After downing as much as I could, I stood up slowly, trying not to unsettle my stomach.
“I’m going to return to my apartment now,” I said.
A smile spread across the jinni’s face. “Splendid,” she said, a trace of relief in her voice.
We parted ways. I returned to my quarters and locked myself inside. I walked the length of the corridor and entered the living room. I wasn’t sure how many liters of blood I’d just downed, but I couldn’t deny that my stomach was full. I didn’t feel even the least twinge of hunger—I felt… satiated.
For the first time, I let go of my resistance to hope and couldn’t help but begin to believe something might’ve changed. It’d been about an hour since snake blood had first touched my lips, and my body wasn’t displaying even the slightest sign of expelling it.
* * *
I spent the rest of the day locked up in my apartment. I found myself instinctively avoiding the bedroom—the last place I’d spent time here with River—and stayed mostly in the living room. The fear that I was going to upchuck any second began to subside, and a feeling of confidence built within me.
Once evening arrived, I stepped outside my apartment. I moved toward the direction of the kitchen, and as it came within view, I was glad to see that the door was open. From where I was standing, it was dark, and there was apparently nobody inside. It was late enough for them to have already finished cooking dinner and, from the sounds coming from the dining hall further along, the Nasiri family were all feasting merrily.
I made my way along the veranda and slipped into the kitchen. The blood I’d consumed earlier had settled down now, making room for some more. I was bent on consuming as much as possible, today and over the next few days, until every shadow of doubt that remained in my mind was cleared.
I looked around the kitchen for the container of blood. Previously, it had sat on one of the counters, but it had been moved. I cast my eyes about and spotted the entrance to a pantry. I moved toward the door and pushed it open. I was at the top of a small flight of stairs leading down to a cold storage area. Descending into it, I passed by huge sacks of white powder—which I soon realized was ground human bone—along with an assortment of whole human bones, stripped of all flesh and hanging from the ceiling by ropes. I was worried that the sight would disturb my stomach, so I averted my eyes and continued looking around for the snake blood. I found the container eventually—it had been stored right at the back of the pantry. I picked it up and carried it back up into the kitchen. I sat down, poured myself a glass, and began to drink.
As I listened in to the cheerful conversation going on next door, a sense of excitement rose within me. Even though I was still bound to the jinn, the thought of finally being rid of the Elder left me feeling high. Although I couldn’t live back in The Shade, I could at least request to visit River, my family and friends. And while I was there, if this problem was truly solved, I could mix freely with everyone and roam the island that was my home for the first time in many months.
I drank the blood much quicker this time, downing it confidently, until once again I felt satiated and could drink no more. Although the blood tasted revolting, the sheer relief that I was able to ingest it made me almost forget about the taste.
I’d never thought in my life that I would relish such a vile substance the way I did that snake blood. Every gulp felt miraculous.
Once I finished drinking, I picked up the container again and carried it back toward the pantry. Passing a sink along the way, I dropped my dirty glass into it. I placed the blood right at the back of the storage room where I’d found it and re-entered the kitchen.
Now I planned to return to my apartment, rest for a few hours, and then come back down yet again after the break to drink some more—as much as my stomach could hold.
But as I moved toward the exit of the kitchen, I realized just what a fool I’d been.
The very moment I passed by the narrow staircase that led to the atrium above, it started as a slight irritation at the back of my throat. Then it developed into a cough, until before I knew it, I was doubled over and retching. It happened so fast, so violently, and I was expelling so much, the floor was soon a pool of undigested blood.
My vision blurred and became shrouded.
A familiar heaviness settled in my chest.
I barely registered what happened next. All I could feel was the rage of hunger ripping through my stomach, making my entire body shake. A hunger so powerful, there was no room for any thought in my mind other than how to satisfy it.
My legs jolted forward up the staircase leading to the human prison. Reaching the top, I barged through the gap between the wall and the cupboard that concealed the entrance to the jinn’s abode. I staggered out into the storage room, tore open the door, and appeared in a dark narrow corridor. I lunged for the nearest cell, smashing through the door with uncontrollable strength, and all that followed was a blur of red, punctuated by screaming and pervaded by smooth, rich liquid coursing down my throat. The nectar I could never live without.
Chapter 9: Ben
The euphoria that pulsed through my body was indescribable. My senses felt heightened, every nerve electrified, satisfaction filling every fiber of my being. It was as though my very bones groaned with relief.
After my fangs withdrew from a particularly tender body, I stood up, my chest heaving. I didn’t know how many throats I had ripped open. All I knew was that I’d drunk as much as I wanted.
My legs jolted again, not back down to the kitchen, but deeper into the prison. I ran with such speed, I would be nothing but a blur to any onlooker. I didn’t know how I found my way so easily through the complex network of cells considering I’d only traveled through the basement in its entirety once, while following the leopard. But somehow, I didn’t take a single wrong turn and it wasn’t long before I found myself stepping out into the gardens of Jeramiah’s atrium.
