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Chapter 4
Dahvi triedto guide Kaza to the bed, but the yellow genie waved him away. “Look after the masterfirst.”
Blue fire crackled between us as Dahvi inspected my bruises and swollen ankle. I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against his. Out of relief. To ensure he was real. Check that the dark flame hadn’t killed me, and this wasn’t some sort of sick, screw-you last dream from the vizier. Nope. Dahvi’s breath tickled my knee. His forehead blazed hot. Hotter than any skin I’d ever touched. I ran my fingers across his thick, braided hair, and the pendant shaped like fire on his necklace. All real. I was still alive. Thank thegods.
“Master?” Dahvi pulled away, his eyes, just like his body, radiated power, sincerity, andkindness.
The aqua line in his earth-brown irises pulsed, and for the briefest moment I got lost in them. The way he said master danced along my spine and twirled around my ribcage. I could get used to being calledthat.
“Your ankle needs ice,” headded.
Gods. He smelled so good. Like fresh rain mixed with salty water and the bubbling stream in the woods near my friend’s apothecaryshop.
His intense stare made me blush. I wasn’t used to male attention. When I glanced into those sincere eyes, my pulse sped up. My mind wandered to thoughts of touching him. Running my hands over his hard chest, muscled arms, and flat stomach. Of him kissing my neck and caressing myback.
Whoa!I had to shake my mind off that topic to think straight. No way would someone like that fancy me. I glanced down at myself. Dirt-stained fingernails from climbing the rocks. Scruffy, wind-torn hair. Patches sewn onto the clothes. Grimy street rats didn’t rate as “beautiful” in this city. All I was used to was being yelled at to return stolen property or having more goods hurled at my retreating back. The yellow genie must have been mocking me when he’d said I waspretty.
I had to call on every ounce of concentration to recall what the blue genie had said to me.Ice. Oh yeah. Good one.I didn’t have any money for that. Especially after all the treasure I’d stolen remained in the prison cell. That was a luxury I’d have to do without. Besides, my injuries weren’t as urgent asKaza’s.
“I’ll be fine,” I managed to spit out even though my tongue had twisted. “We need to look after your brother. He needs stitches and herbs to prevent aninfection.”
Kaza seemed to have forgotten about his injury and pointed at Ali. “You’re the master’s brother, right? Must be. Same perfect bonestructure.”
Ali’s face twisted with disgust as he cuddled a now snoringKarim.
My hands searched my face for this so-calledperfection.
“I’m Kaza.” The yellow genie hobbled over to shake Ali’s hand. “Your sister’s genie. That’s my older brother Zand by the window. He’s the strong one, and he protects and looks afterus.”
Zand grunted a hello and nodded at Ali. Then he got down on one knee and bowed. He was obviously the obedient soldier of the pack compared to the jokerKaza.
Kaza patted the blue genie on the chest then grabbed him in a headlock and ruffled his hair. “This is Dahvi, my youngest and favorite brother. He’s shy and sweet. That’s why all the girlslovehim.” He pinched Dahvi’scheeks.
I agreed with the girls. The rings around Dahvi’s brown irises were the color of pale sapphires. And my god, those eyelashes. I was a sucker for eyelashes. My friend Scarlet, she loved men’s forearms, but they weren’t myfavorite.
Dahvi playfully punched Kaza back. I could tell from their interaction they cared for each other and had a good relationship. Call it motherly instinct, but I sensed some tension between Zand and Kaza. I didn’t blame the leader of the group; being locked up with the same two genies for however long in the lamp couldn’t have been fun. Not being able to track the stars in the clear, night sky…that’d probably drive me crazy,too.
“What was your last question?” said Kaza, tapping his lip. “Oh, that’s right. We arrived here by travelling via the sacredwinds.”
Ali mouthed the wordssacred windsas if he thought Kaza was akook.
To be honest, I still didn’t believe the genies were real. But after everything I’d experienced since last night, I could no longer deny any ofthis.
Chipper as ever, Kaza leaned on a chair for support and kept blabbering. “I’d bend the knee, as I’m supposed to for the master’s family, but I just got attacked by a tiger.” He flashed his blood-soakedbandage.
My brother’s face blanched, and his book fell to hislap.
“Gods,” I said. “Shut up, Kaza. You’re scaring mybrother.”
Kaza gave me a cheeky smile. “Mind if I take a seat? My leg’s killingme.”
“Azar, what’s going on?” asked Ali, his voice barely a wheeze. “What darksorcerer?”
Words pressed to the roof of my mouth as I prepared myself to explain it all. “Ali, you’re not going to believe this.” My stomach knotted as I snuggled beside Ali, took his frail hands, and recounted the awful story to mybrother.
Meanwhile, Dahvi filled a pan with water. Cupboard doors slammed and he created quite a clamor as he opened and closed them, hunting for something. Probably bandages forKaza.
Zand remained by the window like a guard dog keepingwatch.
