The doorbell's chime broke through her thoughts, making her jump. Through the decorative glass panels flanking the front door, she recognized the uniformed figure of the limo driver from her arrival.
"Perfect timing," Kieran said, moving to open the door.
The driver nodded respectfully to them both before efficiently gathering her luggage. Mandy watched as her suitcases disappeared one by one into the trunk of the sleek black vehicle.
"Ready?" Kieran asked softly beside her.
Mandy took one last look around the beautiful house that had been her sanctuary these past weeks. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, painting golden patterns acrossthe terracotta tiles. Even Bach and Mozart seemed subdued in their carriers, as if they too were reluctant to leave.
Kieran's hand settled briefly on her lower back as he guided her toward the waiting limo, the touch sending tingles up her spine despite the layers of clothing between them.
Once back at her apartment complex, Mandy fretted, watching anxiously as the driver made multiple trips carrying her luggage - which was now so much more than it had been when she left here - into her apartment. Her fingers fidgeted with her purse strap, torn between offering a tip and potentially offending someone who worked for a Djinn prince.
"Should I give him a tip...?" she whispered to Kieran, who stood beside her with his usual quiet grace. "I mean, I know he works for you, but it seems rude not to..."
A low chuckle rumbled from Kieran's chest, the sound sending pleasant shivers down her spine. "The driver's compensation has been quite thoroughly arranged," he assured her, amusement dancing in his ice-blue eyes. "You need not concern yourself."
"Oh." Mandy felt her cheeks warm at his gentle teasing. "Of course. I just wasn't sure about the etiquette of tipping limousine chauffeurs."
The driver made one final trip, setting down her last suitcase with practiced efficiency. He nodded respectfully to them both before departing, closing the door softly behind him.
Kieran's expression grew serious as he turned to face her. "I cannot stay," he said, regret coloring his deep voice. "The Council requires my presence. There are endless meetings and consultations to attend regarding this... revelation."
"Of course." Mandy nodded, trying to squash the feeling of disappointment. She had expected that would be the case. "I imagine everyone is in an uproar."
Kieran pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. "You have no idea. The exposure of shapeshifters affects many aspects of our world. Jacinth, too, may not be able to get away as frequently. She is quite occupied with matters in her community as well, where there are many shifters, some her close friends."
"I understand completely," Mandy assured him, meaning it. The magnitude of such a revelation must be causing chaos throughout the magical community. "You have responsibilities. Important ones." She smiled at him. "I'll be fine."
"Nevertheless." Kieran stepped closer, and Mandy's breath caught in her throat. "Do not hesitate to call upon me if you have need. Or when you are ready for your second wish."
Mandy's pulse quickened as Kieran lingered, his tall frame casting a shadow in the morning light. His glacier-blue eyes held an unfamiliar warmth as they searched her face, and his usual formal demeanor seemed to waver.
He lifted one elegant hand, the gesture almost hesitant - so unlike his usual assured movements. Mandy's breath caught as his fingers hovered near her cheek, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. Time stretched like honey, sweet and slow, as she waited for his touch.
The air crackled with possibility. Mandy's pulse thundered in her ears as Kieran leaned closer, his silver-white hair catching the sunlight. For one electric moment, she thought he might actually kiss her.
Then his hand dropped, and he stepped back. With a flash of magic that raised the hair on her arms, he vanished, leaving only the faintest trace of his distinctive scent in the air.
Bach meowed plaintively from his carrier, breaking the spell. Mandy pressed her cool fingers to her burning cheeks, trying to slow her racing heart.
Had that really happened?
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Kieran stood aloneon the white marble balcony of his tower in Qaf. The desert stretched before him, endless waves of sand rippling in patterns that only the wind understood. Here in the Djinn realm, the sky shimmered with magic - deep sapphire threads weaving through the atmosphere, visible only to those with the power to perceive them.
His blue fire stirred restlessly within him, reacting to his troubled thoughts. The footage of the shifter's transformation played through his mind again - that crucial moment when magic became undeniable to the human world. The bear's pursuit, the shifter's split-second decision, the transformation that changed everything. Such a simple act of courage, of heroism, yet it had torn down the veil between worlds. Centuries of careful secrecy, shattered in an instant.
And now the Djinn people, as a whole, faced a quandary. The Djinn had maintained their secrecy for millennia, weaving themselves into human mythology and folklore while keeping their true nature hidden. But the shifters... their exposure threatened to unravel everything. The delicate balance between the supernatural and human worlds had never felt more precarious. The Djinn themselves must keep their own existencesecret, that went without saying. Yet it was impossible to step back. Their fates were too interconnected. They couldn't abandon the shifters to face this crisis alone, could not simply stand aside and watch as another supernatural race faced exposure. It was inevitable that the revelation of the shifters' existence to the human world would lead to questions about other supernatural beings.
His silvery hair caught the magical breeze as he straightened, his shoulders squaring under the familiar burden of leadership. The Djinn Council would be meeting soon, looking to him, and the other elders, for guidance, for solutions that would both protect the shifters and maintain the Djinn's carefully guarded anonymity.
After that, he must go on to the High Council of Others - the Council made up of representatives from all the Other species. Contingency plans had been in place for decades, but those had been hypothetical. Now they had the reality to deal with. The humans had their proof, captured from multiple angles, witnessed by millions. There would be no explaining this away, no convenient mass forgetful spell to reset the balance.
The wind whispered across the dunes, carrying ancient secrets in its voice. But for once, even the desert's timeless wisdom offered no clear path forward.
