“Well, yeah,” he finally said.
“Fine. Pack your bags. We’ll have a going away dinner tonight.” I didn’t want to say those words, but I had to, and I wouldn’t let him change his mind. Ty was moving on and leaving me behind. I could fly out and visit him, but after he moved out, nothing would ever be the same.
“I’m not moving to Colorado.” He clenched his jaw.
“So is she moving here? You guys can get an apartment in town.” That wouldn’t be quite so traumatic for me. Plus, Ty might actually entertain that idea without too much difficulty.
“No. She owns a business that can’t move.”
“Yours can.”
“But I’m not leaving until you graduate.”
“This is ridiculous. I’m almost seventeen years old.” His baby would need him more than me.
“You’re still a kid.”
“I have Gran. Seriously. This argument is stupid. I don’t want you to be here tomorrow. I want you in Colorado.”
Ty’s face pinched. “Gran cannot speak. She can’t help you with your homework, talk to your principal, or bail you out of jail. Plus, I take care of all of the bills and the maintenance on the house. Seriously, you clog up your shower with your hair at least once a month. I can’t see you running a snake down the drain. I’m responsible for you until you graduate. Then I’ll move in with Stacey, and you can go to college.”
I couldn’t think of anything else to say, but I’d find a way to get him to go.
“You’re moving. End of story. I don’t need you.”
“Yes, you do.”
“That’s what you think. I’m not speaking to you again until you agree to move out. I don’t need to.”
“Yeah, that’s real mature.” He slammed a fist down on his desk.
I grabbed my backpack and raced from the room.
Chapter 6
Gabe
I was optimistic about life before school. I was in love, and a morning never looked more beautiful. The grass was a vivid green. The air smelled of spring. A cool breeze blew across my face. I strolled down the walk. An orange and black butterfly fluttered in front of my face, and I stopped to watch it.
A door slammed, and Liv stormed out of her house and rushed down the street. I hurried after her. Had I done something wrong for her to leave without waiting for me? Things last night were so hopeful.
She was halfway to school before I caught up with her.
“Normally we walk together.” I gave her a grin, but the pain on her face caused me to falter. I reached for her hand, but she moved away. Maybe she’d decided she didn’t love me. Maybe she didn’t want us to be together after all. So much for a beautiful morning.
My chest tightened. I wasn’t ready for this to be over. It’d barely begun.
“Hey, what’s the matter?”
“I’m just having a bad morning. Sorry.”
She dropped her head and kept stalking toward school. I hurried to keep up with her, wracking my brain to figure out what happened. I’d had it all planned out. At some point I was going to whip out that shoe and secure that kiss. I figured it’d be after school, but now, I wasn’t sure she even wanted to talk to me anymore. After a few moments, she let out a breath.
“Ty got a girl pregnant, and he won’t leave me to go be with her.”
Thank the gods, it’s not me. I should be sympathetic. She was upset, and I could fix that for her. That shoe might have to stay buried for a little while longer. Maybe even a few days. Shame.
I really didn’t understand what the big deal was with her brother. It shouldn’t matter whether he stayed or went.
“He’s your brother. He cares about you.” I’d seen Ty in the hospital and every time I went to her house. He loved her just as much as most parents love their children.
She glowered at me. “I’m not a child. That girl and baby need him more.”
“You really scared both of us on prom night.” She had to see Ty wasn’t about to leave her to her own devices for an extended period of time. I knew from years of granting wishes that a lot of regret comes from not being there when someone needs you.
She threw her arms up. “I didn’t know I would nearly die.”
“Neither did I.”
She scowled at me and marched onward. “Just a few weeks ago, you didn’t care if I lived or died. Why do you care now?” She spat the words out.
“I’ve…changed. You did something to me, Liv. I can’t imagine you dead.”
She squeezed my hand.
I wanted to pull her close, but that could ruin everything. I didn’t want to push her right now.
I wove my fingers through hers, and she didn’t shrug it off. Phew. All I needed to do was slowly chip away at those walls.
We walked in silence for a bit. She needed time to work out her issues with her brother. Having never been in her situation, I didn’t know what else to say.
After a few seconds, she let out a breath. “Is it possible for me to wish him away?”
My heart broke a little for her. Some wishes were impossible.
“That’s tricky. Forcing someone else to do something never works out well. The amount of energy it takes is unpredictable, depending on the will of the other person.” Forcing Ty to leave could cause her to pass out again, and I wasn’t about to put her in the hospital. It was easier to make someone do something they wanted, but if Ty was that insistent on not leaving, that wish would drain her life force right away.
I could probably do it on my own as Djinn. But I didn’t even know what those powers were. I started reading the book Ali gave me, but I was distracted by thoughts of Liv.
Being Djinn came with all these powers that I’d need to manage if I wanted my secret to be kept. No one else could know. If even a breath of my existence got back to the goddesses, I’d be a slave. That meant keeping it a secret even from Ali. It was possible he knew, but he might just think my increase in power had to do with Liv.
Samir kept the knowledge of the Djinn close to himself though it was probably written in his book. If Bast took his as well, we might be able to find it in some hole she hid it in.
