The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series) (10 page)

“Why
should that concern me?” I ask with another shrug.

“She
is probably playing with that human,” Taj says.

“That
woman is merely a distraction,” Mira says. “She cares for me. She would not
leave me for this long.”

“She
is obviously tired of you,” I say. “The humans are new and fresh. The physical
form is so...delicious.”

Mira
disappears in a flash of green light.

“You
should not be so cruel to her,” Taj says.

“Why?
She is not one of them. She is one of us. I am sure Rhada is simply enjoying
the earthly delights she has discovered. Mira should not be so...what did you
say? Obsessed. They have eternity to be together.”

“Perhaps.
But have you considered the possibility that not all humans are as divine as
yours?”

“Do
not be absurd. What are you even suggesting?” I ask. I pull an iris from the
air and arrange it in my hair.

“I
do not know. But I can tell you that I have already met a few that are now
enjoying a life as rodents. Assuming, of course, they have not been swallowed
by a snake.”

“Taj!
You should not interfere like that. And for what? Not appreciating your human
form, no doubt?”

“Perhaps
they appreciated it too much and did not want to let it go.”

“Scoundrel.”

“Thank
you, Darling.” Taj sweeps me into his arms and dances us higher, through the
sky. We are both laughing and reveling in the warmth of the human sun.
Both Mira and Rhada are pushed aside like the clouds that swirl into
nothingness as we spin through them.

Taking Command

“
e
must go far away,” I say. “You should have me take Sophie home now so we can
leave. It might be a good idea to ask me to erase her memory of this night as
well.”

I
pace back and forth between the bed and the window while Gabe lies on the floor
playing tic-tac-toe with Sophie and her replacement doll. Jered watches me with
his relentless eyes.

“Slow
down, Leela. It’s going to be all right. There’s no reason for this woman to
suspect Sophie wasn’t the same Magician from the app. Taj won’t tell her if he
doesn’t have to, right?”

“No.
Even he wouldn’t be that impulsive.”

“And
I think I’d like to spend some time with Sophie, get to know her.” He smiles
toward his sister, now tackling Gabe in a fit of tickles. Jered’s aura glows
gold, and something within me leaps in spite of myself.

“She
should be in bed,” I say. “If your father finds out about me–”

“He
isn’t a bad man,” Jered says.

“He
left you.” I regret the words the moment they leave my lips. His face hardens
as he turns away. But there is risk in this, and he must see it.

“People
make mistakes. He has another family now. Just look at Sophie, and you can see
he can’t be that bad.” He wants me to agree, but I cannot. I know what other
Magicians are capable of.

“Please,”
I whisper. “Please just listen to me on this. Then I can take you far away from
here. Somewhere they’ll never find us.”

“I
won’t leave, Leela. What about my friends and family? I’m not giving up my life
because of some boogeyman.”

“You
can bring Gabe, then! I don’t care.” I grab his hand in desperation.

“Leela,
stop. Just stop talking about it. I won’t go. I can’t leave my mom or Sophie or
my dad, even if he never speaks to me again.”

“So
you have commanded,” I say, pulling my hand away. I am unable to keep the
bitterness from my voice. How can it be so much harder to take a command from
him than from any of my other masters? At least since the first. Perhaps it is
the level of freedom he’s already given me. A taste is worse than none at all.
Or maybe it’s the eyes...

“Leela,
I didn’t...I mean...shit.” He lowers his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

I
disappear from view. The sting of tears is like pins pushing on the backs of my
eyes. I don’t understand where it comes from, but if I must bear this, at least
I can bear it in private.

“You
hurt her feelings,” Sophie says, standing and approaching Jered.

“I
thought you couldn’t read her mind,” he says.

“I
don’t have to. It’s her face.” She nods toward the place where I stand
invisible, and my mouth drops open.

“You
can see her? Is she there now?” he asks. I shake my head at her.
No
.

“You
want to come live with us?” she asks him instead. Her smile breaks free, and I
wonder at the transparency of the young.

“I
just wish I could be with you more. I like having a little sister,” Jered says.

“I
like you too. We’ll be together soon though. Daddy says you’ll be ready this
summer.”

“Ready?”
Jered asks. I dry my eyes with the backs of my hands.

“He
thinks about it a lot,” Sophie says.

“What
does he think about?” I ask, reappearing.

“About
being with Jered forever. Can I have something to eat?”

