The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series) (16 page)

“I
don’t want you to get hurt,” he says.

“I
don’t want you to get hurt either. Besides, I have more power than your father.
I will be fine.”

His
aura recedes. He looks at me, biting his lower lip.

“I
cannot hurt anyone, after all.” I say, guessing what he might be thinking.

“I...I
didn’t think...I mean, you wouldn’t on purpose,” he says.

“I
can’t. On purpose or by accident, Jered. You’ve commanded it.” I turn his face
in my hand and force him to look me in the eye. He is still having trouble
accepting the totality of his commands. This is dangerous, and he must be
convinced. If kissing Gabe didn’t do it, I don’t know what will.

A
knock on the door makes Sophie jump, and I shut my eyes tight with frustration.
It might be too late. When I feel Jered’s hand on mine, I realize I’ve clutched
his shirt in my fist.

“Jered?”
Achan calls.

“Can
you make Gabe and Sophie disappear with you?” Jered asks softly.

I
nod and do as he wishes, despite the absence of an actual command. Sophie slips
her hand in mine, and I squeeze it reassuringly. I place my other hand on
Gabe’s shoulder, seeing the gaunt look on his face. Perhaps I should send him
home. I promise myself I will if he is in danger.

“Hey,
Dad.” Jered pulls the door open and brushes a hand through the back of his
hair.

“How
are you doing?” Achan asks, eyes darting quickly around the room before coming
to rest on his son.

“I’ve
been better,” Jered says.

I
grimace, dropping Sophie’s hand and clenching Gabe’s shoulder until he nearly
collapses. They both look at me, frightened. I want to tell them not to worry,
but I find it difficult to get the words out through the pain, which is like a
million tiny needles on my skin. Have I concealed our voices as well? I’m
having trouble remembering.... I concentrate with all I have, taking all sound
from Sophie and Gabe, so they cannot give away our presence.

Sweat
breaks out on my forehead from the exertion of doing magic through the prison
of my skin. I know this pain – know it can get much worse. I manage to make eye
contact with Gabe, who looks about as freaked out as I’ve ever seen him. I toss
my arm forward like dead weight. I’m starting to lose motor control, but I must
show him.

Understanding
lights his eyes, and he wraps his arms around my waist just as I collapse. He
staggers a moment, then lifts me up, heaving me over his shoulder. He moves us
away from Achan and Jered, hesitating at the bed. But I shake my head feebly,
and he gets me all the way to the far wall. The only thing here is a window,
and for a moment I contemplate jumping out. But sense gets a hold of me, and I
realize I cannot leave Jered. Literally or emotionally.

Gabe
sets me down as gently as he can manage, and I crumple to the floor, knees to
my chest. It is better here. I am further from the source, and it fades rapidly
from agony to mild discomfort. I smile as Gabe sinks to his knees beside me
and puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. I mouth the words, “thank you.”

Sophie
slips into my lap, tears streaming down her little cheeks. I hug her to me,
rocking us both back and forth, burying my face in her straw-colored hair.

“Why
didn’t you tell me about my powers?” Jered is asking.

“I
didn’t want to burden you with it until you were ready, son. I did plan on
telling you, though. Your mother was against it. She said she didn’t want me to
make you into a freak.”

I
lift my head enough to see Jered flinch like his father has hit him, and I feel
a surge of hatred toward Achan. He is hurting us both, and that is most
certainly his intent.

“She
never said anything,” Jered says. His voice is small.

“She
wanted you to be normal. She didn’t understand all the incredible
possibilities. I hate to say it, but Corrie can be very small minded at times.”

“At
least she didn’t abandon me,” Jered says, snapping to and making my heart
lurch. “She worked double shifts, went back to school, and raised me on her own
with no help from you.”

“I
wanted to help. I told you that. But she didn’t want me near you. She didn’t
want me to make you a ‘monster.’ That’s what she said, Jered. Her husband and
son are monsters in her eyes. I know it hurts, but you have to hear the truth.
You’re old enough now.”

Old
enough for what?
I lift a shaking hand to Gabe, who helps me
to my feet.

Jered
sits on the bed, and Achan moves to sit next to him. He’s planted himself in
the center of the room. I have about ten seconds to realize this before the
pain falls over me like a shadow, and once again I crumple to the floor.

Lessons from the Father

abe’s
hands close around my wrists; I nearly cry out from the pressure. I have to
remind myself not to fight him because I know he’s trying to help. I’m not
heavy, but he isn’t exactly Hercules either, so it takes him far too long to
drag me around the side of the bed and toward the door. I know what’s going to
happen before he does, though. As he passes through the doorway, I am stopped
short by an invisible wall. Jered’s command. I can’t leave him.

Damn
Achan. Damn him
. Though I’m sure he is already damned.
He’s just too stubborn to die in the first place. I hate that I let him touch
me just hours ago.

I
want to scream at Gabe. Continuing to tug is not going to do anything but cause
me more pain. Finally, he gets it and lets my arms drop, sinking to the floor
next to me. I’m surprised to see his face swim into view, flushed and filled
with sweat and concern.

I
lick my lips, and he moves his ear to my mouth so I can whisper.

“He
commanded I stay with him. Send Sophie.” It’s all I can manage before I am
assaulted by another bout of intense stabbing. It is good that I haven’t been
around it for a hundred years because I know that my tolerance fades quickly. I
should be able to manage one more spell, so I focus everything I have left and
deposit them both at the foot of the steps, giving them back their voices and
making them visible. The effort of this act has drained me, and I lie helpless
and still.

