Will Power: A Djinn Short

by Laura Catherine

  Mother placed two bowls of soup on the table and I joined her to eat. I said nothing as we slurped the warm liquid, just listened to my mother ramble on about what a great opportunity it was and that if I succeeded, then the palace guard would definitely want me.

  ***

  My bedroom was barely big enough to hold me. I’d lived in this house my whole life. When I was younger this room had seemed huge, but now the bed took up half the space and a small chest of drawers the rest. The only empty floor space was so the door could open and close.

  I threw my gym bag on the bed and started pulling clothes from the drawers and stuffing them in. It only took a minute or two and I was ready, packed to leave.

  I’d never realised how little I owned. I changed into a fresh tee and jeans, pulling my leather jacket off the back of the door and on to my back.

  I ran a hand through my hair and remembered the bandages. I couldn’t go see a healer tomorrow. I needed to do it tonight, but I didn’t want to waste time heading back up to the palace. I remembered there was a Guardjinn healer just down the road, a retired, elderly woman who was a bit of a shut-in. Hopefully she’d help me.

  I pulled the yellow envelope out from the bag and turned it over in my hands. How was I going to succeed where everyone else had failed?

  I ripped off the top; a bunch of papers bound by a paper clip were inside. They were files on Malcolm, I saw, as I pulled them out. A picture of the Blooder from a few years ago stared at me.

  He was middle-aged with a crooked nose, but looked strong and stern by the way his jaw was set and chin held high. There was a lot of useless information about habits, past sightings and strategies which I skipped. Someone who has been able to keep out of our grasp for sixteen years didn’t have a pattern to follow.

  I flipped a few pages over and saw her name.

  Kyra Greenwood.

  A photo was attached but it was old—she only looked to be eight or nine. A second photo was clipped to the page.

  It was Kyra as a baby, wrapped in a yellow blanket and held by her mother, Isabelle Greenwood.

  The information on Kyra was even less helpful than that on Malcolm. Her name, age and birthday provided nothing useful about her as a person, nothing that might help me get close to her.

  How would I ever complete this job on my own? I couldn’t ask Pyke or Mia for help, but I wasn’t going to take some older Guardjinn along either. They wouldn’t respect me as a leader and I wouldn’t know them.

  No. Alone was how this was going to work. I was going to bring Kyra back and get my position at the palace.

  Chapter Three

  I stared down at my bandaged hands and wondered what it was like to feel something. Anything. But there was nothing.

  I flexed my hands and felt how stiff they were, but there was no pain. I couldn’t believe Jack would recommend me to Ivan after what he had said today during training.

  My bedroom door slammed open, causing dust to fall from the roof.

  “You were just going to leave and not even tell me?” Pyke yelled, lunging at me.

  I would have dodged it but my room was too small. Pyke grabbed my shirt and pinned me to the bed.

  “Ivan gives you a job,” he said, eyes a burning fury, “and you don’t tell me! Were you just going to disappear into the night?”

  “That was the idea,” I said, pushing Pyke off me.

  “I can’t believe you! You know how long I’ve waited to—”

  “This isn’t a revenge killing,” I said. “This is a retrieval job. I’m there to get the girl, not kill the Blooder.”

  “We could do both!”

  I groaned and hit Pyke hard in the chest, pushing his back against the wall.

  “This is why I didn’t tell you. I know you want revenge. It was the first thing you told me when we met, but that’s not what I’ve been told to do. Guardjinn follow orders.”

  “You don’t think I can follow orders? I can follow orders!”

  “Even if the order is to let the Blooder go?”

  Pyke bit back his answer and gritted his teeth.

  “That’s what I thought,” I said and let go of him. “I’m doing this on my own. You can’t come.”

  I grabbed my gym bag and hoisted it onto my shoulder. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

  I left Pyke in my room and said goodbye to my mother, giving her a light kiss on the forehead as she hugged my waist.

  The sunset lit up the sky bright with the orange and pink hues of autumn. I started down the street to the healer’s house. Sylvia Bennett was an old lady whose husband died a long time ago. She spent most of her time sitting out the front of her house as if waiting for him to come home. I usually avoided her. Seeing her sitting there, day after day, reminded me of how my mother used to wait for my father to come back when he left.

  “Can I help you?” she said as I approached.

  “I heard you were a healer and I was wondering if you could heal my hands. I have to leave the compound tonight on a mission.”

  Sylvia leaned forward, her chair creaking. Her eyes were a faded gold and I wondered if she were blind.

  “Give me your hands,” she said and I placed them in hers. “These must be very painful, but you don’t feel pain. Do you?”

  “No,” I replied. “My ability doesn’t let me feel pain and lessens the effects of physical damage.”’

  “Pain isn’t the only thing your ability dulls.”

  “I don’t understand.” My hands felt less stiff and swollen.

  “You have no sense of touch. At least, not like other people.”

  “I can still feel things,” I replied.

  “You do and you don’t.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She hummed a soft tune as she worked on my hands, but didn’t answer my question. She let go and I unwrapped the bandages. I was completely healed.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You are welcome. It is nice to feel useful again.” Sylvia sat back in her chair, rocking back and forth, humming her haunting tune.