I barely took a moment to look over my surroundings. If there was anybody around, I didn’t notice them. It was as if I had tunnel vision. I just felt the urge to keep running upward, right up to the highest level, and reach the desert above. I wasn’t even sure what was calling me to do it, but I couldn’t fight it.
Forsaking the elevators, I launched myself upward and leapt from level to level until I reached the highest point of the atrium—the glass-covered level just beneath the exit. I smashed through the glass and raced up the stairs toward the trapdoor. I forced it open and broke out into the desert night.
As I gazed around the shadowy dunes, it was as if the cool wind blowing against my skin instilled within me another objective.
I need to exit the boundary… and I need to reach a gate.
A gate.
Where is the nearest portal to the supernatural realm?
I racked my brain, trying to recall the copy of Mona’s map that I’d taken with me from The Shade and lost to the hunters back in Chile. I had studied that map intensely, but perhaps not intensely enough…
Come on. Where is the nearest gate?
I began running as I continued to think. A strong wind swept up around me, scattering sand in my eyes, but I barely felt the stinging. My focus was fixed on the boundary and my destination beyond. Now I was a member of the jinn’s family, I could step outside of the invisible barrier, as other vampire residents like Jeramiah were able to.
I was only a few feet away from it when an invisible force punched me in the gut. Winded, I flew backward. I landed on the sand, but I didn’t skip a beat. I shot to my feet and began running again.
“Benjamin!”
Nuriya’s voice.
It’d never sounded so irritating to me as it did then.
The jinni appeared directly in front of me. My limbs froze. I was unable to take a single step forward or even budge an inch.
Aisha appeared by Nuriya’s side, as well as the queen’s lover, Bahir.
“I command you to let me free!” I growled. The anger that boiled up wit
hin me surprised even me.
Nuriya exchanged glances with Bahir and Aisha, then fixed her eyes on me.
“You’ve tipped the scales, Benjamin,” she said quietly. “Now I must do what is best for you, my child.”
I cursed the jinni. I was filled with an overwhelming desire to rip through her throat, if that was even possible. If I’d had control over my limbs, I would’ve tried.
She looked toward Bahir once again, and nodded. Bahir looked directly at me and as he did, his upper body became as translucent as the mist swirling beneath him. The next thing I knew, he was hurtling toward me. A strong force hit my chest as he made contact with me, and then the most bizarre thing happened… the jinni’s body melded right into me. I felt a strange, though not unwelcome, sense of warmth in my bones—something I’d never experienced as a vampire. The rage that had been welling up within me calmed and then vanished completely.
Nuriya returned control over my body. I staggered backward and, looking down, I realized just how coated I was with blood. My hands were caked with it, my clothes soaked as if I’d just fallen into a lake of the red substance.
The haze lifted, for the first time allowing the reality of what I’d just done to settle fully upon me. The aftertaste of human blood in my mouth, sweet as it was, now tasted like the most despicable thing on the planet. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I spat on the ground, trying to rid my tongue of it in desperation. As though this act would somehow lessen the stabbing guilt. The crushing waves of dread.
“What just happened?” I panted, lowering myself on all fours and balling my hands into fists in the sand.
“You’ve had too much blood,” Nuriya said. “The Elder is now strong enough to influence you in a way that he never was before… But I’m sure he wasn’t counting on us assisting you. As subtle beings, we too can inhabit people. Bahir has entered inside you, and he is now attempting to smother the Elder’s influence. That’s why your mind has returned to you.”
It took several moments for her words to sink in. That jinni is inside me. Two supernaturals within me, battling for control. Breathing heavily, I forced myself back to a standing position and stared at Nuriya.
“How long can Bahir remain with me?” I asked. I wasn’t interested in much else other than how long I had before my mind was reclaimed.
“I’m unsure,” Nuriya replied, gazing at me with deep concern in her golden eyes. “Certainly, Bahir will not be able to stifle the Elder forever. This is only a temporary measure. He’s just stalled the Elder calling you back to Cruor.”
Cruor. Of course. That’s where the Elder wants me. That’s why I was racking my brain as to where the nearest gate was. He’s calling me back.
Once I got there, that would be it for me. There’d be no coming back. And not just for me. I knew the consequences for the rest of the world, both human and supernatural, if the Elders were allowed to rise to power again.
If I allowed them to rise to power.
The Elder’s influence had become so strong over me even without being physically present inside me. Once I arrived in Cruor, I assumed he’d be strong enough to enter me and use me as a vessel. He’d use me to nourish himself back to complete strength, and then gather new blood for the others to begin their recovery.
“No matter what happens,” I said, trying to steady my breathing, “you can’t let me reach Cruor.”
Nuriya moved closer and gripped my arms. Her eyes blazed with determination. “I know, my child. We have to find a way out of this. Your future is with us, not those monsters.”
As miserable as it would be, the thought of a life stuck with these jinn was almost appealing compared to what Cruor had in store for me.
But even with this time Bahir has bought me, what the hell am I going to do now?
As if Nuriya had read my thoughts, she said, “Perhaps you should go to visit Arron.”
I stared at her. “Arron?”
