The Jinni Key

by Bethany Atazadeh

  I could go tell them to start early.

  I bit my lip to avoid laughing out loud. Gideon was bargaining with me? Save your strength to face Enoch.

  No answer.

  Fortunately for Gideon, we didn’t have to wait long.

  The screams floated over to us before the rest of the chaos did. I heard hoof beats on the main road just a few buildings down. A stampede from the stables burst into the streets. The pandemonium grew louder until the herd of escaped animals and people chasing them passed right in front of us. Nearby guards raced down the streets after the animals, and more guards poured out of the barracks to join them.

  “That’s our signal,” I said as soon as they rounded the corner and the frenzied charge was out of sight. Slipping around the buildings, we moved to enter the stables from the side door.

  Once inside, I scanned the stalls quickly to make sure they were truly empty. The nearest horse snuffled my pockets, searching for a treat. I waved the others in and we scurried to the back, to an unoccupied stall used to store boxes.

  I searched along the back wall until I found the brick that was slightly discolored compared to the rest. Just a bit of pressure there and it scraped against the others as it moved. A chunk of the wall shifted and a dark tunnel mouth yawned open before us, revealing a hidden entrance. Only the first few feet were visible. “In,” I waved everybody past me. “Now.”

  Gideon stopped outside the entrance. “Breaking and entering goes against the laws of Jinn.”

  I groaned. This was the worst possible time to have this conversation. “You’re not using your Gifts,” I argued, as Bosh and Rena entered the tunnel. Gideon stood stubbornly outside. “And besides, Enoch is breaking the laws of Jinn with Arie. How come nothing has happened to him?”

  Gideon’s lips pursed. “I assume the queen is turning a blind eye.” He sighed. “I used to be part of the force that watched for Gifts being misused. They’ve been pulled out of the human world almost completely.”

  My brows rose. That was unsettling. “Well, then.” I waved him forward and this time he allowed me to usher him toward the dark space. “I don’t see why we can’t break the rules, just this once...”

  But Gideon frowned, stopping directly in front of the entrance. “That doesn’t make it right.”

  “Gideon,” I hissed, exasperated. “My men can’t distract the guards forever. We have this one, very small window to rescue Arie. If you waste it worrying about breaking into a room while Enoch is busy breaking into Arie’s mind, so help me, I’ll—”

  “Yes,” Gideon interrupted, holding up a hand. “I see your point.” He stepped inside the tunnel. I jumped in after him, yanking the door shut behind us.

  It swung back into place on silent hinges, shutting out all light in one swift instant. “Go.”

  Bosh’s voice echoed from somewhere further down the tunnel in a loud whisper. “Does anyone have a match?”

  “I can see in the dark,” Rena spoke up. “Here, hold hands and I’ll lead us.”

  Behind me, I heard Gideon sigh. “I suppose at this point, there’s no reason to hold back,” he muttered. A white flame flickered into existence above his palm, lighting up the tunnel for a dozen paces in both directions.

  The light blinded me for a moment, but my eyes adjusted quickly, taking in their shadowy faces. The tunnel wasn’t wide, only about two paces across, with a ceiling low enough I could reach up and brush my fingers against it. Rena’s scowling face was lit up. For once though, it made me smile. We were all here, and we were inside. There was still hope.

  “Follow me,” I led the way through the tunnel at a quick pace, listening for sounds of life in the castle as we hurried down the dark stone corridor. The walls were thick and silent. I supposed that was intentional.

  Outside Arie’s bedroom, staring at the back of the mirror that opened into the room, I raised a finger to my lips. Remembering the last time I’d been here, I moved with care.

  Once inside, we spread out and searched the rooms quickly.

  But Arie wasn’t there.

  THE CARPETED HALLWAY OUTSIDE Arie’s rooms muffled our footsteps. I pulled back, turning to the rest of them. “Remember the plan?” We needed to stay out of sight until we found either Arie, Enoch, or both of them.

  “I’ll distract Enoch,” Rena volunteered. “I have a few tricks he won’t see coming.”

