Page 24 of Releasing the Djinn
Smoke choked the air around them, and Nadira thought of her mother huddled in the corner breathing in the thick black smog. Nodding her head, Nadira agreed through the tears that welled in her eyes, distorting her vision. "Yes, yes I am your wife, please stop this."
"Good, now let us leave," taking her hand, Idrak tugged her towards the door.
Stunned, Nadira allowed herself to be guided to the front door as she looked around in muted shock at the now normal house. The flames were gone, the furniture and drapes were untouched, even the air was free from the oppressing black smoke that had billowed above their heads seconds ago.
"Oh, you are leaving already?" her mother's pleasant voice stopped her.
Turning, Nadira watched with fresh tears of relief as her mother stepped out of the kitchen unharmed as if nothing had happened. But something did happen, Nadira told herself as Idrak resumed his walking, guiding her out the door and into the sunlight. The flames were real, and her mother's terror had been too. Unlike the mirage Idrak had made showing her the fake memories he gave her family of their wedding, the flames had been real, her fingers still felt the pain of the heat when she had tried to enter the kitchen.
Both of her parents, now standing side by side on the porch, waved at her as she hesitantly stepped into the back-passenger seat of the white SUV. Walking around to the other side, Idrak surprised her by sitting next to her, leaving the driver and passenger's seat empty.
Looking over to her, Idrak smiled at her questioning gaze. "Humans are quite remarkable, now I don't even need magic to have the car drive itself to our destination." Turning to the front, he called out a command. "Drive home."
Immediately, the quiet engine started, and the car pulled carefully away from the curb. Turning in her seat, she watched as her parents happily waved at her from the porch. They were probably ecstatic to be rid of her, she thought. Glancing down at her lap, she rubbed tenderly at the swollen red skin on the side of her pinky finger. And though it hurt pretty badly, the pain was nothing to the hopeless anger filling her soul.
A hand covered hers, bringing it up. Looking to Idrak, Nadira watched as he tsked underneath his breath as he examined her hand.
"Why put yourself in harm's way for that woman?" he asked as his fingers ghosted over the injured skin.
Trying to snatch her hand back from his firm grip on her wrist, Nadira huffed when she realized the effort was useless. "Because she is mymother," she stressed the word, not sure how he could not understand.
Making another tsking noise, he lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss on the wound. Surprised, Nadira watched as the skin on her finger healed, and the pain subsided.
Letting go of her wrist, Idrak turned to look out his own window as they traveled down the highway. "I have seen snakes mother their young with more affection."
Deciding to not respond to his goad, she glared at the back of his head. She hated this look on him, this overly handsome man's façade was somehow far more disturbing than the true demon beneath. She wanted him to change back but she would rather choke before admitting it. Unable to look at him any longer, she turned to stare out her own window. Trees whooshed by her window as the car exited onto another smaller highway, and she felt the pit of dread in her stomach bloom as she tried not to imagine the horrors that awaited her wherever they were going. Would he torture her with more ultimatums or would he just keep her imprisoned like his last master kept him in prison? But he came back for her, right? Didn't that mean anything? He said without her he found the world lacking, did that mean he missed her company like she foolishly did his or was he just bored and looking for someone to torture with his games? A shiver ran through her at the thought. She didn't know what the djinn was planning, and the unknown scared her to her core.
Not bothering to turn around, she spoke. "I hate you," she whispered, barely loud enough to hear, but she knew that he did. "I wish I would have just thrown you away when I found you."
Heat was the only warning she got before she felt his strong grip on her chin, forcing her to turn and face him. Watery brown eyes stared in a silent battle of wills at the shining white voids of his eyes, before the corners of his lips twitched in a cruel slashing smile, "I'm sorry, my darling, the time for wishes has unfortunately passed."