Then I could do whatever Liv wanted.
For now though, I could grant her wishes on my own and not worry about the pain they caused her or worry that I might kill her.
Chapter 7
Liv
School had been too distracting to think about anything. I waited for a moment by my locker for Gabe. I wanted to rush home, but he’d been so sweet, even when I’d been rude.
A hand tapped my shoulder, and I spun around. Nora looked at me with her wide hazel eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but there was no way I wanted to hear her words. Not now when I desperately needed to figure out what I was going to do about Ty. Dealing with Nora was a task for another day.
I squeezed my way through the crowd away from her. I’d message Gabe when I got home and make it up to him somehow. I practically ran the whole way, but then I stopped at the front door and stared at it for a moment. I didn’t want to see Ty or talk to him. He put his own life on hold by taking care of me. How was that fair to him? My insides churned.
The door mocked me. He was on the other side. I fished my keys out of my pocket and dumped my backpack in the passenger seat of my car. I didn’t drive it very often because most of the places in town were only a few blocks away, but I needed to put some distance between us. Find a place where I could really think without Ty, Nora, the twins, or Gabe. I rarely needed to be alone.
I sent Gabe a quick message and took off down Lake Shore Drive. I drove with no thought of where I was going.
Somehow, I had to take care of Ty. He couldn’t leave his girlfriend to have their baby on her own. That wasn’t fair of him to do. This was his baby for crying out loud. It was my fault he wasn’t out starting his own life.
Traffic on the road got heavier as I got closer to Holland. I still had no idea where I was going. Most of the time if we headed into Holland, we went to the mall or a
different beach.
I hit the beach road and drove away from it. I didn’t want to stare at the water while I thought. The beach was my playground.
My stomach grumbled, and I stopped at Captain Sundae and ordered an M&M concrete. Ice cream for dinner was always good in a crisis.
Unfortunately, I still didn’t feel any better once the ice cream was gone, so I drove to a park Ty used to take me to. We would explore the paths and talk about life and our parents. It’d been a long time since we discussed them. Our parents were gone.
The woods seemed more overgrown than they had when we’d been here last. How long had it been since he’d taken me here? Two, three years? I couldn’t figure out how he couldn’t understand that I didn’t need him anymore. We hardly spent much time together anyway. I was always with my friends, and he was off somewhere taking pictures.
I followed the paved path and then broke off to the wooden walkway that didn’t allow bikes. I wanted to be alone. Not that anyone was around anyway. The park was eerily empty.
The trail wound through the trees and eventually turned to dirt. The trees got thicker, and sunlight no longer streamed through the branches. It would be dark soon. How long had I wandered? I had no answers to my problem with Ty. No magical solution on how to make him leave. Even Gabe couldn’t help me. For being a genie, he was incredibly unhelpful.
I stopped, shrugged off my bag, and pulled out my water bottle. A branch snapped, and my head jerked up.
What was that?
I spun around but didn’t see anyone. Memories of Jasper crept into my head. The feel of his breath of my neck still haunted me. Goosebumps rose on my arms, and I shivered.
This was stupid. What was I thinking coming to such an isolated place all by myself? I hurried back toward the road. Shadows danced on the ground. A frog croaked, and the leaves rustled. The woods didn’t seem very friendly anymore.
I tripped over a root. I flailed my arms and tried to catch my balance, but landed on all fours.
I rocked back on my heels and gingerly lifted my scratched, stinging hands. My eyes pricked.
“Are you okay?” A short man with dark skin and stringy black hair stood there. A huge curved nose crowded out his beady eyes and thin mouth. He held out a hand with pale fingers and inch-long yellow nails. His skin was paper thin.
My heart tightened. The guy was off the charts on the creepo scale.
I wiped my hands on my jeans and stood on my own. “I’m fine, thanks.” Maybe I was overreacting. He was just an old man out for a hike like me. I moved to go around him, hoping to get away before he said anything else.
“Wait,” he said.
Sometimes old people could be overly friendly. I had to get away, but he was in the way.
I surveyed him. I was taller than him by at least a head, and he looked frail under his galabaya. He couldn’t hurt me. Wait. Galabaya?
This was a genie. The last one I ran into wanted to kill me.
His cocked his head. “Tell me, love, what Jinn has been captured by your extraordinary beauty.”
I took slow, deep breaths.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My mind raced through the possibilities.
I didn’t dare utter Gabe’s name. The less this man knew, the safer I’d be.
“What’s a Jinn?” Maybe if I played dumb long enough, he’d let me go. This was the only advantage I had over this man or whatever he was.
He sneered, his face only inches from mine. His breath smelled of onions and blood. “You’re not a very good liar.”
Or maybe I was completely wrong. Too many times in my life I had felt helpless. It was time for some self-defense lessons. Or maybe a taser.
He lashed out and grabbed my wrist, his nails scratching my jeans.
Shit.
I wrenched my hand, but he held tight. He jerked me around and pushed me up against a tree. His other hand pressed against my neck.
He stuck his nose near my throat and drew in a deep breath. Ew. Ew. Ew. My breath came rapidly, and my heart raced. I screamed, but he didn’t even flinch. My only way out of this was to fight.