  “If Rena keeps Enoch from seeing me—” Gideon began.

  “When,” Rena interrupted.

  Clearing his throat, Gideon began again. “When Rena keeps Enoch from seeing me, it will give me enough time to entrap him. He won’t be able to do anything to anyone.”

  “And then,” I finished, “we’ll make sure the enchantment he put on Arie has worn off.”

  “And if it hasn’t?” Gideon asked

  “Then it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve kidnapped royalty,” Bosh piped up, grinning.

  I pursed my lips, looking to Gideon. This would go against his precious code.

  But he only nodded back at me. “If Arie’s under enchantment, then it’s an abuse of power. We can take her to a secure location where we can safely remove the confusion.”

  I smiled. This could actually work. “Let’s do it.”

  Rena nodded, lifting her chin and stepping out into the hallway first. Gideon hurried to follow, already annoyed with her.

  My fingers itched to pull out the dagger hidden in my boot and go find Amir and Enoch.

  Instead, I hailed the next servant we passed. Her eyes flared wide when she took us in, and I knew she must have seen me before. “We need to see Queen Arie,” I said, “Can you point us in the right direction?”

  She lifted a shaking finger to point down the hall. “She was with the Jinni,” she whispered. “I’m not sure where they went.”

  “Thank you,” I said, even though it was of no help. Brushing past her, I waited until we were alone in the hall before I spoke. “She’ll likely call the guards. We need to split up.”

  “How will the plan work if we’re not together?” Bosh asked.

  “We just need to track Arie down. We can meet back here in a quarter hour with what we find, but this way we can search the castle faster.”

  “I wouldn’t advise that,” Gideon said, speaking for the first time since the tunnels. “You have no recourse against Enoch’s abilities.”

  “That’s why I’ll be going with you,” I told him, clapping a hand on his shoulder as I began walking. “And Bosh will go with Rena.” Bosh nodded, following me. “You two take the lower level,” I added, pointing to the nearby staircase. “Gideon and I will take this floor.”

  Chapter 40

  Rena

  WE SPLIT UP TO search the castle. My instincts told me this was a bad plan. I mulled it over as Bosh and I descended the stairs. We can’t take Arie’s castle back while occupied by a Jinni and a foreign king, I supposed as we ran down the hall to the next room. Still, as much as I reasoned that our plan made sense, a nagging worry tugged at my gut.

  I smelled fresh bread and knew the kitchen was directly ahead, with the common room beside it. Those would be full of people. It was doubtful Arie would be there.

  Bosh and I slunk down the back hallway instead, aiming for the small room built behind the throne room where I’d spent so much time with Arie in the last few weeks.

  We stole inside, shutting the door just before a servant rounded the corner in the hall. “She’s not here,” Bosh said, as we peered into the throne room which was equally empty.

  I nodded, and we waited for the servant to pass before we slipped back into the hallway, racing to the next room.

  It was a grand library full of tall bookshelves that stretched to the left and right. I trailed my fingers across the closest shelf full of books. The dust tickled my nose. It was so dry in here.

  “We need to get back soon,” Bosh whispered as we entered the room. “You take that side, and I’ll take this side.” I bit my lip. He was right. We cou
ld cover more ground that way.

  I clutched my necklace, twisting one of the shells. “Put this in your pocket. It will keep anyone from grabbing you.” It was meant for sharks looking for a bite of Mere, to blast the animal away, but it should work for humans too. I pressed the tiny shell into his palm. He accepted it, nodding to me, but didn’t move. “Tides be with you,” I whispered, turning to go, but he took my hand and pulled me back.

  The momentum made me nearly crash into him and staring up into his brown eyes, I instinctively licked my lips. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Bosh said, but he didn’t let go of my hand. “I’m sure everything will work out fine. We always find our way out of tough places.” It felt like he was lying and he knew it, and he knew that I knew it, but I didn’t say anything to disagree. “I just wanted to say...” he swallowed, reaching up to touch my cheek, “I’m really glad you came back.”

