Burning Hearts

by Melanie Matthews

  She got off the chair and approached him from behind. “Of what?”

  He finally turned to her, sorrow masking his face, and held out his hands. “You’re so at ease with him. There are no worries between you two. You’re both human. It’s all so…simple.”

  She reached for his hand. He gave it, and she held it gently. “I love you, Malcolm. Yes, I love Riddick, but it’s not the same as you. We’re bonded. We share a connection that I’ll never have with Riddick.”

  “But he’s safer for you. Yes, he did try to hurt you today, but that was only because of me, because of the Jinn in Oasis. If I’d never come, the Jinn wouldn’t be here, creating chaos, killing. Your powers as a Mage would’ve never been awakened. Your life has been ruined by me.”

  She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace; his heartbeat was like a jackhammer. “No! Don’t say that! My life is better because of you. I can’t imagine not being with you. I’m complete when you’re near. I feel…whole…as if before I was fractured, and then you came along, and put me together, fixing me as if I were a broken vase.”

  “But I could easily turn and break you again.”

  Jenna let go, pushing him away. “I’m so tired of hearing that! Do you love me or not?!”

  He looked hurt and confused. “Yes, of course I love you.”

  “Then stop with all this going bad nonsense! I don’t wanna hear it anymore, all right? You’re good. I wouldn’t be with you, love you more than anything in the world, if I thought there was the slightest chance you’d hurt me.”

  “I’m sorry.” He held out his hands, inviting her back. She accepted, wrapping her arms around him again. “I’m sorry, my love. I won’t talk about it anymore. I promise.”

  She moved her hands up to his head, grasping his soft black hair with her fingers as she pulled him down to meet her lips. “Stay with me tonight.”

  He snatched her bottom lip between his, tugging at it in a sucking motion, before kissing her passionately, hotter than a raging inferno.

  Her clothes fell off, one by one, on the floor.

  SUMMONS

  It started all over again as it had before.

  Oasis had experienced in succession and repetition: earthquakes, twisters, wildfires, suicides, and murders.

  The people had been frightened; most had stayed in their homes; others had cramped into any church they could find, praying for salvation.

  The terror had lasted for three days.

  Jenna held Malcolm’s hand as they surveyed the damage in her neighborhood. Half the homes were destroyed. There was a line of ambulances; EMTs were carrying the injured, the dead or dying off onto stretchers. One of them was Mrs. Tinsley, still alive, but unconscious.

  “How could two Jinn do all this?” she asked him in disbelief.

  “Saladin and Fatima are from a royal line of Jinn. Their powers are magnified,” he informed. “And it helps if the people were already weak, afraid.”

  She shook her head. “I wish I could tell everyone who I was—what I can do—who the enemy is—and how I can save Oasis.”

  “Some may welcome the news; others may deny the truth.”

  “My grandpa said: ‘It’s a terrible life to live when you’re the only one who can see the truth.’” She squeezed Malcolm’s hand. “I wanna help, to save people, but sometimes I wish I wasn’t the chosen one, that I wasn’t a Mage.”

  He cupped her cheek. “Is this because of what happened three days ago?”

  She nodded, trying not to cry.

  He held her in a comforting hug. “It’s not you. Don’t blame yourself. It’s me. It has to be me.”

  “We’ll find a way,” she said with determination. “And it’s not just about having sex…it’s about us…sharing what others can do…it’s love. Maybe there’s something in my grandpa’s journal, hell, even the internet that would explain what happened between us that night.”

  “I’ll always love you whether we’re intimate or not.” He went to kiss her, but stopped, and leaned away as another ambulance arrived. “Let’s talk about this later, okay?”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  As they watched the turmoil around them, Jenna thought only of what had happened three days ago between her and Malcolm. They’d been naked, aware of each other for the very first time—and ready. He’d taken his time, kissing her, touching her, and then he’d gotten rough, but in a good way, building up an inferno of raw lust inside her. But as they were about to declare their love in that time-old tradition, something had happened: nothing.

