by T. G. Ayer
But the day had caught up with me and exhaustion was declining my request to keep going.
I awakened at the crack of dawn, lying under the covers for a few moments, listening to the sounds of the silent house. A pang of longing hit me...longing for peace, for a day that I wasn’t running headlong into trouble.
Stop with the dream shit, and get on with it.
I sighed and flung back the covers, the damned voice in my head reminding me of where I stood in the scheme of things, a tiny dot in an ocean of crap. Aisha wouldn’t be happy, so I was doing this without her consent. And I had to hope between the queen and the demon overlord, they would manage to at least weaken the ward enough to allow me a way through a crack or two—if I ran into any trouble.
After a quick stop in the bathroom to freshen up, I locked my room door and then drank probably a little too much water to combat early morning dehydration. Still, anything could go wrong while I was gone and I could likely return to find myself sitting in a puddle of pee.
Not the kind of predicament I’d like to find myself in.
Shaking the thoughts away, I focused on the plan. I wanted to meet Saleem in the ether only, and I had no intention of materializing physically in Mithras.
If I did that, I could very likely be stuck there should anyone be alerted to my presence. For the sake of my life, I hoped I’d be able to get in and out without detection. But first, I had to make it through the Veil without killing myself in the process.
Easy peasy.
I lay down on the bed and got comfortable, breathing slowly to calm the guilty pattering of my heart. Focusing on Saleem, I reached out into the ether and then grabbed onto his life-thread. The energy I found was weak but confirmed Saleem was still alive, although as to how alive he was, I got nothing.
Concentrating on the life-thread, I flew along the ether keeping a tight hold onto the link to Saleem. Not much later, I reached the entrance in the Veil that would take me to Mithras.
And there I hesitated.
I wasn’t afraid. Well, technically I wasn’t afraid for me.
For Saleem, hell yes.
Was I being hasty in going to him before we were ready? Before the team and his mother had agreed we were good to go?
But I had to listen to my gut.
I’d learned to trust that gut instinct a long time ago, but today was a little different. I hadn’t heard from Saleem in days, and that meant we were entirely ignorant of his condition, or if he was even still alive. For all we knew, we could be preparing to enter Mithras and only save Saleem’s corpse.
And that thought only succeeded in giving my bad feeling a bad feeling.
I tried to put it out of my mind in order to focus, and mentally crossed my fingers. The Veil at the entrance to Mithras was intact, and didn’t appear to have been damaged in any way after our last disastrous attempt at access.
Clearly, it had fared much better than Ivy and I had. Even though we’d used a portal key, the Veil would have received some sort of damage, which in turn would have been detectable in the days after the explosion. But the shimmering wall keeping me away from Mithras, was entirely whole. In fact, it was in perfect condition.
From that I deduced the explosion was something concocted on the djinn realm end, perhaps some magic created to keep anyone and anything out.
Which only underlined how important the djinn power to generate energy was to Omega and their buddies.
I reached out, and touched my fingertips to the shimmering iridescent essence of the wall, all tense and ready to be blasted straight back into my body.
But nothing happened.
My fingertips slipped through the Veil and I was still alive and unhurt.
Progress.
Holding my breath, I slid a hand through and then, finding myself still in one piece, I moved further into the Veil, still careful but very relieved.
From there I skimmed along until I reached the spot where the thread of Saleem’s life force would connect with him.
I found myself nervous and excited at the thought of seeing him again—that giddy expectation of a girl on a first date. My stomach twisted and I took a deep breath before entering the palace suite where Saleem was pacing. His body resonated with the energy of a man who was both frustrated and angry.
He looked up at me, his brow furrowed with worry, his hair mussed and his clothing blood-stained and tattered in some places. Despite the horrors of what he’d been clearly experiencing, his smile was wide as soon as he spotted me.
But it was soon to disappear, and I had to wonder if whatever he was worried about also concerned me.
“Hey you,” he said, a smile curling his lips.
“Hey you,” I whispered as I moved toward him.
Without another word, he shifted into the ether, his physical form fading as his ethereal essence joined me where we could actually touch each other.
In the ether, a person’s spirit isn’t solid, but those who travel within the plane can touch each other and feel each other in very much the same way we do in the physical world.
I drifted to him and he folded me within his arms, his warmth similar and yet so much more than how he’d felt in his physical form. I plunged myself into his heat, the energy of a djinn traveling in the ethereal plane was searing heat and comfort and sparking embers.
Both dangerous and enticing all at the same time.
With a sigh against his chest, I said, “Dear goddess. Saleem, you have no idea how good it feels to have your arms around me, physical or ethereal.”
“Right back atcha, babe. You even smell amazing in the ether.”
I leaned back to look up at him. We’d met before in the ether and he’d never been this relaxed, this calm. But I stiffened because deep down I sensed it wasn’t safe and peaceful.
It was eye-of-the-storm calm.
