An Aladdin Retelling: The Stolen Kingdom Series, #1

by Bethany Atazadeh

  The worst of it was, I didn’t know how to separate fact from what parents told children in order to scare them into obedience. When a Jinni appeared, were they really coming from a place outside of our realm? That seemed a bit far-fetched. But then again, so was the whole appearing and disappearing, and that had turned out to be true. What about the other myths? Could the Jinni really steal your soul?

  Gideon’s eyes snapped to me at the thought. Had he—no. No, it couldn’t be. Had he heard me? Quickly I sorted through the stories, feeling a distant memory of a Jinni who could read minds—did Gideon have this Gift? Immediately I threw up mental shields, imagining walls twice as high as a castle and ten times as thick, in the feeble hopes I might be able to protect myself.

  Gideon tilted his head slightly and blinked at me, before returning his gaze to Arie, who was speaking to him.

  “I’m guessing a traveler so far from home must be lonely,” she said. “I’m new to this group myself, but they’re mostly good company. Besides Kadin, of course,” she teased. Gideon didn’t react. “Anyway, you’re very welcome to join us, right Kadin?”

  Normally I’d have a good comeback, but the fact that she and Bosh had just invited one of the Jinn to spend the evening with us—not to mention the whole day tomorrow—I could barely think, much less formulate an excuse.

  There was no way he’d say yes. But now that they’d offered, I couldn’t say otherwise. “It’s up to you,” I told him after an awkward pause. “It won’t be anything fancy. Just dinner at the Red Rose, one of the nicer inns in town.” One of the only inns in town, to be specific. Baradaan’s two villages flanking the castle were both small. That was part of why Prince Dev had found a way to personally terrorize nearly every single villager. It was also why it’d be the perfect place for a Jinni to bear witness to the crimes of the princes. In a town that size, there was no way he could miss it.

  Gideon sat more still than any human being, thinking. Then he surprised me by saying four words I’d never expected to hear. “Very well.” He nodded to Arie, Bosh, and the rest of us. “I accept.”

  Chapter 26

  Kadin

  I FELT LIKE I’D held my breath the entire afternoon. My chest hurt from the effort. I’d fixed my eyes on the dirt road and blue skies ahead of us, but my crew kept asking Gideon the most inappropriate questions!

  “Where are you from?” Bosh had begun hours ago.

  “Hush,” Illium hissed before he’d even finished.

  “It’s alright,” Gideon waved a thin hand in the air smoothly, managing to look like it was part of a dance move. “I have traveled much of the world, but I hail from Jinn, like most of my kind.”

  “But what made you come here?” Arie asked, just as innocent and wide-eyed as Bosh.

  Stop bothering the Jinni, I thought at her as hard as I could, though of course, she couldn’t hear me. Gideon surprised me again, by turning those pale eyes in my direction, studying me the way a bard might examine a new instrument. Once again, I imagined throwing up all manner of mental walls in an effort to shield myself, though for all I knew, they could be as impenetrable as water.

  “I’m terribly sorry,” Arie said in the silence when Gideon paused. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Not at all,” Gideon’s lips stretched in a thin but genuine smile as he turned back to Arie. “It’s quite a long story, but suffice it to say I’m on a mission to find a small number of lost objects.”

  “Like the lamp,” Bosh interjected, and he grinned when Gideon nodded. Ryo, Naveed, and even Daichi were warming up to the Jinni, less anxious now. Illium, on the other hand, had resorted to a sullen silence on the far side of the wagon—although he let them pester Gideon, since the Jinni had made his wishes clear.

  When they asked if there was any significance to the lamp we’d purchased, Gideon simply said, “There is.”

  Naveed’s eyes darted to mine more than once, whenever a question veered into unsuitable territory, which nearly all of them had, and I frequently glanced back at him. What had we gotten ourselves into? I could only hope the next day and a half would pass quickly.

