GRACE HOUSE PRESS
Copyright © 2019 by Bethany Atazadeh
THE JINNI KEY
Copyright © 2019 by Bethany Atazadeh
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Contact Info:
www.bethanyatazadeh.com
Cover Design : Eight Little Pages
ISBN: 978-0-9995368-6-5 (paperback)
978-1-7332888-3-5 (ebook)
First Edition : December 2019
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Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Copyright Page
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
THE CURSED HUNTER
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Chapter 1
Rena
JUST A SHORT YEAR ago, on my birthday, I met him for the first time. My family sent me off covered in pale ceremonial shells, fixed to me from my neck all the way to the tip of my tail. My mother adjusted the colorful crown of vibrant ocean flowers before I waved her away. Nearby Mere-folk stared, unashamed, as I swam past. My long, red hair flowed behind me. Regally, I hope. The heavy attire weighed me down. With effort, I swam on, waiting until I reached a deep canyon that curved out of sight before I shucked the ensemble to swim faster. This was the day I finally saw the surface.
As a young Meremaid, only sixteen, I’d looked forward to this rite of passage my entire life. Watch out for sharks or stray squid, my father’s voice echoed now as I swam alone through dark caverns, slowly leaving the depths behind. I clutched the remaining shell necklace around my neck. Occasionally I stopped to rest, but other than a passing whale, the hours of swimming passed without incident.
Breaking the surface, a light breeze hit my skin and air filled my lungs. I feasted my eyes on my first sunset and gasped. Yuliya was lying. The color is nothing like her pet fish. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I only had an hour or two before I’d have to return to our underwater kingdom. So, I’d make the most of it. A small rock jutted out of the water a short distance from land; I dragged myself up onto it.
Outside of the water, I felt heavy. The rock dug into me far more than it would at home. Nadia said the human world would lose its charm quickly. I pushed the thought away, settling onto the rock, savoring the sunset. My sisters wouldn’t ruin this for me.
The burning orb hurt my eyes; I took a break from staring at it to admire the rest of the sky. Brilliant blues with streaks of orange, gold, and pink.
I almost missed him. A dark shape fell through the clouds and splashed into the ocean in the distance.
For a moment, I almost turned back to the sunset, but my curiosity got the better of me. Diving into the water, my powerful tail carried me to the spot in moments. The ripples on the surface above me showed the impact, but nothing else. Below, drifting toward the ocean floor, I spotted him.
Was it a human or a Jinni?
Either way, I knew the rules: stay away.
I touched the shells around my neck. No one was around. Maybe I’ll swim a little closer. Just to see.
The fallen creature was a male with pale skin, almost translucent, and deep black hair like I’d never seen back home.
A Jinni.
According to the elder-Mere, they were far worse than humans. But this one wasn’t doing anything particularly evil, that I could tell.
Fascinated, I swam closer to admire him. His eyes were closed and he continued to sink. Bubbles escaped his mouth. I chewed on my lip, growing worried when I noticed his lack of gills. Is he drowning?
I didn’t know what to do. A Jinni in the sea was on my mother’s list of the vilest things that could ever happen. Interacting with him was, if possible, even worse. But I couldn’t let him die.
I swam closer and reached out to poke him. Nothing. Feeling skittish, like he might open his eyes at any moment and surprise me, I swept up behind him and pulled him by the arms. He was heavy compared to the Mere. Larger and taller than me, and muscular. I kept my tail away from those strange legs as I began to swim back toward the surface. Who knew what he might do?
Our heads burst above the water and I inhaled a deep breath for him, showing him what to do. His head lolled to the side.
Glancing around, I found my sunset-gazing rock. I tugged him through the waves and dragged him onto it. Flopping him onto his back, I lay my tail alongside him, leaning in. The longer he didn’t move, the less I worried about my mother and the more I worried about him.
I pulled myself even closer until I could lean down and listen to his chest for a heartbeat. My mother said they were heartless—did she mean literally? I nearly gave up, but then I heard it, faint, but beating. As I lay on his chest, staring at the shadow of a dark beard on his chin, and that sharp jawline, I was puzzled. Why isn’t he waking up?
It dawned on me that his chest wasn’t moving at all. His heart might last a bit longer, but he needed to breathe!
Sitting up, I pushed him onto his side and beat on his back. It was like hitting a whale. No results, no reaction. I let him drop onto his back again and eyed his lips.
It was just a fairytale. Told at bedtime to little-Mere. Kissing didn’t really bring humans back to life. And he wasn’t a human anyway, so even if it did work, that solution didn’t apply... Did it?
