The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series) (7 page)

“Are
you,” I begin. “Do you?”

“Have
a master? Oh yes. A delightful woman bent on world domination, you’d love her,
Lee. How about you, Jered? Any evil plots hatching? Armies? Fire ninjas? Flying
monkeys?”

“Flying
monkeys?” Jered asks.

“Oh
you wouldn’t believe some of the ones I’ve seen. I’m sure Lee’s had a few
doozies in her day as well.” His eyes connect with mine, and a million memories
flash through my mind.

“Taj,
how did you find me?” I ask.

“Lee,
you’re smarter than that. How do you think I found you?” he asks, taking my
hands in his own.

“The
app,” I say. I could strangle Gabe.

“See?
I knew you caught on fast.” He lets go with a blinding smile, and continues
perusing Jered’s room. His eyebrows lift at the sight of the nearest poster,
and he
tsks
softly, then snaps his fingers, changing the image to one of
himself bare-chested on a beach.

“Why
are you here?” Jered asks. He is either very brave or very stupid. Perhaps a
little of both.

“Now
that’s a much better question. And I think you deserve an answer.” Taj strides
over to the bed and sits, placing a hand on Jered’s leg.

Jered
is up and out so fast, I am sure he used magic.

“Nice
pajamas,” Taj says, drinking him in. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news,
especially for someone as delicious as you. But...”

Taj’s
playfulness melts and is replaced by an expression of stone.

“...I’m
here to kill you.”

The Beginning

chan
fills my life with a joy I never could have imagined in the other realm. When
the fire happened, I quelled the flames quickly, preventing any serious damage.
Though I believe he remains in the dark as to my true nature, I must be
careful. Stories have surfaced in towns and villages of beings who are not of
this earth. I imagine others have had mishaps similar to my own while learning
to control their new human bodies.

Kitra
is all but forgotten. And why not? I give him everything he could ever desire. 
Even those things he must never know I have provided. He is the best-fed
shepherd in the East. This I am sure of. He is also becoming the most practiced
in the physical arts.

The
only adjustment I’ve had to make is ridding his belongings of lead. I found I
was terribly allergic to the thick gray cooking pots he had. I am sure, since I
am the one using them now, he does not notice the new ones made of iron.

We
travel together, through the desert, circulating from village to village, town
to town, in a rotation that Achan says takes three moons, at which point we
will be back at the beginning.

“I
wish I had a sheep fat enough to make a trade for that blanket,” he tells me as
we browse the market in the nearest town. One look into his eyes and my knees
grow weak.

“Why
not check again, Achan?” I ask. “You may have missed one, the way they all move
about.”

 He
quakes with that deep, musical laugh that warms me from the inside and shakes
his head. “You think I would miss that? Am I that bad at my job, Little One?”

“Check
again, Achan. For me.” I love the name he’s given me. Little One. He is but
sixteen, and I am infinite. Yet, near him I feel young and new.

Later,
when he finds the sheep I have hidden amongst the flock, he is delighted. “You
are my lucky charm, Little One,” he says, and he rewards me with a kiss.

These
days are the happiest of my life. Wandering the world with Achan and his sheep.
It is not the same for him, however. I tell him I am content with only him and
the moon and the sun, but something dark and restless lurks behind his eyes,
and I worry that I will lose him.

“You
are the best of all of them, Achan,” I say. “You are more man than the leaders
of their villages. You could be king if you desired it. But to me you are king.
King of the Desert.”

“They
treat me like a shepherd boy,” he says.

“You
are a shepherd boy to them. But to me you are king.”

“What
if I wanted to be more, Little One?”

“You
can be whatever you decide.”

“Perhaps
with you, I can.”

Taj's Task

“
ill
me?” Jered’s voice cracks. He collapses back onto the bed, causing the blankets
to fall in a heap on the floor, and making Taj grin.

“Why?”
I ask, edging forward so that I will be between him and Taj. I must find out
what I can before I act.

“What
makes you think I’m going to tell you anything?” Taj asks, moving so close, we
are nearly nose to nose. Or more accurately, my nose to his chest.

“Because
you want to,” I say. “If you only wished to kill him, he’d be dead, and you
wouldn’t be here.”

“True
enough!” Taj smiles and puts a hand on each of my shoulders. “I’ve missed you,
Lee.”

“So,
you don’t want to kill me?” Jered asks.

“Want
to? Well, now, that is an interesting question. No. I don’t particularly desire
to kill you, especially now that I’ve seen you. There are so many other things
I’d much rather do to you.”

