Wish For Me (The Djinn Order #1) (19 page)

“Do your people know?” I asked. “Your kind, I mean? Do they know that you’re the true Sultan?”

“As I stated before, there are those who do know my true identity. Select members of the Council and confidants of Kasam. For security reasons, there are many servants who know my identity, but their tongues were cut out to secure their silence. So if a servant has the ability to talk, they do not know who I really am.”

“Can’t they just write it down instead?”

“No. Palace servants can neither read nor write. Djinn law forbids it.”

I shook my head in disgust. “And you call humans the brutes.”

“It was the Council who served Parish whom drafted such drastic laws. As Sultan, I would never have allowed it. But what is done is done. Kasam rules this kingdom and his word is law. I am his subject and will remain so until the stars reclaim his soul. Then, I will bow to Edwin and serve him as I did his father.”

“Aren’t you worried about being betrayed? Do you trust your kind that much?”
And me that little?

“I know it may seem strange to you for me to trust my kind in that way, with something so important. But you must understand, Glory. To betray me would be to betray all of Shrinelyn. It would be the end of our world, but that is not why I do not worry. The Halo of Elders is enough to secure my trust in my kind. For the Elders would seek to right the wrong of the one who betrayed us if our world was to fall, and that is a fate worse than anything.”

“What is the Halo of Elders?” I asked.

“They are immortal beings who are older than time itself. They are neither Djinn nor Fae, Elven nor Demonish. They are everything and they are the end. No being would willingly incur their wrath. Therefore, no Djinn would dare betray their Sultan.”

I cocked my head at him as I studied his expression. “You’re lying again.”

“Am I?” He wasn’t defensive so I knew I was right.

“You are. I may not know much about your world, but I know there’s always one who is so evil and self-absorbed in their dastardly deeds that they would risk everything to be the last one standing. So don’t lie to me, Irving. Tell me who they are and why they want you dead. Tell me who raised the Army of Brass and Steel and tried to kill us.”

Irving’s expression sobered. At first, I was sure he was going to deny me an answer, but then he said, “Rasputin.”

“Rasputin?” I frowned and my brain went wild. “Are you talking about the Rasputin who was connected to the Romanovs, the last imperial family of Russia?”

“The very same.”

“He’s the sorcerer? Are you saying he was a
Djinn
?”

“He was. The photographs that your kind believe to be him are false. The real Rasputin was young, handsome and incredibly charming.”

My obsession with royalty had of course led me to do some research on the last Tsar of Russia. I faintly remembered seeing a picture of the man humans thought was Grigori Rasputin. He was old, bearded and all kinds of rough around the edges. And handsome? Not even. “Who’s the guy in the photo then?”

“A peasant. He was of no importance.” Irving waved his hand through the air to demonstrate the man’s insignificance.

“So the real Rasputin is alive then? I ask because it’s a well-known deal that Rasputin was executed along with the Romanovs. Are you telling me that they executed the wrong guy?”

Irving’s expression darkened, but he never answered my question. “I relayed my suspicion to the Sultan and he also believes that Rasputin is the one wielding his power over the Army of Brass and Steel. He is the only sorcerer with the power to do it and he must be stopped. The Sultan has little doubt that he will soon use the Army to rise up against Shrinelyn. It is why he blessed the unification of Edwin to Maya Khan. He believes Rasputin returned years ago and remained in the shadows until now. If this is true, which we do not doubt it is, we are going to need the Khan army on our side.”

“So is that the real reason why
you
are pushing Edwin to get married? For the Khan army?”

“I will not lie to you. It is part of the reason. But I also care for my cousin and want him to find all the happiness that he deserves.”

“And you think he’ll find that with Maya Khan?”

He shrugged. “I am no seer, but I do know that love is unconventional and we can find it in the most unlikely of places.”

I sat back against one of Irving’s silk pillows. I heard what he was implying, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. Now was not the time for his sweet words. “Why then?” I asked. “Why is Rasputin an enemy of your realm? Why would he want to destroy you when he was once your ally?”

Irving’s expression darkened further. “He was never our ally. His hatred for Shrinelyn runs deeper than you can imagine, Glory. He loathes me, despises the Sultan, but I surmise he hates no one as much as he does Ada. This has as much to do with her as it does with anything.”

“Ada? Well, what did she—”

“The power that Rasputin possesses, the forces he has always been known to conspire with, represent evil at its worst. He is a threat to Shrinelyn, in every way imaginable. But I want him in chains simply because he is a threat to you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Rasputin is a sorcerer who believes that Djinn should rule all the realms of the universe, including yours. He will not stop until he has made a slave out of every human being alive.”

I absorbed that for a moment, a very long moment, then swung my legs over the side of the bed, pushed myself up and walked over to stare out of the keyhole window into the wonder beyond. I saw Nagi hanging upside down from a fruit tree and wished I could join her in her batty bliss where life was simple and nothing was trying to kill you. And even if something did manage to take you out, you could be rebuilt. Probably as good as new.

A moment later, Irving’s arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I didn’t push him away because he was doing exactly what I wanted him to do. “What’s wrong, Glory? And do not say nothing. I know something bothers you.”

“I don’t know,” I said, turning in his arms to face him. “It’s just, the more I find out about you, the deeper in I get, the more small and insignificant I feel. What can I do up against a sorcerer like Rasputin? I’m useless.”

