I crept around a couch so I was within striking distance and ignored their conversation. The woman was a good cover. If she thought I was going to her for help, they wouldn’t be expecting an attack.
I was closer to the other Jinn. I could take him down and then take out Gabe. I didn’t think the woman was a threat, but if she tried to stop me, I’d hit her too. But I’d try not to hurt her if I could avoid it.
I had to act fast, before they saw what I had in my hand.
I swung the fire poker, and my hand vibrated with the force as it connected with the Jinn’s head, and he crumpled. I didn’t look down. I couldn't kill Jinn, so he’d live, but if I could make sure both he and Gabe were unconscious, I’d have a better shot of getting out of here.
“Shit, Liv,” Gabe said. His eyes widened with fear. I’d given him too much warning.
I swung on him anyway. He caught the fire poker with his hand. I twisted and kicked his shin. He doubled over, and I swung the weapon over my head and slammed it into his back. Those defense lessons came in handy.
The woman backed away. I dropped the fire poker and ran. This was my one shot of getting away. They wouldn’t allow me another one. I flung open the door and found myself in a long hallway. I ran down the hall and a massive marble curved staircase, careful not to trip over my own feet.
I was surprised how quickly I was getting away. Confidence bloomed in my chest. I was going to do this.
I hit the two front doors. They were at least ten feet tall. Footsteps pounded down the hall. So close. They weren’t going to catch me now. I fumbled with the locks, my fingers slipping on the smooth metal. They clicked open. I flung open the door and ran outside before my pursuers made it into the entryway.
My heart sank. Light brown mountains rose up in front of me. As far as I could see, there was only rocky ground. Not another building or person in sight. We were completely and entirely isolated. If only I had magic, I could disappear like the other goddesses. There was no time to think about that though. I had to get away.
I ran around the house, hoping that there was something—anything—behind me. A lump formed in my throat. This was just as bad. A vast ocean spread out in front of me with no boat in sight. Not that I would know what to do with a boat. But at least it would feel like something. I had nothing.
“Liv, there’s nowhere to go,” Gabe shouted from behind me.
I wanted to scream at him for bringing me here. I wanted to ask where the hell we were and how to get out. I wanted to tell him exactly what I thought of him, but I couldn’t say anything.
There was no way out. I was trapped. Until I got my voice back, I couldn’t do anything. I had to get it back. Then I’d be able to capture both him and the other Jinn, but I would still have no way to get out.
I screamed out my frustration and sank to the floor. It was useless. I pounded the ground, anger flowing through me.
All those trainings seemed completely pointless at this point. What good did they do if I couldn’t even get away from a stupid Jinn? I spent the last several weeks learning how to fight, and here I was completely helpless. Those two Jinn could hurt me.
I shuddered.
I might be trapped, but if he tried anything, I’d claw his eyes out and fight him to the death. I’d rather die out here alone, than any one of the gruesome things he had planned for me.
He approached, his voice low and soft. “Liv, come on inside.”
I glared at him. I must look pathetic here on the ground. I wiped at my face and stood, trying to maintain some sort of dignity. I straightened my shoulders and attempted to still my shaking hands.
Gabe came a few steps closer. “Listen, I’ll leave you alone with Melissa if you promise not to hurt her. She’ll feed you and show you around. I know you feel like a prisoner, but that’s not the case.”
I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows at him. He chuckled. Ugh. He was so smug. Yeah, he caught a goddess. So what?
“I missed that look. But listen, I’m going to let you get settled, and then we’ll talk about everything.”
He reached for my hand, but I jerked away and stomped into the house. I had no plan to get out of here yet, but I’d figure it out.
My mind raced through my training. Discernment was useless. I already knew he was a Jinn. Though we’re learning how to tell if someone was lying to you or not. That might come handy. Defense and weapons would be good, but they wouldn’t get me away from this place. Seduction was out of the question. I wasn’t about to let him come anywhere near me. Persuasion would have to be my biggest weapon. Though, I wasn’t terribly good at it. Josie was better.
