“Be sure you win. You don’t want me for an enemy.”
Chapter Thirteen
Dumped unceremoniously outside the wards of the court mansion, Marcellus grumbles loudly about our rushed exit.
“What the hell—”
I hold my finger up to my lips and cross through the wards.
“I don’t put it past Sebile to linger. Once we’re inside the house, I’ll explain more.”
The minute we open the door, Luz and Ruby greet us.
“Where’s Miles? I need all hands on deck in the library.”
“Welcome back …” Luz trails off.
We dump our luggage by the front door, and I hug her before continuing to the library. “I know what we’re dealing with now, a Djinn.”
“A genie? Like Aladdin rubbed a lamp?” Luz asks skeptically.
“Yeah, the actual thing is nothing like the Robin William’s Disney version.” I snort. The concept is a ridiculous one now that I’ve seen the real thing.
“What happened with Sebile?” Marcellus asks, bringing us back to task.
“She took me to a place where dimensional portals exist. I saw with my own eyes where the Djinn lie. I watched one come out of a lamp. It’s the only thing the legend got right. Their land looked like hell. Fires, volcanic explosions, and destruction as far as the eye can see. I’m not shocked they want to get out of there. There wasn’t a hint of anything living.”
“What are we going to do?” Sacha asks.
“Wait, you’re going to trust what yo
u experienced in the Fae realm?” Ruby asks.
“No, we’re trusting my senses. I have never experienced an environment so devoid of hope, light, or love. I’ll die before I let that be the Earth’s future. Sebile said they wanted to conquer and reign. I believe that.”
“The first thing we need to do is learn everything we can about our enemy,” Marcellus states. This is the man charged with keeping members of the court safe.
“That’s why we’re here.” I gesture to the rows of books stacked neatly in the library and long for Cristobal once more. He’s meeting with an expert in the Middle East about the sigil. Communication has been sparse.
“Given the recent development, do you still believe the murders and strange occurrences are connected? It doesn’t seem like anything a Djinn would do,” Sacha says.
“Yes. I don’t know how though. I feel like it’s a huge piece of the puzzle we’re missing.”
“What do any of us know about them?” Ruby questions.
“Only the myths which are always a mix of fact and fiction and not helpful at all,” I admit.
“I know the basics.” Percival gestures for us to sit before continuing. “They were a branch of the fallen angels cast down after the war. Angry and bitter, they live to bring down the humans they envied and despised. Their wish giving abilities are linked to the leader of their rebellion. Much like demons make deals for souls, so do the Djinn. The major difference is their approach. The three wishes are the free sample plan.”
“Damn, it’s manically genius,” I whisper.
“Wait. Can you extend your wish quota? I thought that was against the rule, wishing for more wishes.” Sacha’s brow furrows.
“Oh, it’s allowed. For a fee,” Percival reminds her.
“It’s like a drug trade. You give ’em a taste to get them hooked, and then there’s no price too high,” Luz marvels. “And people think vamps are fucked up.” Luz snorts.
“Do you have any idea how to stop them, Perc?” I ask.