The thought of Aisha trying to kiss him made my heart burn. I hadn’t considered myself the jealous type, so I was surprised by how strongly my emotions had tugged at me. It was just further confirmation how much Ben had come to mean to me.
Aisha.
I wasn’t sure if that jinni had been telling the truth about it being better for Ben to be alone while she imparted visions to him, but I’d thought that it was better not to risk being there. I didn’t feel afraid, because Ben had already wished for my safety while staying here. And besides, it was just an hour or two.
I just hoped that Aisha wouldn’t try anything else now she had Ben alone. He hated her guts, but I didn’t trust anything about that jinni. Ben and I still weren’t fully aware of what powers they possessed. I didn’t know just how far they stretched over influencing a person.
Still, I comforted myself, it was only a couple of hours.
I prayed that during this time, Benjamin would finally find the answers he’d been looking for. Even though we still had no idea how we would get him free from this bond he’d formed with the jinn, at least he could get rid of his bloodlust.
Ever since I met him I’d watched him drink human blood—heck, I’d even witnessed him slaughter humans and drink from their throats. I had been amply acquainted with the idea of supernaturals using humans for food—but absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of eating human myself. Human bone at that. I shivered. I still hadn’t recovered from it.
The cooing of a bird interrupted my thoughts. I looked toward the ornamental cage near the side of the bed, my eyes fixing on the same white dove I’d seen in here earlier. I wasn’t sure whether it was male or female, but it was clear that it was miserable. It kept beating its wings against the sides of the cage, as if trying to get out. I lifted myself off the bed and moved toward it, peering through the bars. Poor thing. I’d always thought that keeping birds as pets was cruel.
Its feet clinging to the edges of the cage, it continued to flap. I stuck a finger through the bars. I wasn’t even sure why I did it. I wanted to just comfort it in some way, and I figured that touch would be the best way to do that. I was surprised when it didn’t shy away as I stroked its head. Rather, it seemed to draw comfort from me.
“There, there,” I said softly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
There were lots of birds in the spacious gardens outside who were allowed to fly around freely. It didn’t seem fair that this beautiful dove should be trapped in here.
I scanned the room, as if a jinni might read my thoughts and appear to scold me.
Then I set my focus on the cage. I eyed it over, trying to figure out if there was any way to open it. Unfortunately, the door was locked. There was a tiny keyhole. Leaving the cage, I looked around the room for a key. I looked on the mantelpiece, on shelves, inside drawers, in the closet… but didn’t find anything. Walking back to the cage, I gripped its door and pulled. It didn’t seem to be very steady at all, and I was strong. It wouldn’t take much for me to just force it open.
It seemed that the dove was just being kept as an ornament in this spare room. I couldn’t believe Nuriya would be too furious if I let it free in the gardens. Besides, even if she got mad, Ben could just wish for her to forgive me…
As quietly as I could, I pried open the door and reached inside the cage. I was afraid that the dove might immediately try to fly out of reach. So before it could escape, I closed my hands around it, trying to tuck back its wings gently and stop it from flapping so much. To my surprise, it became strangely calm as I touched it. It didn’t put up any fight as I folded back its wings. I lifted it out of the cage and, sitting back down on the bed, placed it on my lap and began to stroke it. As I looked at it more closely, it appeared that this was a female.
I stroked her for about a minute, even though she seemed calm enough, because I wanted her to get used to me before I carried her out of the room. Then, standing up from the bed, I wrapped her in the folds of my dress before stepping out into the corridor. I moved through the apartment, hoping that I wouldn’t bump into anyone. It was quiet, and I couldn’t sense anyone nearby, but jinn had the ability to show up when they were least expected. I made it to the front door without passing anyone, the dove still sitting calmly in my hands as I kept her covered. I opened the front door as quietly as I could and then stepped outside onto the veranda. I moved to the edge of it and looked down toward the sprawling gardens. Flocks of birds flew from tree to tree, chirping. Looking all around me to check that nobody was watching, I lifted the fabric of my dress and removed my hands from her wings, allowing her to fly free.
“Go on,” I whispered.
I’d expected her to immediately spread her wings and go shooting toward freedom in the gardens. But she did nothing of the sort. If anything, her feet tightened around my forefinger, as though she was afraid to fly.
Looking anxiously around again to check that nobody was coming our way, I tried to give her a little nudge with my other hand.
“Go on,” I whispered. “Go make some friends.”
Still, she remained clinging to me. I tried to unclasp her feet from my finger, but as I did, she just shuffled along and instead clasped them around my thumb.
What is it with this bird?
Either she had really taken a liking to me, or she had been raised her whole life in that cage and freedom scared her. Perhaps she needed me to take her down to the gardens, let her walk around on the grass a bit, get used to the surroundings before she would feel more comfortable about flying free.