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I licked my lips. Reaching out, I touched one finger to his mouth, softly, tracing the shape. Putting my hand on his chest to stabilize myself, I leaned forward, bringing my full weight over him in a hurry. I tilted my face toward his, prepared to do the unthinkable, when he coughed. Water spewed from his mouth and hit my face. I jerked back as he vomited up what seemed like half the ocean.
When he finally fell back, his eyes were closed and his breathing came in ragged gasps. I pulled my tail away, prepared to leap into the water the moment he saw me, but he didn’t even open his eyes. I should stay to make sure he’s okay. And to see what color they are. The way he lay there unmoving made me think he might still need a kiss.
“What happened to you?” I whispered, mostly to myself.
“Banished,” he spoke between ragged breaths, startling me again.
Mother always said my curiosity would land me in the belly of a shark. Instead of listening to her and leaving him to his exiled fate, I slid a few inches closer, carefully lowering my upper body onto the rock next to him. Propping my head in my hand, I said in an even softer whisper, “Why?”
When his eyes flashed open, I froze. Just inches away from my face, they were light blue, the color of the icebergs in the north.
They closed as suddenly as they’d opened. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, and my heart fluttered. No one called me beautiful. Not when they’d seen my sisters. “I must be dreaming.”
Half of me wished he could see me in the ocean, where my hair would swirl around me instead of hanging limp and wet on my shoulders, and the water would make my tail shimmer. The other part reminded me that Mother would kill me if she found out what I was doing. A dream would be better for both of us.
“You are dreaming.” I smiled down at him. He blinked in confusion, squeezing his eyes shut again, rubbing a hand across his face.
I wanted to lift my tail and let the beautiful red scales shine and sparkle in the sunlight to convince him further. But my mother’s voice in my head stopped me. The Mere and the Jinn didn’t get along very well; it wouldn’t do to upset him in his condition. Thinking this, I tucked the Jinni Key I always wore underneath my thick shell necklace to hide it before he opened his eyes again. Better not to overwhelm him.
“What’s your name?” I asked to distract him. Those blue eyes flew open, landing on my face. I brushed my hair back, feeling self-conscious. Nobody looked at me like that back home.
He sighed, staring openly in his supposed dream state. His eyes traced the shape of my face, my lips. I blushed, thinking about how I’d done the same thing a few minutes ago. But he didn’t know that. Did he?
“Gideon,” he told me. His eyes were growing more alert and his breathing came easier now.
I should go. Can the Jinn use their Gifts outside of their land? That made me nervous all over again. He hadn’t done anything yet... but would I see it coming if he did? Would I even know what to look for?
“What’s your name?” He rolled over to face me. The sudden movement made me flinch and slide away instinctively. “It’s okay,” he said, reaching a hand toward me. “I won’t hurt you.”
But I panicked.
Leaping off the rock, I dove into the water away from the hand that had almost touched me. A Jinni hand.
He leaned over the rock and peered down into the deep, searching for me. I let myself sink lower, into the protective darkness. Though his face was distorted, he looked sad. I sighed and watched the bubbles float up to him, jealous of them. But my mother’s voice in my head held me back.
I stayed close, as the water grew darker. The sunset was ending. I’d missed it. The whole reason I’d come here in the first place. But for some reason, I didn’t care anymore.
Gideon gave up looking for me and crashed into the water, swimming like a little-Mere toward the shore. It was only a short distance away, but at the rate he was going, it would take him a while.
I’d never answered his question. “Rena,” I whispered, wishing he could hear. “My name is Rena.”
THE JOURNEY HOME FELT ten times longer than it had when I’d left. Back to the center of the sea, then down to the depths, miles below the surface, where the Mere Kingdom of Rusalka stretched across the ocean floor. At the edges of our kingdom, the stone sentries stood tall, guarding our home from predators. The statues’ fierce expressions and enormous heights made most sea creatures turn back, unless born and raised here. We could fight off sharks or squid if need be, but we couldn’t very well risk a whale swimming over the tips of the palace spires. The coral grew so delicate at those heights, it would snap in two.
I paused to rest my hand on the stony waves of the nearest sentries’ hair, which reminded me of Gideon’s—except their heads were ten times larger. I desperately wished I could see him again. Make sure he was okay. But besides crawling onto the human shores after him, there was only one way I could think to check on him.
I didn’t waste time thinking about how it could go badly. I had to try. Swimming through the lower levels of the city, I cut through a school of fish, ignoring the stingrays that trailed after me hoping for a hand out.
