The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series) (30 page)

“How
could I ever forget?” I ask with my palm pressed to my cheek.

But
I’ve done it. I’ve distracted her long enough for him to escape. Not that I do
not wish to crush Achan. But I cannot do it while Jered still struggles inside
his body.
As long as he is in there
, I tell myself,
there is hope.
I try to ignore the voice inside, screaming that it is too late. My heart feels
as though it’s being twisted into a knot.

“You
will pay for this,” Kitra says. “I thought you would have hated him as much as
I do. But apparently you still have a soft spot for your former love.”

I
do not answer. I do not need to explain myself. Do not need to explain that, as
impossible as it seems, trying to help Jered means even more to me than
revenge.

“We
have more important matters to address,” she says. “I am missing a Djinni
thanks to you. We must get him back. It should be simple enough to wrest him
from the child. You will take me to him and incapacitate him upon first sight.
Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”
she asks.

I
stare hard at her. I know she will force it, but I want her to know I am not the
same Djinni she had a thousand years ago.

“You
will acknowledge my every command with ‘yes, Master’ before implementing it. Is
that understood?” she asks. Her fingers dig into my skin as she takes hold of
my arm and shakes me.

“Yes,
Master,” I say.

She
smiles, relaxing her shoulders back. Satisfied she is in control. “Then let’s
go.”

“Yes,
Master.”

I
wave a hand, and we materialize inside of the hotel room. But I keep my eyes
shut tight. She said, ‘upon first sight.’ If I do not see him, I do not have to
incapacitate him. The scent of iris is still strong.

I
hear the frightened murmurs of my friends, and I shout out. “Go! Achan is in
Jered. She has me!”

“Both
of my Djinn, on your knees!” Kitra screams. I fall to the ground and risk
opening my eyes. I am surprised to find Mira kneeling next to me at Kitra’s
feet. But the others are gone. Taj is fast and strong. He will help Jered. He
has to.

“What
is the meaning of this?” Kitra’s normally calm voice is shrill. Her fists
clenched in rage. “How is it possible you have disobeyed me?”

“I
did not,” we both answer at the same time. Mira and I look at each other, both
open-mouthed.

“Explain,”
Kitra says, hand upon her forehead.

“Yes,
Master. You said to incapacitate at first sight. I closed my eyes,” I say.

“You
ordered me to go home. The closest thing I have to a home is wherever Taj is,”
Mira says, miserably.

“You
will both be punished for this insolence. But not until we have rectified the
situation.” Kitra paces back and forth before us. “What did you tell them?” she
asks Mira.

“Everything
of importance,” Mira spits.

Kitra
kicks out her foot toward Mira’s face, but I use my magic to move Mira out of
range. “Enough!” Kitra screams. Red hair flying out in all directions. Eyes
wild. She pulls a large lead pipe from the air. “You will take your punishments
without interference,” she breathes, and raises the pipe to swing.

***

I
lie coughing on the floor, bloody and bruised. Mira is unconscious next to me.
Kitra seems oblivious to this, as she continues to bash her body with the pipe.
I raise a weak hand.

“You’ll
kill her,” I manage.

Kitra
stops, glaring at me. She knows I am right. She needs her Djinn. Kitra
straightens, and the lead pipe vanishes into nothing. Our wounds heal right
away.

“You
have lost me valuable time,” Kitra says, smoothing back her flyaway hair.

Mira’s
eyes flutter open. I feel bad for her after she tried to help us. But this was
good. It gave the others enough time to find Jered. Maybe to help him. Achan
said Jered would only have about an hour before he was expelled from his body
completely. How long has it been? My heart races, and I push away the panic as
best I can.

“We
must find them,” Kitra says. “Do either of you know where they went? Either
Achan, or Taj and the brat? Tell me.”

“Yes,
Master. I do not know,” I say automatically. I have suspicions, but no
verifiable knowledge.

“Neither
do I,” Mira coughs.

“Where
would you go if you were them? Tell me.”

“Yes,
Master.” I wonder if Kitra will grow as tired with me saying this as I am. “I
would be looking for Jered,” I say. “If I were Taj and Sophie. If I were Achan,
I would be finding a hole to hide in.”

Mira
smirks. “If it were me, I would be long gone by now. But since Taj still has a
Master, well, he’ll have to do her bidding.”

“And
she will search for her brother?” Kitra asks me. I do not respond, enjoying how
this frustrates her. “Tell me!”

“Yes,
Master. I believe she would.”

“I
will break you, Leela,” she promises, leaning over me menacingly.

“You
already have. Long ago,” I say.

