by Amy Sumida
“Yes, but why would you want it stopped?” I asked her suspiciously as I simultaneously backed away from Verin. I made it three feet before my legs stopped working.
I'm satisfied now, RS said. I don't have to be all graspy with the Grexer. I'd prefer you both to be happy and that means I have to ensure this plays out properly.
The world is ending, Kyanite drawled. The RS is speaking like an adult.
Fuck off, jewel-jerk, RS huffed.
Well, I suppose I asked for that, Kyanite huffed.
“Who's she calling a jewel-jerk?” Verin asked.
“Kyanite,” I explained. “They both speak in my mind, but you can only hear RS.”
Verin made a low sound of understanding and sympathy.
“She's right, though,” I went on. “We'll have doubts later if we don't make sure that this is what we want. We're not thinking rationally, Verin.”
Verin released a shaky breath. “I don't know if I can stay away from you.”
“Maybe I could sing—”
Verin growled.
“Yeah, you're probably right; more magic would be a greater risk.”
He abruptly laughed.
“What?” I asked, baffled.
“You got all of that from my growl.” He grinned. “You know me so well.”
He leaned. I drifted. We were nearly kissing when RS cleared her nonexistent throat. We jerked away from each other.
“Okay, we need to stop.” I held up a hand. “The longer we're together, the worse it gets. You're looking at me like a teenage boy with his first crush, and I'm digging it.”
Verin scowled.
“Better,” I noted crisply. Then I blinked and looked around. “Where are we?”
“My private garden in the Spring Court.”
“Damn,” I whispered.
We stood in a grove of cherry blossom trees in full bloom. Their pale pink flowers hung above us in fluffy clouds; frozen in a grandeur that was fleeting on land. Cherry blossom trees start to lose their flowers nearly as soon as they sprout, but not here. In the Spring Court, they bloomed eternally and you could feel it in the air; a sense of forever that deepened and slowed my breath. A pond spread like a mirror just past the trees on my left, reflecting faux sunlight. Black swans glided over the silvery surface and a blue-enameled bridge crossing it in a dramatic arch. The delicate, almost-almond scent of the cherry blossoms freshened the air but was often overpowered by wafts of vanilla that came from a nearby rock wall covered in orchids.
“Do you like it?” Verin asked softly as he shifted behind me.
His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me back against his chest. It felt so natural to lean against his strength; as if we'd stood that way hundreds of times before. Damn, Vivian was good.
“It's a piece of Heaven,” I finally replied.
“I've always thought it was enough for me but the time I've spent with you has reminded me of how much I enjoy the surface world.”
I smiled to myself; my debt to his mother was paid in full.
“I'm glad. You've hidden from it for too long.” I turned in his arms to look up at him. “It's time to come up for air, Dragon King.”
“Do you realize what that would mean?”
I cocked my head at him quizzically.
His voice lowered, deepened, and softened, “There would be no obstacle between us.”
“Only the way we truly feel,” I said gently.
Verin sighed roughly and let me go.
“It will be difficult but, in the end, you'll know we did the right thing,” it hurt my heart to speak the words but I forced them out. “Because then, either way, we'll know that what we feel is real. We can't start with lies, Verin. Not even one as beautiful as this.”
Verin clenched his jaw but nodded. Then he held his hand out to me. I took it, and we went back to Slate's zone.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Verin and I were walking back toward the others—with a good two feet between us—when someone appeared behind me, grabbed my waist, and put a knife against my throat.
Verin spun toward me and snarled. The Beneathers around us froze and went quiet as they realized that something had gone terribly wrong. Again. They circled us and stared at my attacker and me just like Verin did; as if they'd strike at the first sign of weakness. Despite being surrounded, the man at my back didn't waver.
“I've been waiting for one of you to fuck up,” a familiar voice said without an ounce of worry over the looming Beneathers and snarling Dragon. “I knew this would be the best place to catch you; outside the safety of your fairy realm. But then you locked up the Zone, and I couldn't get in. I had to wait once more but the wait has paid off. The Gargoyles dropped the ward and their guard. And what did I find when I strode in unchallenged? A party. How perfect.”
I nearly laughed. If there hadn't been a blade at my throat, I would have chortled until I cried. After all the time I'd spent searching for a way to defeat this man, I didn't expect to be this easy. It was almost as if the Universe had realized how much shit it had heaped upon me and was making up for it. Well, it was about damn time.
“If you start singing, I'll slice your throat. Understand?” the Jinni demanded.
I grinned at Verin, and he grinned back viciously.
I said one word in reply but it wasn't what the Jinni wanted to hear, “Idrisanigal.”
The Jinni froze. The shock of that single word vibrated through him. It had only taken a second to wrestle control of his soul away from him.
