe it’s not. I don’t know. I also don’t know how much of what I’m feeling has to do with us being bound.”

  I feel my face fall and my shoulders droop. I was desperately hoping he wasn’t going to use the ‘L’ word, but I didn’t think he’d go in the total opposite direction. “I understand.”

  His eyebrows move halfway up his forehead. “You understand what?”

  I force my eyes to meet his. “I understand that we should back up. I don’t want you to feel like I do when Roman gets too close. I don’t want to control you or how you feel, so it’s probably best if we’re not…lovers.”

  “You got all that from my little speech, huh?” I nod. He chuckles and rubs my cheek with the back of his index finger. “And here I thought I was just apologizing for acting like a jealous ass.”

  I narrow my eyes and search his face. Is he being serious? Even if he is, I have to be honest with him. “Zane, Malik told me that as a Marid, I can make humans my slaves by binding them to me.”

  He considers that for a moment and then a slow grin forms on his lips. He leans in close and whispers in my ear, “Then it’s a good thing I wanted to be your sex slave before we were bound.” His breathe whispering against my skin causes pleasant shivers down my spine.

  “Prove it,” I whisper back.

  His grin is still in place as he takes my hand and leads me out of the elevator.

  Chapter 45 – The Flames

  He stops at my bedroom door and turns the knob. “Let me jump in the shower and then I’m all yours.” He raises a brow. “Unless you care to join me.”

  I move past him with a smile and walk towards the bathroom pulling my shirt over my head as he closes the door. I unsnap my jeans and slip them off. Next, I unclasp my black lacy bra and slip it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor. My panties are the next to go as I open the bathroom door.

  Zane wraps his arms around me from behind and cups my breasts in his hands. His hips press me against the vanity and he nuzzles my neck on the opposite side of my mark. I have to put my hands on the sink to steady myself. Heat and moisture are already pooling at my core in anticipation. He better not make me wait.

  Zane’s nimble fingers on one hand massage and play while his thumb makes my nipple pebble, causing my breath to catch. His other hand is at the fly of his jeans, fumbling to get them open. When he does, he slides them down his hips. His erection is pressed firmly against my ass and I move my hips up and down as I press back.

  He practically tears his boxers off. Spreading my legs slightly with his knee, he enters me hard and I bite my lip to keep from crying out. Oh my god, he feels good. His cock slides out slowly, making me moan and push back against him. I can see his grin in the mirror. He knows what I want and he’s holding back.

  “Harder,” I purr and I spread my legs a little farther. That’s enough for him to forget about teasing and start fucking me the way I want to be fucked.

  His thrusts are hard, his cock filling me over and over, faster and faster. I push back against him, matching his thrusts with my hips. He bends me farther over the vanity so he can lay his hands flat; his breathing is ragged as he brings us both closer to release.

  I’m the first to cry out as glorious spasms spread through me. I press my ass tight against him, begging him not to stop as I grip his cock inside of me over and over. When the very last spasm dies down, Zane rests his forehead on my back and drives into me even harder until I feel him explode. I close my legs slightly, taking as much of him inside as I can. My body cradles him, holding him tight as he finds his own precious release.

  “My god I’ve missed you,” he says when he can catch his breath. He stands up, still inside of me, and wraps his arms around my waist. We’re not ready to let go of each other.

  I catch his eyes in the mirror and say coyly, “I’m not convinced yet.”

  Taking that as the challenge it is, he spends the next hour convincing me in the shower, against the wall and on the bed. When we finally fall exhausted against the pillows, the sleep that has been eluding him for days overtakes him and he is asleep almost instantly. A sated smile is on his lips as he draws me closer while he dreams.

  I stay with him until I’m sure he’s sound asleep. Carefully, I lift his hand off from me and slide off the bed. Picking up my clothes, I bring them to the bathroom and dress quietly. Thankfully, Zane has a unique ability to make me focus only on him, so my mind wasn’t swimming with what I have to do now while we made love. I’m hoping that he’s sleeping soundly enough that my growing fear doesn’t wake him before I’m long gone.

  There’s no one in the hallway when I open the door. I need to avoid the main stairs, instead choosing the stairs that lead down to the back of the house. My luck holds out and no one sees me slip out a back door. I keep to the shadows until I’m in the woods and then I run. I want to get this over with as soon as possible before I chicken out.

  The glade is right where Beelzebub said it would be. The small clearing in the middle of the forest provides the space and the privacy needed for meeting and killing the devil’s son. Not that it’s going to be a rollicking brawl; I’m hoping it won’t be physical at all. I haven’t exactly had experience controlling the fire I can create, but I’m hoping I can somehow throw it at him. My heart is racing and fear is crawling up my spine.

  Standing in the middle of the glade, I close my eyes and think about being in the veil. I feel the fog gathering around me and force my eyes open again. Beelzebub said that any djinn I wish to speak with will hear me if I summon them in the veil. “Sitna, I’ve come to stop the killing. I know you can hear me. Come out and face me.”