  The scenery changed as we traveled. Trees and undergrowth thinned out until they disappeared entirely, leaving only scorched, rocky land that stretched empty and infertile for miles in every direction, except for the occasional rock formation. In the rainy seasons, the valleys filled with water, but now it was dry as a bone.

  “Keep an eye out for dragons,” I told everyone over my shoulder.

  “What?” Bosh squeaked. “You didn’t say anything about dragons!”

  “They’re rare in Baradaan,” I reassured him. “Very unlikely.”

  “Is that so?” Illium grumbled, pulling out his pipe.

  Only seen a few in my life, Naveed signed. They almost never come this far south.

  I nodded, glancing at Gideon who simply observed. Did they have dragons in Jinn? He didn’t seem concerned. “It’s just good to be prepared.”

  “Prepared how?” Bosh asked, ready to jump. “What do we do if we see one?”

  “Not much you can do, except spread out,” Ryo said with a smirk.

  Daichi nodded gravely, and Bosh paled. After that, we had no shortage of eyes on the sky, no matter how much I reassured them.

  Normally the open spaces relaxed me. Cities were so claustrophobic compared to the desert. This was my home. But the comfort was ruined by the tickle of a Jinni’s eyes on the back of my neck.

  We passed another towering ridge of rocks bleached almost white from the sun; they blended into the sand, creating the sense of wandering through a strange maze that was missing half of the lines.

  The city was visible long before we reached it. Built directly into the stone of the mountain, the homes and even the castle were all the same desert sand and rock color that made them nearly invisible if you didn’t know where to look.

  The others had never been here. Only Naveed and I, and not since we’d left four years ago. Since we’d lost everything.

  When our wagon drew closer to the mountains, the homes carved into the face of the cliffs began to take shape. The city stretched all across the base of the mountain with the castle on the far side, higher up and more protected. We approached the Red Rose at the edge of town; it was close to the road and the simple cave-like entrance made it appear deceptively small, though I knew from experience it tunneled back deeper and above into a second story as well.

  I jumped out in front of the sandy stone building before the wagon even came to a stop, landing hard on the packed dirt, desperate to get away and work through my concerns with the men without the fear of Gideon overhearing my thoughts. “We’ll meet up for dinner in one hour,” I told them, mainly for Gideon’s sake. “I’ll get us all rooms for the night. Ryo can take care of the horses.”

  I paused. Now it was my turn to ask an awkward question, and I found myself wishing it had already come up. “Gideon, can I, ah... get you a room, as well?”

  “Yes, thank you,” he replied as the wagon stopped fully and everyone stood to dismount after me, following me inside. The tension in my shoulders made my headache ten times worse.

  I’d finally found a Jinni to bear witness to a Gift being misused, I reminded myself. After tomorrow, everything would be different. That’s what mattered.

  I booked a room for everyone, plus paid for the horse and cart as Ryo came in from the stables. It depleted a small chunk of our new funds. We were burning through them faster than I liked. But it would all be worth it. Once we received our rooms, Gideon left us for some time alone. The others waited until he’d climbed the stairs and disappeared around the corner, before they each followed suit; I caught Arie’s hand. “Can we talk?”

  “Sure,” she replied, brows drawing together, wary.

  “Not here,” I said. “Let’s find some place quieter.”

  The Red Rose had a tavern on the main level. Only a couple patrons occupied the large room, day-drinking. The sun shone in through a simple,
wide-open window carved into the rock, which wafted delicious smells during meals, drawing in crowds.

  Ignoring them and the space, I led Arie out the front door instead. I needed to put some space between us and the others. Especially Gideon.

  Everything was built with the sand-colored rock, which made it easy for newcomers to get lost. Even so, nothing had changed, and I found my way easily down one narrow street and the next, turning here, then there. We reached the other side of town in no time.

  “This way,” I said, the first words either of us had spoken since we left. I pointed to a small crevice in the rock formations that the city had been built up against. “I used to come out here as a boy.”

  I led her inside the narrow cave. Ducking to avoid hitting my head, I entered the darkness without hesitation. Arie didn’t follow. I poked my head back out. “Just trust me, would you?” I laughed. “I promise you’ll like it.”