The house, though huge, felt like a prison.
And I had no way to escape.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Gabe
I led Liv up the stairs to a bedroom, keeping a close eye on her. I didn’t want her finding any other weapons. She knew her way around a fire poker. Though, now that she saw there was no escape, maybe she’d be less likely to hurt me. Maybe not. If Natalia poisoned her mind, then she’d try to kill me, even if she knew it was fruitless.
I stepped back and allowed Liv to enter the room. She walked in with her head held high, and I had to grin. Here she was completely imprisoned, and she’d still managed to hang on to her pride. I kind of wanted to kiss her for her tenacity, but knew that would be a bad idea. She’d gut me.
“Melissa will be here in a few moments to help you.”
She nodded at me and surveyed the room.
I shut and locked the door from the outside. I hated that I had to treat her this way, but in the few moments she’d been free, she’d given Ali a concussion and nearly broke my back. If her anger wasn’t directed at me, I’d be so proud. She and I would be a formidable team someday.
I walked to the room where I’d left Ali and Melissa, but it was empty. I sank onto a dusty couch and stared up at the cracked ceiling. My heart hurt. She had no idea who I was or what we had. Yet, Natalia knew things about us. I didn’t know how that had happened, but I needed to find out. There were too many holes in the stories.
On top of helping Liv getting her memory back, killing Samir, and avoiding the other goddesses who now wanted me dead.
I had finally decided to start living my life in such a way that I would no longer kill innocent people, and everything fell apart. I wanted to be a better person, but now all Liv knew were the lies Natalia told her.
This was Samir’s fault. If he hadn’t shown up, Liv would’ve been safe, and we’d still be together in Grand Haven. Instead we were in the middle of nowhere on the Red Sea. Liv was far from safe, and neither was I. And Liv was my biggest threat.
I sighed. Ali and Melissa deserved an explanation. I dusted myself off and trudged down the halls until I found them in a modern kitchen.
“This is different,” I said. It was such an odd addition to an otherwise dilapidated building.
Melissa didn’t look at me as she continued to patch up Ali’s head. Blood ran down his cheek, and a large gash covered his temple.
“I can heal that,” I said, sinking into a chair next to him.
“So could I, but Mel won’t wish it,” Ali said with a grimace.
“Why not?” I asked, looking up at her.
“Because I wanted you to see what your decisions are costing us, Gabe.” Tears streamed down her face as she worked on Ali. Her hands shook.
We’d gotten into scrapes before, and she’d never seemed very upset.
“I’m quite aware.” I searched her face for clues as to why she was so angry.
She glared at me. “Gabriel, she could’ve killed him.”
I snorted. “We’re Jinn. She couldn’t have.”
Melissa turned on me. “Oh yes, she could’ve. She’s a goddess, and a powerful one if what Ali tells me is true. You’re messing with fire, and you brought her back here.”
“She still couldn’t kill us. But she can’t hurt us now. That’s why I took her voice.”
Ali pushed Melissa out of the way and narrowed his eyes at me. “I talked to Mia earlier today, and she explained to me what happened when the goddesses demanded a demonstration of Liv’s abilities. She didn’t just trap the Jinn. Liv stuck her hand in his chest, grabbed his life force, and killed him. Mia didn’t know what she was talking about, but once she explained it to me, I knew. Liv can kill Jinn like you can. And she doesn’t need her voice for that.”
This wasn’t good at all. Liv was more dangerous than she knew. “Does Liv understand what she can do?”
“No. Mia told me that it’s one way to send the Jinn away for longer. The goddesses don’t know that she can kill the Jinn. That means Liv doesn’t either.”
I rubbed my hand along my forehead. “Well then, she’s fine. Liv’s gonna think she needs her voice.”
Melissa shook her head. “Still she could kill you or Ali. Gabe, you have got to let her go.”
