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Behind him, Zand and Dahvi were on the floor, clambering to their feet. The vizier must have bowled them over with a powerfulattack.
Terror chased through me as the marble chunks squeezed my brother and me. I clutched him for dear life. My brother shrieked in my ear. Sobs racked my throat. I’d failed him. Let him down. What a disappointment of a sister. Found three genies and still couldn’t save him. Talk about an absoluteloser.
Hatred burned in the vizier’s eyes as he raised the sword above hishead.
Ice stabbed myguts.
A flash of red burst behindhim.
The vizier jolted as a burning blue spear pierced his chest. He gasped and fell to his knees. Choking noises came out of his mouth. His hands weakly gripped the spear, trying to pull itout.
The pressure from the marble chunks eased on my brother andme.
“Sorcerer,” growled Zand, hobbling over to the vizier. The dark flame flickered in his palm, staining it black. “Today, you threatened my family. Now I claim the right of the djinn to destroy your innerflame.”
I didn’t quite understand that because only genies and djinn had inner flames. Did that mean Zand was going to strip the vizier of his evil power? Whatever it meant, I was totally fine with it. But I still flinched as Zand thrust the dark flame into the vizier’s chest. The magic spread across the evil sorcerer, eating away at him until there was nothing left but ash. Zand’s chest heaved as he stood over the remains of thevizier.
Relief teamed in my veins as Dahvi shifted the barricade around Ali andme.
My heroes. Myprotectors.
I was shaking like a palm tree when Dahvi wrapped his arms around Ali andme.
“Thank you,” I cried into hischest.
The genie brushed my hair from my face and kissed the top of my head. I wanted to stay in his armsforever.
Behind him, Zand used his magic to burn the chains from Ali’swrists.
My brother made a brave face, even though I could tell the heat stung him. The chains dropped to theground.
“Thanks, Zand,” Ali said, rubbing his swollen and bruisedwrists.
The genie ruffled his hair. “Anything for mybrother.”
I basked in the warmth that flowed betweenthem.
I ran my hands all over Ali’s face, neck, shoulders, and chest, searching for injuries. “Ali, are youhurt?”
He rubbed his wrists. “Just a little bruised and broken. But if Ali Baba can handle it,” he said referring to his favorite comic book hero, “then I can,too.”
A relieved laugh rumbled in mychest.
He pushed me away and clasped my hands. “Azar, stop fussing. I’mokay.”
Part of me knew he was putting on a brave face for the genies. The way he puffed out his chest, acting macho, told me so. How could he not with all his new brothers surrounding him? A deeper, more sacred part of me understood my baby brother was becoming a man. His newfound attitude had blossomed in the genies’ company. Call it the big brotheraffect.
My heart sagged in my chest. Ali was his own man now. But I worried that he’d get too attached to the genies. Zand had called me his mate, but in less than a month, he’d belong to The Collector. Dahvi had promised me he was mine forever. But who knew what Kaza’s plans were once our business was concluded. I didn’t want to break Ali’s heart. There was still the news of Karim to report. One heartbreak was enough for mybrother.
Ali gave Zand a teasing tap on the shoulder. “You know I could have escaped those chains Ali Babastyle?”
Zand raised a sarcastic eyebrow. “Want todemonstrate?”
Ali leaped onto the genie, engaging in a light-hearted wrestle. My stomach tightened at the idea of my brother getting hurt. Obviously Ali wasn’t thinking about his health. The laughter sprouting from them both spoke of theirenjoyment.
Clearly, they’d been having a bit too much fun while I’d been away from home on errands. For now, I’d let them enjoy each other’s company and discuss it later. Luckily, their horseplay didn’t last long, interrupted when a coughing fit doubled Ali over. Zand cleared that up with a thump on my brother’sback.
While Zand and my brother kept each other busy, I had another job to do. Free Kaza. From across the room, I spied a hint of his normal color returning to his skin, and my chest lit awake. But as I crossed the room, someone blocked mypath.
The djinn, her expression hard and cold, promising me retribution for kicking her in the face, stood beforeme.