“Release me,” I commanded.
Idrisanigal—let's call him Idris for short, that's what Petra preferred after all—dropped his arms to his sides. I turned to look at him and saw the stark fear in his fiery eyes. The fire wasn't as bright as I recalled, and I wondered if that had something to do with my possession of his name.
“You will not hurt anyone; not ever again,” I went on. “Give me the knife. Handle first.” I held out my hand and Idris offered me the dagger. “Now, we're going to have a nice chat with my family. Come along, Idris.”
I turned on my heels and strolled through the crowd of gawking Beneathers with Verin grinning at my side and Idris following us with stilted movements. The Beneathers started to applaud; they weren't sure what had happened but I had obviously won.
“It's all good,” I called out. “Just a loose end I had to tie up. Party on, everyone!”
The cheering followed us down the street but thankfully faded by the time we got back to my men. The guys were waiting anxiously with Cerberus, right where we'd left them. They stood up as we approached, looking both relieved and annoyed.
“Dude, I get that you're not yourself right now, but you can't just go running off... holy shit,” Gage gaped at the Jinni.
“Fuck me!” Cerberus added. “Is that who I think it is?”
Verin grunted in affirmation.
“Look who the cat dragged in.” I grinned. “That name came in handy after all.”
“That's some perfect timing,” Banning noted. “For us, I mean. Not so good for you, Mr. Non-Jinx.”
The Jinni frowned at Banning.
“Long story.” Banning winked at him.
“Anyone remember where we put that bottle?” I asked.
“It's in Kyanite,” Darc said. “I'll fetch it.”
The Jinni's stare shot around our group in a panic. He started to ree.
“Stop!” I shouted.
The Jinni's shift to spirit stopped suddenly and left him in a half-transparent state that—judging by his expression—was painful.
“Reform,” I ordered.
He became physical again.
“Do not try to ree again, and don't move from that spot,” I commanded.
The Jinni trembled, his eyes narrowing and his lips compressing into a furious line.
“You've got a Jinn slave!” Cerberus exclaimed. “Do you know what you could do with him? Oh, my fucking Gods; this is fantastic! Can I borrow him?”
&
nbsp; “I'm putting him in a bottle and handing him over to his people.”
“Aw, come on, El,” Cerberus whined. “Are you kidding me? If you don't want him, give him to me. Pretty please with whipped cream on top.”
“Cer, he may be insane and evil but he came after us for killing the woman he loved,” I said softly. “That's valid. I'm not going to torture him. I trust the Jinn Royals to punish him fairly. They can decide his fate.”
Cerberus let out an irritated huff of air. “Sometimes your morality is a buzzkill, El.”
“Don't act as if you're any different, Hellhound.”
Cerberus rolled his eyes, but I knew that deep down, he agreed with me. Cerberus had guarded the Gates of Hades and guardians tend to have a certain type of honor. He wouldn't take advantage of Idris either; not after I'd pointed out my reasons for standing down.
Darc returned. “Here it is.” He handed me the bottle the Jinn enchanters had made for us.
I uncorked it and faced Idris. “I'm sorry about Petra; for the loss you feel that drove you to seek revenge. And I'm sorry that I have to do this to you to protect myself and the people I love. But I won't regret it because I would do anything to protect them.”
“You stand there amid your lovers and dare apologize to me?” Idris asked scornfully. “Fuck you, Elaria Tanager. You've never known loss like mine. You can't possibly understand it.”
“I have known it,” I said firmly. “I was torn away from my husband and separated from him for centuries. We made worlds together and birthed one of the greatest Beneather races in existence but all of that paled in comparison to our love. And it was taken from us. So don't you dare stand there and judge me, Idris. You have no idea what that kind of love feels like.” I leaned in and snarled, “Or what if feels like to lose it. You think you loved Petra? You think you suffered? You have no idea what true suffering is. I'm tempted to show you.”
“My fire,” Darc said gently as he laid a hand on my shoulder. “He's not a God; he'll never understand what we had and that's okay. Mortal love has its own beauty and power. The suffering they feel can be just as great as ours. We can't judge his pain because we felt our own. Nor should we diminish it because we believe our love was greater.”
I hung my head and laughed but it was a self-condemning sound. I turned to look at my husband and shook my head. “You've always been the best part of me, Darcraxis.”
Darcraxis wiped away the tears I didn't realize I was crying then kissed me tenderly. “We make each other better. That's how it's been from the very beginning.”
“I don't need your apology or your pity,” Idris declared. “Just do what you're going to do.”
“Very well,” Darc growled in irritation. His sympathy would only go so far. He nodded at me.
I held up the bottle. “Get in the bottle, Idrisanigal.”