  What had she meant? I felt things, but I didn’t? That made no sense and yet a voice nagged in the back of my mind. Was there something wrong with me?

  I didn’t have time to think about this right now. I was about to leave for my first job as a Guardjinn.

  I didn’t go back to my house and instead headed toward the Middle Ring, to the Greenwood house. The address had been written on one of the pieces of paper in the envelope.

  “Will.”

  I sighed, long and deep. “I already told you no, Pyke.”

  He stood behind me, a bag in hand. “I know what you said, but I don’t care. I’m coming.”

  “I don’t want to argue about this. Ivan said I could choose whom I brought and it can’t be you. It just can’t.”

  “It has to be me,” Pyke said. “I know you don’t think I can control myself, but I can. I need to go on this job. I need to face him. I need to face the man who killed my father, Will.”

  “I know that’s what you want,” I said. “But I’m not sure it’s what you need.”

  “Well, we won’t know unless I go. I’ll follow your orders. Whatever you say.”

  Pyke had never spoken this way before. He wasn’t much for feelings or emotions, but he had them. I didn’t want him to come in case it caused him more pain and in case he screwed things up, but he was begging me. And Pyke never begged.

  “You have to follow everything I say. I’m in charge, and if I tell you to leave the Blooder, then you leave him. Got it?”

  “Yeah, I got it.”

  Pyke didn’t thank me. He didn’t even really look happy. It must be a great weight on his shoulders. I couldn’t imagine facing the Blooder who killed my father—but then I wasn’t even sure if my father was alive or not.

  “Come on. I’m meeting Ivan at his house for a briefing,” I said. “You can carry my bag.”

  I tossed my belongings at Pyke, who caught it with one h
and and threw it back. “I’m not your servant,” he said.

  “You said you’d do whatever I wanted,” I replied and Pyke nudged me hard in the shoulder as he passed.

  “If I’d known this leader stuff was going to go to your head, then I wouldn’t have offered to come. This girl we’re saving better be hot.”

  That was the Pyke I knew. The one who made inappropriate jokes and flirted with anything that moved.

  I just hoped I had made the right choice for the mission and for Pyke.

  Chapter Four

  I knocked on the Greenwoods’ front door and waited for an answer. Pyke leaned against the porch’s stone pillar, his arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t said much on our walk over. I wondered what was going though his mind.

  The door opened and Kellan, a Guardjinn, stood before me. He was older than me, but his face looked young.

  “Will,” he said with a nod. “Come in.”

  “Thanks, Kellan,” I replied and stepped inside. Pyke followed, giving Kellan a sideways glance.

  I understood why Pyke was looking at Kellan that way. He was Guardjinn, like us, but he wasn’t a fighter—he was a servant. Not all Guardjinn had abilities for battle and so they went into service, but Guardjinn who did have abilities helpful against Blooders almost always protected the Djinn families.

  And then there were Guardjinn like Kellan. He had been in the Guardjinn class a few years before mine. Jack had been in the same class and told me once how rare and useful his ability would have been, but Kellan didn’t want to fight and many Guardjinn thought that went against everything we were.

  Not me though.

  Guardjinn already had so few choices in life—serve or protect. We shouldn’t be criticised for using the little freedom that was available to us.

  Kellan led Pyke and I into the sitting room where Ivan and his wife, Isabelle, were waiting. A fire crackled in the hearth. The Greenwoods sat on the couch with a platter of tea on the table, though I didn’t expect them to offer us any.

  “Mr and Mrs Greenwood.” I bowed.

  Ivan said nothing and Isabelle only gave a small smile. They didn’t tell us to take a seat, so Pyke and I stood at attention.

  “You’re taking a team then?” Ivan asked, gesturing to Pyke.

  “Yes,” I replied.

  “Pyke Danvers,” Pyke said.

  “Grant’s son,” Isabelle whispered, as if it were a secret. “I’m so sorry about your father …”

  “He died doing his duty, Isabelle,” Ivan said like her apology was pointless. “Wait outside.”

  Pyke bowed and left the room.

  “We are ready to leave,” I said. “I’ve been through the information you gave me and we will start at their last-known location.”

  “Good. The car in the driveway is yours to use.” Ivan pulled a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them. I caught them with one hand and returned to my attentive stance.

  “Now. I have a few conditions that you will follow,” Ivan said.

  “Of course.”

  “First, when you find my daughter you are not to tell her what she is or anything about the kidnapping. You will leave that to us. Second, you will not tell her about Blooders whatsoever. Third, you will make sure she is not hurt.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Ivan stood and wandered over to the fireplace, staring deeply into the flames.

  “And lastly, when you find the Blooder who took her, you will kill him.”

  Silence hung in the air. It was what Pyke wanted. I supposed it was only reasonable that they would want him dead. He’d killed Djinn, stolen a child and he was our enemy.

  Isabelle remained quiet, her tea in her hands. She seemed sad, her eyes downcast. I wondered how many times she’d had this conversation. How many Guardjinn had she asked to bring her daughter back, only to watch them fail? Did she still hope to see her daughter again? Or was it easier to let hope go?

