Just making sure you are safe. Worried.
A response came almost immediately. I’m fine. Found the sickle. Hunting Samir today. Please don’t leave your house.
Relief flooded through me. At least he was safe.
Can I see you first? I wanted to hold him for just a second and make sure he wasn’t hurt.
Several moments passed. Maybe something was wrong. It took two seconds to type YES. Maybe he was hurt and didn’t want to worry me. We’d have words if that was the case.
Gabe?
Meet me on your porch. I don’t have much time.
I threw on a pair of shorts and tank top and bounced downstairs.
The air was a little cool, and goose bumps appeared on my arms. I smiled as Gabe strolled up the stairs, his hands in his pockets, but he didn’t return the smile.
He stopped a few feet from me. I reached for him, but he pulled away. I thought back to the past few days. What had I done?
“What’s wrong?” I asked. It had to have been something before yesterday, because I hadn’t seen him all day.
He leaned against a pillar and wouldn’t look at me.
“You know, Ali and Melissa have a great relationship.” He stared at the door behind me.
“Yeah, so?”
“So maybe we should consider a similar arrangement.”
The breath left my body. What the hell was he doing? “Are you breaking up with me?” I blinked back tears. This wasn’t happening. Not now.
He shrugged.
“Why?” I asked. Maybe he thought if he gave me up, Samir wouldn’t be a threat anymore. But I knew better. Samir would hunt me down. If nothing else, because I got away. He’d already proven that with Nora.
“I just think you might be happier with someone else. Someone like Dylan, maybe.”
“Dylan is a friend. I’ve told you that before.”
“Didn’t look like that yesterday.”
Oh crap. “You saw us?”
“Yeah. Look, it’s not a big deal. I understand if you want him instead. Life is easier with a human boyfriend. Really.”
“No, it is a big deal. I understand. Last night, he tried to kiss me, but I didn’t let him. Then I made him leave. I swear.”
Gabe’s jaw twitched, and his shoulders tensed. “From my point of view, he kissed you.”
I laid a hand on his forearm. He didn’t shrug it off, so maybe I was getting somewhere. “I promise, I have zero feelings for him, and nothing happened.”
If he didn’t trust me, things would be hard.
He relaxed a little and let out a breath. “Are you still going to be friends with him?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t promise anything.” I still wanted to be his friend. But not if he was going to try to kiss me. That was between me and Dylan though.
Gabe nodded with a frown. “I’ve got to go. Stay safe.”
He left with a quick kiss, so at least I knew he’d forgiven me.
After Nora’s death, I wasn’t sure I could handle another blow. If anything happened to Gabe, I might have to be committed.
I walked back in the house and heard Gran and Ty arguing.
“She said she would do it. I’m not leaving until she gets rid of one. It’s her way to prove that she’s responsible enough to take care of herself,” Ty said.
Oh crap. I’d forgotten. Today I was taking London to his new home. Sure it was just next door, but it was still a big step.
“She doesn’t need to get rid of a cat. I’ll take care of him. We can just continue to pay the fine. Or we’ll just take him to a different vet.”
I sank down in the seat between them. “No, Gran, it’s okay. I promised Ty.”
She frowned. “You don’t have to.”
“I know I don’t. But it’s the right thing to do. London loves Melissa. He’ll be happy there.”
Gran stormed out of the room.
Ty raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t realize how much she loved that cat.”
“She’ll be fine. Let me go get London.”
My heart tightened a little. This was one more step closer to Ty leaving. I wasn’t ready to let him go, but I knew it had to be this way.
Chapter 31
Gabe
I should’ve known that Samir would be impossible to find. After searching all day, we had seen no sign of him. Ali dropped me off at the beach so I could vent a little. I pounded the sand, but it did no good. My insides writhed with anger. I should go right back to Liv, but I knew she was safe, and I needed time to think.
