Jinn had never invited Mike to his place before. This wasn’t because he didn’t want him there, but his home was too close to Vilar. If Mike was ever seen there, the discovery would be a problem for them both. Considering he’d taken the plunge and decided to join up with Mike, he no longer cared about taking the risk. Hell, it wouldn’t be long before everyone figured out his decision anyway. Regardless of the risk, he wasn’t ready to go to Scourge where Mike’s people were. He needed to be sure they were on the same page and had a solid strategy before they went any further. They needed to come up with a plan with the least amount of liability and exposure involved.
Scourge was a place of torture; living there meant dealing with the worst the world had to offer. Nuclear and magical warfare combined to change the climate of the earth, making parts of the world completely uninhabitable. Mike’s people were tough, able to adapt to any environment, but it didn't mean they were happy to live in a place where plants couldn’t grow, and the animals couldn’t survive. They had to travel hours to get food, and even then, there weren’t many places welcoming to their kind. Jinn understood Mike’s plea, he got it, he just really had no desire to be involved. Decades of war and he managed to keep his head out of the mess, but now he was diving in, cannonball.
Regardless of Mike’s passion to uplift his people, it was their own fault that life had dished them such a shitty meal to partake. The Slither leaders tried to play both sides of the field. They never truly settled on a side during the war. When everyone found out that the slithers were double crossing those they’d sworn allegiance to, they were cast out by all sides. Their people were pushed into the Scourge as their punishment for not being strong enough in their convictions to choose a side to fight for. Jinn had no sympathy for them. He was neutral, yeah, but he stayed out of the conflict completely. He remained committed to refusing to aid or handicap either side of the war.
“What do you want?” They stood in the garage, not yet entering the house where the three women waited. He’d used magic to cloak Mike’s entrance to his home, anything to avoid anyone knowing what he was considering. If anyone was watching them, they would believe that Mike turned, and exited through the same sewer system he used upon his arrival. “Foster a conversation, what exactly does that mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like, Jinn. I want face time with the fairies, a chance to talk to them and get my people out of Scourge. That’s all. I just want a better life for us.”
“Seriously? That’s all you want? I find that hard to believe, Mike.”
“You’re good with them, they like you, and they fear you for your power. If anyone can help us, it's you.” Mike sighed. Jinn understood his frustration, but he had to make sure that Mike wasn’t trying to mislead him about his true intentions. “Hell, you know damn well, no one else would be able to get them to even consider this! If they think that you have sided with us, for real, they won’t have a choice but to listen to our terms.”
“I’m not going to walk in there with threats, Mike.”
“I’m not asking you to. That would only mean more war, and a worse outcome for my people. I just need you to be convincing enough that they hear what I have to say.”
“So, I convince them to give you what you want, in exchange for what exactly?” Jinn walked over to his bike, picking up a cloth and wiping away a bit of dirt on the side. “You know just as well as I do, everything is a bargain. You’re going to have to offer them something big for them to even consider this, Mike. As far as I know, you have nothing to offer.”
“That’s the other bit of it. They help us,” he paused, the next words would likely cause a flash of blue anger, “and you help them. You’re just about the only one who has a chance of keeping them from losing their shit right now.”
“Losing their shit? What the hell are you talking about, Mike? What do you know?” The fairies were the most powerful entity on earth. Outside of the fae, who opted out of the nonsense from the jump, who could possibly be strong enough to take them out?
“I told you that there is a change coming, and someone very powerful has put a target on the fairies. It’s all over the underground. Whoever this dude is, he is strong as fuck, like something I’ve never even heard of. He has some crazy shit in the works. Bits and pieces of his plans leaked out, but the bottom line is, he is out for power and the fairies are on the chopping block. They’re going to need you, man.”
“Now I understand… your idea is for me to pimp myself out to them so you can get what you want?”
“Not just me. Remember Nitara.” Mike leaned against the workbench as Jinn admired his bike. “It’s a win all around, for everyone involved.”
“I can find her on my own. I don’t need you for that.” He grunted as he tossed the cloth back onto a nearby bench.
“Maybe, in time, but I know exactly where she is. She is hidden, and magic can’t be used to find her. By the time you work the network of misfits to get the information that will lead you to her, it will be too late.”
“Too late?” Rage snapped his calm mind in half. Jinn turned on his friend, two hands planted against Mike’s chest and pushed back against the bench and held him down with his back bent awkwardly over the table. “What do you know? What do you mean too late?”
“I don't think she is being held captive for the hell of it.” He didn’t struggle with Jinn as he pinned him down; his instincts would be telling him to fight, but Jinn knew that Mike was smarter than that. “I think there is more going on. And I think that it could just mean the end of your wife’s life, and for real this time,” Mike choked out. “Come on, man, let me go. I’m not here to fight. I want the same thing you do.”
Jinn relaxed. “Sorry, man.” He released Mike, who slowly rose, rubbing the sore spot on his back caused by a rogue screwdriver.
“Are you okay?” Jinn had returned to himself as quickly as he snapped.
“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s just get this shit over with.”
