The Binding Stone (The Djinn Series) (31 page)

It
is so rare that the three of us are left to our own devices. At first, I thought
it a blessing in disguise. So afraid that they would hate me for what I’d done.
Mira mostly ignores me, at best tolerating my presence. Taj, though, still
speaks to me. And for this I am grateful.

“How
long do you suppose before they all kill each other off?” Mira asks, righting
herself and gnawing at a crust of bread she has conjured.

“Not
soon enough,” Taj says, pacing the length of the massive table. “We are going
to have to do something.”

“Do
something?” I ask, breaking my silence. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t
tell her,” Mira says. “She’ll probably just go blab it all right back to them.”

“I
had no choice,” I say. “You were there. You know what happened.”

“It
doesn’t really matter,” Taj says, and I fall quiet once again, picking at the
fabric of my skirts. “What’s done is done. And now they will be searching for
more of us.”

“But
how can we do anything?” I cry. “How?”

“We
have to be smarter than they are, Lee.” Taj halts his stride and places a hand
on my shoulder.

“Well,
it isn’t hard to be smarter than that Master of yours,” Mira says in his ear.

“Precisely,”
says Taj. “And that is what we will use against them. You’ll have to do your
part too, Lee. I need to know you are strong enough.”

I
draw in a deep, shuddering breath and nod my head. I owe them this much.

“We
have to play on their mistrust of each other,” Taj continues. “Each of us has
to work on our Master when we are alone.”

“Make
them want to split up?” Mira asks. “Then we will no longer be together either.”

“But
look at the damage we did today, making that girl love the monster,” I say. “As
soon as Kitra figures it out, she will have us do much worse.”

“Who
cares about the stupid humans?” Mira hisses in my face.

Taj
pulls us apart, leaving a hand on each of us. “Forget the humans. This is for our
own kind. We cannot let them take us all. And if we are apart, then they will
be much harder to find and trap. Lee, do you think you can go to Achan?”

“Now?”
I ask.

“Yes.
He already mistrusts the others. He tricked you into wearing your stone to
steal you away from Kitra.”

“Yes,
but–”

“He
still has feelings for you,” Mira says. I look up, wanting to hit her for
saying such cruel things. “I’m serious. Did you see how he protected you from
Cephas today?”

“He
can barely look at you,” Taj says. “Has he asked for you to share his bed since
this happened?”

I
shift uncomfortably on my seat. “No,” I say, casting my gaze downward. “But why
should he? He has Kitra now. It is what he always wanted.”

“I
think you underestimate your power over men, my dear.” Taj tsks softly. “Go see
for yourself.”

I
chew on my tongue, thinking. How would it feel to have him touch me again? He
did save me from Cephas. Twice now. Though the first time he could have come so
much sooner. Was it all an orchestrated plan, with Cephas’s complicity? I have
avoided dwelling on this for quite some time. When the monster awoke from their
fight, he never once tried to strike at Achan. Does that not speak volumes?
Still, what could have been in it for him?

“You
still with us, Lee?” Mira asks, rapping on my head.

I
glare at her, then pop into my Master’s bedroom. He is alone at least. His chest
rises and falls with great snores in the center of his enormous bed decorated
with crimson sheets of satin and about a thousand cushions as well. My heart
aches as I watch him. Hate and betrayal battle with the love I cannot deny.

I
must do this for the others, I think, crawling over his sleeping form. I dip my
mouth to his, inhaling his scent, so familiar and sweet. My body moves against
his, beneath the sheets. His eyes flutter open. Shock. Fear. Then passion, as I
continue to kiss him hungrily.

His
arms wrap around me, flipping me over onto my back, running along my side. I
tangle my legs around his, as his hands work their way around my body. We are
as familiar to each other as the sun is to the sand.

When
we finish, he holds me against him, murmuring in my hair. “Little One,” he
says, over and over again.

I
cannot return the favor. For the only name that will come from my lips is
“Master.”

Turning Tables

pparently
we missed the throne room on our first tour of Kitra’s island. It is perhaps
the one bright room in the palace, large and open with marble floors and
pillars around the perimeter. The only furniture is the throne itself, which sits
on the dais in the center of the room. The chair is solid gold, decorated with
every gaudy jewel known to man. She hurries to sit in it the moment we arrive,
running a hand along the armrest like it is a long lost friend.

