The Djinn Page 9

  Maybe she was already crazy. If she was sane, she wouldn't be considering leaping off. But then, she couldn't, even if she reached the point of hoping for death to end the torment. Zeht had chained her to the damned rock.

  Her only hope was for Raheem to break the other djinn's spell, but she had no idea how he would do that.

  The sharp ring produced by the clash of metal against metal drew her from her abstraction and she glanced toward Raheem once more. He and Zeht were locked in a swordsman's dance between the two pillars of rock, moving as if there was solid ground beneath their feet. Elise's heart seemed to stop in her chest.

  Zeht beat back Raheem's assault and made a flicking gesture in her direction. The rock commenced its shimmy. She hugged the ground, screaming before she thought better of it.

  When Raheem whirled to look at her, Zeht attacked, swinging the wicked blade he held over his head like a whirligig before hacking at Raheem. Elise's heart leapt into her throat. She could see that, fast as he was, Raheem did not have time to parry the blow. Zeht caught him, drawing blood. Raheem whirled, moving with the force of the blow, turning a complete circle and flinging one hand out.

  Zeht flew backwards like a ball shot from a cannon, colliding with the pillar he'd been perched on earlier hard enough the rocks began to tumble. Righting himself, Zeht flung an arm out and the rocks changed direction, became missiles—flying directly toward Raheem.

  He dodged the first. Missing him, it shot onward, striking the column of rock beneath Elise's precarious perch. The whole pillar lurched from side to side and Elise rolled over the edge. The jolt when she reached the limit of the chains felt as if it had ripped her hands and feet from her body. Blinded by the pain, her feet and hands numb, Elise blacked out.

  She came to as a gust of wind swung her upwards. With an effort, she grasped a link in the chain on the rock. Holding on for all she was worth, she rested, trying to catch her breath and throw off the dizziness, fighting the numbness in her hands. Finally, she managed to grab another handhold and hoist herself a little higher. She rested again, her hips and legs still dangling over the side. Inch by inch, she shifted herself forward until she was once more lying fully upon the slab of rock.

  When she managed to look toward the combatants again, she saw that they had moved a little further away. Raheem was trying to draw Zeht away from her. Zeht, she saw, was trying to maneuver so that one of the two remained between her. If he managed to maneuver between her and Raheem, then Raheem could do nothing without risking that it would bypass Zeht and strike her. If Raheem was between her and Zeht, then he must take the brunt of whatever Zeht threw at him or risk allowing it to strike her.

  The two came together again in a blinding blur of blades, hacking away at each other in fury, but, physically, they were well matched. Neither could gain the upper hand for more than a few moments. Both were bleeding from numerous cuts, though neither man seemed to have managed to land a solid blow.

  Abruptly, their swords locked. They heaved against each other for several moments, each man struggling for dominance. Finally, Raheem thrust Zeht away, sent him flying backward once more against the pillar. Zeht, roaring in frustration, lifted both hands and, in each palm appeared a ball of fire. He began tossing them toward Raheem, faster and faster as Raheem parried each, flinging them back at him, but he was driving Raheem toward her.

  The first fireball that whizzed past her singed her hair. Clamping a hand to her mouth, Elise flattened herself against the rock. The effort to refrain from distracting Raheem was wasted, though, for his head whipped toward her as the fireball did. The inattention cost him. Three fireballs struck him in quick succession. Elise screamed and leapt to her feet.

  To her relief, Raheem merely sloughed them off, as if he were slinging water from his body. Lifting one hand, he pointed a finger at the ground and began to twirl it. Air began to swirl, elongate. It became a funnel and, at Raheem's command whipped toward Zeht. Raheem created two more, sending them to surround Zeht. The funnels closed in upon him, met and became one, with Zeht trapped inside, whirling like a top.

  He summoned the fireballs once more, using the twisting momentum of the tornado to whip the fireballs out in every direction, laughing wildly because he had turned the funnel against Raheem. Ignoring the barrage of fireballs, Raheem lifted both hands like the conductor of an orchestra, pulling water up through the spout.

