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Chapter 16
Shock wedgedmy breath somewhere between my toes and head.Crap.What did she want? To return the punch I’d given her in the nose? Kill me because she didn’t approve of me as a mate for herkin?
Whatever the answer, I kept a wary distance fromher.
Black tendrils covering her body turned to dust and blew away. The bindings on her wrists dropped to the ground and melted on the marble. Now she was free of the vizier’s spell holding her captive in thecity.
She reached out to touch me, and Irecoiled.
“Sorry about your nose,” I said, hoping this was enough for her to leave mealone.
Her fingers traced the crusty blood on the edge of her nostrils. “You have the heart of a djinn. A fire within you. I understand why my brothers consider you theirmate.”
Heart of a djinn? What the hell did that mean? I didn’t possess an inner flame or any magic. She must have hit her head a lot harder than I’d thought. I wrapped my arms around my waist as sheretreated.
“Great, thanks for freeing me, Brothers,” she told Zand andDahvi.
Zand climbed off Ali to press his forehead tohers.
“Can you forgive me?” she asked, clasping the back of hisneck.
Zand clapped a meaty hand on her back. “Of course, Sister. But you owe us a debt under djinnlaw.”
Behind them, Ali looked at me and mouthed the words,who’sthat?
I shrugged, planning on telling him later. Right now, I wanted to make sure she kept her mitts of my man. My hands fisted in case she tried anything funny, ready to send her down for the count for a second timetoday.
She smiled and bowed. “Ask of me what youwill.”
“I owe a debt to a woman named Red who dwells in the land of the Darkwoods.” His jaw tightened as he glanced at me. “Serve in my place, and void my agreement withher.”
Excitement washed across my heart. Was that even possible? It bloody well better be. I didn’t want to lose Zand or any of my genies, especially not to that freaky weirdo, The Collector. I held my breath, waiting for the djinn to agree to thedeal.
Her posture turned rigid as if she didn’t like the idea of service after just being freed. “Three wishes? That isall?”
Zand nodded. “And I also promised her my brother’s flyingcarpet.”
Her jaw tightened. “Very well. Bring me thecarpet.”
I blinked, not believing she’d consented so easily. No one in Haven would have agreed to that crappy deal after they were freed from imprisonment. But I didn’t say a thing, not wanting her to change hermind.
Dahvi said something in a foreign language and his carpet sailed through the vizier’swindow.
“Come,” the Shaitan told thecarpet.
Sand whirled around the djinn and carried her away, out the window and into thesky.
Thank the gods. I didn’t want her around any longer than necessary. The words “psycho bitch” came tomind.
“I can’t believe she agreed,” I said, throwing my arms around Zand’sneck.
“It is djinn law,” said Zand, placing a sweet kiss on my lips. “If she refuses, the spirits of the dead djinn will haunt her until her dyingday.”
That didn’t sound very comforting. I certainly wouldn’t want to be hounded by ghosts intent on pressuring me into delivering afavor.
I stared into Zand’s eyes. All brown now, without the red rim, as using his magic had depleted him. After the effort he’d just expended to save us, I wasn’t surprised. He’d need a good week of rest. Preferably in bed beside me. Don’t know how we would fit all three genies in my tiny shack. The bed was only big enough for Ali and me. But we’d figure it out. I probably wasn’t going to be getting much sleep, anyway, sneaking off with my newmates.
“Gross,” said Ali at mine and Zand’s smooch. “Get aroom!”