  It was like she’d been wearing a mystical chastity belt. It was invisible, but it was there.

  They’d dressed and he’d stayed with her that night, holding her close as she’d cried. When she was all cried out, they had a talk that quickly turned into an argument. He’d blamed himself, for being half-demon and evil. She’d refused to believe that because he was half-human and good. She’d blamed herself, being a Mage, saying that her destiny was keeping them apart. They’d argued back and forth some more, and then she’d cried some more, before finally falling asleep in his arms.

  She’d been melancholy, in her own little world of sorrow, until Hell had been unleashed on earth for three days. The horrific events redirected her focus. She couldn’t allow Saladin and Fatima to destroy Oasis. And she couldn’t allow them to take Malcolm away from her; especially Fatima, who Jenna hated more for being his ex-girlfriend than for being a demon.

  “Let’s go back inside,” Malcolm encouraged. “There’s nothing we can do here.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, but as she went to turn, a small hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, halting her in place. She gasped. “What the hell?”

  Jenna focused on a girl, about ten, wearing a white tee and overalls. She looked sweet with blonde pigtails.

  “Oh, sorry,” Jenna apologized. “You just startled me, is all.” She bent down. “Are you all right? Do you need help?”

  The girl’s gray eyes seemed strange, glassy, as if in a trance. “Saladin requests your presence,” she said in a programmed robotic voice.

  Jenna froze.

  “What does he want with her?” Malcolm asked the influenced girl.

  The girl didn’t even turn to him, staring into Jenna’s eyes, but not really looking.

  “Saladin requests your presence,” she repeated mechanically.

  “Where?” Jenna asked.

  “The Devil’s Path.”

  “What’s that?” Malcolm asked Jenna.

  “It’s a trail in the desert that winds between two canyons. Legend says that if you follow the path, you’ll find the Devil, who’ll grant your wishes.”

  “Sounds like a trap,” Malcolm assured. “From both the Devil and Saladin.”

  Jenna made no comment to this truth. She turned back to the little girl. “When?”

  “Now.” The girl finally broke contact and turned to Malcolm. “Saladin insists that the Mage come alone.” Then she turned back to Jenna. “If you do not follow his command, then the events of the past three days will be just the beginning of his wrath.”

  Jenna nodded. “I understand. Now run along home and…don’t talk to strangers.”

  The girl, obviously done with delivering her message, blinked, looked around, confused, and then walked away.

  “I’m coming with you,” said Malcolm.

  Jenna shook her head. “No, you’re not.”

  He sighed. “Jenna, please! I can’t let you go alone.”

  She held his hand, massaging it. “Malcolm, I love you, but you have to lemme go. Alone.”

  “I’ll follow,” he threatened. “And remember, even if you wear your amulet, I can still see you.”

  She sighed, feigning resignation and cooperation. She couldn’t allow him to follow her. “All right, but let’s go inside. I have to get ready.”

  He nodded, satisfied and oblivious. “I can help you.” He held her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers. “We’ll stop them together.” />
  She gave him a smile. “Okay.”

  They walked back inside her house that by some miracle hadn’t been lifted and thrown to Oz when the twister touched down the day before. Her parents were at the funeral home, dealing with more and more death. She went inside her bedroom and retrieved the dagger and amulet, pocketing the bronze necklace.

  “Malcolm,” she began, adjusting the straps of the brown-leather sheath around her belt, tightening it in place at her hip, “have you ever been in a fight?”

  “No, but don’t worry.” He smiled. “I got moves.”

  “What’re your weak spots?” she casually inquired. “I mean, you’re half-human, so I guess what I’m asking is—”

  “Where am I the most vulnerable?” He paused, and then said, “Well, I’m weak all over just like a human, but still stronger than most.” He smiled. “Not as strong as a Mage, like you. But anywhere on a human that is able to be seriously wounded will affect me as well; if I recover, it’ll take awhile.” He kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry about me, okay? We’re the good guys. We’ll beat the bad guys and save the day.” He smiled again. “And if there’s a horse around, we’ll ride off into the sunset.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck like she’d done so many times, but this time was different as she readied her hand to strike. “I hope you think I’m still good after this.”

