“You spoke to him?” Kenya asked.
“I did.”
“I don’t understand.” She slid her glass toward me for another refill. “Did you find him? Did he find you? How did you get him to talk?”
“He found me the other night when I was walking to the High Priestess’s house. Confronted me right in the street.”
“Was anyone hurt?” she asked. Then her eyes flew to mine as something dawned on her. “Oh, gods, Alex. Were you hurt? Is that why you’re only telling me this now?”
A smile teased the corners of my mouth as she searched what she could see of my body for injuries. I should’ve known that would be the first thing she’d worry about. No questions about why the djinn had come after her. Nothing about whether she was still in danger, only concern for others.
“If you weren’t talking about Kenya, what the hell were you talking to a djinn about?”
Ah, the vampire caught on fast. And couldn’t give two shits about me or anyone else who wasn’t one of his. Maybe we were more alike than I first thought.
I took a breath. Might as well get this part over with. “He claims…he’s related to me.”
“Wait. What?” Jamal froze with his glass halfway to his lips. He slammed it down onto the counter. “Adjinnclaims he’s related to you?”
I nodded, my eyes on Kenya. “He says he’s my uncle. Actually my great-great uncle or some shit.”
The words were barely out of my mouth when I felt her fear. It hit me in sharp waves, tearing a hole right through my chest. And when I met her eyes, I could see the terror as her swift mind connected the dots. “Kenya…”
She gave a quick shake of her head.
“Would you give us a minute alone?” I asked Jamal, my eyes never leaving her.
“I don’t know that that’s such a good idea after what you just told us.”
His concern was not without justification, but it wasn’t necessary. “I just want to talk to Kenya alone. And I will do that one way or the other. So we can do this the easy way and you can walk out of here on your own, or we can do it the hard way and I’ll make you leave.”
“I don’t think the High Priestess will enjoy hearing about that.”
“I don’t think I give a fuck.”
“You will.”
Kenya reached over and touched Jamal’s arm, but her eyes never left me. “It’s okay. Why don’t you head home and I’ll see you there as soon as we’re done here.”
He looked like he was going to argue with her, but after a quick glance between the two of us, he sighed heavily. “All right.” He covered her hand with his. “Okay. But I’m not going home. I’m just going down the block. I’ll wait for you there.”
“Okay,” she said. “And Jamal,” she called as he started to walk away. “Please don’t say anything about this to Killian or anyone else. Not just yet.”
I didn’t think he would agree, but then, with a nod, he walked out the door. Kenya followed him, turning the deadbolt behind him and locking us in.
She didn’t turn around right away. I got that. She needed time to get her emotions under control, so I sipped my whiskey as I waited. After a few seconds, she lifted her head and turned to face me, but she still didn’t speak.
I came out from behind the bar but didn’t go any closer. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Kenya,” I told her, but she didn’t seem to hear me.
“That’s why you were able to remove the curse,” she said in a faraway voice. I had the feeling she was talking more to herself than to me. “Because you’re just like him.”
It was the same conclusion I’d come to myself, but hearing it from her lips…it really made shit real. “No. I’m nothing like him. I use my powers for good. He uses his for evil.” I tried a smile, but my joke fell flat. I took a step toward her, my hands out in supplication. “Look, why would I even be here telling you about this if I was going to try to hurt you?”
“To throw me off,” she said without pause. “To make me believe you’re the good guy.”
My arms fell to my sides. “Why the hell would I do that?”
She gave a little shrug, her expression deadpan, but her voice, little more than a whisper, gave away her bewilderment. “I don’t know.”