  “Skye, what are you doing?” Malik asks from behind me.

  I don’t turn around because I’m afraid if I look at him, I’ll lose my courage. Instead, I let flames flow from my fingertips and allow it to form a wall between me and Malik, keeping him from approaching me.

  “Skye!” he shouts, but I ignore him the best I can.

  “Ah the proverbial daughter has come to challenge me. My sycophants were told to deliver you to me; I never expected you to simply walk into my hands. What a nice twist.” Sitna’s words feel like a snake’s tongue tasting my skin.

  “I won’t fight you here,” I say, my voice quivering slightly.

  An evil leer forms on his lips. “You came to fight? Then here is as good a place as any. How sad it will be for you when I slice your throat in front of the entire djinn population.” He looks past me at Malik. “I will truly enjoy watching the pain in your brother’s eyes.”

  Just like Malik pulls me into the veil at will, I pull Sitna out. His look of surprise is short lived, replace by ire. “How dare you pull me to the human world.”

  “Fighting you in the veil or behind it would give you too much of an advantage,” I say, surprised my voice is even.

  “Now aren’t you full of surprises,” he sneers. “You even brought dear old Daddy for help.”

  What is he talking about? I whip around, not even thinking about how stupid it is for me to put my back to him, and I let out a small cry. Not only is Beelzebub here, so are Zane, Brielle and Roman. “Why did you bring them here?”

  Sitna tries for disdain but his anger is too great. “Yes, Father, what are you doing here? Have you come to kill me?”

  “Of course not,” Beelzebub says. “I have simply come to provide the proper motivation for the Protector to do it.”<
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  “What does that mean?” I ask, my eyes still on Zane who is naked and struggling against invisible ropes tying him to a tree. Roman and Brielle are doing the same but are both dressed. This must have been a ‘come as you are’ occasion.

  “It’s simple. I want my son dead. I can’t do it myself and don’t trust you to finish the deed even if you have him beaten. So, I’ve brought insurance. If you are harmed, I will harm one of your friends exponentially. If you do happen to win, but refuse to kill my son, you will choose which of your friends will die in his stead.”

  “You bastard,” I growl. “I wouldn’t choose.”

  Beelzebub clicks his tongue. “Tut tut, you have more pressing issues right now than calling me names. As to the matter of you choosing, I will simply feel inside your heart to determine whose life you would rue the most. The girl who has done nothing but keep you safe, your human lover or the djinni you once loved so much that you betrayed your entire race.”

  Ignoring everything Beelzebub said to me, Sitna asks, “What is it, Father, am I too much competition? What crimes have I committed in your eyes to merit execution? Have I somehow surpassed you in my ability to create fear in the hearts of the masses?”

  Beelzebub’s eyes flash red. I knew the devil would have red eyes. Probably not the most relevant thing at the moment, though.

  “Competition?” he growls, letting his façade of nonchalance slip for just a second. “You are no match for me. You are nothing but a half-breed with a whore of a mother. You are nothing but a speck in time, a zygote that should have been destroyed, not left to grow.”

  Beelzebub walks towards his son and Sitna struggles to hold his ground, knowing he may have pushed his father too far. “Your crimes? Whatever crimes you may or may not have committed are inconsequential. You simply have no concept of the big picture. You are but a tiny cog on the gear of the grand scheme of things. You’re only role is to die. Your death will serve as a catalyst to escalate a war that has been brewing since the dawn of time. Your followers will rally; they will seek out your murderer and die in your honor. You should be proud that you have been given such an important role in what is to come.”

  “That’s why you can’t kill him yourself.” I’m such an idiot. I should have known I was being tricked into something bigger. And worse. “If I kill him, his kind will hunt me down until they kill me or I kill them. You want to watch us all kill each other.”

  Beelzebub turns away from his son and ambles over to me, a bright gleam in his eyes. “It’s time for you to play your part. Your descent on that slippery slope has just begun. Kill him.”

  “Skye, you don’t have to do this,” Zane says, still struggling against his invisible ties. “We’ll find a way to stop the killings.”

  “Listen to him, Skye,” Brielle pleads.

  Roman’s finger tips are beginning to spark. “If it must be done, allow me,” he says.

  Sitna’s eyes skyrocket to him and his lip curls up into a sneer. “I would gladly have the chance to kill you for betraying your kind when you refused to control her.” He points at me. What does that mean? I’m pretty sure I know, but I’m in a whole different world and I don’t know the rules. Roman’s face is grim as he stares Sitna down.

  “Exile was a weak punishment under my father’s rule,” Sitna continues. “You should have been executed for your insolence.” His expression becomes calculating. “Unless you choose to redeem yourself right now.”