  He furrowed his brow. “I don’t under—”

  He was cut off by her not-so-gentle slap to the back of his head. His fiery blue eyes widened in shock, and then drooped, until finally clamping shut as he fell to the floor. She checked his pulse. He was alive, but unconscious. She just hoped that he’d stay down until she got to Saladin.

  She gave him a featherweight kiss on his lips, trying not to wake him out of his stupor. “Don’t be mad at me,” she whispered. Stealthily, she slipped her hand in his pocket and pulled out his car keys, as he lay on her rosy carpet, comatose.

  “Love you,” she said softly before departing.

  THE DEVIL COULDN’T MAKE IT

  Malcolm’s Challenger flew fast outside the town limits of Oasis, where civilization ended and the wilderness began.

  Jenna had been to the Devil’s Path only once before. It’d been the summer of her ninth birthday, but the night her grandpa had driven her out there, the weather had been cold and biting. They’d paused at the beginning of the trail, beholding the massive two canyons in the distance. She’d remembered cactuses that spotted the desert sand around them, prickly to the touch. The nocturnal animals that roamed the arid landscape had made their presence known, each echoing their peculiar calls. The moon had been bright and full, hanging low in the sky, as if it were about to crash into the earth. There’d been a red tint to it; an omen of death…if the legends were true.

  Her grandpa had told her not to be afraid, saying: The desert consumes those who show fear.

  After taking in their surroundings, they’d driven down the path, through the canyons, and had pitched a tent; they’d roasted marshmallows and watched the sun rise, replacing the red-tinted moon that’d turned out to be harmless. It was one of her happiest memories.

  Now the desert wasn’t so tame. It was dark, oppressive, and the moon was shaped in a crescent, smiling maniacally at her. But the animals remained quiet, submitting their territory to a more threatening predator, something lurking in the shadows, waiting to consume a wandering fool.

  Well, Jenna was no fool. She knew what lay ahead: the fight with Saladin and Fatima—the baddest of the bad Jinn she’d yet to face. Fatima was the curve ball: would she portray the lovesick, jealous, prone-to-overreact ex-girlfriend? Or would she be cool, calm, and deceptively unthreatening?

  Jenna parked Malcolm’s car in the middle of the trail, between the canyons, and proceeded on foot, wearing her amulet, invisible to her foes. The dagger was sheathed at her hip, but she curled her fingers around the cedar hilt, prepared to draw and kill the last remaining enemies of Oasis; and the last remaining hindrance to Malcolm having a normal life with her, free of the invading Jinn.

  A snake with alternating red, yellow, and black rings dared to appear, quickly slithering past her, not caring to stop and bite. A few steps further, atop a rock, a red scorpion skittered off and disappeared into a dark crevice of the canyon.

  A species apart, Jenna sensed their fear.

  She kept walking, slowly, mindful of the rocks on the trail. Even with her amulet, Saladin and Fatima could see the effects of her movements. If lower level Jinn could sense a distortion around her, Jenna was worried that the two royal siblings could see more than that—perhaps an out-of-focus shape as Malcolm saw. She hoped not. What good was an amulet that makes you invisible if the enemy could still find you?

  Yet, she kept it on. Any advantage, however small, was better than none at all.

  The trail ended. Where her grandpa’s tent had been erected all those years ago was now an empty spot of desert.

  The Devil had failed to show.

  Anticipating trickery, she unsheathed her dagger, and took another step forward.

  Suddenly the ground shook beneath her. She steadied herself, ready. The desert sand rose up in front of her in a magnificent dance, shaping into a grand castle with turrets and waving banners. But this was one sand castle she couldn’t stomp out with her foot.