  Zeht stopped laughing as the fireballs were extinguished, but began to hurl ice javelins in their stead.

  Raheem sucked in a deep breath of air and blew it out again. As the air touched the funnel, the entire funnel began to harden. Within seconds it had become a tower of solid ice.

  Raheem glared at Zeht for several moments, his hands on his hips. Then, lifting one hand, he summoned a bolt of lightening and hurled it like a spear directly at Zeht. The bolt struck the column of ice dead center, shattering it into millions of ice pebbles—shattering Zeht along with it.

  Satisfied, Raheem turned and raced toward her. This time he had no trouble reaching her, for he'd destroyed Zeht's spell when he destroyed Zeht. Elise, forgetting her resolve to allow Raheem to believe she didn't care about him, threw herself at his chest when he knelt in front of her. “You're alright? You weren't hurt?"

  His arms tightened around her. “Mere scratches,” Raheem said dismissively, examining her carefully for injury. “It is you, myska, who are hurt. Lie still and I will take the pain away.” Pushing her away, he made a brushing motion at the chains, which fell away, then took her hands, encircling each wrist with his fingers. Heat seeped into her, became fire and Elise gasped. When he removed his fingers, however, her wrists had ceased to throb in pain. She cried out when he manacled her ankles with his fingers, but, as with her wrists, the moment he removed his hands the pain was gone, as well. He scooped her into his arms and held her tightly a moment. “I must take you from this world, myska."

  “Please,” Elise said faintly. “Take me home, Raheem. I don't feel at all well."

  * * * *

  Elise wasn't aware of anything else until she opened her eyes to find her mother hovering worriedly over her. “Mama?"

  Carol Vallee smiled. “I'm here, honey. You're not hallucinating."

  “Here?"

  “On the island. It's beautiful ... like paradise. Who'd have thought there were still places like this around? Of course it's abysmally backwards, honey. No phones, no electricity, unless one happens to have a generator, which, fortunately, Raheem provided. Not that I can figure out what it runs on. There aren't any cars on the island, so I wouldn't think there'd be gasoline either. They have ships that stop here every few months or so, but otherwise it might as well be on another planet."

  “Raheem's ... is he here?"

  Carol smiled. “Of course he's here! I banished him from the sickroom, though. I told him he wasn't doing you any good at all hovering over you. He seemed terribly perturbed when he couldn't make you instantly better. I'm sure, whatever he did do helped you a great deal.” She stopped when her chin wobbled slightly. “You were as close to death....” She stopped again, cleared her throat. “But that doesn't matter, now. You're getting better by the day. I told him he'd just have to give your body time to mend itself."

  Elise struggled to sit up and her mother reached to help her, propping pillows behind her back. Elise was amazed at how weak that little effort made her. She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to drift off to sleep again, listening as her mother moved about the room. When she opened her eyes again, her mother was standing over her with a brush. Settling herself on the edge of the bed, she carefully brushed Elise's hair, then leaned back and studied her. After a moment, she set the brush down and pinched Elise's cheeks. “There!” she said happily. “Just enough color to keep you from looking so pale."

  She glanced up at the ceiling. “You can come in now!"

  Raheem materialized near the balcony door, his arms crossed over his chest.

  Carol smiled at him. “See, she's
better today.” Sniffing, she got up, leaned over to kiss Elise on the cheek and excused herself.

  Elise was barely aware of her mother's departure, however. She was studying Raheem, trying to decide what sort of mood he was in. After a moment, she held out her hand to him, palm up. He studied her outstretched hand for several moments and finally strode forward, clasping it as he knelt beside the bed. Turning her hand palm upwards, he kissed the center. Warmth tingled along her arm and Elise curled her fingers against his cheek. “I have a terrible temper,” Raheem confessed uncomfortably.

  “Yes, you do. Worse than mine, even—I think,” Elise said, smiling faintly.

  “I would be honored if you would be my wife,” he said gruffly, reddening with discomfort.

