Page 51 of Charmed (Haven Realm Chronicles 2)

Ali's muscles shook hard as he righted the tattered sofa with Zand. My heart screamed to go and help him, but my brain told me otherwise. Let my brother be aman.

Karim scrambled from my arms, and leaped onto the sofa where he bounced around. Ali laughed and gave his head aruffle.

Dahvi tossed some cushions onto thesofa.

"Where's Kaza?" asked Zand as he restored the lopsided cart that made up our dining table. "Did he get hismedicine?"

I couldn't utter a word past the hurt still jammed in mythroat.

Dahvi answered for me. "The ferret’s leaf tea didn’t work on Kaza. He’s in thelamp."

"Give it to me," growledZand.

I removed the lamp from my bag, but it zapped me the moment Zand touchedit.

The genie cupped the brass object and lifted it to his face. "Don't worry, brother. I'll find a way to saveyou."

A puff of yellow smoke hit Zand square in theeyes.

"I’ll toss you in the flames of noruze for that, Brother." Zand shook the lamp really hard, as if there was liquid inside and he was mixing itup.

Ali bent overlaughing.

Kaza yelled something in what I assumed was djinn language. Most likely a curse or something. Served him right. That smoke stank distinctly offart.

“Gods,” said Ali, holding his nose. “Thatreeks.”

"Believe it or not," said Dahvi, opening the door for some fresh air. "That's Kaza’s way of thankingus."

That lifted my spirits a little, and I snorted with laughter. Genies had a weird way of thanking eachother.

"Sexy, Master." Kaza's discombobulated voice piped from thelamp.

Gods.He was loopy if he thought my snorting wasattractive.

“A little taste of his own medicine.” Zand smiled, revealing a perfect row of straight white teeth as he farted into the lamp’s spout and jammed a finger overit.

A series of pounds on the side of the lampsounded.

I snorted a laughagain.

“Not funny, Master,” Kaza moaned, his voice distant andechoing.

Gods.I was lucky I only had one brother to deal with. A whole household of men meant too much testosterone, and competition stained theair.

I accepted the lamp and returned it to my bag, wondering how Kaza was doing. Was he in pain? Did he need anything? I assumed he would have said something if he was too uncomfortable. But, hey, I wasn’t a guy, and I didn’t understand the whole tough-actthing.

After that little fart and wrestling exchange, it was time to get serious and plan our next move to get the magical sands Kaza needed before it was too late. Two days had passed since we had escaped the vizier. Time wasn’t on our side, and it wouldn’t be long before the creep and his guards foundus.

"Zand." I grabbed him by the forearm, needing to discuss the next steps. "My friend, the healer, says Kaza needs something called the sands of Katar. Nothing else will heal a magicalcreature."

Zand loomed over me, sending my pulse into orbit. I stared right into his perfect chest muscles. My tongue itched to lick and bitethem.

Gods, woman, control yourself.We have a missionhere!

Zand put his vest back on, meaning my eye candy wasn’t so visible, and my focus could at lastrealign.

"Where do we find these sands?" heasked.

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