“We have to find out who this witch is, and where she is keeping Nitara.” Praia was still actively plotting; Briar looked annoyed, but Sybella appeared amused by the fae’s enthusiasm. The three women occupied the living room. Praia periodically gave the seer the side eye due to her new position on the couch. She considered telling the woman that she was in her spot but thought better of it. Being rude to the Seer of the Fairy Queen would be in poor taste.
“For the hundredth time, we need to wait until Jinn gets back before we can do any plotting or speculating.” The fairy rolled her eyes. “We don’t have enough information to go on. What exactly are you going to do with a three second description of a vision of a future just hours from now?”
“I can help with that.” Mike stepped through the threshold and Praia hissed. Knowing exactly what he was, she was ready to defend herself and her friends. “You know, with the information bit, unless you all would prefer that I not be here.”
“What the hell is he doing here?” Praia jumped back, and Briar held a similar defensive stance; neither of them trusted his kind.
“He is a friend and he’s here to help me find Nitara. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t even know that she is still alive,” Jinn inserted. “Praia, Briar, please settle down.”
“Mike, at your service.” The unwanted visitor bowed, and Briar rolled her eyes. “It is my greatest pleasure to meet two such beauties.”
“I didn’t sign up to be working with bottom feeders.” Briar spoke to Jinn directly, refusing to acknowledge Mike, who feigned a look of hurt.
“Look, right now, Mike is the best bet I have at saving my wife. If you have a problem with working with him, the door is to your left.” He nodded toward the exit. When she didn’t take the offer, he continued. “I don’t have the time or patience to be dealing with your petty ideas of who is or isn’t good enough to fight beside. Please do not make the mistake of misunderstanding why I am here. My intent isn’t to make sure you’re comfortable.”
; “Fine.” Though Briar would have loved to walk out, she was ordered by Alesea, her queen, to help Jinn in whatever way he felt necessary. If she could figure out what the hell he held over the queen’s head, maybe she could use the information to bargain for some more vacation time. “What does lizard boy get out of it?”
Mike bristled at the insult, and Briar prepared for a fight; she was egging him on. The Slithers came in all sorts—lizards, snakes, those who were the result of the failed experiments were grouped together. Despite the insult from Briar, Mike kept his gaze trained on the smaller of the two women. Praia was still on edge, waiting for the tension to ease. Briar was a shit talker, but if he didn’t act accordingly, he could see that Praia who was so clearly on edge, would be the one to jump first.
“Bottom line is, Mike is here to stay, so get over it,” Jinn stated, new power and agitation in his voice. “Let’s put the petty shit aside so we can focus on what really needs to be done, shall we?”
“Where is Nitara?” Praia asked. There was nothing more to say on the topic, but she could finally start the plotting Briar was making her put off. If Mike had information, she would extract every bit of it from him, one way or another.
“She is being held captive within the Collective. In the Ashen area,” Mike answered her. “That is where my intel came from. I have friends in the area.”
“Of course, you’re friends with witches,” Briar mumbled under her breath. Since the wars, the coven was at the top of their list of enemies.
“Wait, she is actually inside of the Collective?” Praia questioned. They’d realized magic was involved, but to have her in their territory meant that this was bigger than just a rogue witch trying to get a genie to do their bidding.
Not long after the war started, the covens were forced to take up together, realizing that apart, they would never be able to defend themselves against the fae and fairies who were a larger, more powerful force. The word was put out and covens from all over the world merged together. Their land was one of the few safe places for humans… well, certain areas, not all of the witches felt the humans deserved safe haven after the havoc they’d caused on earth. Those with the affinities for the forces of nature, who pulled their magic from the natural occurrences—air, earth, fire, and water—were less likely to befriend the human population as they blamed them for the diminished condition of the earth.
They called their area, formally Africa, the Collective. Within there were sectors, dividing the different covens and faiths. The land was split evenly and with each coven in mind, for what they would need from their land. A treaty was formed; there would be no infighting, and everyone would be able to do as they pleased within their own sectors. Ashen was the darkest area—where witches practiced dark magic, and humans were slaves or subject matters, test dummies for new spells and potions. The Ashen was no vacation spot for Mike or his people. Most of them avoided the place and for good reason. It was because of experiments such as the one practiced by those who used dark magic that he and his people were the monsters everyone saw them as.
“Yes, it’s true.” Mike nodded. “It’s going to be hell trying to get her out of there, too. They have her deep in the area, which means trying to get in without being seen is going to be quite difficult.”
“How the hell do you expect us to believe that you made it in and out of there alive?” Briar asserted. Briar, like most people had been programmed not to trust Mike or his people. They were told to always assume that the slithers were lying and hiding their true agenda.
“I never said I was in there.” He flopped down on the couch, which caused Praia to bristle even more. “I said that is where my intel came from.”
“Well, how did you find out that she was alive?” Briar dug in further.
“Contrary to popular belief, not everyone hates my kind. Some see that we got the short end of the stick.” He sighed. “I have friends who have access to things you and I would never be able to get to.”
“Yeah, well, it sounds to me like you struck up a deal with some shady people, Mike,” Jinn offered, because the latter was more likely the case.