  Elise stared at him, stunned. “Marry?"

  Raheem threw a glance in the direction of the door her mother had disappeared through only moments before. “Your mother says it is the custom."

  Elise frowned, tugging her hand free. “My mother? You mean this was her idea?"

  Dismay flickered in Raheem's eyes, then irritation. “I do not know the customs of your people,” he said stiffly.

  “Well, marriage isn't necessarily one of them,” she said tightly, struggling against the hurt she felt that Raheem so obviously felt compelled to offer something he just as obviously didn't particularly want to offer. “It's only for two people who love each other more than anyone else in the world ... and vow to love no other. The ceremony is nothing, if they don't feel that way, but just another piece of paper.

  In any case, I expect you'll be returning to your own world soon. I appreciate your rescuing me and bringing me home ... where I belong."

  Raheem stood up abruptly. “It is just as I thought, then."

  Elise glared at him. “It must be wonderful always to be right,” she snapped and then turned over on her side, putting her back to him.

  After a moment, she heard him stride across the room and leave by way of the balcony. It surprised her until she remembered what he'd said before—the longer he was away from his own world the weaker his connection to it. He had not seemed to lack for strength when they were in his world, but she supposed that was because he had been in his own element. Here his magic dwindled daily.

  He should have already gone back. All he'd needed to do was to dump her with her mother and leave ... actually, all he'd really needed to do was to get her out of his world. He could've dumped her anywhere.

  She was trying to decide whether she wanted to cry or throw something when her mother opened the door and peered in. “Where's Raheem?"

  “Gone back to the inner world, I guess,” Elise said sullenly.

  “But ... he didn't say anything?"

  Elise glared at her, fiercely glad to have found another target. “I'll thank you not to interfere in my life, mother! How could you!"

  Her mother planted her hands on her hips. “Don't you take that tone with me, Elise!"

  Elise blushed, but she was too angry to heed her mother's reprimand. “I don't know what you did to convince him to offer to marry me...."

  “I didn't do anything,” Carol said, turning red. “Except tell him that it wasn't acceptable for the two of you just to live together. He'd have to marry you."

  Elise rolled her eyes. “Well, don't fret over it. We're not going to live together."

  “You're not?” Carol asked, obviously dismayed. “Why not? You two are hot for each other, aren't you?"

  “Mother!"

  “Oh, I see! You just found it exciting because he was so exotic? Now that you know he's going to be just like the rest of us, it isn't nearly as exciting."

  “That's not true!” Elise said furiously. “I can understand Raheem believing the worst of me, but you know I'm not like that!"

  Carol sighed. “It's John, isn't it?"

  Elise stared at her blankly. “John? That's ... absurd!"

  “You still love him. I thought you'd get over it after a while."

  Elise fell back against her pillows, staring up at the hangings over the bed. “It's got nothing to do with John. I feel ... I feel like I'm betraying his memory."

  “Now you're the one being ridiculous. What's the point of loving a dead man? I can understand cherishing his memory, but he loved you, Elise. Do you honestly think he would've wanted you to be alone for the rest of your life?"

  Elise shook her head, covering her face with her hands. “You misunderstood. I feel like I'm betraying John because ... because I love Raheem so much more than I ever loved John! I'm a terrible person!"

  “You're human, Elise. And I've got news for you, dear. Anybody that's capable of loving someone, can love someone else, too. The thing I don't understand is why, if you love Raheem as much as you say you do, you're so determined to send him back!"

  “Because ... I don't want him to regret it. He's never had to live without magic. Don't you think giving it up would be like ... like getting an amputation? Like being whole and strong and then suddenly discovering that you're crippled from the neck down? I can't do that to him. I'm afraid to let him do it because ... I'd rather send him away and think he still cared about me than keep him here and watch him stop."

  Carol let out a sigh of irritation. “That's his choice to make, Elise, not yours. And if he has regrets later, and blames it on you, then he's not the man I think he is!