Chapter 7
After a few moments of luxuriating in the warmth of our ethereal forms, I shifted back and met Saleem’s gaze. “Now, tell me how you are doing and try to be honest ‘cos I can tell when you’re lying. This is the ethereal plane.”
Saleem smirked, although there was little amusement in his expression. His energy shimmered, weaker than I’d hoped to see it, a tell that he was slowly losing his power to fight against the MindMelder.
He sighed. “I’m no better than I was the last time we spoke,” he said, flicking me a look filled with guilt and wariness.
I threw up my hands. “How the heck am I supposed to be pissed off at you when you look at me like that?”
Saleem just grinned. “You know you really suck at this dating thing. You really should get some tips because I’m pretty sure you’re not meant to reveal your weaknesses too early in the relationship.”
“Don’t worry, buddy.” I shook my head and then smacked the djinn on his ethereal arm. “That won’t work every time you try it. I’m onto you.”
Saleem smiled and for once his forehead smoothed and his shoulders relaxed. He seemed to have forgotten where he was and what was happening around him in the Mithrasian plane, and I didn’t want to mess with that.
What was a few minutes of peace worth when the entire world around you was in turmoil? A heckuva lot, if you asked me.
So, I let him have a few moments to forget, while I considered telling him what was happening with Aisha, about the director’s suspicions and our own concerns, that there was some unknown reason Sentinel was suspicious of his mother.
But even in my deepest of hearts, I knew that was far too risky. Even being here now was risky. What if Division 7 was also using Saleem in the same way they had maintained their control over his mother? If that was the case, their entire plan could be compromised.
My head hurt as I realized what I was considering.
I was seriously entertaining the possibility of running the mission without sharing any crucial details with either Saleem or his mother. How would I pull off something like that, even if I completely disregarded the ethical issues in
volved in carrying it out?
Still, there was the little issue of Saleem having lied to me about the whole deadline thing—which in itself still wasn’t all that clear.
Perhaps we were all having serious trust issues.
After a few long moments, Saleem sighed again and his spine stiffened. “We don’t have long. They’re coming to take me and I’m pretty certain that this is going to be one of the last times we get to talk privately that will be undetectable to them.”
“What? Did they say they’re going to take you somewhere else?”
“Oh, they didn’t tell me shit. But I’ve been in contact with a rebel movement.”
“Wow,” I said softly. “Things have been happening fast here. Who are these rebel guys?” I kept my tone light, worried Saleem’s rebel movement was a figment of his imagination.
He let out a soft huff. “Secret group of military types—ex-army and navy—who banded together through mutual dislike of Rizwan’s rule and who were suspicious about Division 7’s involvement in the transition to his rule. Many of the old royal guard, as well as the royal armed forces disappeared, taken off to camps in the deserts to help with the energy production. Those who remained believed they had to do whatever they could to oust the current regime. Thankfully, I’d never gotten myself on the bad side of the people so they like me enough to offer to help—as opposed to a beheading and a coup.”
Saleem was being funny, but I could tell he was having a hard time putting on a brave face for me.
“You really believe you can trust them?”
He tilted his head to one side and appeared to consider my question seriously. “I believe I can. I can’t go into detail right now, but what I know is there isn’t anyone else in this realm lining up to help me, or to help get our realm back. And nobody else saw fit to give me the heads up that there are plans to move me.”
“You have any idea where?” I asked. “That would be helpful in the whole busting-you-out-of-captivity thing.”
Saleem rolled his eyes. “My guess would be the dungeons. It’s secure enough to satisfy the higher-ups.”
“What are we going to do if we need to get a hold of you?” I scowled at him. “It is kinda important to have some sort of contact with you. We can’t have you going dark on us when we get here to extract you.”
“The rebels will make contact with you to keep you updated on where I am.”
“And you really believe I’m just going to happily wait for some stranger to pitch up out of the blue to give us your location? You do realize we’re ready to move out…like now. Do you or your rebel friends have an actual plan?”
Saleem’s lips twisted. “Not that I know of. They do have a plan that much I’m certain of. I’m just not in the position to receive regular updates. And if I do end up in the dungeons, that’s about it for communication with me.”
There was a sudden lull in our conversation, and it seemed like we were all talked out. But I still had something to ask the djinn prince. I studied his face, eyes narrowing now. “So, you knew the entire time that I was talking to your mother?” I asked, unable to keep the accusatory tone from my voice. And besides, why should I? I had every right to be angry with him. “I guess it must have provided you with some amusement.”
He shook his head, a self-deprecating smile forming. “No, Mel. It wasn’t like that. I suspected she liked you and I didn’t want to mess anything up. Mother doesn’t open up to people easily but she seemed to take to you very quickly. I didn’t want to interfere. And when you didn’t tell me, I figured that maybe you weren’t ready yet to share it with me. And I’d guessed too that Mother would have made you swear not to tell me a word.”
I made a face. Too bad I hadn’t thought of the secret Aisha had divulged and then sworn me to keep between us. Pushing away that bit of guilt, I said, “Yeah, I fell for that one hook, line, and sinker. Not sure who I should be madder with, you or your mother.”
