The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series) (18 page)

“I
will get used to it,” I say, not wanting to appear petty. Who am I to judge
someone for liking the scent of incense?

“Ah!
Achan. And you must be Leela.”

I
cannot believe who I see. The first thing I feel is betrayal. I quickly smooth
over my features so this does not show. I am sure Achan can sense me stiffen
because he lays a hand on my shoulder. I believe it is less a gesture of
familiarity and more one of restraint.

“Leela,
this is Kitra. Kitra, Leela.” Achan’s introduction feels formal. I do not
accept the hand she offers; instead we all stare at it until she drops it to
her side.

“Achan’s
told me so much about you,” she says, ridiculous smile plastered across her
face. She is pretty. More so than I remember, with dark skin and eyes, long
thick hair pulled back under a gold silken veil. And, of course, her aura
dances with color just as Achan’s does, so there is no mistaking her role in
the Council of three.

“He
has told me little of the Council.”

“We
have been sworn to secrecy. You understand,” she says. “These matters are of
such importance and value, well, we don’t want anyone stealing the knowledge we
have so carefully collected.”

“Who
else is on the Council?” I ask. I cannot take my eyes off of her. Cannot stop
wondering how Achan can bear to be near the woman who spurned him with such
malice.

“That
would be me,” says a gruff voice from behind. I spin to find a man filling the
entire doorway to Kitra’s home.

My
eyebrows rise as I take him in. He is truly a giant of a man. His head is
completely smooth, not one hair on his scalp. But a carefully trimmed beard
adorns his chin. And of course there is the telltale swirl of color in the air
around him. Impressive, but not necessarily in a good way.

“This
is Cephas,” Kitra says. “Now that we are all present, we can get down to business.”

I
tear my eyes away from Cephas, and in the moment I turn back toward Kitra, I
learn an invaluable lesson. Unfortunately it is too late to be of use.

Never
take your eyes off of an enemy.

Reunion

aj
and Mira are there, waiting for me. Mira sits on the edge of Sophie’s bed, legs
and arms crossed, her foot tapping out an impatient rhythm against the
mattress. Taj is examining the assortment of stuffed animals on a shelf in the
corner. He barely looks up when I appear.

“That
was completely unnecessary,” Mira snaps.

“It’s
going to take me a week to get the smoke smell out of my hair,” Taj says,
running a hand through his mass of dark curls.

“Sorry,”
I say. But I doubt I’m fooling anyone. “I needed to speak to you both before
you act.”

“And
your new pet let you?” Mira asks.

“He
is far from a pet,” I say, yanking a pillow from her hands and throwing it back
on the bed.

“Well,
I for one think he looks good enough to eat,” says Taj. “Not bad on the
personality department either. At least from the bit I saw the other night.”

“How’d
you find us?” I ask because I don’t want to get to the real issue. And I
certainly don’t want to discuss the mess I’ve made of my relationship with
Jered.

“It
wasn’t difficult now that we know who he is,” Taj says. “I’m sure it would be
simple enough to check the handful of places he might go to find him again.”

“Then
why are you still here?” I ask.

“We
were waiting for you, idiot.”

I
choose to ignore Mira’s insult. “Well, here I am. What command has she given
you?”

“We
are to bring the boy back to our Master. Alive,” Taj says.

“And
you think I can let you do that?” I ask.

“It
isn’t like we want her to own you too,” Mira rolls her eyes. “If I have to be
saddled with your company for the rest of eternity, I’ll go insane.”

“And
her whole determination to rule the world,” Taj says, waving a hand
dismissively. “I wouldn’t mind your company though, Lee. It’s been boring
without you around.”

I
smile back at my old friend, relieved that he doesn’t blame me. For everything.
“So what do we do?” I ask.

“You
go kill her while we try to find your boy toy,” Mira says.

“I
can’t,” I say. I hold up a hand to stop Mira from jumping down my throat. “I’ve
been commanded not to hurt anyone.”

“That’s
the best one I’ve heard in...in a millennium!” Mira manages through snorts.
“You know, I’m actually kind of glad I didn’t kill him.”

“That’s
what I was saying, Mir.” Taj grins, shoulders shaking with each laugh. “He’s
priceless.”

“Well,
I’m so glad you all like him so much. But the question remains, what do we do?”
I ask.

“You
have to get him to retract the command,” Mira says.

“I’ve
tried,” I say.

“Then
someone else needs to kill him before we find him. But who would do that?” Taj
is dead serious all of a sudden.