Jered’s
face drains of color, and I clear my throat to re-capture Taj’s attention. It
isn’t easy. He appears rather taken with my master, which I find annoying.

“Oh.
Yes. Why? Well, I think you probably already know the answer to that one too.
She commanded it,” Taj says, moving over to trace the curve along the top of
the footboard.

“For
what purpose?” I press.

He
turns to face me. “She wants you.”

“She
must not know then,” I say.

“Know
what?” Jered asks. He’s found his feet now and is standing just behind me.

“I
told you before. If you are murdered and no one else claims me, I go free.”

“You
told him that?” Taj’s eyes rake Jered up and down. “He must be more than a nice
body then.”

“Focus,
Taj.” I cross my arms and set my chin.

“Right.
My mistress commanded me to torture the boy to find out if he has a Djinni, and
if he does, force him to give you over, then kill him. I might have left that
first part out, though. I hate discussing such tedious tasks.” He flips his
wrist in an offhand way and disappears only to reappear near Jered’s dresser,
which he opens and rifles through.

“So
she doesn’t know for certain that I’m here?” I ask, relief washing over me.

“Not
yet. I’m supposed to bring you back, though, so I don’t see what difference it
makes.”

“What
were her exact words, Taj?” I ask, removing a pair of boxers from his grasp and
replacing them in the top drawer.

“Hmm.
Why am I telling you all of this again?”

“Because
you’re a kind and generous Djinni who doesn’t really want to hurt me?” Jered
asks.

“Oh
I do like you. I wish you weren’t so much...fun. I’m really going to dislike
this task.”

“Taj!”
I yell to get his attention.

“She
said, and I quote, ‘Find this Magician in Chicago; find out if he or she owns a
Djinni; and, if so, persuade him or her by any means necessary to gift me that
Djinni. When the Magician does this, you may dispose of him or her as you see
fit.’ Oh! I’ve been a slave for so long I forget to pay attention to the exact
wording of the command. Maybe I don’t have to torture and kill at all. Perhaps
I can persuade you in a more pleasant way?” He moves deliberately toward Jered,
his emerald eyes gleaming, and runs a finger down the poor boy’s arm.

“Leela,
help,” Jered squeaks.

“Taj,
he isn’t interested.”

“Is
that true?” he asks, pouting close to Jered’s face. My master looks about ready
to pass out, and I can’t blame him.

“Taj.”
I call his attention back to me.

“Yes,
Lee?” Taj asks.

“You
will not harm him,” I say. “I will not go to this woman. You know why I
cannot.”

“Of
course I don’t want you to. That would be catastrophic. But, I’m not seeing a
way out of this, Lee.”

“Let
us think,” I say, placing a hand on his arm.

“If
I’m not back by tomorrow she will call me and re-command it. I really don’t
feel like being punished again, either.”

“Punished?”
Jered asks, his eyes growing darker, like small shadows on his face. Taj looks
to me in question, and I sigh.

“Most
masters punish their Djinn when we don’t do as they intend,” I explain.

“Or
step out of line,” Taj adds, conjuring an apple and taking a bite.

“In
what way?” Jered asks.

“In
any way, kid. Lee’s yours. You can do whatever you want to her, sky’s the
limit, and she can’t do a damn thing about it.”

I
am reminded of our earlier conversation and find it difficult to look in
Jered’s eyes.

“We
have until morning. We will come up with a suitable solution,” I say. “We must
concentrate on the task at hand. I will not become this woman’s Djinni.”

Jered
sits heavily on the bed and shrugs away from my hand when I reach for him.

“What
is it?” I ask.

“It’s
what you said. Or didn’t say. The way you put it. You can’t be given to her,
not ‘oh no, I can’t let Jered die.’”

“Don’t
take it too hard, kid.” Taj sits so close, their thighs are touching, but Jered
continues to sulk as though nothing’s happened. “She doesn’t care. That’s our
nature. We don’t want to be slaves. You wouldn’t either. So, as cute as you
are, I’m sure Lee would be thrilled if you were killed and she were freed.”

“Taj,”
I say in warning.

“I
never looked at it like that,” Jered says. “I didn’t fully realize until
tonight, but you’re right. I never meant to make anyone a slave. I would never–”

“Jered,
listen to me. You will be fine. We will find a way to fix this.” I kneel on his
other side, catching his eye.

“I
think the way to fix this is obvious,” Jered says, straightening his back.

“How?”
I ask.

“I
need to free you.”