Harley Merlin 12 by Bella Forrest

Author:Bella Forrest [Forrest, Bella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nightlight Press
Published: 2019-09-30T05:00:00+00:00

Twenty

Raffe

No one said a word, a stalemate stretching between us—the outsiders—and the resident djinn. Even Abdhi stood in silence. Nayla had put us in his care, but he hadn’t made any assurances as to how this might turn out. And the longer we stood here, the more djinn materialized to stare, each more menacing than the last. I felt their anger surging from their fiery eyes and slamming me in the chest, sending roots of terror deep into my heart.

We’re not welcome here… I didn’t know if that was me or Kadar, but the fact remained.

Emphasizing my fears, a howling wind tore through the ruined city, screeching between the broken gaps in walls and shattered windows. It extended toward the sand dunes into the night, conjuring black storm clouds that masked the starry sky overhead. Thunder growled in the near distance, and my nose stung with the metallic scent of oncoming rain. When I looked over my shoulder, my stomach churned at the sight of a wall of sand rising and rushing toward us like a tidal wave. Abdhi had informed us of the djinn’s abilities, and it seemed every power had come out to play in defense of their refuge.

“Calm yourselves, before you draw attention to our location. These are my guests, and you will treat them with due courtesy!” Abdhi finally spoke, his voice booming across the horde of ruby-eyed hostiles.

The djinn jostled nervously, giving hints of their true forms as they phased between wispy smoke and solid appearances. Some monstrous individuals stood toward the back of the gathered army. At first, I’d thought they were shadows cast by the city’s remaining towers, but they moved fluidly and were clearly sentient. I understood then that Abdhi’s description of un-subjugated Marid was no exaggeration.

That wasn’t the only thing I came to understand through being closer to the city. Thanks to the incendiary glow sizzling from the djinn, I could see more of Salameh. Bioluminescent pools glowed inside the fortifications, with palm trees swaying and lush greenery growing at the water’s edge. From within dilapidated structures, delicate tulle drapes billowed from windows. A secret paradise in the middle of the Arabian desert—an oasis, quite literally. Their sanctuary.

And we’d shown up unannounced.

“Abeq fe al-khalaf!” Abdhi bellowed, switching to Arabic as a few shadows slithered forward. It meant “Stay back,” which didn’t exactly fill me with confidence, considering they paid no attention.

I decided to attempt some Arabic of my own, in hopes of extending an olive branch. “Nahin la naani ei darar lek.” Basically, I told them we meant no harm. Whether they’d listen or not was another matter.

The encroaching djinn paused in surprise. The winds died slowly as the sandstorm sank into the desert, and the clouds rolled away to reveal the clear night again.

“Did you do that?” Santana whispered.

“I don’t know,” I whispered back.

“Al-salam maak.” A strange voice lifted above the mutter of furious djinn. A feminine voice, saying, “Peace is with you.”

I squinted into the gloom, watching a figure part the smoky sea.

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