  I blinked as he pulled away, hand slipping out of mine as he turned to search his side of the room. “That’s it?” I said out loud before I could stop myself.

  He paused, turning on one heel, to squint at me. “What were you expecting?”

  “Um.” Heat flooded my face. “I don’t know, exactly. Something... more.”

  He took one step back toward me, then another. “Did you want more?”

  My feet were rooted to the floor as he came closer. I opened my mouth to answer, but it was dry and I couldn’t think. “I’m not sure, honestly,” was all I could get out as he stopped in front of me again, not touching me, but standing significantly closer than humans usually stood when speaking.

  “It’s okay not to know,” Bosh said as a slow smile crept across his face. This made my toes curl. “But there’s one way to find out...” He leaned in and gently brushed his lips across mine. It was over even as my eyes fluttered closed. I found it hard to swallow.

  “Now you can think about it,” Bosh said as he stepped back, winking at me, before taking off down the hall once more. This time I didn’t say anything. I just stood there, smiling at his back, reaching a hand up to touch my lips where they tingled.

  I would definitely be thinking about it.

  Chapter 41

  Arie

  ENOCH RETURNED TO THE East tower only a few hours after he’d left me there. “What’s going on?” I asked him as I stood next to the bed and he tied my hands to the tall post.

  He’d let me stay alert and aware of my surroundings since I’d asked him, but the cowardly side of me whispered that I should let him make me forget. It’d be easier that way. Shaking my head to clear the thought, I lifted my chin and stared him down. He moved back and forth around the small bedroom, working with ancient objects I’d never seen before. They had Jinni symbols all over them.

  “Why do you help him? Surely you’ve seen what a fool Amir is?”

  A dark cloud passed over Enoch’s face. Anger. “A bigger fool than most,” he was quick to agree.

  “Then, why?” I repeated. “Why help him?”

  “I don’t have a choice,” he said once again.

  “Can you say nothing else?” I tugged at the ropes, trying to slip out of them, but they were too tight. A flash of inspiration hit me. “Can you say nothing else?” I asked again, meaning something quite different. “Is this the work of your queen? A spell of some sort maybe?”

  Enoch didn’t answer.

  “But why would the Queen of Jinn care about the human world?” I murmured, mostly to myself, since Enoch was ignoring me.

  He stiffened. I almost missed it.

  “Has Queen Jezebel grown so power-hungry she wants to rule the human world too? Or do we have something she needs?”

  His thoughts, of course, were silent. Protected in that Jinni fashion that I didn’t understand. I had no idea if I was even close to guessing correctly.

  The door burst open unexpectedly. King Amir strode in, smirking at me as he passed. “This is a good location,” he said to Enoch as he peered over the Jinni’s shoulder at his work table and supplies. “No one will hear her scream.”

  My skin flushed hot and then cold. This was it. They were going to do a Severance right here and now. No trial. No witnesses.

  Amir waved at the door as he told Enoch, “Use your Jinni magic. Make sure anyone who comes through that door regrets it.”

  Enoch lifted his hands. A shimmer appeared over a heavy dresser. It lifted into the air on its own, to dangle in the air directly above the door, presumably to drop on any unsuspecting visitor.

  “This isn’t right.”

  “I agree, my dear,” Amir mocked me. “You should never have been allowed to possess this kind of Gift for so long. Don’t worry. We’ll remedy that shortly.”

  “No,” I whispered. “You can’t.” I threw all my weight into trying to break free, feeling the rope cut into my wrists. Breathing hard, I stopped only to try a different angle.

  Enoch still hadn’t said a word, stirring something in a small clay jar, then adding another ingredient and mixing them together.

  Amir tsked. “It’s a shame, really. You could have been my queen. Ruled beside me. Or at least been very comfortable. Now, it’s too late.” He spread his hands wide as if truly apologetic. “You had to go and tell the kingdom about your Gift, and now the only option I have is to put you on trial myself.”

  “This trial is a sham,” I snapped.

