Page 164 of Coerced

“Iknowhe’s not!”

I scowled in irritation. If I’d known it was Hank Bishop, I would have had Kerry call his warden right after the ambush.

Then the man himself was there, holding Gigi up as she shook with exhaustion.

“Honor to meet you, Hank,” I shouted, “and glad you’re here. It’s getting intense. What happened was—”

“Don’t try to explain it allnow.” His eyes spat angry fire. “Where is he?”

I pointed toward Kerry-geddon and watched all the color drain from his face.

“Where’s Gemma?” When no one answered, I guess he had his answer. “Oh,pleasetell me she’s not dead!”

“No, only captured. I mean, captured is bad, but no, she’s not dead. Kerry saw it happen, though, just minutes ago. Mira and I tried to get there in time, but a djinni grabbed her and ’ported out of here.”

“Okay. Captured. We can work with captured.” He looked me in the eye. “As long as she’s not dead, we have a hold on him. I only hope our enemies haven’t figured that out yet.”

It sounded callous, but he was right.

Kerry was too smart and strong to be enthralled or coerced, and those once possessed can’t be possessed again. He wouldn’t be bribed or bought, and no one could cage him. But you could put him on a leash - if you had Gemma Shepherd.

I swallowed hard.

“You see the problem, I take it?” Hank’s voice was dry.

“Can you make him stop this, Hank?” Gigi shouted.

“I don’t even know whatthisis!” he called back. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Then, as if a switch had flipped, the wind’s overwhelming roar stopped. The air stilled and became static for a second and then the sound of an almighty waterfall crashed around us.

“Everybody down!” Hank yelled.

Except for Jax, we all dove for the cover of the blast shield. Gigi screamed his name, but he was intent on filming until the very last second.

“Oh, this is— This is epic.” He sounded awestruck.

“Ajax Kosta! You come here before you get killed!”

“One more second, babe.” He held up the index finger of his free hand.

“Jax,” I barked, “what’s happen—”

47. World Caught on Fire

Kerry

I forced the outside world far, far away as I tightened the storm. To be sure I didn’t miss anything, I threw out a dozen more lightning grabbers. When they returned empty-handed, I knew two things: There were no more djinn within my reach - and that meantshewasn’t, either.

The last tether of my control snapped and it was easy - so, so easy! - to call the power holding the djinn into my hands. They thrashed inside the blue globe like wild things.

“I have a message for your masters!” I yelled. “You tell those sons of whores there’s nowhere they can hide from me!”

As I squashed the globe down to the size of a bowling ball, the djinn’s bones burst into powder.

“I’ll find them again and, when I do, I’ll kill them and all who stand with them!”

I managed to crunch their prison down to a softball, but my arms shook from the strain and sweat rolled down my face. I needed to end this. I had one more thing to say, though.

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