Now that I had her here, I wasn’t about to let her go. “Why do you think she can kill Jinn? I’m the only one I know who can do that.”
“Take care of my head, mate, and I’ll tell you my theory,” Ali said pointing to the bloody gash.
“Oh yeah.” I waved my hand, and Ali’s wound disappeared. Melissa wiped away the blood, occasionally huffing over a spot.
“I think because she holds your vessel, she has your powers as well.”
Holy shit. This was huge. It was all starting to make sense.
“I bet this is what Samir did.”
“What do you mean?”
“The goddesses must suspect I’m Djinn. They probably tried to summon me. Maybe by having a goddess hold my vessel, I have the powers of other goddesses.”
“I bet you’re right,” Ali said.
I thought for a moment. It was now more important than ever for Liv to get her memories back so we could talk about the implications.
“Do you think that goes the other way?” I asked. This presented several possibilities we’d never thought of. Liv and I were bound together because of the vessel. She owned me, and in some ways I owned her. We were connected.
“What powers of hers do you need?” Ali drew his eyebrows together and pursed his lips.
“She traps Jinn. It would be a hell of a lot easier to trap Samir and then figure out how to get the sickle away from him.”
“I don’t know. You’d have to try with another Jinn.”
I wanted to run up and tell Liv everything, but she wouldn’t get it. In fact, she’d probably be horrified that we were connected in that way.
Ali had a point. We had to see. “We’re in Egypt. They’re everywhere. We just need to find a Jinn who doesn’t see me coming. Then we’ll understand better if Liv and I have the same powers.”
Ali frowned. “Maybe I’m wrong. Besides, this doesn’t help us figure out how to deal with your murderous goddess up there. If I’m right, all we need to do is release her from you, and she won’t be able to kill Jinn. Then she won’t be a threat to either one of us.”
“No. I won’t lose the one connection I have with her.”
“You don’t need it. You’re Djinn.”
“We’ll figure something else out. She still thinks she needs her voice to call forth our life force. For now, we’re safe. Melissa, can you take care of her while Ali and I see if I can trap a Jinn?”
Melissa didn’t look very pleased by the idea.
“She could hurt Mel,” Ali said.
“She won’t. She doesn’t see Melissa as a threat. Besides, there is nowhere for Liv to go.” I turned to Melissa and grasped her hands. “Maybe bring her food and chat with her. You might be able to help. She’ll talk to you before anyone else. We need her to trust us.”
Melissa sighed. “Okay, but you’ve got to figure out how to fix this. She’s a ticking time bomb.”
Liv was a huge threat to all of us, and yet, I still loved her. I couldn’t let her go. “I know. Thank you for helping.”
“It’s good Mel loves you, or I would’ve abandoned you a long time ago,” Ali said.
Melissa swatted him. “That’s not true. Ali would go to the ends of the earth for you. I don’t know what you did, but I’ve never seen him care for someone the way he does you.”
Her words hurt. If Ali knew the truth about what happened with Natalia, he might not be so loyal. Those days were so far in the past, and the memory faded, but there were some things that even thousands of years couldn’t erase.
It was the thing I was most ashamed of, and I’d never uttered my sins with Natalia to anyone. They were beyond despicable. From the sounds of it, Natalia might’ve told Liv. Even if she did get her memories back, there was no way to guarantee she’d still love me. She knew too much now. I should’ve never let her go to that sanctuary. She was lost to me the moment she entered their doors.
This was a mess.
“What are we waiting for? Let’s go catch us a Jinn,” Ali said.
I nodded and stood, but even still, I wondered if this was all pointless. If Liv never learned to love me again—if Samir somehow won—if Natalia finally got her revenge…was there any point to even trying anymore?
Part of me wasn’t sure. I didn’t even know what I was fighting for.
Melissa put on a teapot. She was taking care of Liv when I should be. Maybe this was love. Letting go when you desperately wanted to hang on.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Liv
The door creaked open, and I jumped off the bed, ready to fight. I’d searched the room earlier and couldn’t find any weapons, so I had to rely solely on my hand-to-hand combat training.