  Her brows rose in disbelief and she hesitated. I tried to see it from her perspective. We were still nearly strangers, after all. Without thinking much about it, I reached out my hand, palm up. “I promise you’ll be safe.”

  She slowly accepted, curling her fingers around mine. I gently led her through the tunnel, which curved into darkness in one direction, then back in the opposite direction, shrinking down until at a certain point we had to get down on our knees and crawl, which was likely the only reason it’d gone undiscovered by anyone else because an adult would never think to keep going. As children, Naveed and I had discovered this place, but we’d never shown it to anyone before; for some reason, I found myself wanting to show it to Arie. In the dark of the tunnel, she clutched my hand but didn’t complain. As we stood on the other side of the pinch point, light trickled in and I led her toward it.

  A small oasis opened up before us, walled in on all sides by steep rock walls that from the outside were too sheer to scale. But inside the small space was a small, quiet pool, soft sand, and the sun shone down cheerfully on us. Arie gasped, stopping in the tunnel entrance.

  “Told you.” I smiled at her over my shoulder. I didn’t need to hold her hand anymore, now that she wasn’t fighting me, but I didn’t let go just yet.

  Though she tried not to smile, her lips twitched, and she let me lead her on. “Right here,” I said, letting go of her hand and stepping to the side to let her go ahead of me. We followed the beaten path Naveed and I had created as children, rounding the deep pool to where a boulder made a natural seat on the other side.

  Up close, the pool was too deep to see the bottom, kept constantly full by some internal spring even in the heat of summers, except for one side where a shallow ledge was visible and the deep blue water turned nearly clear, showing the bleached rock beneath. Instead of joining me on the boulder to sit formally, Arie dropped to the ground by the shallow side of the pool, pulled off her boots, lifted her skirts up to her knees, and stepped into the cool water with a happy sigh.

  I blinked. This felt so much more intimate than I’d planned. But the water did look refreshing. I hesitated before joining her, removing my shoes as well and rolling up my pant legs.

  As I splashed into the water, it caused ripples that slowly faded the further out they went.

  “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered reverently, as if a normal tone might disturb the sanctuary.

  Dropping onto the dry ground at the edge, leaving my feet in the cool water, I leaned back, content to stay silent and enjoy the moment.

  Arie was still taking it in with awe and wonder written all over her face. I patted the ground next to me, and she sat closer than I expected, not even noticing when our arms brushed together. “This is heavenly,” she breathed.

  “My secret paradise,” I replied with a smile, staring at the water instead of her. “Well, mine and Naveed’s. We grew up here, you know.”

  Arie was quiet for a moment before she put two and two together. “This is the kingdom where the prince cut out his tongue?”

  I nodded, not really wanting to dwell on that day. We’d truly thought we would lose him. So much blood.

  Her soft hand slipped over mine. She’d never touched me intentionally before. I lifted my eyes, happy to be distracted. Her pretty face was just a foot away from mine. Those warm brown eyes and soft lips distracting as she said, “I’m so sorry.”

  I shrugged. My throat grew too tight to speak and I looked away. For a long minute, we stared out at the water and didn’t move. I needed to change the subject. I said the first thing that came to me. “I think Gideon can read minds.”

  Arie pulled her hand away in surprise. “He spoke directly into your thoughts too?”

  “What? No—” I spun to face her. That chased away all thoughts of how her dark hair shone or how her cheeks were tinted red. “He did that with you? When?”

  “At the auction.” She bit her lip and averted her eyes.

  “I wish you’d told me.” I blew out a breath, running a hand through my hair. “It’s not right. I’m glad the Jinn left our land. If only they would’ve taken all the Gifted with them.” I turned back to the water, tossing a pebble into the stillness. The little rock smashed through the sense of peace there, which was exactly how my mind felt at that moment. Mind reading was such an unfair advantage. It was abuse. Anyone with an ability like his should be avoided at all costs. “Do you know the extent of his abilities?’