“Either way, it got me what I needed, didn't it? Look, do I need to continue to defend myself here? I got you the information, and you know now that what I provided was the truth. What more do you need? Does it really matter to you what methods I used? It’s all true and sitting here debating my tactics isn’t going to change fact to fiction.”
“One of these days, you’re going to make a deal you aren’t prepared to square up on.” Jinn handed Mike a beer from the bar in the corner of the room, an offer of peace. The man was right. How he came about the information didn’t matter. Nitara was alive and in danger, all that Jinn was concerned with was making sure she survived.
“Yeah, well, that day has yet to come.” He cracked open the beer and took a big swallow. “Besides, that’s how I get by. Bargains and deals. That’s the world I live in. I don’t expect you to understand what that’s like.”
“So, we’re headed to the Collective?” Praia asked. “What’s the plan for getting in and out?”
“We?” Jinn shook his head. “We aren’t going anywhere, you’re staying here.”
“Oh, come on, Jinn, I can help! When are you going to stop treating me like a child?” She pouted.
“When you stop making that ridiculous face every time you don’t get your way.” He laughed at the silly way she poked her lips out and made her eyes as big and low as possible to further punctuate her disappointment. “Besides, you’ll need to stay with Sybella. We can’t leave her without protection. Mike and Briar will come with me.”
On the couch, sipping on a mint tea, Sybella smiled.
“Whoa, Jinn, man, I said I would deliver information, I never said anything about going to the Collective with you.” Mike put his beer down. “I mean, that place is crazy, and it gets worse every day as far as I know.”
“No, you said you would help me, and if you want me to keep my end of the bargain, you’re going to gear your ass up.” He turned to Briar. “Any objections from you?”
“Nope. I have my orders, as long as you require my help, I’m here.” She threw her hands up in the air, a sign of defeat, then went to the bar to make her own drink. Scotch, neat. She knocked back a glass and then poured another.
“Good. Well, rest up, do whatever you need to do to get prepared. We leave in the morning.” Jinn stomped out of the room and headed to his bedroom, leaving the four alone. Not long after he left, Briar was snipping at Mike, Praia was complaining to Sybella, and the stocked bar was quickly emptied of all its contents.
He drowned out the murmurs of the others with his own internal debate. Questions about his love for Nitara—would she be the same as he remembered? She looked the same in the vision, the inner light of her joy faded, but that would happen to anyone trapped in a cage and held hostage by witches. How long had she been that way? How many years did she spend chained up while he roamed free, refusing to get involved? If he had taken a side, might he have been able to save her? So many questions flooded his mind, but he knew that no amount of speculation could change what had occurred. All he could do was move forward. She was alive and he would find her.
He laid his head on the satin-covered pillow. The shower did nothing to ease his mind. There was a burning in the pit of his stomach, the searing feeling of regret, of loss, and of heartbreak. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep. He needed the rest. Nitara was waiting for him.
“Nitara,” he whispered through the dark, his words barely audible. There wasn't time; he had barely made it to her and once the unconscious man was found, stashed in a nearby closet, they'd know he was there. He’d taken out several men on his way down to the dungeon she was kept in.
“Jinn?” She looked confused as her ears recognized the sound of a voice she hadn't heard for over two thousand years. “Is that you? Heavens, I'm going crazy.” She moved to her knees and prayed for her sanity.
“Nitara, yes, it’s me.” He moved closer into the light so she could see him, dark skin illuminated by the soft yellow glow of candlelight.
“How?” She pulled herself back to her feet, leaning against the bars that seared her flesh, causing her to jump back. “How are you here?”
“It doesn't matter, I’m here now. I've come to get you out of here.” He continued his approach and as he did, she smiled, eyes wide and grin full, but something felt off. He reached for the lock, but her eyes darted frantically from the restraints to him, causing him to pause. Something was wrong.
“What are you doing? Open it!” She pleaded for him to continue. “They will come. You have to get me out of here!”
“Nitara, are you okay?” He took a half step back as he tried to get a gauge on the woman in front of him.
“Yes, of course, my love,” the desperation was heavy in her voice. “Now, just open the door, and let me free.”
“Nitara…” Sweat formed on his brow. The heat in the dungeon was heavy, moist, and it gave the space the smell of sweat soaked towels after they’d been forgotten inside a gym bag for a month. He considered their situation, and the woman in front of him. As much as he wanted to let her out, something in his gut told him not to. She wasn’t the woman he remembered.
“Open the door, Jinn.” Her tone softened, she tried to lull him into giving her what she wanted.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Again, he questioned her, needing reassurance that he was doing the right thing.
“Open the door!” She yelled and slammed her hands against the cage, burning her flesh again. “Dammit! Let me out!”
“Nitara—”
“You have left me alone for all this time. Now you’ve returned only to tell me that you won’t let me free. Why are you here?” She screamed as she pounded her fist against the metal bars. “I will kill you. The moment I am out of here, I will hunt you down! Do you hear me? I will make you pay for this! You did this to me!”
Djinn Rebellion Boxset (Books 1 -30: A Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Page 6