The short woman stuck her head in the room, and I deflated. No murderous Jinn. I couldn’t fight her. She slid in, carrying a tray with a few sandwiches and tea.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, her face kind.
I nodded, my stomach grumbling. I had to eat if I was going to keep up my strength. She set the tray on a small table. I sat and shoved the sandwich in my mouth. I barely tasted it.
She settled across from me, watching me eat. “I’m Melissa. Do you remember me?”
I shook my head.
“I lived next door to you before you went off to the goddess sanctuary. You gave me one of your cats. We inherited the rest when you went missing. They’re around here somewhere.”
“Where?” I mouthed. I had multiple cats. Not just Tokyo. What other marvelous things could this woman tell me? She knew me. Hope blossomed in my chest. Perhaps she’d be the one to help me escape.
She cocked her head. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
I thought about following her but knew it would be pointless. I had nowhere to go. Besides, I wanted to stay on her good side. She was the only one here that wasn’t a horrible monster.
I devoured the rest of the sandwich and sipped at the tea. It had cinnamon in it and tasted good. I hadn’t thought about Tokyo since Gabe kidnapped me. Hopefully Cupcake was taking care of him. I missed Josie too. She’d have known how to get out of this.
Melissa returned carrying a notebook and pencil. “Here. Try this.”
She was a freaking genius. I snatched the book away from her.
Did you guys have Tokyo? I scrawled.
She nodded and pursed her lips. “Yes, your grandmother left them all behind when you went to the sanctuary.”
What do you know about my grandmother? This woman was a goldmine.
“She was a goddess like you. She’s the one who took your memories.”
What??? why???
I already knew this. But I wanted to know what Melissa knew. It didn’t matter to me why Gran took my memories. I wanted them back.
“I have no idea. She was a funny old woman. I rarely talked to her. In fact, for a long time she couldn't talk at all. You wished her voice back through Gabe.”
I what? Rage nearly exploded from me. I paced the room. I used a Jinn to give my grandmother her voice back. That meant I understood fully what he was. Well, maybe not. But still. I wanted to
wash myself from the inside out. I used a murderer. For a second I pictured my own dead body. If I hadn’t gone off to the sanctuary, that would’ve been my fate.
“You and Gabe were very close. In love, really. This has been so hard on him.”
My hand shook as I picked up the notebook again. He’s a monster, and I will never trust him. Tell me more about my grandmother. I didn’t want to hear any more about what Gabe and I did or did not do. That was in the past and would never happen again.
Melissa frowned. “She was dead set against you knowing that you were a goddess. She was furious when she found out Ali took you up to the sanctuary.”
Why would Ali bring me there?
“To protect you from Samir.”
What the hell did Samir want with me? I thought he was gone.
“Nope. He tried to kill you a couple times. Gabe saved you.”
I rolled my eyes. She could spout things like that all day long. Gabe was still despicable. Why?
“Because he loves you.”
He’s a monster. They both are. You aren’t safe. She shouldn’t trust them either, and I wondered what they had done to inspire such devotion. Maybe Melissa hadn’t seen either one of them kill someone. Of course she hadn’t. She was the victim.
Melissa smiled. “I’ve been with Ali for almost eight years. I’d say I’m pretty safe. Things didn’t start getting scary until Gabe showed up.”
Because he’s dangerous.
“Not really. It’s Samir that’s scary. Gabe stopped him from doing despicable things.”
Gabe has done despicable things.
“Maybe in the past, but he’s not that man now, I assure you. He’s got a bigger heart than Ali, and that’s saying a lot. He loves you so much that he’s risking not only his own safety, but mine and Ali’s as well.”
Wow. They had her under quite a spell. Are you scared?
“No. Honestly I’m more scared of you than anything else.”
Me? Why? I won’t hurt you.
The Glowing Sands (Sons of the Sand Book 3) Page 11