I wouldn’t be good company at the moment anyway, and I didn’t want to fight with her anymore. I felt lost and out of control. This should be easy. Find Dylan and kill him. No, find Samir. I should be focused on Samir, but in spite of telling Liv it was fine, all I could see was that almost kiss. I had to get rid of Samir, and then I’d see about getting Dylan out of Liv’s life.
I pushed myself as I ran, trying to beat out all the frustration. The sand sprayed up and peppered my legs.
“I heard you’ve been looking for me.”
I spun around.
“Samir.”
He stood not five feet from me, coiling his hair around his finger. He’d caught me off guard, and I didn’t react right away.
“You betrayed me,” he hissed. I could practically taste the venom from his words. I would not walk away from this fight unscathed. Before he’d been toying with me and he really wanted to torture Liv, but now, his anger had gotten the better of him.
“You betrayed us all,” I said, fighting to stay calm. I had to ensure I controlled the situation. Samir was a master at getting the upper hand. I had the sickle, but he didn’t know it yet. I simply had to get close enough to kill him.
Samir cackled. “So I did.” He closed the distance and shoved his face into mine. “Time to take your life and the go find that pretty little mistress of yours.”
“What are you waiting for?” I asked, my hand on the handle of the sickle. I wanted to make sure I had a clear shot before revealing it.
He laid his hand on my chest, right above my heart. “Seems foolish to kill you. I’d rather have some fun first.” The gleam in his eye sickened me.
“Actually you can’t.” I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “I’m Djinn.”
I pulled out the sickle from the sling on my back. Samir’s eyes went wide. I drew my hand back. Time to end this thing.
“Gabe,” Liv’s voice called out, and I faltered for just a second, but it was enough for Samir to disappear.
“Dammit, Liv.” What was she doing here? I took a couple of deep breaths. I couldn’t let myself be angry with her.
“Are you okay?” she asked, approaching me, her face full of concern. I clenched my fists. Samir knew I had the sickle now. He wouldn’t be coming out of hiding.
I backed away. “I was so close. I had him. I could’ve killed him. What were you thinking?” The words came out harsher than I intended.
Her shoulders fell. “I just needed to see you. Ali said you were here. I know your route and just wanted to surprise you.”
I grabbed her hand and deposited her in her room. “Do me a favor and stay here. I’ll be back when this over.”
I collected Ali, and we looked everywhere, but Samir had disappeared again. He probably wouldn’t show up until he knew how to deal with the sickle. I’d been overly confident. That girl was going to be the death of me.
What was she doing out of her house anyway? She risked so much by just walking out the door. If Samir had been hiding somewhere close when she left, she’d be dead.
I showed up back in Liv’s room just after midnight not sure what I’d say. I wasn’t angry with her anymore, but she was taking unnecessary risks.
She was still up messing with her phone. She raised her eyebrows at me but didn’t say a word. I sank down on the bed next to her.
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded, but didn’t look at me.
“Please forgive me.”
&nbs
p; She looked up, her eyes wide. “I’m not mad at you. It was my fault. I should be the one apologizing. I feel so bad.”
“You couldn’t have known.”
“Did you find him?”
I shook my head. “I need you to stay in your house still. He knows I’m Djinn now.”
She flung herself back on the pillows. “I just want this to be over. I’m tired of hiding in my house.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I can work in the shop. Can we go to sleep?” Frustration coursed off her. I held her close and sang a soft Arabic lullaby in her ear.
She fell asleep in seconds, but I couldn’t sleep, so I watched her. What would I do if something happened to her? It wouldn’t matter. I’d be locked up in my vessel the second it happened. But after that. With a new mistress? The thought nearly broke my heart. I couldn’t serve anyone else. Not after Liv.
She was my life now.
Nothing else mattered.
Chapter 32
Liv
I was good. I stayed in my workshop for most of the day, but I was going stir crazy. The door to the shop opened, and I jumped.
“Hey,” Ty said with his usual smile. “I’m leaving tomorrow. Let’s go out to eat.”