I was about to do just that when I turned around to find myself face to face with a vampire I hoped I’d never have to see again.
Michael Gallow.
His brown eyes registered as much surprise to see me as I felt to see him. Then his expression turned cold.
A part of me wanted to bolt, not to even be within a mile of this man, but another part of me didn’t want to show fear or weakness before him. So I stood my ground.
He eyed the bird briefly before raising his eyes to my face again. He looked like he was about to open his mouth and say something, but instead, he just clenched his jaw harder and, turning on his heel, walked away without a word. My eyes followed him as he walked away along the veranda toward the kitchen and disappeared through the door. I assumed he was returning to the upper atrium.
Good riddance.
I wondered what he’d been doing down here. From the look on his face, it was clear that the jinn hadn’t informed him that we had returned—I wondered if they had informed Jeramiah. I knew Ben didn’t want Jeramiah knowing that we had returned here, but now that Michael knew, I was sure that it was only a matter of time before Ben’s cousin found out.
Tearing my thoughts away from the vampire, I continued on my way down to the gardens. I walked through several exquisite flower gardens and stopped when I reached the bank of the glistening lake. I sat down on the soft grass and placed the dove in front of me. Still her feet clung to me, but I managed to detach her from my hand. I remained kneeling so that I would be next to her and she wouldn’t feel like I was leaving, and hoped that she would explore a little on her own two feet. But she didn’t. She didn’t even seem to look around at all. She just remained facing me, and the moment she got the chance, she jumped back into my hands.
I heaved a sigh.
I couldn’t bring myself to carry her back into Nuriya’s apartment and put her in the cage again. Besides, this made no sense. She had looked so desperate to get out of the cage before, the way she had been flapping against those bars.
So I tried more tactics for the next hour. I took her on a tour around the lush gardens, and even tried to place her on a tree, but the dove ended up flying back to me and planting herself on my shoulder.
“You really like me, don’t you,” I muttered.
In the end, I gave up. No matter how much I tried, there was no convincing this dove that the gardens would be a better home for her than my hands.
So I saw no choice but to return with her to Nuriya’s quarters.
She had her chance…
I guess at least I’ve got a friend now to keep me company until Ben’s finished with Aisha. Or rather, until she’s finished with him…
The bird fluttered from my hand and perched on my forearm while I made our way out of the gardens and back up to Nuriya’s quarters. On my way down, I had left the door to her apartment slightly ajar, and I was pleased to see that it had remained so. I didn’t have to knock and draw someone’s attention. I clicked the door shut behind me, and, cupping the dove in my hands and covering her again with my dress, I hurried back to the spare room and locked us inside.
I looked around, wondering what I was going to do to occupy myself for the next hour while I waited for Ben to finish. I set the dove on my shoulder and then walked around the room, examining the shelves and looking for something to read. I didn’t find any books at all in here, but I did find a pad of paper along with an old-fashioned quill and ink pot on a desk in one corner of the room. I sat down, tore off a sheet from the pad, and dipped the quill in the ink. I’d never been much of an artist, but I needed something to distract my mind from looking up at the clock every few minutes and wondering how things were going with Ben.
I decided to see if I could draw one of the jinn. My attempt was cut short, however, as the dove flew at the pot of ink and knocked it off the desk.
Damn!
The white floor was splattered with dark blue ink. I grabbed some tissues from the ensuite bathroom and motioned to start cleaning up when again, the dove did something strange. She flew down directly in front of the mess and spread her wings, as if trying to form a barrier between me and the ink. I withdrew my hand and stood up, staring down in confusion at the bird.
What has gotten into this creature’s head?
She stepped right into a thick blot of ink, completely soaking her feet in the substance, and then flew to a patch of floor that had remained untouched by the breakage.
The bird landed and began walking slowly… in a curve, leaving behind her a trail of ink. As soon as she had formed a half circle, she flew up again, and then landed again about half a foot away. She began walking again in a curve—though this time coming full circle. Then she lifted herself into the air and landed a short distance away for a third time. Her movement this time seemed odd. She walked in a straight line, then curved in a half circle, before walking diagonally again in a straight line leaving behind… the letter R?
Any thought that this could just be some wild coincidence soon vanished from my head as the dove finished her trail. I found myself staring down at the word:
CORRINE.
Oh, God.
I’ve found her.
Chapter 20: Ben
Aisha ended up transporting me to a small dim room. At first, I wondered whether we were even still within the jinn’s atrium. The room seemed so bare and unremarkable compared to the rest of their underground palace. I even insisted that I step out of the door and ensure that she hadn’t taken me somewhere else. But she was telling the truth. We were still within the atrium.
