He reached out with his mind. Jasreel.
Zahrias, came the immediate reply.
I assume you have had no more luck than I.
No, I’m afraid not. We did come across one compound that looked promising at first, but that was only because it had solar power, and the lighting system inside the house was on a timer. But no one was there.
Of course not. It had been an idle question, really; if Jasreel had found anything, he would have contacted Zahrias right away.
What now? the younger djinn asked. Should we go back to Santa Fe and regroup? I fear that Jessica cannot go on much longer. She needs to eat and drink and rest.
Something Zahrias should have thought of. If he was feeling wearied, he could only imagine what Jessica must be experiencing right now, mortal that she was. Her worry for Julia and her attachment to Jasreel would have kept her going through the night, but he could not expect her to continue without any respite.
Take her home, Zahrias told his cousin. I will continue for as long as I can, but I cannot expect the same of your Chosen.
But if you should come across Qadim alone — Jasreel began. Apprehension was clear in his words.
Then I will manage him on my own. This was always my fight, Jasreel. I thank you for the assistance you’ve given so far.
A long pause. Very well, Zahrias. But reach out to me if you should need help.
I will try. In his heart, Zahrias knew he would not do such a thing. He had never intended to put Jasreel in harm’s way. As he had said, this was his fight, and his alone.
The mental contact ended, and Zahrias pushed himself away from the fence. He had more or less exhausted the area closer to the highway, and so it was time to move deeper along this country road.
With the growing light, he could see that his surroundings really were quite beautiful. Trees bordered the road — which still appeared to have been given the designation of a highway, even though it consisted of only two lanes and was quite narrow — and warm-toned autumn wildflowers grew to either side. But Zahrias noticed all of this only in passing, because he was too busy pausing at each lane and track that led off from the highway to the individual properties. As had been the case all night long, they were deserted and quiet, their inhabitants dead for the past year. He thought some of his people might have come this way at one point, rescuing farm animals and bringing them back to Santa Fe, but he had not gone on any of those expeditions.
A set of fresh tire tracks made him stop short, however. They cut off from the highway and went down a slender lane. There were even faint black rubber marks on the asphalt right before it turned to gravel, as if the driver had pulled off in a hurry and had been going too fast for the road conditions.
Exactly the sort of thing Richard Margolis might have done.
Pulse quickening, Zahrias turned down the narrow track, which was bordered on either side by long rows of aspen trees, just beginning to turn golden. In a week or so, they would probably be quite spectacular, but right then he paid them little heed. A moment later, he spied a large house, painted a warm dark ochre shade. Parked in front of the three-bay garage was a large black truck. Smoke issued from one of the home’s chimneys, sending the fragrant, familiar scent of burning wood on the cool morning air.
She was here. He knew it, for this was the only sign of life he had yet to see in Pojoaque. How best to approach, though? For the moment, he thought the trees shielded him, because the lane curved slightly as it approached the house, and so anyone looking out the front windows wouldn’t be able to see someone coming down the lane. However, he was also close enough that Qadim might be able to sense his presence.
Well, that was what they both wanted, wasn’t it? To force a confrontation, so this might be over with once and for all?
Zahrias stepped out from the shelter of the trees and strode down the lane. The sun was rising ever higher, casting its golden light on him. It warmed his flesh, reassured him, helped to wash away some of the weariness from his fruitless search of the night before.
Another flash of gold caught his eye. Two figures approached, one tall even for a djinn, in somber earth-shaded robes. The other seemed to be wrought of gleaming metal. No, not metal, but shimmering silk, molding itself to her form, her long, honey-colored hair falling over her shoulders.
Julia.
And next to her Qadim, his expression curiously pleased. “Well met, Zahrias.”
“I think not,” Zahrias replied. He looked past the earth elemental to Julia. Had she ever been more beautiful than she was in that moment, when she looked like some spirit of air and fire herself, not quite mortal? “Are you well?” he asked.
“Yes, Zahrias. He — he hasn’t hurt me.” But there was some hesitation in her voice, enough to make him level a glare at Qadim.
The other djinn lifted his shoulders. “She is telling the truth. I have not harmed her. Captain Margolis wished to, but he will bother her no more.”
“He is dead?”
“Yes.”
Zahrias could not allow himself to feel too much relief at that particular revelation, for his true enemy still stood before him. “Good,” he said shortly. “Well, then, Qadim, since that particular matter has been taken care of, let us get down to business.”
“‘Business’?” Qadim echoed. “Is that how you refer to the woman of your heart?”
“It is business,” Zahrias replied, taking care to keep his voice even, “because you know that she has very little to do with any of this. A means to an end, that is all she is to you.”
“If you say so.” Qadim stepped closer to Julia, then lifted a strand of her hair and let it slip through his fingers. She didn’t move, although Zahrias thought he could see a slight shudder go through her. He had to exert all his will to remain standing where he was, to prevent himself from moving closer so he could strike the other djinn for his temerity in touching her in such a way. “I do not think you give her the proper credit. I have not spent very much time in her company, but I am coming to realize that she is far more than a means to an end.”
Zahrias ground his teeth. He is only goading you, he told himself. He means nothing of what he says.