“Useless? Insignificant? To whom? Certainly not me.” He took my face in his hands. “Do you know how beautiful you are to me? You sparkle, Glory. So much, the stars pale in comparison to you. I smile and laugh more in your presence than I ever have before. You brighten up my life. And as for small?” His hands slid down my body and around to grab my ass. He grinned. “There is nothing small about you.”

I gasped. “So you
do
think I’m fat!”

He smacked a cheek as though to reprimand me for giving the wrong response. “You are perfect to me, Glory, and I would not change a thing about you. So maybe the rest of the universe does see you as insignificant, but I don’t. And I never will. You are the most important thing in my life.”

“Is that fact?” I asked with a smile.

Irving kissed me instead of answering the question. I took that as a
yes.

Yes, he thought I was beautiful. Yes, I brightened up his world with my witty ways.

And in that moment, I knew something else.

Irving Amir had just told me he loved me.

“Ooh, purple. My favorite color.”

Fighting a massive smile, I turned to find Irving floating on his back behind me, his scented cloud dissipating around him. I’d never seen him float before, but I wasn’t surprised that he could.

“You like sneaking up on me like that, don’t you?”

“Love it.” He smiled at me as his eyes ran down my half naked body. I’d been in the process of getting dressed and all I had on was my purple thong. Aashirya had washed all of my clothes for me and I refused to go commando as I had the day before. Djinn didn’t wear any underwear, but I was human and I felt a bit weird not having any protection for kitty.

“Stop doing that floating thing. You look stupid.”

His smile widened. “No, I don’t.”

He was right. He didn’t. Not one bit. His duster had fallen open and away from his bare chest, revealing those uber-sexy abs of steel. I was dying to lean over and lick just one of those muscular ripples. But I refrained from making an ass of myself and starting something I couldn’t finish. I knew it would lead to us naked and sweaty, and not a damn thing would get done today. Something told me there was a lot that needed to be done.

Irving went from floating to standing in half a second. He pressed his body into mine and kissed me. “Did you miss me this morning?”

I nodded, absorbing the trail of molten lava his hand left behind as it cupped my breast then ran down my hip and around my waist. “Where’d you go? I rolled over to get my morning quickie and you were gone.”

He frowned. “What is a morning quickie?”

I just stared at him.

“Oh!” he exclaimed a moment later. He grinned. “Forgive me, beautiful. I’ll make it up to you later. Many times.”

I squeezed my thighs together to keep from coming on myself. I was always surprised just how much Irving turned me on. The Djinn lit me on fire with just a look and his touch only added fuel to the flames. And the dirty talk?
Damn.
I loved it.

Ashes. That’s what I would be when he was finally done with me. Just a pile of fucking ashes.

“Ready for an adventure, darling?” Irving’s voice broke through my thoughts.

I grinned almost immediately and pulled on my leather pants. “Do we get to take your airship?”

He smiled. “Sorry to disappoint you, but we are taking my raptor.”

I snapped my fingers and after putting on my bra and shirt, I turned so he could help me with my corset. “Where are we going then?” I hoped he would say that he was taking me to his lab or wherever he kept his inventions, but it was not to be.

“We are leaving to find the Army of Brass and Steel.”

My eyes widened. “Just the two of us?”

“Yes. Once we locate it, we are to report back to the Sultan. At that point, he will send in the Imperial army to destroy the soldiers. There are very few who know that Rasputin has returned and we would like it to remain that way. If we can destroy the Army, we may never have to alert the Djinn kind to the danger they were in.”

It all sounded
way
too easy. “What makes me qualified to go on this mission?” I asked as I slipped on my boots. “Shouldn’t you be taking another Djinn with you?”

“No. Your status as an illusionist qualifies you in the Sultan’s eyes.”

“And what about yours?” I shrugged myself into my new leather duster.

“What my eyes have seen of you I dared not share with the Sultan.”

I punched him in the shoulder. “I’m serious!”

“So am I,” he laughed. “But to be honest, there is no one else I’d rather have at my side on this quest.”

I had to admit, the idea of what Irving described scared the shit out of me. But it also gave me purpose. If could do my part to stop Rasputin from unleashing his evil on the universe, then I would. “Okay. When do we leave?”

“Right now. There is not a moment to waste.”

I turned to look in the mirror and smiled at what I saw. “You told Aashirya about the trip.” I was dressed like Irving. All brown leather fitted for a dangerous adventure.

“I may have,” he said, kissing my cheek. “And fortunately, your duster has no magic.”

“How is that fortunate?”

“Because I do not like the idea of you possessing any more magic. Glamour is troubling enough.”

I smiled at the stubborn jut of his jaw. “Okay, Djinn-boy. Don’t lose your shit. I don’t need any more magic. But I
will
take one of those bazookas the guards from yesterday were flaunting around.”

Irving laughed. “I do not know about a bazooka, but we can visit the armory if you’d like. I’m sure you will find a saber or two that suites you.”

I pumped a fist in the air, satisfied with that compromise. “Yes! Lead the way, Your Grandness.” Irving gave me a look but he didn’t comment on the use of the Sultan’s title.

The armory was located on the other side of the palace, not far from the royal vault. Nagi followed us there, but then disappeared into the sunshine when a group of guards entered the palace through a door leading to the armory. The four men dropped to their knees and stayed there until Irving and I passed, then they rose and continued on their way, whispered words being exchanged between them.