  Arie shook her head. “No. But we could ask him?”

  “No!” I turned to face her. “You and Bosh both need to be more careful about what you ask a Jinni. Haven’t you heard the stories?”

  She just laughed. “You mean the Jinn who steal away naughty little children? You know those are just bedtime stories, right?”

  When she put it like that, I felt foolish, but I persisted. “Think about it. All stories come from a place of truth. If Jinn really do have even a few of the Gifts the princes have, we’re completely at their mercy.”

  She shifted uncomfortably, pulling her feet out of the water now as if chilled. “But everyone knows they have a code of honor. That’s the whole reason you brought Gideon here in the first place, to uphold their principles?” Her statement turned to a question at the end.

  “I sure hope so.” I pulled my feet out to dry as well and we sat in silence, staring at the ripples still disturbing the pool’s calm surface. It was time to bring it up. Past time really. “So. You’re a princess, hmm?” I elbowed her lightly to take the edge off my words. “When was that going to come up?”

  “I was thinking right after never,” she joked, grinning back at me. But then she grew more serious. “No one can know. Please.”

  “I promise to keep your secret,” I said, “if you tell me why.” It was underhanded. A good man would swear a solemn oath and never ask again. But I wanted to know.

  “I can’t,” she protested, clutching her dress so tightly I thought it might rip. “If they ever found out where I am, they’d make me come back, and I... I just can’t...” She swung around to face me. “Please, Kadin.” I liked the way she said my name. Those dark brown eyes were wide and pleading, drawing me closer. “Please, just promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

  She sounded so desperate, I felt guilty. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to.”

  “Promise me.”

  “I swear on a Jinni’s Gift,” I agreed. She relaxed somewhat, but the mood was ruined. Life as a princess must not be so great after all. I tucked it away to think about later, when I was alone with my thoughts. But that just made me think of Gideon. Would I ever be alone with my thoughts again?

  Chapter 27

  Kadin

  BY THE TIME THE first light touched the room, I gave up on sleep. Between thoughts of Arie and of the day to come, I had too much to worry about. Rolling out of bed, I threw on my boots and headed downstairs. Breakfast and a strong cup of coffee would wake me.

  In the doorway, I stopped. There was only one other person at the breakfast bar. Gideon.

  The staff at the Red R
ose clearly recognized a Jinni when they saw one, the way they tiptoed around him, wide-eyed. I nearly turned around to go back to my room, when he turned to face me. “Good morning,” he said, as polite as ever.

  “Morning,” I replied, my voice raspy from waking up. Uncomfortable, but not sure what else to do, I pulled up the stool next to him, slouching over the bar. I should’ve stayed in my room. As soon as the thought came to me, I shoved it into a dark corner of my mind and told it to stay there. “Coffee, please,” I said to the bartender.

  “How... did you sleep?” I ventured, struggling to find an appropriate topic of conversation for a Jinni. Did such a thing exist?

  “Very well, thank you,” he replied. “And yourself?” There was a slight twist to his lips that made me feel like he was laughing at me.

  Not well, I thought impulsively. I kept thinking about how you read minds.

  And that kept you up?

  I leapt out of my seat, the stool falling backwards, hitting the floor with a crash. This was far worse than I’d imagined. Gideon looked over his shoulder as I crouched near the door.

  “Goodness,” he said, “I didn’t think you’d be so easily spooked.”

  I cleared my throat, just blinking at him for a moment. “I wouldn’t call this easily spooked at all,” I answered after clearing my throat again. “This definitely falls into justifiably spooked.”

  He wasn’t using any other abilities that I could tell. But it would be wise to be cautious. “How do I know you won’t use any Gifts on me?”

  “It’s against the Jinni code,” he said simply, shrugging. “I cannot use them to steal, manipulate, or cause harm.”

  “But I have no way of knowing you’ll honor that.” I straightened, dusting off my clothes, feeling like I’d slightly overreacted. “It’s just not right.”