  “Sham or not,” Amir replied, barely seeming to notice me fighting against my restraints. “It will be over soon enough.”

  Chapter 42

  Kadin

  TWISTING THE DOORKNOB SILENTLY, I glided through the door unseen with Gideon on my heels, and closed it softly behind us. We’d searched dozens of empty bedrooms. I scanned the small front room and held a finger to my lips when I heard voices in the bedroom beyond. I pointed to it and Gideon nodded.

  He stepped forward into the next room first, and accidentally sprung an invisible trap.

  Enoch had somehow known we were there, before Gideon and I even entered the room. A heavy dresser flew through the air and Gideon threw his hands up, flinging it backward, just before it would’ve crushed him. The momentum knocked Gideon back into the tiles by the fireplace, where he hit his head and slumped to the ground, unconscious.

  I dodged the piece of large furniture as it flung itself my way, seemingly with a life of its own, leaping to my feet by the bed.

  “Kadin!”

  I lifted my gaze to find Arie standing on the other side, tied to the bedpost. She was okay. I leapt across the bed toward her, forgetting to look around the room in my haste as I tried to untie the first knot. “It’s okay—”

  “You need to leave!” she yelled, shaking her head violently. “Get out of here now—”

  “Hush, girl. Don’t speak another word,” a man said from behind me, and Arie’s voice cut off mid-sentence.

  I whirled to face the speaker and ducked down to grab the knife from my boot in one smooth motion.

  “Stop him,” said the same voice. It came from King Amir who stood before me in his imperial robes, hands clasped before him. The purple-eyed Jinni next to him waved his hands and the knife I held disappeared, reappearing in his hand.

  “You’ve come to visit me,” the king continued. “How nice of you.” Something about his voice calmed me. I felt nice.

  I smiled and straightened.

  “Please,” he said, returning my smile. “Have a seat.”

  I found myself moving toward the chair he’d pointed out willingly, even though a part of me whispered that I was here for another reason. I couldn’t remember what it was. I smiled at Arie, glad that we were together again, but she frowned at me. Her hands were tied up, which made me uncomfortable.

  King Amir moved to block my view. “Remind me of your name, young man.”

  “Kadin of Baradaan.”

  “Tell me, Kadin,” the king said, pausing as he studied me. He circled behind my chair, placing his hands on my shoulders. The pressure was uncomforta
ble, pinching me. “Are you and this Jinni here alone?”

  “No,” my mouth said, before my mind could stop it.

  “Who’s with you?” he asked, pressing his fingers deeper into my shoulders until the pain made me flinch.

  I bit my lip, tasting blood. Why was I keeping it from him? My mind felt like a soft cloud, like a mist, like a slippery bit of soap. I couldn’t quite grasp what I should do next. I looked over to Arie, hoping she’d help me. No, wait. I’d come here to help her... but with what?

  The king released me, and I drew a breath as the pain stopped, though I felt certain there would be deep bruises. He came around to face me, leaning over the table to peer into my eyes. “Who is with you?”

  His deep voice flowed over me like a powerful wave, and I couldn’t fight it. “There are two others.” The information felt dragged out of me. Something in me was fighting the pressure to tell him, but losing.

  “Who? I want names.”

  My lips formed the words even as I fought to stop them. “Rena, the Mere, and Bosh, from my crew.”

  King Amir smiled down at me. “Thank you.” He waved a hand toward Gideon, where he still lay unconscious on the floor. “Enoch, take care of the Jinni. And reset the trap.”

  Enoch’s violet eyes flickered with an emotion too quick to name, but he obeyed. The heavy dresser lifted off the floor, flying through the air toward the door, where it stopped to hang above it, ready and waiting.

  Crossing the room, Enoch lifted Gideon into a sitting position, leaning him against the wall. Gideon’s head fell to the side, still oblivious, as Enoch placed a hand on his shoulder.

  A soft film came over Gideon, wrapping him fully like a sheer cocoon.

  “Is it safe?” King Amir asked when Enoch returned to the table. “What is that thing?”