Chapter 8
He nodded, his lips twisting. “You have every right to be pissed off. I’d be if I were in your place. I can only say that I will do everything I can to make it up to you.”
Tilting my head to one side, I studied his face. He appeared to be genuinely sorry, and I’d never been the type of woman to hold on too tightly to a man who really wasn’t all that into me.
Judging by the sexy djinn’s behavior, he did appear to have some affection for me, and he definitely seemed to be happy to shoulder the responsibility of his lies.
If I were a different person, I could easily have used his mistake—and his guilt—to my advantage, played him to do my bidding until I was good and ready to graciously bestow upon him my forgiveness.
If I were that type of person…
But I wasn’t.
And while I’d learned that often the things we see with our eyes are not necessarily the true reality, that all too often the faces our friends and family chose to show to us are a manufactured construct of what they believe you want to see, I had to give my heart this chance.
Otherwise, I was in for a rather bleak existence.
And so, I smiled. “Why don’t we call it even? We are both guilty of…let’s call it…evasion. And maybe if we survive this mission, we can consider our options.”
“Options?” Saleem stiffened, his eyes growing hard and fiery.
I chuckled. “Hold your fire, djinn. Options as in how we will go about making it up to each other.” I shook my head, laughing at Saleem while he mirrored the movement. “I think I’d better get going. As long as you have it figured out as to how these rebel guys are planning to get in touch with us, we’ll be ready.”
Before Saleem could reply, the ether between us grew thick and crackled with energy—emotions displaying themselves within the astral dimension, translation from physiological and emotional coding to something filled with energy and raw power.
My smile faded as I caught the sober look Saleem was giving me. His eyes flickered beyond me, perhaps in the direction of the door to his room, as he still existed in the physical dimension within his room in the palace.
“What’s wrong?”
“We need to get you going. It’s dangerous here now, for anyone trying to gain unauthorized access.” He paused and when I didn’t say anything, he grunted and said, “I need you to promise me something.”
“What’s that?” I asked, quirking an eyebrow.
“I need you to promise me that if anything happens to me, whether you just can’t get a hold of me, or if I’m killed, please promise me that you will complete the mission and get Division 7 and Omega out of Mithras.”
“Saleem…” I had meant to protest, but the djinn prince turned his fiery eyes toward me, his expression so deadly serious that my blood ran cold.
He gave a nod, as though he’d recognized that I’d understood his meaning. “My people are suffering and dying at the hands of Division 7 and they need to be gone. And there will be djinn within the rebellion who will be only too happy to give back in kind what they have been subjected to. But I’m not of that mind. All I care about is that my family remain safe, and my people are also released from their prison.”
“Prison?” My skin grew cold at the word. “Saleem, you need to at least give me more information.”
He jerked a chin to his left where a hazy image began to take shape.
I recognized it soon enough as a small coffee table that sat near the window in his room. As the energies undulated and coalesced, I made out the shape of a thick book. I hesitated, wondering if I should ask him outright if he’d received my message, then thought better of it, in case he hadn’t.
“Take it,” he said. “There’s a whole bunch of information in there that I’m pretty sure would come in handy.”
I gave him a grateful smile and said, “You wouldn’t by any chance happen to have a map of the city lying around? We’ve kind of been having a problem getting our hands on one. It’s been Sentinel’s stalling point and we really need to get aroun
d them and formalize our own strategy.”
Saleem snorted. “Well, you won’t find maps. Not unless you piece together bits of paper stolen from various places and people.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.”
Saleem smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Don’t worry. I got your message—something we need to talk about if we make it out of this shit alive. Between Omega and Division 7, they’ve managed to delete every copy of any map of our realm. Even here in Mithras, the rebels have complained that they can no longer find the city plans so they can get around Kamsin in a safer and more efficient way, and of course without dying in the process. But Division 7 got there first, unfortunately. Thankfully, my rebel contacts were able to supply the info you needed, sourced from personal records of various warriors, from what I was told.”
“Wow, now I have to admit that was something I’d considered. The strange scarcity of maps was a little too fishy for my liking.”
“Yep, you keep trusting that gut of yours. You guys are going to need to be one step ahead of Ward and his crew. They’re armed and dangerous, and they want blood.”
“Thought they were after more special royal blood.”
“That too, but the team you’re gathering…I suspect it’s going to be a who’s who of highly professional agents. More importantly, you all have a collective power source that would likely decimate an entire planet. And Ward will know it when he sees you together. So, try not to get seen. Or you’ll be signing your death warrants.”
I smiled gently then reached for him, saying, “Don’t worry, nobody’s dying unle—”
Before I touched him, my ethereal essence pulsed, alerting me that something was wrong. Saleem must have also sensed it because he glared pointedly at the table where the book sat, it’s brown leather cover gleaming with age.
Taking a quick breath, I materialized within his room, grabbed the book and flickered back into the ether beside him. But before I could say anything, my entire body was filled with a surge of electrical energy.
