Page 48 of Releasing the Djinn
Nadira could hardly pay attention to the woman as her eyes kept darting back to the horned shadowed colossus stepping down from the cliff, setting one giant clawed foot onto the beach only a hundred or so yards away. This had to be a nightmare, some small voice in her head reasoned. This could not be real. But even as she thought it, Nadira knew it was real.
As if reacting to his presence, the storm escalated as the colossus djinn turned his head from side to side, searching the beach for her.
"Let me be clear, silly girl," the woman demanded her attention again. "I was the one that gave your djinn those markings. You must have noticed he has covered himself with them as well and probably even your house. When I first met him, I made him a deal and I made good on my end just as he did his."
"I don’t understand," Nadira shouted over the increasing winds. "I thought he turned your deal down."
"No, the djinn accepted it by keeping my son alive, allowing my son to live a long life before his own deeds caught up with him. But despite the many chances he no doubtedly had, the djinn did not take the opportunity and kill his master. Instead, he wisely waited, knowing that a warlock's life in comparison to that of a djinn is merely a drop in a bucket, and when we met again, I gave him the spell that would keep him hidden from any warlock's eyes. A spell he carved into his flesh—and now yours."
Realization spread through Nadira like frostbite, leaving her cold and a little dead at the meaning of her words. Turning to look back up at the black demon, she watched as he began to pull in his own power, causing the air and space around them to warp. Nadira clutched at her stomach, the pull of his powers made her want to puke and crumble to her knees all at once. What was he doing? Sparing a glance to the witch, Nadira groaned at the sight of the woman who stood mostly unaffected by this. Only a few strands of her long curly hair betrayed her, rising up towards the suctioning force.
"Before you go back, may I ask what you intend to do with that stone?" The sudden politeness of the witch's tone was suspicious.
Nadira tried to open her mouth to ask her what for but her words were lost in the wind. Above them, the demon held out his hand over the ocean, a large black ball of swirling black and purple forming in his open palm.
"May I have it?" the witch asked, stepping closer until they were only a foot apart. This close Nadira could appreciate the woman's beauty even more than before and could see calm confidence of ancient power shine back in her golden eyes. "I would, of course, give something in return for it, something you would find even more valuable."
"You don’t intend to hurt Idrak with it or use it against him, will you?"
"You have my word, I have no issue towards djinns," she smiled. "Some even say that djinns are the father of all witches, of course, I cannot speak to that since I never knew my father. But you have my word, I will never harm either of you.”
Nadira wasn't sure why she trusted the woman, but she did. Taking off the stone, she knew deep down she needed to get rid of the thing, twice now it has gotten her into a world of trouble. Holding it out in her fist, she dropped it into the woman's outstretched hand.
Closing her fingers around the ugly stone, the witch gave it a satisfied smile before reaching out and grabbing Nadira by the chin. Quick as lightning and before she knew what was happening, the witch placed a brief kiss directly on her lips.
"Now," she said, turning Nadira by the shoulder until she faced the opposite direction and leaned to whisper in her ear. "It is now time to face the music."
Just as the towering demon began to drop the ball of power into the sea, the storm disappeared, leaving Nadira exposed and windswept on the beach.
With a whip of his head, giant white eyes set against the blank black face found her and her world was swallowed by darkness.
*
Having been tossed unceremoniously onto the bed, Nadira scrambled to sit up as the shrinking black shape stomped toward her. Quickly Idrak faded back into himself, his sharp fae-like features coming back into focus like a fading polaroid.
Standing at the foot of the bed, Idrak seethed, heat tumbling off of his body like flares of the sun.
"What has she done to you?" he rasped, reaching for her leg and pulling Nadira down the bed. "Are you hurt? What did she say? I know she was out there, I could feel that bitch's power. She opened the gate, she took you. Tell me?!" he demanded as his clawed hands prodded and moved her body so he could inspect her fully. "I should drain the fucking ocean for that witch and drag her out by her hair!"
A pathetic little flare of relief bubbled to life within her as she realized he wasn't angry at her—yet.
"Idrak, please, I'm fine. I am, see," Nadira waved her hands up and down her form. Pushing back her messy hair, she watched as he let his eyes give her one last inspecting glance before he visibly calmed in relief.
Now for the terrible part, Nadira thought. "I was the one who went down to the beach," she confessed all in one big breath.
His white eyes crackled in fury as he absorbed her words. "You what?!" he roared.
"She…she just told me what you've done," she rushed to explain.
Leaning back in shock, Idrak stared at her. "What I have done?"
"Yes! What you have done!" she yelled back, tired of the only one being racked with fear. This was just as much his fault as it was hers. Sitting on the bed, she pointed an accusing finger at him. "I asked you if you had been doing anything to me, and you said nothing. I asked you what the marks on your skin were but each time you deflected my question. I have been losing sleep for days now, worrying about dreams of you writing on me and worrying if I was going mad. You lied to me, Idrak."
"You little fool, I was trying to protect you!" he snarled. Pacing from one end of the bed to the other, he held out his hands and grabbed at the air violently. "I nearly destroyed the whole goddamn ocean for you!"
"And how was I supposed to know that?" Standing onto her knees, her eyes tracked the pacing demon. "I..I kept imagining things. I thought...you were trying to get rid of me or something."
At that, Idrak whirled around, his face a mask of shock and rage. "After everything I've done for you. After all the times I have bared my soul to you, you think this of me?!"