Jered
focuses his energy between his palms and hands her a milkshake. It is
impossible not to smile at the way her face lights up at the sight of it. I
notice, as she takes it, the color of the ice cream changes to pink.

“Strawberry,”
she says.

“When
you’re done, Leela will take you home. You do need to get some sleep,” Jered
says.

“Seriously,”
Gabe says with a yawn. “My work is done here, so could you, uh?” I snap my
fingers, and he disappears.

Sophie
tries to stifle her own yawn, and I dispose of the milkshake just before it
hits the ground.

“Yep,”
Jered says. “Time for bed. Leela, take her home but don’t touch her memories.”

“Yes,
Jered.” I say, wishing I could use the word
master
just to vex him. He said to
“
take
her home,” so I scoop the child into my arms and fly back toward
her house. She is already half-asleep, clutching her doll and leaning into my
chest. The warmth of her body against mine is pleasant and stands out in the
chill air like a star in the night.

“Do
not say anything to your father about tonight.” I lay her tenderly in the bed.

“Okay,”
she says, tucking her doll in beside her. “Thanks, Leela, for taking me to my
brother.”

“You
are welcome.” I move to stand, but she stops me with her small hand. She smiles
up at me and throws her arms around my neck. I wait patiently for her to lie
back down.

“I
love you, Leela.” Before I can respond, she is claimed by sleep. I stay still
for a minute, watching the delicate rise and fall of her chest, the way her
small pink mouth sucks softly on nothing.

“Sweet
dreams, Little One.”

A Blast from My Past

watch Jered sleep. It is preferable to wandering the house alone. I sit perched
on the windowsill observing, wondering what it is he sees in his dreams. If
only I had the kind of power the child possesses. How’s that for irony?

We
argued when I got back. If I tried to bring up leaving again, my throat would
swallow my voice and nothing would come out. I tried to explain that Taj’s
master would be thorough. That she already understood things she should not.
That she would surely be suspicious enough to wring every ounce of knowledge
from Taj’s mind. Jered would have none of it.

“We’ll
just run the second he shows up,” he said. Assuming Taj will be able to show
himself first. I was about to argue further, when he said the thing I haven’t
been able to put out of my mind for the past four hours. “Leela, I know you’re
looking out for me. I get it, and I want you to know I appreciate it. If I
could, I would fr...fr...,” he stopped and took a deep shuddering breath,
clearly frustrated at being unable to say the words.

“I’m
so sorry,” he continued. “But please trust me. I’ll never treat you like a
slave. I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose.”

A
gust of wind breaks me out of my reverie.

“It
is
you.”

I
press my eyes closed for a moment at the sound of the familiar voice. I didn’t
want to believe the third Djinni was her. But here she is.

“Hello,
Mira.” I drink in the familiar face, the full, red lips, and the deep-set eyes.

“I’m
surprised you’re still here,” she says.

“He
wouldn’t go.”

“Not
very smart. You should have persuaded him.”

“He
isn’t easily persuaded,” I say.

“Since
when does that stop you from getting what you want?” I flinch at her words like
they are a whip.

“What
is your command?” I ask. She might hate me, but I have to believe she wants to
prevent the worst.

“I
have none. Yet. Though I can promise you my mistress will send me to clean up
the mess when she figures it out, and she will.”

“Then
why are you here?” I ask, slipping off the sill. “Just to torture me?”

“If
only I could. No. Taj told me it was you, and I had to see for myself.”

“How
did you get away?” I ask.

“It
is my night to patrol. So I’m patrolling here.” She shrugs. “She sends us out
on rotation to search for signs of magic. But I won’t have to tell her I found
anything. I didn’t find you. Taj did.”

I
force myself to look her in the eyes. “You are still angry, but I couldn’t have
known.”

“Then
you were pathetic and blind. But it doesn’t surprise me.”

“You’re
right. I was. But I’m not anymore.”

“Bravo.
Our race is enslaved for over a millennium, but you know better now.” She claps
her hands slowly in my face then turns toward Jered’s bed.

“Where
are you going?” I ask, popping in front of her.

“To
kill the Magician of course. Then you can return the favor.”

“No!”
I should not have shouted because I see the understanding light behind her
eyes.

“Methinks
the lady doth protest too much.”

“There
is no need to kill him,” I say.

“I
think I’ll take my time.” She moves to push past me.