  The ground sunk in a circle around the castle, creating a moat. Beautiful blue water filled the void. A sandy drawbridge was lowered, bidding her entrance.

  The time had come. She was ready, but nervous, not knowing what to expect from the brother and sister tag team of evil. She summoned up whatever courage remained in her soul and walked with a fractured confidence across the sandy drawbridge. Once passed, it collapsed into the moat; the sand descended into the water, cutting off her retreat.

  She held the dagger firmly as she traveled under an arch, emerging in a courtyard of sandy fountains with flowing waters. The sun’s rays followed her wherever she went, but that wasn’t far. As she traveled up sandy steps to open sandy doors, only sandy walls greeted her. There were no rooms. Despite being aggravated, she was also amazed at the construction of the sand castle that didn’t look like a typical castle from fairy tales—but still simplistically beautiful. She had to remind herself that it was the work of a demon, the bad guy.

  And a skanky ex-girlfriend.

  With renewed courage and purpose, she strode forward, ready for the fight. She finally found the interior of the castle when an open archway bid her entrance to a sandy hall. Balls of fire, floating near the ceiling like small chandeliers illuminated her way, but if there was a sure path to take, she couldn’t find it. It was an endless labyrinth. Lost, unsure, she took passages to only find dead ends. Her resolve to finally finish the siblings kept her sane, and after traveling for what seemed like forever, the sandy maze came to an end, forcing Jenna into an enormous chamber.

  It was the first real place that she’d found. Actual chandeliers hung from the ceiling, but lit candles took the place of glass bulbs. A balcony looked out upon the stretching desert. Elegantly-carved cedar furniture was strategically placed around the room for comfort, and a lone loveseat had a pair of embroidered cushions instead of lovers. The rugs on the floor were designed in an intricate Arabesque style of interlacing vines with bloomed flowers and curved leaves. A black grand piano sat quiet in one corner. On sturdy wooden shelves, red leather-bound books were at attention like little soldiers. A multi-colored tapestry on the wall told a story that she didn’t understand.

  She stood in awe of such beauty and lowered her weapon as she felt a pillow propped against the arm of a cedar chair; the fabric was silky and warm. For the first time since her arrival, she felt at peace.

  But it wasn’t to last.

  A deep male voice began to sing the opening lyrics to “Rolling in the Deep.” He sang about his heart being on fire, seeing her clearly, and giving her a warning to take him seriously, capable of anything.

  Jenna raised her weapon.
She turned and looked all around, but couldn’t find Saladin.

  “You like Adele?” she inquired, trying to draw him out—and curious about his tastes in music.

  He didn’t take the bait, remaining unseen. “Who doesn’t?” It was a rhetorical question.

  She tried a more straightforward tactic, and sang, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

  She could hear his smile as he said, “You first, Jennifer Rosalyn Love.”

  The way he said her name—her whole name—was creepy; she would’ve preferred him to call her “Mage” like the other Jinn. She took off her amulet, figuring there was no point in leaving it on; he already knew that she was there.

  “All right,” she said, placing it in her pocket. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He chuckled, still unseen. “Why the rush? We’ve just met.”

  His voice was deep, alluring, and exotic. Not rough as the other Jinn. But silky like the fabric of the pillow that she’d so lovingly fondled earlier. Her body was hot all over and it wasn’t just the desert heat.

  She gripped the hilt of her dagger, worrying about her sweaty palm. “I’m not one for prolonged greetings.”

  “But I’ve heard so much about you. You’re uglier than they claimed.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What is it with you Jinn? I’ll admit, I’m no America’s Next Top Model, but I think I look darn good considering all the stress in my life.”

  He chuckled again, finding her amusing. “A jokester Mage. Now there’s a first. The ones I’ve come across—brief as our encounters were—seemed very serious about their work.”

  “I am serious. Now you can see me. Isn’t it only fair that I can see you?”

  Her heart was pounding away like a jackhammer, afraid.

  “I’m here, Jenna. You just need to look.”