Idris lifted his chin as his body became transparent then vanished. The bottle shifted and warmed as his spirit spiraled into it. I plugged it with the golden cork then held it aloft triumphantly. The Beneathers around us, who'd been eagerly watching the drama unfold, cheered and held their plastic cups up in unity.
Chapter Fifty-Four
“Anybody else feel as if that was a bit anticlimactic?” Gage asked dryly.
We were at our table again, this time with a bottled Jinni sitting beside the snacks.
“I'll take anticlimactic over a dangerous any day,” I said.
“Fair enough.” Gage tipped his head.
“Slate,” Binx walked up with Achira, Daha's sister.
Slate turned to his brother with a smile then got to his feet. “There you are!” He hugged Binx, who's eyes widened in shock and arms stuck straight out to the sides. Slate stepped away from his stunned brother and greeted his girlfriend, “Hello, Achira.”
Achira bowed her head.
“I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for my part in your brother's death. Will you forgive me?”
“Of course, Zone Lord,” she said immediately. “You played no part; it was not you who murdered Daha.”
“Thank you,” Slate said sincerely. Then added, “You're dating my brother.” He grinned as if that deserved an award. “Please, call me Slate.”
“Thank you, Slate,” Achira murmured.
“Where's Aaro?” Slate asked Binx.
“He's uh... I think he's drinking with Jago somewhere.”
“I almost pity the women of my zone.” Slate chuckled.
“Uh, Slate?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm moving out of the barracks.”
“What?” Slate paused halfway down to his seat. “Why? Where are you going?”
“I'm going to live with Achira.” Binx lifted his chin.
Slate grinned and lowered himself the rest of the way. “Congratulations, Brother. I hope it works out.”
“Yeah?” Binx asked in surprise.
“Binx, did you think I wanted you to live in the barracks forever?”
“Well...” Binx shrugged.
“It's about fucking time you got your own place,” Aaro declared as he strolled up with Jago. Then he saw Achira and winced. “Sorry, Achira. I mean—”
“It's fine,” she cut him off and smiled brightly. “I know what you meant.”
“Which makes her smarter than you,” Aaro teased Binx. “Not that it's much of an achievement.”
“I was smart enough to grab her before you got to her,” Binx shot back.
“There's no arguing that.” Aaro winked at Achira. “I hope you're both happy. But we'll understand if you kick him out in a week, Achira.”
Binx punched Aaro in the arm, but Aaro only laughed.
“Not to be a buzzkill”—I looked pointedly at Cerberus—“but I think we should get the bottled Jinni to his people. I don't want to jinx our good luck.”
“Yeah, I see what you did there.” Cer held up his fist for a bump, and I obliged him. Then I got up.
“No.” Darc waved me back down. “I'll take it. You stay and spend some time with Slate. You've been separated too long.”
“Thank you, Darcraxis,” Slate said sincerely.
“Glad to have you back, Gargoyle.” Darc grinned as he picked up the bottle. “Don't go closing the wards again while I'm gone.”
“Wouldn't dream of it.”
Darc disappeared with the bottled Jinni, and I breathed a sigh of relief to see him gone; the Jinni, not my husband.
Aaro lifted a brow at me. “Are we certain Gargo is secure?”
Everyone went tense. My guys exchanged looks with me. We couldn't tell Slate's brothers or Jago about the magic bombs. Not that we didn't trust them but secrets relied on the fewest amount of people knowing them.
“I'm certain the dagger collected his soul,” I said. Then I pointedly asked Declan. “Are we sure the box will hold Gargo?”
“The box will hold,” Declan confirmed. “Darc surrounded it in water which I sealed in yet another box just in case Gargo... somehow escapes the dagger.”
“That was smart thinking.” I meant it; they'd come up with that bit on the fly when we should have planned it. “I didn't even notice the extra layer.”
“You were a little busy,” Gage said gently.
“Where's the box now?” Aaro asked.
“Darcraxis hid it,” Torin said evasively.
I knew what that meant. Darc had taken the box, or double boxes, to Ildathach; the first planet we made together. It's also where our imprisoned magic was hidden.
“In a safe place, I hope?” Jago made it into a question.
“It's buried beneath a layer of snow and ice atop a mountain so sheer that no one can climb it,” Torin admitted. “Don't worry; even if Gargo's soul gets out of the dagger, he won't get free.”
Jago sighed. “I hope he's gone for good this time. That bastard's like a bad penny.”
“He's gone,” Slate reaffirmed with a glance at me. “And we're getting this zone back to normal.”
“No more wildcats ru
nning amok?” I teased.
“And no more wars,” Slate said sternly. “The only fighting in my zone will be in the arena.”
“Still, maybe we should put the ward back up,” Jago suggested.
We all looked at him.