  You love him. He loves you. It's about time the two of you stopped behaving like complete idiots and told each other.

  And, whether you decide to get married or not—naturally, it's up to the two of you—you're both idiots if you don't take the happiness you've got a chance at. Worry about tomorrow when it comes!"

  Stalking across the room, Carol snatched the balcony door open. “You! Try to get it right this time! Honest to God, my yardman could've done better, and he can't even speak English!"

  “Mother!” Elise cried. “You were listening!"

  Carol blushed faintly. “Of course I was listening. I wanted to know what to tell the preacher. He's been cooling his heels for hours now. He's running out of patience and so am I!"

  Raheem was glaring at Carol as she stalked back across the room and slammed out the door. “That woman is...."

  “Don't you dare say anything nasty about my mother!"

  Raheem planted his hands on his hips. “You are as ... bossy as she is!” he snapped, glaring at her.

  Elise threw a pillow at him. “And you are such a ... a myska, I don't know why I love you so much!"

  Raheem stared at her as if dumbfounded. After a moment, his lips twitched. A chuckle escaped him, and then another.

  Elise felt blood pulsing in her cheeks. Here she'd told the man she loved him and he was laughing at her! Grinding her teeth, she gave him her back.

  He landed on the bed beside her, still chuckling. Elise gave him a dagger glare and turned over. He grasped her arm and pulled her back, capturing both her wrists. “I love you, myska. Marry me."

  Elise was more than a little mollified, but still miffed. “Why were you laughing?"

  His eyes gleamed, but he didn't make the mistake of laughing again. “Because mi-yis-ka means ‘my adored princess'."

  Elise stared at him for several moments and burst out laughing. “You ass! You told me it meant ‘pesky ... like the fly'.” She mimicked his deep voice.

  He studied her a long moment, and pulled her tightly against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. “You are very gullible, beloved, but I adore you all the same."

  “I love you, anyway, too,” she said with a chuckle, then sighed. “Are you absolutely, positively certain that you want to give up ... everything from your world and stay with me?"

  Raheem looked a little uncomfortable. “I am absolutely, positively certain that I want to be with you ... always."

  Epilogue

  Elise looked around the little house that she and John had bought when they first married. She had loved it the moment she set eyes on it. She still loved it and the memories th
at resided there. That was the main reason she'd decided to sell it.

  She and Raheem would be living in the palace he'd built near the sea. She had been tempted to just keep her house—rent it out, maybe. She'd realized, though, that that was partly because she'd felt she needed it for security and partly because she was still reluctant to completely break the ties with the past.

  The truth was, she didn't need the security blanket, and she was way past due on breaking those ties. She didn't need the house to remember her first husband, and keeping it might always make Raheem wonder if she really did still love John best.

  Raheem had moved most of her belongings to the palace when he'd first taken her there, but there were still things that needed to be disposed of. She'd picked out the things she wanted to keep, invited her mother and sister to help themselves to whatever they were interested in and collected the remainder for the Salvation Army to pick up and distribute among the needy.

  All she had to do now was arrange passage back to the island. It was a shame, really, that Raheem had lost his powers. It would've been a lot more convenient moving back and forth between the states and the island, especially at the moment, when she had a small truck load of household goods to be moved.

  Sighing, she leaned down to pick up the last box of household goods. As she did, the sleeve of her T-shirt fell off. Elise frowned, looking at it incomprehensibly for several moments. Finally, she picked it up, studying it.

  The fabric looked fine—not the least worn. While she was looking at it, she felt a tickle on her other arm and turned to discover that sleeve had fallen off, as well, slipping down the crook of her elbow.

  Pulling it off, she held both sleeves in her hands for several moments, then looked up at the ceiling. “Raheem! You lied to me, you ass!” she yelled.

  She had almost decided she was imagining things when the front of her T-shirt separated from the back and the rest of the T-shirt landed at her feet. She looked down at it, then looked around the room. Raheem was hovering, mid-air, as if he were sprawled out on a bed, his head propped in one hand, his other pointed at her.