Under a tall arch, I found the group of Meremen right where I thought they’d be. “Has anyone seen Yuliya?” I asked them.
At my eldest sister’s name, they lost interest in their fish races and whatever bets they were placing. “Not recently,” Ruslan answered, swimming toward me, not bothering to hide his eagerness to win favor with the royal family—both with my sister and with me, the holder of the Jinni Key. “Why do you ask?”
“Just between us, I think she’s lonely.” I sighed, shaking my head and dropping my gaze instead of meeting their eyes, hoping they wouldn’t see through me. “Don’t tell her I said anything, of course, but... if you find her, maybe one of you could keep her company?”
“I’ll find her,” Egor volunteered immediately.
“If she’s lonely, then the more of us, the better, don’t you think?” Dmitri swam off without waiting for an answer, and the others followed.
I waited until they were out of sight before I smirked. They should keep Yuliya busy for quite a while. In all fairness, I didn’t think she’d mind.
Swimming toward Yuliya’s rooms, I listened carefully before entering.
My eldest sister was a master of spells. Most Mere could only use ocean shells that were already spelled for a particular use. Or, if they were a bit more talented, maybe they could learn to copy a spell that another Mere had done in the past. But Yuliya’s creativity over the last few decades had led to her creating some extremely unique spells.
Somewhere in these rooms, my eldest sister kept an oyster shell the size of my head with an especially useful spell. It was far too large to wear around her neck with her other prized shells, which meant it was available to use—if I could find it.
I dug through a treasure chest Yuliya had taken from a sunken ship. There were dozens of shells inside. Most of their purposes were a mystery to me.
The oyster shell was missing.
It didn’t surprise me that she’d hidden it. This wasn’t even the first time I’d tried to steal it. Though it took ages, I swam along the ceiling and then the floor of the large room, searching for a disruption to the coral and stone; an anemone out of place or a starfish too strategically set. Finally, I found a strange crevice along the wall, where the coral seemed almost intentionally meshed together. The thin gap in the rocks behind the coral held the oyster shell. Its jaws opened easily, as it was uninhabited. No pearl inside either, only two empty wings, but as I held it open before me, it began to shimmer.
“Show me the Jinni I met today,” I whispered. “Show me Gideon.”
It lit up. The Jinni was even more handsome when he was wide awake. Those sharp blue eyes and long dark hair made nearby humans turn to look as he strode anxiously through their city.
I stroked his cheek in the image. “What worries you?” I whispered, though he couldn’t hear me. “Is it your banishme
nt?”
One human was so startled at the sight of him, she dropped her baskets. Instead of mocking her or moving on, Gideon bent to help her pick them up. I couldn’t look away. His words came back to me: “I won’t hurt you.” Remembering the way he’d tried to find me in the water, I found that I believed him. At least an hour passed as I watched, and I couldn’t look away. He was so kind.
Voices in the hall made me shut the shell in a rush. I hid in a corner of the room until they faded. That was too close. Yuliya could be gone all night or she could be on her way back to her rooms right now. It was risky to stay here. I tucked the shell under my arm, slipping out into the empty hallway, swimming away from my rooms toward the lowest levels of the palace.
I had many hiding places near the ocean floor that Yuliya would never think to look. And she would come looking. But I hadn’t seen enough. There was something different about Gideon, something that spoke to me. He was like no one I’d ever met before.
I had to know him.
Chapter 2
Rena
“WHAT DID YOU THINK of the surface, Reens?” my sister Dina asked the next morning, grinning as she circled me, flipping her vibrant diamond-covered tail across my face just to annoy me. “We didn’t see you anywhere last night.”
“I’ll bet you a jellyfish sting she had to go straight to bed because she stared right at the sun.” Misha giggled, circling the other way. Her long, dark hair swirled around her tail, which was a darker shade of the orange sunset I’d seen the day before.
Yuliya swam between them, taking my hands and pulling me away. I let her. What does she want now? The top half of her white-blonde hair was pulled back from her face by a delicate gold crown that twisted through her hair and across her forehead. We sank onto a soft green bed of woven-kelp. Her shimmering black tail brushed against mine, and her eyes touched on the Jinni Key around my neck before drifting away. “Ignore them,” she murmured with a sweet smile. “Tell me everything.”
Yuliya’s unusual kindness put me on edge. Maybe she’s discovered the oyster shell is missing. Does she suspect me? My sisters were only nice when they wanted something. I’d considered telling them about Gideon, but now I wasn’t sure I should. “It was fine. You know. Air... feels strange. The sun hurt my eyes—”
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