“I can smell him on you.”
The damp, cold bark seeped into my back. I struggled against him, but couldn’t move.
I spat in his face. For a second the spit dripped down his ugly snout, and then he threw me to the ground. I scrambled to get up but my limbs stopped working. I scowled at him. “I thought you couldn’t use magic without your mistress wishing it.” I was behaving far braver than I felt.
He cocked his head. “So you were lying. Let me let you in on a little secret. I’m Samir, and I don’t have to play by the rules.”
Samir? He was the sadistic Jinn who went after young girls. I was definitely going to die. He was evil personified.
Tears leaked out. Ty would never forgive himself if something happened to me. And Gabe? What would happen to Gabe? And Nora would think I hated her. I couldn’t die. Not now.
He pulled a long slim knife out of his coat and knelt down next to me. I kept my eyes on the knife so I didn’t have to look at him.
“Who is your Jinn?” he hissed.
“Why does it matter?” I was buying time. But for what? There was no way out.
“Give me the name.”
“You’re just going to kill me anyway.” I had to get away to warn Gabe. Resolve built in my chest. I would make it out of here so I could protect him like all those times he protected me.
Samir bobbed his head, looking like a snake. “Now, now. Don’t be like that. If you give me the correct name, you won’t die because I’ll need you to lead me to him.”
I thought quickly.
“Jasper,” I lied.
He bobbed his head again. “Wrong answer.” He shoved his face in my neck again and inhaled once more. “Your life force will be lovely.”
I recoiled. “I thought you could only take my life force if I held your vessel.”
He cackled, spraying spittle across my face. “I’m Djinn. I can do whatever I want.”
He took my hand in his and forced my palm up. Then he drew the knife across my skin. Pain seared, and I screamed out.
“Now, love, don’t be like that.” He silenced me with magic, and I choked.
I silently plead for Gabe to help me, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. I should’ve wished him here several minutes ago. Now I couldn’t. I was going to die in this stinking forest sliced to death by this creepy genie.
Samir licked the blood off my palm, and I shuddered. He grinned. “Blood of a mistress bound to another strengthens my power.”
He took my other hand and repeated the process. Silent tears flowed down my face. The back of my throat burned. I was powerless. He removed my shoes, sliced open the bottom of both feet, and drew his long slimy tongue along both. My vision blurred with tears, and my heart sounded in my ears.
“Almost done, love.”
He cackled and drew the knife along my right cheek. He licked the cut, and I gagged. All the wishes in the world weren’t going to save me now. I didn’t know how to draw Gabe to me without speaking.
“Oh, come on, you like it, and you know it.”
Blood dripped off his lips as he moved to the other side. I jerked my head, but he kept a firm grip on my chin. His hot breath on my cheek made bile rise in my throat. He lapped at the blood. Then he sat up. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the bloody knife.
He pressed it against my throat and muttered a few words in a language I couldn’t understand. The knife broke the skin. I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn’t see his face as I died.
A loud crack thundered through the woods, and my eyes shot open. Gabe stood over me, and Samir was nowhere in sight. Where did Samir go? How did Gabe get here? Was I safe?
My voice came back. All the questions in the world didn’t matter. I had to get out of there.
“Take me home,” I said without hesitation. Gabe took my hand, and the forest disappeared.
Chapter
8
Gabe
I cheated, and we landed in my room instead of hers. She said home, but she didn’t specify which one. Her brother and grandma couldn’t see her like this. There would be far too many questions. Plus, I could protect her here better. Ali’s presence would help.
I’d sensed her fear while she was in the forest, and while I longed to go to her, she needed to say something for me to grant her wish. Then I remembered that I was Djinn and felt like an idiot for not thinking of it earlier. Not only could I show up at her side, but I could make Samir disappear before he even saw who I was. He’d know another Djinn existed, but he wouldn’t know it was me.
Samir.
I thought he was dead. Or as dead as possible for us. I needed to know why he was here and what he was doing with Liv.
I let go of her, and she collapsed on the floor, holding her hands close to her body. I dropped down next to her. Blood was everywhere. Samir would pay for this.
“Where are you hurt?” My eyes ran the length of her body, but I couldn’t find the source. Blood covered her skin and clothes.
She grabbed my shirt and sobbed into my shoulder. I gathered her in my arms and held her on the floor, letting her cry, her body shuddering.
The blood got everywhere, but she needed emotional healing as well as physical. I stroked her hair and whispered in her ear.
“Liv, I want to take away your pain. Let me see where you’re hurt, and I can heal you.”
She shook as she withdrew her face. I gasped. Two long cuts carved along her cheeks. Blood dripped out of them. She didn’t have to say the words, not now that I was Djinn. I healed the cuts and dried her face.
“Where else?” I asked, scared to see all of her injuries, because there was way more blood than those cuts could produce.
She held out her hands. “My feet too.” Her voice cracked. I wanted to rip Samir from limb to limb. These were shallow cuts, but the pain would’ve been horrible. What the hell was he doing with her?
She let out a breath. “Thank you.” Her face was still twisted.
“Is there anywhere else?”
The Blazing Glass Page 4