But he had seen the flicker in Qadim’s dark eyes, the way his gaze lingered on Julia a little too long before returning his attention to Zahrias. Yes, the earth elemental might have begun this enterprise as a way to get his revenge for the slight on his sister, but it appeared that now he desired a far greater reward than that.
A reward he would never have. Zahrias knew he would die before he allowed Qadim to make her his.
“Yes, a rare jewel,” he said. “But a jewel only shines when its beauty is given willingly. And I cannot think you are willing, are you, Julia?”
She shook her head. Then she replied, “He wouldn’t tell me what this is all about, Zahrias. I’m only here because he had Margolis bring me to this place.” Her eyes met his then, steady enough, but he could see the pleading in that gaze. She wanted him to make this right.
Which he would, no matter the cost. Voice cold, he said, “What is it you want, Qadim? An apology? Some sort of recompense for a slight that was never intended? Name your price.”
Qadim smiled. “I could say that my price is Julia Innes, but I know you will never agree to that. But perhaps I am thinking too small. Perhaps I would have her, and control of your little demesne down in Santa Fe as well.”
“I will never agree to that.” Truly, had some madness seized the other djinn? Zahrias’ post had been given to him by the elders of their world, that he might be steward of the community of Chosen there. It was not his to offer up, even if he wished to do such a thing…which he most certainly did not. As for Julia….
“No, I did not think you would.” Qadim shrugged. “At any rate, my doing so would certainly not satisfy my sister’s need for justice, and since I am her champion….”
“She would have done better to advocate on her own behalf,” Zahrias said sharply. “Is she so frai
l and feeble that she cannot speak for herself?”
A flash of teeth. “You know my sister, delicate, fragile flower that she is.”
Hardly, Zahrias thought in some disgust. More like a Venus flytrap, luring in its prey and then devouring them whole. But while he guessed that Qadim had a very good idea of his sister’s character flaws, Zahrias did not believe now was a good time to mention any of them. “So what will satisfy Lyanna’s ‘need for justice,’ as you put it? The fortune I left behind in our world? I have no need of it here, and so I am happy to give it to her, if it will salve her wounded pride.”
During this exchange, Julia had remained silent, eyes flickering back and forth between the two djinn while they traded verbal volleys. Now, however, she crossed her arms and said, “What, were you involved with this woman, Zahrias?”
Voice even, he replied, “It was very long ago.” Yes, so long ago that he had lain in Lyanna’s arms even before a certain star was seen above Bethlehem….
Julia angled a glance up at Qadim. “Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Then why now?” she asked. “All this maneuvering…all these people dead. Why?”
A good question. Zahrias held himself still and waited to hear what Qadim had to say — if he even deigned to answer her at all. He always had excelled at evasion.
But then Qadim turned toward Julia. Once again he reached out to touch a strand of her hair. This time she flinched visibly, but she held her ground, sky-colored eyes fixed on the djinn who stood so uncomfortably close. Looking at her, Zahrias could only admire her spirit, even when facing down one who possessed so much power.
“‘Why’?” Qadim repeated. “I should think that would be clear enough. Lyanna has never forgiven him for hurting her so many years ago, but her jealousy was never aroused before now, because he never truly bestowed his heart on another.”
“What about the other mortal woman he was with? Evangeline?”
At hearing that name on Julia’s lips, Zahrias wanted to flinch himself. That was a chapter in his life which had done so much damage, partly because he had never admitted to himself the real truth of his heart. He had cared for Evangeline, thought her beautiful and high-spirited and witty, but when he first brought her into his life, he had not understood that those high spirits hid an emptiness within, an emptiness that must always be filled by those around her. And when she truly realized that she would not always be surrounded by those who fulfilled her every whim and praised her beauty, that she must constantly be on the move so the secret of her long life would not be discovered, she had decided she did not wish to endure such an existence. You love me, she had told him once. But not enough, I fear.
And the next day she was dead, overdosed on the laudanum she’d insisted on taking to soothe her nerves.
After she was gone, he mourned her loss, even as he cursed his stupidity for not understanding that she lacked the capacity to cleave to one person and one person only. And ever since then, he had made sure to lock his heart away, to perhaps have an encounter here or there that would slake his physical needs, but nothing more. He had not allowed himself to care for anyone.
Until Julia.
“A sad affair,” Qadim said. “But Lyanna knew that Evangeline was not a real threat. Zahrias cared for her, but he did not truly give her his heart. And when the mortal woman took her own life, Lyanna thought he would not risk such an alliance again. However, that changed when he met you, did it not?”
Julia hesitated, glancing over at Zahrias before she looked up again into Qadim’s face. “I think you’ve done a lot of damage based on some very flimsy evidence. Zahrias and I weren’t together. We never discussed the possibility of being together. We didn’t even — ” Her words broke off there, while a flush tinged her cheeks.