  I have no idea how much control Roman’s mark gives him. He doesn’t look at me and for a moment, my heart stops. I think of the new world he has found himself in where no one trusts him and none of us have been particularly kind. Now, he has the opportunity to return with Sitna and probably be a hero. What will he choose?

  “I will not hurt Skye,” he says evenly. “That was never my intent.”

  Sitna sneers. “Oh, I will gladly do the hurting. You simply need to exert control long enough to lower her defenses.” Defenses? What defenses.

  Passionate hatred has taken root on Roman’s face. “No.”

  Before I can figure out what he’s doing, Sitna extends his left hand and flashes of electricity extend towards Roman. Roman’s body writhes in pain against the tree as color drains from his face. If Sitna doesn’t stop soon, he’s going to kill him.

  I can’t let that happen. While his attention is focused on Roman, I move close and kick the side of his knee with the heel of my foot as hard as I can. Sitna howls and falls to the ground.

  His reflexes are faster than mine. He turns my way and all that electricity and anger he was pouring into Roman is now directed at me. I drop to my knees as the pain settles into every nerve ending of my body. In the back of my mind, I register screams. Some are mine. The others belong to Zane and Brielle. Beelzebub is keeping his word, which means those two are in even more pain than I am. They’re being tortured because I’m too weak to fight Sitna; I’m sure Beelzebub loves every second their screams of agony fill the air. They’re going to die if I don’t do something.

  Using their screams as impetus, I redirect my focus. I push against the pain until flames rise within me and send a fire ball in Sitna’s direction. Despite his shock, he’s able to take cover.

  “So it’s true,” Sitna sneers. “The great Protector is more than a myth. I thought the Marid were crazy believing you to be the one, but here you are. Too bad you’ve come in such a weak form.” A flash of light screams towards me and a blinding pain bursts in my head. It feels as if he hit me with a burning whip.

  Zane cries out behind me and I turn my head. Beelzebub has done the same to him, but Zane is bleeding from lacerations on his face, torso and legs. His pain exponentially greater than mine. Beelzebub’s smile is haunting. He’s enjoying the sight of Zane’s blood spilling to the ground; his head slumped on his shoulder as he becomes too weak to hold it up.

  “Skye, you have to save him,” Brielle cries, tears streaming down her face. Despite her own pain, she can only think of saving her brother.

  As I take this all in, my mind is not on Sitna. He takes advantage and hits me again. I feel the skin on my cheek burst apart. I hear Brielle’s screams as she is whipped and cut more times than I can count, but her wounds are still nothing compared to Zane’s. I believe Beelzebub did look into my heart and discovered that killing Zane would hurt me the most. I won’t let that happen. This has to stop.

  Sitna has my full attention now. I stand up and block his next attack with my palm. It still hurts but I use that pain to ignite my need for revenge. The more determined I get, the more the air around me charges. Sparks begin to fall from me and Sitna’s next attack is defused before it can reach my skin. A blue flame forms around me and grows until I am covered everywhere with it.

  “Skye…” Zane cries out desperately. His voice is hoarse, reflecting the pain coursing through him. “Stop! He can’t make you do this.” I suspect it is Beelzebub who quiets him. I don’t want to know how. The sooner I can take care of Sitna, the sooner I can free my friends.

  I stalk towards Sitna, my fire growing. His power doesn’t even dim the flames as he throws hit after hit of electricity at me. As I approach, he backs up, practically stumbling over his own feet. His cocky demeanor is gone.

  “Think about this,” he says. “Like my father said, my allies will avenge my death. Our civil war will spill over into the human world and many will die unnecessarily. But we can prevent that. You help me achieve my goals, rule by my side, and we can keep everything behind the veil. No humans involved at all.” He has backed himself up against a tree.

  “How many innocents have your allies killed in my name or simply killed humans for sport? Those deaths can’t be ignored. Someone has to pay for them.”

  “Skye, there must be another way,” Roman says and then cries out in pain. I don’t want to see what Beelzebub just did to him.

  “I will hand them over to you. Anyone who has killed a human. Just think about this and what it will cause,” Sitna plead
s. I must look pretty damn scary because he’s caving quickly.

  Reading my mind, Beelzebub says in a bored tone, “I suspect no one has discussed with you what being the Protector truly entails. He fears you because your flames are the flames of justice.” I have no more idea of what that means now than I did when Mrs. Gregori said it. Which he realizes because he continues, “When you capture beings in your fire, the flames will elicit justice for any wrongdoings that your victim has committed. They will feel the pain, the devastation, etc, etc, yada, yada, that they inflicted on others.” He sounds even more bored now.

  Beelzebub had told me that all I had to do was consume Sitna with my fire, but there were no details like that. My flames are judge and jury to those I choose to trap in it? Glad no one thought to tell me any of this earlier, maybe I could have prevented those human deaths myself. It seems like Malik should have mentioned it, unless he was afraid I’d use it unwisely. He and I are definitely going to have a long conversation. Soon.