I wasn’t supposed to leave, but this was Ty. In all the chaos around Gabe and Samir, I’d nearly forgotten he was moving. Tears pricked my eyes, but I looked away so he couldn’t see it.
I chewed on my bottom lip. I couldn’t explain to him that I had to stay in the house. He might never leave.
It was just to dinner somewhere completely public, and it was still light outside. Samir wouldn’t hurt us there.
“Sure,” I said.
“Meet me on the porch. I’ve got to take care of a couple of things,” Ty said and rushed out of the workshop.
I nodded, quickly cleaned up my glass, and went out on the porch. Dylan strolled up the walkway.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” I didn’t move. He shouldn’t be here. Especially after he flipped out on me.
“I was bored, and you weren’t answering your phone.” He smiled sheepishly. “Whatcha doing?” he asked, walking up the stairs.
“Going out to dinner with my brother.” I backed away a little.
His eyes widened. “Liv, you can’t.”
Whoa. Was he serious? “Yeah, I can. Who are you to tell me what to do?”
“Didn’t Gabe tell you to stay home?” He shouldn’t know that. How the hell did he know that?
I glared at him. “What do you know about Gabe?”
“More than you think. You should go back inside.”
Holy crap. He was in on it. This wasn’t cool at all.
I crossed my arms. “I think you should leave.” Gabe and I would have words about Dylan when he came back.
Ty slammed the door and shoved his keys in his pocket. “You ready? Oh, hey Dylan.”
Dylan looked back and forth between the two of us and sighed. “Stay safe,” he said and trudged down the sidewalk.
“What’s his problem?” Ty asked.
“No idea,” I replied. Dylan was another person in a string of people I trusted who was hiding something from me.
“Let’s walk,” Ty said.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked. We started down the drive, and Ty strolled next to me.
He shrugged. “How about Fricano’s?”
“That sounds good.”
He looked at me with sad eyes. “I’m gonna miss you.”
My heart twisted a little. Goodbyes were awful. “I know. Me too. But Gran and Gabe keep me busy.”
Ty scowled and turned a corner. We walked in silence for a few minutes. Then Ty crossed into an alley, just on the edge of the neighborhood. This was an up and coming area, and I hadn’t spent much time over here.
“We should keep to the main roads,” I said. The last time I went down an alley like this Samir nearly killed me.
“This is faster. Come on.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me along. I’d been through most of the alley shortcuts, but Ty was taking me down an unfamiliar one. I knew this town like the back of my hand, and now I was confused.
“This is a little sketchy.” Up and coming is what the relators called it. The rest of us called it scary because it’s was mostly empty buildings.
“It’s a shortcut.”
He turned a corner, and I froze. Samir stood there, a smirk on his face. This couldn’t be possible. I backed away, but Ty pushed me forward.
“What’s going on?” I asked, now confused.
“Don’t you know,” Samir rasped, “Ty is my little pet. I promised him that if he’d bring you to me, I’d make sure you were kept safe.”
My eyes flicked around the dingy alley, looking for a way out of there. The alley was small, only one way out to the main street. I needed to stall while I thought of a solution. There had to be an exit. My palms were sweating a little, and my heart raced, but I knew I had to focus. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Liv, he’s trying to save you,” Ty pleaded. His eyes were glassy, like he wasn’t all there.
I spoke slowly, hoping that maybe I could get across to him. “He wants to kill me.”
Ty snorted. “No, he doesn’t. What makes you think that?”
“Because he’s tried before.”
Ty looked confused for a second. “But he’s a genie. I know it sounds so crazy, but he has to do whatever I want. You must be confused. Samir told me another genie is trying to kill you. He’s going to keep you safe.”
Samir cackled. “Not exactly true, big brother, but you have been helpful. I’ll spare you the sight of your dear sister’s death.” He snapped his fingers, and Ty disappeared.