I
glance quickly out toward the window and back, but he catches the gesture and
moves to my side. I feel his arm around me, and a lump rises in my throat.
Maybe I do want this to be over. Finally over.

“Achan
is alive,” I say.

“Alive?”
Mira asks, springing to her feet.

“Your
master did it too,” I say. “She is Kitra.”

“No.
She’s descended from Kitra. Believe me, they all act the same, but they are
different people.” Mira is in my face, examining my eyes as though she’s
looking for a hint of a joke.

“No,”
I say. “They inhabit the body of their descendants with magic. He told me. He’s
chained in the backyard right now.”

“And
you left him there?” she shrieks.

“Jered
commanded I get everyone out. I couldn’t bring him with us; he would have taken
over Jered’s body, and I will not allow him to own me.”

Taj
squeezes my shoulder. “We won’t let that happen.”

“Not
that you don’t deserve it,” Mira says. “He won’t want to kill Jered then
anyway,” she continues. “If what you say is true, he’ll want to take over his
body.”

Taj
tightens his grip.

“He’ll
rescind the hurt command,” I say. My voice is strained. I’m not sure I could
actually let Achan take Jered. Not just because I have to protect my master.
But because I couldn’t live with myself. Still, I owe them, Taj and Mira. A
debt that may never be repaid.

“Yes,
but then they’ll just war it out until only one is left standing, and we’re all
stuck together as slaves.” Mira taps a finger against her lips and paces to the
window. And I lean against Taj, feeling a rush of relief.

“Talk
about complicated,” Taj says. “I liked the good old days. ‘Go kill that guy.’
Or ‘make me rich.’ Humans are just as greedy, but they’re getting more devious
about the execution of it all.”

“Well,
let’s go ‘interview’ Achan,” Mira says. “Lee can’t hurt him, but we certainly
can.”

For
once, I can appreciate the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Blind

stare dumbfounded at the empty bed. The shackles are open and empty on the
mussed up covers. How could I have been so stupid? So blind?

“Wonder
where he went,” Mira says to goad me.

“He
doesn’t know where they are,” I say.

“He’ll
call his wife,” Taj says.

“She’s
frozen. Which reminds me, will they be safe if I return them to this house?” I
ask. “The family?”

“Why
do you care?” Mira asks, genuinely intrigued. Perhaps she wants to know if I
care for them because she’d like to hurt them to get back at me.

“It
is part of my command,” I lie. “I am to put them back if they will be safe. No
memory of the magic of course.”

“We
won’t harm anyone in this house,” Taj tells me.

I
nod and transfer the family. I include Sophie, although I do not touch her
memory. She should stay where it is safe, at least.

“I
will come back here to meet with you, after I have moved Jered to a safe
location,” I say.

“Of
course,” Mira says. I don’t like the way she says it, but I don’t have time to
sit and ponder. I return the bed, minus restraints, to the bedroom and go back
to my master.

He
and Gabe wait on the cold tile floor, heads back against the glass showcase
filled with trophies and books and all the things a normal teenager should be
concerned with.

“Your
family is safely at the house.” I start with this. I must keep him in a
positive mood. I have to convince him to lift the command.

“And?”
he asks anxiously.

“And
the other Djinn have been commanded to bring you back alive.”

“Well,
that’s good, right?” Gabe asks.

“No,
Gabe. That is not good. That is so she can kill Jered herself and take the
ring.”

Gabe
swallows.

“We
must start by moving to a place they will not search,” I say, glancing over my
shoulder, afraid they may already be there.

“Take
us to a hotel,” Jered says. I nod and sweep a hand through the air. We
materialize in the living room of a penthouse suite overlooking Lake Michigan.
It’s the kind of place any of my past masters would have insisted on when
traveling. My eyes shift to the wall-sized window, at least twenty stories up.
The view is incredible. Below, the water glints in the late afternoon sunlight.
I stare at it, hypnotized by its beauty, not wanting to face Jered.

“My
father could help me master my abilities,” Jered says. “Maybe between the two
of us–”

“No!”
I say, spinning to face him. Then, “He is gone, Jered.”

“What
do you mean ‘he’s gone’?”

“He
is no longer where I left him,” I say.

“Leela.”
Jered’s voice is soft but strained. “You have to let me make the decision of
whether to trust him or not.”

“See?
You just gave me a command, and again you didn’t recognize it. Jered, of course
you make the decision. You are the mas...mas...
arrgh
!” I finally snap
with frustration. I am unable to speak the word master in relation to him
because of another of his inadvertent commands.