“Show
me now,” Jered says.

What
have they been talking about?

“Focus
your energy, but open yourself up,” Achan is saying. “Let the energy flow
through you freely. Let down the walls.”

No!
I
scream silently, meeting a wall of pain.
Don’t let down the walls. Don’t let
him in
.

“Daddy!
Jered!” Sophie’s voice is just above my head. She deftly avoids my body as she
skips into the room.
Good girl
.

“Sophie.
I thought you had homework,” Achan says.

“All
done. Jered, you have a visitor downstairs. You should go see him.”

Confusion
flickers over Jered’s features for only a moment.

“That
must be Gabe. I texted him about Mom. I’d better go see him. Can we continue
this later, Dad?”

“Of
course, son. We have plenty of time.”

I
do not like the way Achan’s aura clings to Jered’s, stretching it as he pulls
away.

Jered
does not feel it. He beams back at his father, then follows Sophie out of the
room. I have only a momentary glimpse of Achan pulling his shirt up to smooth a
hand over the lead vest beneath, before I am sucked out the door and down the
stairs after Jered on my invisible leash.

“What’s
up?” Jered asks the second Gabe is in his sights.

“You
dick! You commanded her to stay with you, so she couldn’t get away.” Gabe
half-yells, half-whispers in Jered’s face, then gives his shoulder a shove for
good measure.

I
materialize next to Jered, and he turns a worried face to mine.

“Couldn’t
get away from what?” he asks.

“Your
father is wearing a vest made of lead beneath his clothes. He knows my
weaknesses.”

“Are
you all right?” Jered asks in a husky voice that makes me quiver. I nod as he
puts his hands on my arms and pulls me into an embrace. “He didn’t know you
were there.”

I
push away. “He knows enough,” I say.

“He
was just protecting himself,” Jered says, turning to Gabe and Sophie for
confirmation. “He thought you wanted to kill him. He probably still does, and
you probably would have wanted to. To protect me.” He adds this last part as if
trying to cover his tracks.

“He
deserves to die,” I hiss.

“He’s
never done anything to you!” Jered says.

I
clamp my mouth shut for fear of what might slip out. I was right not to trust
him with the truth. He is too blinded by his father. I try to remind myself how
easy it is to be blinded by Achan.

“Jer,
calm down, okay? She was in pretty bad shape. You didn’t see her. I’d probably
feel the same way if someone did that to me, self-defense or no self-defense.”
Gabe intercedes as the voice of reason. But I have already resolved to harden
myself again. I must stop allowing my emotions to control me. I know better.

“I’m
sorry, Leela,” Jered says. “I’m sorry you were hurt. It was my fault really. I
don’t even remember commanding you to stay with me.”

“It
was when you woke up. You were looking for me and told me not to leave you
again.” I cast my eyes downward, toward Jered’s feet.

“Well,
you don’t have to stay near me. I rescind that command. Only do it if you want
to.” He sounds miserable.

“I
do, Jered. Just not when it means I am in intolerable pain.”

Jered
opens his mouth to reply when we hear the front door and the sound of girls
giggling.

“My
sister’s home. That means my brother will be here soon too,” Sophie says. She
motions for us to follow, and we trail up the stairs behind her and into her
room, only a few doors down from the guest room. Gabe shuts the door carefully
behind us.

“He’s
teaching me to use magic,” Jered blurts out.

“I
have already been teaching you. What he tells you is wrong,” I say.

“He
knows how to–”

“Knowing
and teaching are two different things.” I cannot stop my voice from rising.

“He’s
not the guy who hurt you, Leela. He’s just a descendant.” Jered’s voice
alternates between anger and pity.

“He
is just like him!” I stand nose to nose with him now, floating inches off the
ground.

“Then
so am I. He’s my father!”

“Stop
it, you guys,” Gabe says. “Sophie’s crying.”

Indeed,
Sophie sits at the edge of the bed, hugging her Djinni doll, sniffling with
tears weaving down her red cheeks. We both rush to her side, and she lets out a
loud wail.

“Don’t
fight! Please don’t fight,” she sobs.

“I’m
sorry, Sophie,” Jered says softly, running a hand over her back.

“I
am not,” I say. “I only want to protect you.”

Sophie
bawls louder. Jered glares at me. I cannot take this. Does he think I couldn’t
have let him die when Mira showed up? Then all of my problems would be over.

I
vanish with a cry of frustration, materializing in the hallway on the other
side of the door.

“Leela.”
My head snaps toward Achan’s voice. I am ready to vanish again but he keeps his
distance, lingering in the doorway to Jered’s room.

“You
murderous, treacherous–” I start.

“Abhorrent.
Yes, I know. But look at it from my perspective, Leela. I have to protect
myself. If I were you, I would want me dead as well.”

“You
think I cannot arrange for your death from a distance?” I ask through clenched
teeth.

“I
am beginning to wonder why you haven’t, I admit. I also wonder how you managed
to escape Jered’s room. I know you had to have been there somewhere.”

“I’m
a Djinni. It’s what I do.”

“I
meant what I said before. That I still love you.”

“You
never loved me. Not then and not now. I saw your magic lessons. You forgot to
ask him to free me before you tried to take him over. I suppose it slipped your
mind.”