No doubt she had been about to say that they hadn’t even kissed until a few days ago. True enough. But Zahrias had spent the better part of six months attempting to forget about her. He thought he had done a good enough job of hiding his preoccupation, but apparently not. Jasreel had conjectured that Qadim must have a spy hidden among the djinn in Santa Fe. That seemed to be the case, for anyone observing their leader must have known something was amiss, that he appeared a little too interested in the news coming out of Los Alamos, that he listened intently whenever Jessica commented on her conversations with Julia Innes. Such attention would have seemed strange, since otherwise the two communities had very little to do with one another.
“No, you ‘didn’t even,’” Qadim said then, an amused glint in his dark eyes. “But it was still enough. And when you did, two nights ago — well, that was all the confirmation we needed.”
“How on earth could you know about that?” she demanded, her blush deepening. “It was only the two of us — no one could have seen — ”
Hearing her outrage, Zahrias felt himself go cold. Yes, they had been alone, or had thought they were. Perhaps he should have sensed the presence of another of his kind, but he had been focused completely on Julia. The spy — whoever he or she was — could very well have witnessed the impassioned kiss they shared.
But not, apparently, the quarrel that followed. Perhaps the spy had fled once he had the final piece of evidence he needed to pass on to Lyanna.
“Someone could have,” Zahrias said evenly. Julia’s eyes widened, and he went on, “Very well, Qadim. So my association with Julia Innes roused Lyanna’s sleeping jealousy. You still have not told me what she wants, what we must do to bring an end to all this.”
“As to that — ” Qadim paused then, and gave a negligent lift of his shoulders. “Why, she wants you, of course.”
Zahrias felt them before he saw them, at least ten djinn, breaking into this world through the veil that separated it from the elemental plane. They burst into existence all around him, bringing with them their weapons of earth and water, smothering any flame he summoned against them. He knew he was drowning, blackness forcing itself upon his eyes.
The last thing he saw was Qadim’s gloating smile, and the last thing he heard was Julia’s scream, echoing forever in his ears.
Chapter Eleven
This couldn’t be happening. One moment, Zahrias was there, features almost preternaturally calm as he attempted to negotiate with Qadim, and in the next, he was surrounded by djinn she had never seen before, djinn who must have been water and earth elementals, judging by the geyser that erupted out of the ground, drowning the flames he attempted to summon, quenching his fire, even as a tornado of dirt spun around him, blinking him out of existence.
A scream tore itself from Julia’s throat, and she flung herself forward, going to the spot where Zahrias had disappeared. But then Qadim’s hand clamped down on her arm, and he pulled her back toward him.
“He is gone,” the djinn murmured in her ear, breath hot in contrast to the cool morning air.
Julia shuddered. “Let go of me.”
To her surprise, he did release her, although he did so while wearing a slow, hateful smile, as if to indicate that he could seize her again whenever he pleased. She stepped away at once, bicep aching where he’d grabbed her. But that was nothing compared to the ache in her heart, the pain of realizing that Zahrias had been stolen from her.
“Where did they take him?”
“Back to our world, of course. To my sister. You will never see him again, I fear.”
She didn’t want to believe that. Qadim was only telling her what he knew would hurt her the most. But….
Zahrias was powerful, but even he couldn’t have prevailed against a dozen djinn, especially those whose powers were so completely opposite his. Which meant he would probably have a difficult time getting away.
Even so, she put aside her doubt and worry, and said, “You’re wrong. He’ll escape somehow. He’ll come back to me.”
“You are worth coming back to, that is for certain.” Qadim regarded her for a moment, the amused glint in his eyes fading. In fact, he appeared almost regretful. “But I fea
r I must leave you now as well. I must make sure that all is going as planned, back in that other world.”
Despite her anger and her fear, Julia couldn’t help experiencing a faint flush of hope, followed by a mixture of worry and curiosity. If Qadim was going to that strange plane where the djinn dwelled, at least it meant he couldn’t remain here to torment her. But what would be happening to Zahrias in the meantime?
He must have seen the torment in her expression, because he chuckled and added, “But I will not be gone forever, my lovely. Have no doubt that I will return.”
Before she could react, he came to her, pulling her toward him so he could press his mouth against hers. She resisted at once, hands pushing against his chest, twisting her face away to break the contact with his lips.
For some reason, he didn’t stop her, although he did not let go of her arms. Face only a scant few inches from hers — breath incongruously scented with coffee — he said, “In time, you will not fight against me. But for now….”
In that instant, he was gone. Julia found herself pushing back against empty air, against the space that only a second ago had been filled with Qadim’s all-too-solid form. She whirled, looking around, thinking this must be a new way for him to torment her, but it did seem that he truly had disappeared. Gone back to his own world — to oversee the delivery of Zahrias to his sister, no doubt.
Tears stung Julia’s eyes, but she blinked them away. Now was not the time for weakness. She had to get back to Santa Fe and let everyone know what had happened to their leader. Surely they’d be able to come up with some sort of plan to rescue him.
Except…Zahrias had made it sound as if one of them was a spy. Had to be, for how else could Qadim’s sister, this Lyanna, have known enough for her to act on?
Think, Julia, she told herself sternly. What now?
If nothing else, she had to get out of here.
Her gaze fell on Margolis’ black pickup truck. Okay, she had transportation. Or would, once she found the keys. Hot-wiring a car was not included in her repertoire of useful skills.
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