“Gabe!” I called, but no words came out.
I tried again, gripping at my throat.
Samir whipped his hand out and latched it around my wrist. He ran a finger along my face.
“Uh, uh, uh. He’s not going to rescue you. This is between you and me.”
Chapter 33
Gabe
I was in the middle of the forest in Pennsylvania where Samir had been spotted several hours earlier. Dylan appeared in front of me.
“You’re not the one I’m looking for, though we do need to have a few words.” Every time I looked at that face, I wanted to punch it.
“No time,” Dylan huffed.
“What do you mean?”
“Samir…he’s got Liv.”
“What where?” I grabbed his shirt.
“Come,” he said and gripped my wrist. We vanished and appeared in an alley. Then Dylan disappeared again.
My stomach fell. Samir held Liv tightly against him.
I pulled out the sickle and lunged at him.
He whipped her around, a sharp knife pressed against her neck.
I stopped dead in my tracks. If I attacked him, he’d kill her before I got to him. But he might kill her anyway. My heart wrenched at the torment in her eyes.
She tried to speak, but nothing came out. She struggled against him, and he smiled, revealing graying teeth.
Liv’s fear dug into my chest. If I hadn’t allowed myself to get close to her, Samir wouldn’t have gone after her. I should’ve taken my vessel and released her.
I’d brought about her death.
“Now, set down that sickle like a good boy.”
“I need to know she’s okay first.” I clutched tighter to the sickle—the only advantage I had.
“You can see her,” Samir said with a sneer.
“I want to hear it from her.”
“No, you’ll have to settle with seeing her. She’s fine.”
She shook her head slightly and winced. She was not okay.
Slowly I set down the sickle and backed away. Samir released Liv and lunged for it. She ran into my arms, and I handed her a small bottle and hissed in her ear. “Command him into this vessel.”
She stared at the vessel for a beat. “I wish…”
“
Wait, not like that. This is different. Make it a direct command.” Liv had the power to end this, and I saw no other option. Once she understood she was a goddess, she might hate me, but it was a chance I was willing to take.
Samir caught Liv’s arm and pulled her into him. Dammit. I hadn’t been paying attention.
“Now, love, where were we?”
She struggled against his arms and looked pleadingly at me. “Now,” I mouthed.
“Ah yes, I was about to take your life force and torture poor Gabriel over there. Where is it?”
Her eyes went wide. “Samir, go into the bottle,” she said.
Samir looked at me with terror. His body turned a sheer gray and his eyes became flames. Liv’s eyes widened and she tightened her grip on my hand. The bottle blazed hot, and Samir whipped into the vessel.
I grabbed her hand, and we reappeared in her driveway. “Where is he?” I asked.
“Who?”
“Samir. Where is the vessel?”
She looked down at her hand. The bottle was gone.
“I…I…don’t know.”
“Shit,” I said. “I’ll be back. Go inside. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll send Ali over to keep you safe.”
Chapter 34
Liv
I had just shut the door when a pounding came from the other side.
“Liv, it’s me,” Ali shouted. I opened the door, and he grabbed my hand and pulled me out. “We need to go. You’re not safe here.”
I drug my feet. Something about this wasn’t right. “Gabe told me to stay put.”
“I know. But Samir is gone, and he has the sickle. We need to go. Come on.”
He pulled me toward his car, and I reluctantly climbed in. Gabe trusted Ali, so that meant I should as well.
“Maybe we should wait for Gabe.” I thought about calling him, but he was out searching for Samir, and I didn’t want to call him back from a critical situation.
“There’s no time.”
My head spun with everything that happened. I couldn’t believe Ty betrayed me or that I had just gotten away from Samir alive. Again.
“Where are we going?” I asked, gripping the edge of the seat.
“Up north,” Ali said and pressed down on the gas. I jerked my seatbelt on with shaky hands and then pulled my phone out, hanging onto it like a lifesaver. I needed to hear from Gabe.
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