“You
will take us where you believe they will search for Achan,” Kitra says. “And
this time, the moment Taj is within striking range, you will incapacitate him.”

Quiet Please

chan
is a coward. It will be nearly impossible to find him if Taj has not already
succeeded. So I hope with all my being that he has. And if he has, where would
they take him?
Of course
. Assuming that Gabe is smart enough to think of
it. Because if there is one thing Achan does not understand it is love. And
perhaps he underestimates its power as well.

We
appear, unnoticed in the hospital hallway. Three women in skirts and red
shirts. Kitra’s idea of fashion sense. I tolerate it because I have to.

“Where
are we?” she whispers. “This had better not be another attempt of yours to–”

“Jered’s
mother is here,” I say. “Thanks to Mira. She’s hanging on to life by a thread.”

“How
touching.”

I
ignore Kitra and continue. “I would bring Jered here to try and reach him.”

Her
eyebrows lift with surprise. “So where is she?”

I
motion for them to follow and lead the way through the bright white halls, past
a nurses’ station and empty stretchers to the room I remember being hers. The
door is ajar, and voices filter through the opening. Kitra motions for us to
wait, and we cock our heads to listen.

“Jered,
you have to fight. You have to try.” Gabe’s voice is filled with more emotion
than I’ve ever heard come from his lips.

My
heart speeds up. I was right. But it sounds as though it hasn’t worked. I have
to give them more time. But how? I glance at Kitra. She remains still,
listening.

“I’ve
already told you, he cannot hear you. Now, will you please let me go?” Jered
asks.

“Hold
him steady,” Sophie says.

Kitra
pushes forward, nudging the door in, and we see the back of Jered’s head. He is
seated in a chair near his mother’s bed. Sophie holds her hands out to him, her
aura flooding into his, so that the colors mix and swirl in a breathtaking way.
Gabe stands on the other side of the bed. The concern on his face is clear, but
he hasn’t seen us. He only has eyes for his friend. And Taj. Taj holds Jered by
the shoulders, keeping Jered firmly in the seat.

My
hand twitches. I’ve been given a command. Taj is thrown backward into the wall,
where lead shackles bind his wrists and ankles. Gabe lets out a yelp, but
Sophie is so focused on whatever is going on between her and Jered that she
does not even see.

Oh,
this is bad.

Kitra
strides confidently into the room, and we follow behind. My eyes meet Taj’s,
and he smiles through the pain.

“Round and round we go,” he says through his torment.

“Find
the stone, and give it to me,” Kitra says.

“Yes,
Master,” I reply, frustration in every word.

Mira
moves toward Sophie. I have to do something. Then it hits me. Kitra has made a
mistake, but I must obey.

“Allow
me, Master,” I say, flying at Mira and knocking her away from the little girl.

“What–”
Kitra begins. But I’ve already tackled Mira and wrested my fingers around her
throat. After all, I was given a command.... It just might work.

“I
command you–” Kitra says.

But
no one has paid attention to the one conscious human in the room. Gabe has
sneaked up behind Kitra and brings a hospital tray down on top of her head,
cutting her off in mid-sentence. Mashed potatoes and green beans fly
everywhere.

“Command
this!” he shouts, just as the stone comes off in my hand. Mira grasps at her
throat, and I fling it at Kitra.

“You
asked for the stone!” I scream. “Be more specific next time.”

The
door thrusts open, and a nurse rushes in followed by two men in security
uniforms.

“What
on earth is going on in here?” the nurse shouts, exasperated.

I
wave a hand, and they freeze.

“Find
the stone, Gabe. Mine,” I plead. He is already searching through Kitra’s
pockets. “Mira, release Taj!” I shout. But when I turn, she is gone.

I
cry as Kitra stirs beneath Gabe’s nervous fingers.

“I
can’t find it,” he says.

“Check
her wrists,” I say, recalling the location of Taj’s stone. But just as he pulls
at her sleeve, she regains her voice.

“Get
off of me!” she shrieks, throwing Gabe across the room with a burst of power.

“You,”
she says, venom dripping from the word. “Take me to my island, and bring only
Taj and the girl with us. Do it NOW.”

My
eyes flicker helplessly toward Gabe as I say the words. “Yes, Master.” And we
disappear with a wave of my hand.

The Beginning

“
hate humans,” Taj says. The ferocity of his words causes me to flinch. I am so
afraid we will be overheard.

“Best
not let them hear you say that,” Mira says. She is lying across the chairs
arranged around the empty dining hall table, head upside down and long hair
sweeping the floor. “They aren’t mere humans, remember? They are Magicians.”
The contempt in her voice is crystal clear.