Sophie
lies in my arms unconscious, though I’m not sure I understand why. Perhaps she
expended too much energy trying to help Jered. Taj appears on the floor next to
me, hands pressed to the ground, biceps straining to push himself up. Of course
I neglected to bring along the restraints. She said only Taj and Sophie.

“Restrain
him!” Kitra shouts.

But
in the time it takes me to say, “Yes, Master,” Taj has risen and disappeared
with Sophie.

“Reinforce
the shields so they cannot escape!” she shouts.

“Yes,
Master.” I bow slightly and wave my arm out in a circle. Hopefully, I am too
late. But I doubt it. I’m sure Kitra has things set up to prevent any Djinni
from getting too far on his own.

She
is seething now. She grips the sides of her throne so tightly, I expect pieces
of gold to break off in her hands. I smile.

“Do
not waste time saying ‘yes, Master” again. You will obey me at once.”

I
incline my head. She stands. I know I will pay. But I would not change a thing
I have done so far. I meet her gaze head on as she strides toward me. I’ve lost
my freedom, but she’s lost two Djinn.

Mira
is free. I have finally repaid that debt. Though how I wish she had stayed to
help. I suppose I didn’t really expect her to.

Taj
is in danger. From me. And so is Sophie. But I swear that if she makes me harm
that child, I will spend the rest of eternity finding a way to kill her. And
then there’s Jered. My heart breaks, thinking he is gone. But I cannot afford
the luxury of grief. Not yet. What will Gabe do now? Will Achan harm him? I
don’t think so. He is more interested in saving his hide than in revenge.

Kitra pulls me up by the hair. “You have always been a thorn in my
side.” She shakes me. I do not react. “But you will not succeed. You have
already lost. Hear this command: if you are aware of any threat to my person by
human or Djinn, you will stop it. Right now you will find the girl and her
Djinni. You are to immediately incapacitate them both, but do not kill them.
Bring them back to me, bound in lead chains, to await further instructions.”
She lets me go. I pop out of the room without another word.

I
sweep the rooms with my senses as I pass, allowing the tears to slide freely
down my face. I do not attempt to hide my presence. In fact, I make as much
noise as I dare, hoping they will find me first. I would not mind if they
killed me. I have nothing left to live for, except to see my friend freed.

“Where
are you?” I ask the nearest marble statue. But the man, whose face is contorted
with fear, remains immobile, arms thrown protectively over his head. I don’t
blame him; I bring disaster to the innocent wherever I go.

I
sigh. I haven’t tried the dungeons. So I race down the stairs on human feet.
The passageway is clear, though the area where the fire burned out of control
is charred and crumbling.

I
hear a sound, like a whimper, come from the second room. The one where Jered
was tortured by Kitra’s hands. I step inside. Pain sizzles along every inch of
my skin, and I crash to the ground. The lead-lined cell. Had I really
forgotten? Or had some part of me remembered what was here?

“Oh,
Taj. We can’t just leave her like this.” Sophie appears, standing over me, her
blond hair tangled, eyes full of concern.

“No,”
I try to mouth.

“How
do you wish me to leave her?” Taj asks from somewhere behind. Somewhere at a safe
distance from the lead.

“Can
we get that thing off of her neck?” Sophie asks.

“Judging
by how Leela freed Mira, if you command it, it is possible. But I can’t go near
her while she’s in there and hope to have the strength to take it off,” Taj
says.

“I
can protect you,” she says.

“You
are still too weak, Little Master. I can see your aura.”

“This
is horrible!” Sophie yells.

“I
believe we have to leave her there until you are stronger,” Taj says.

“Will
she be okay?” Sophie asks.

“I
hope so,” says Taj. “I can’t get us out of here alone.”

Dreaming

don’t know how long we wait. I pass in and out of consciousness on the floor of
the cell alternating between the horror of the present and the agony of the
past. The pain washes over me with stronger and stronger waves until I’m no
longer certain I know the difference. Finally, I hear Sophie’s voice again.

“Taj,
you can’t get us out. But can you bring someone here?”

“’Fraid
not, Little Master.”

“Why
hasn’t she come for us herself?” Sophie asks.

“She
is afraid of me,” Taj says.

Sophie
giggles. The sound echoes around the walls.

“You don’t think I am intimidating?” Taj asks, sounding hurt.

“I
think you’re the strongest Djinni in the world,” Sophie says. “Except for
Leela.”

I
don’t feel very strong right now.

“You
are the brightest Master I have ever had,” Taj says. “Stand back!” he yells.