  “We will bring her back,” I said, even though I doubted Isabelle would believe me. I put power into my words. “I will not fail you. Kyra is coming home.”

  Isabelle lifted her gaze, her eyes glassy. I meant my words and gave her a nod to show I was serious.

  “There are phones in the car,” Ivan said. “I want you to check in periodically. You can go.”

  I bowed again and left them. Kellan and Pyke were waiting in the foyer, standing on opposite sides of the room.

  “What did he say?” Pyke asked.

  “We’re to bring their daughter back,” I said. I wasn’t going to mention that we were also ordered to kill Malcolm. Pyke didn’t need to know that yet.

  ***

  “Nice car,” Pyke said, “if you’re an old lady.”

  The black hatchback was small and functional for our job, but not at all stylish.

  We threw our bags into the trunk and I stepped to the driver side.

  “Shotgun driving,” Pyke said with a smirk.

  “I’m driving,” I replied.

  “Yeah, but I shotgunned.”

  “My leadership overrules shotgun.” I slipped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Pyke slumped into the seat next to me, running a hand through his hair.

  “That’s not going to get old fast,” he said.

  I reversed out of the driveway and started down the main road out of the compound. It was strange. I had only been outside the compound a handful of times in my life as part of my training and now I was venturing farther than ever before.

  The human world wasn’t something that Djinn cared about. Of course we kept an eye on it, in case it ever affected us, but for the most part they weren’t worth our time. The less time we spent in the open, the less likely it was that they would find out about us. We’d have to be careful on the mission not to use our powers in public and draw attention.

  “Where do we start?” Pyke asked.

  “Their last-known location. It’s a few days drive from here.”

  The compound gates came into view, two Guardjinn standing guard. Another two patrolled the nearby perimeter.

  I hit the breaks and the car jumped to a halt. A furious-looking Mia stepped out from the night’s shadow and in front of the vehicle. Her fists were clenched, the skin around her eyes shimmering blue.

  I stepped out of the car with my hands up. If Mia used her ability on the car, it would have been reduced to a wreck. “Mia, don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Stupid?” she said. “Like going on a mission to get the stolen Djinn and taking Pyke with you?”

  She stepped into the headlights, closing the gap between us. “Seriously, Will! Are you insane?”

  Pyke popped his head out of the car. “Go home, Mia.”

  “And tell your mother that you left?” she shouted.

  “She should be happy that I’m finally getting revenge,” he replied.

  “Pyke, just let me handle this,” I said and he rolled up his window.

  “Mia, listen—”

  “No, you listen.”

  “This isn’t a revenge mission. Pyke promised to do everything I said.”

  “Do you really expect him to listen to anyone once he sees that Blooder?”

  “I’ll deal with Pyke, but he needs to do this. He needs to face him.”

  “Well he’s not doing it alone. I’m coming with you.”

  “No.” I didn’t know why I was against Mia coming. She was a great fighter and I trusted her with my life. Maybe having her and Pyke on this trip made things more complicated.

  “Will, I promised to look out for Pyke. He’s my family and I’m not letting him do this alone.”

  She was standing close to me now, her eyes looking up at me with a fierce love for her cousin. I had never felt that way about anyone before.

  “Okay,” I said. “You can come. Get in the car.”

  Mia smiled, but didn’t move. She was leaning so barely a finger’s width of space was between us and I knew that her thoughts were not about Pyke anymore. They were on me.


  “We need to get moving,” I said and returned to the car.

  I didn’t want to be cruel to Mia. I knew how she felt about me, but I thought telling her I didn’t feel the same way would hurt her more, and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.

  Mia slid into the backseat.

  “She’s coming?” Pyke said, pointing at Mia.

  “She’s coming,” I confirmed.

  “Unbelievable.”

  “We could quickly swing by your house for some clothes,” I said, though I wanted to get moving.

  “Don’t bother,” Pyke said. “I packed some of her stuff in my bag.”

  Mia’s eyebrows rose and she smirked. I was surprised too. Pyke seemed so against Mia coming, but he had expected it.

  What was it like to know someone that well?

  Chapter Five

  The road from the compound was long and dark. Nothing but empty fields surrounded our borders for a few hundred metres before a thick forest of pines created a barrier between our home and the rest of the world.

  I had my eyes on the road while Pyke unfolded the map.

  “This thing is stupid,” he said, unfolding more and more paper as if it were endless. “Why’s it got to be so big?”

  “The world is big,” I replied.

  “Not our world,” he countered.

  Something hit the back of the car and sent it into a tailspin. I gripped the wheel, fighting to stay in control as we veered off the road into a ditch. The car seemed altogether unharmed, maybe a few scratches and dings.

  “Is everyone alright?” I asked.

  Pyke had one arm on the dash and the other on his seatbelt, holding him in place. Mia was crouched in the foot well behind Pyke’s seat, her lip bleeding. She hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt.

  “Mia?” I asked.

  “I’m fine,” she said, climbing back into her seat. “What the hell was that?”

  “Did we hit an animal?” Pyke stared out the back window to the road.

  “We didn’t hit anything. Something hit us,” I replied.