“Yes,” she replied. “He has great expertise in matters relating to the Elders—with Elders and Hawks being natural enemies, he made it his life’s mission to know everything about those creatures in order to combat them. For the many, many years he’s been alive, all the knowledge he has gained… some of it could be of use to us.”
“So you’re suggesting that the Hawk would actually want to help me?”
“It is in his interest as much as, if not more than, yours that the Elders do not rise again. The Hawks are a weak shadow of their former selves. Just imagine what would happen if the Elders gained power and struck now—all of them would be obliterated. Arron would be horrified if he knew what the Elder had managed to do to you.”
“That makes sense,” I said, “but I still don’t see why he would help me. Once he found out what I was carrying, what I have the potential of being used for—I don’t see why he wouldn’t just murder me on the spot. Finish me off, so that there was no chance of this catastrophe…”
Even as I said the words, a chill settled in at the base of my spine. What if that was the only way to stop them rising to power? Take myself out of the picture entirely… I shook aside the dark thought, and tried to focus on positive action. There must be another way.
“I don’t doubt that murdering you would be the first thing that occurred to Arron,” Nuriya replied. “You’re the Elders’ only link, their only hope of resuscitation. But you would not see Arron alone. Although I have too many commitments here to come with you on such a journey, Aisha will come, and of course, Bahir will remain within you for as long as he possibly can.”
“So you’re suggesting that we actually go to Aviary?” I asked, raising a brow. I couldn’t imagine how strange that would feel. The first, last and only time I’d been there had been as a newborn.
“Oh, no, of course not,” Aisha butted in. “That would be an unnecessary risk with you as a vampire. We could pass through a gate and enter the supernatural world. Then I could leave you somewhere safe while I fetched Arron and brought him to see you.”
I paused, thinking over the jinn’s words. I wondered if Arron could hold answers that neither the jinn nor the oracle did—or rather, was willing to reveal. I knew that the jinn were on my side since I was one of them, but the oracle… Although she’d said that she’d seen my future set in stone, there was no way of knowing whether she might’ve been withholding some information from me. After her grim prediction, I could only hope it was true.
I looked toward Aisha, not thrilled that it was her I would have to be traveling with. But I was still too shaken to contemplate kicking up a fuss about it. I was just grateful that I had control of my mind again. I swallowed hard, then nodded.
I was dry of all ideas. I didn’t know whether this Hawk could give us the answers we needed, but we had to keep moving. I could not remain stagnant.
“Where would you take me first?”
“To the nearest gate,” Aisha said. “Once we’re in the supernatural world, I think the best place for me to drop you off would be The Tavern. You could wait there while I fetched Arron.”
“The Tavern,” I muttered. It rang a bell. My parents had told me that they had stopped by a place called The Tavern on their mission to finish off the black witches.
“Yes,” Aisha replied. “It’s a small island, and it’s kind of a haven for all species who have been rejected by their own kind—or for those who just choose to leave their homes and become wanderers. I’ll be as fast as possible in fetching Arron, so I doubt you would be waiting long anyway.”
Nuriya moved closer to me. Brushing her hands down my arms, she planted a kiss on top of my head. “And I will be here, waiting anxiously for your return, my child… Godspeed.”
Chapter 10: Sofia
Derek’s hold around me tightened as Jeriad dipped beneath the clouds. We found ourselves staring down at what appeared to be an endless black desert. If this was really the country of jinn that we were hovering over, they clearly had a preference in habitat.
The dragons surro
unding us came into view, carrying our companions, and soon we all touched down. Derek stood up on Jeriad’s back, and, catching me by the waist, picked me up and dropped down on the sand before letting me stand on my own two feet. We stepped back from the dragon, giving him space to transform. But to my surprise, he didn’t.
“We will stay in our dragon forms for the time being,” Jeriad explained.
“Now that we’re here,” Derek said, “I’d like you to shed some light on your plan.”
“We are here to see an ancient family of jinn known as the Drizan. They are the most influential and feared of all the jinn clans. It was with them that we dragons once had an… exchange of favors, shall we say. I am of the belief that they will know about the Nasiris.”
Jeriad stopped. Apparently that was all he was willing to reveal for the time being.
Our companions, now also debarked from their dragons, approached us. Rose stood on my left-hand side with Caleb. I caught her free hand and clutched it tight.
“All right,” Derek said. “Lead us.”
“I suggest we dragons surround you as we walk,” Jeriad said.
The fire-breathers formed a circle around us as we all moved forward on foot. As we trekked through the silky coal-black sand, the breeze was mild and pleasant and carried an odd, sweet aroma.
Jeriad stopped after a few hundred meters. I wasn’t sure why. This patch of sand didn’t look much different to any other… But then I noticed what Jeriad was staring down at. A medallion of sorts, with a diameter of five feet. It appeared to be forged of solid gold, and etched onto its surface was a symbol of a scorpion.
“We have arrived at the entrance to the jinn’s lair,” Jeriad informed us. “Now keep your distance.”
We all stood back, including the other dragons, to give Jeriad space.
Raising his giant right hand, he brought it thumping down against the medallion. Once, twice, thrice.
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