We were on the ground level, in what appeared to be some kind of storage room. She’d placed two comfortable armchairs in there, but other than that, the room was totally empty.
“We just needed as plain a room as possible,” Aisha explained. “No distractions. I will even turn out the lights once we start.”
Turn out the lights. I didn’t like the sound of being alone in a pitch-black room with Aisha. Although I could see in the dark, the lack of lighting might give her a false sense of security and I didn’t know what tricks she might try. Still, I had to get this done. She held the answers I needed.
“Take a seat,” Aisha said, as she closed the door.
I sat down, gripping the arms of the chair, and leaned back.
“Make sure you’re comfortable and feeling relaxed,” she said, her voice soft and alarmingly close to my ear. She had moved right behind me.
Then her hands slipped onto my shoulders. She attempted to massage me, but I shoved off her hands before she could start.
I glared daggers at her. “I’m relaxed,” I said curtly. “Now let’s get on with it.”
She pouted, then moved over to the second chair, though she did not sit down. She remained hovering directly in front of me.
“Close your eyes then,” she said.
Again, I felt uncomfortable about closing my eyes with her in the room. But at least for now, she seemed to be staying put where she was.
So I closed my eyes and leaned further back in the chair. And almost as soon as I did, a vision took hold of my mind…
A tall, lean figure covered in a cloak traveled along a rocky beach in the dead of night. It was a man, from the broadness of his shoulders and the strength of his walk. He carried a bundle in his arms—an infant, wrapped in a blanket.
The moon was the only light to guide him as he weaved in and out of the rocks. He stopped at the foot of a cliff that bordered the rocky shore. Heavy wings shot out from beneath his cloak. He flew upward, higher and higher, until he landed on a ledge about halfway up the cliff. Now he stood before a narrow crevice.
Folding his wings, he stepped sideways and moved into it. He reappeared in a dark, damp tunnel, completely shut off from the rays of the moon. Still, the figure seemed to find his way as he moved forward. He wound his way round the tunnel, careful to keep the infant’s fragile body sheltered from any protruding rocks in the walls, and finally arrived outside an old oak door. The wood was rotting from dampness and age, the iron handle rusting. He gripped the handle and tried to open it, but it was locked fast. He took one step back, and, holding the baby in one arm only, used his right hand to bang against the door.
His deep voice boomed out. “Hortencia! I know you are in here.”
The dripping of water from stalactites and the distant thundering of waves outside the tunnel were the only sounds to be heard.
“Hortencia!” the man called again after several moments. “It is I, Arron of Aviary. Grant me entrance now, or I will break down your door.”
Footsteps sounded, softly at first, then growing louder as they approached the other side of the door. The door handle rattled as someone on the other side clasped it.
“You’re not welcome here,” a quiet female voice responded.
“You heard me,” Arron replied. “Open the door.”
There was a pause, and then came the clinking of keys. Metal scratched against metal, and then there was the sound of a bolt being drawn. Then the door groaned open, sending echoes off the walls of the tunnel.
Standing before the man was a small woman with a round, heart-shaped face and almost no hair. Her skin etched with circular black symbols and she wore a dark green robe. A strange silver visor covered her eyes, and the parts of her youthful face that were visible bore piercings.
“How did you find me?” she asked, her lip curling.
“The information came out of a particularly grueling session of torture with your aunt. We have her in Aviary, and she won’t be let free until I have your counsel.”
The woman grimaced. It was hard to tell how much of her distaste came from hearing that her aunt had been kidnapped, and how much from the fact that Arron had found her place and disturbed her.
“Let’s be done with it,” the woman said.
“Hold out your arms,” Arron said. He shifted the baby from his arms into the woman’s.
A small gasp escaped her lips the moment she touched the infant. Although she remained looking straight ahead, toward the direction of Arron’s voice, and not down at the child.
Arron continued, “Through your blindness, what do you see?”
Her legs seemed suddenly weak, and she staggered back, her back hitting the oak door. Her black tattoos began to swirl and move, migrating around her skin.
“The child of an immune… and a former vampire. Derek Novak, no less.”
??
?He was brought to us by a rogue vampire, Kiev Novalic. What do you advise that we do with the infant? How can he be valuable to us in our war against the Elders?”
The woman paused, chewing on her lower lip. She swayed a little on her feet. Her hands loosened around the infant, then tightened again. Her tattoos stopped moving.
Then she uttered only six words in response:
“Keep him away from the Elders.”
The scene faded, giving way immediately to another.
Holding the infant, Arron stood on a shady veranda sheltered by towering treetops. The Hawk lowered the infant into a cradle in the center of the platform and covered the crib with a light silk cloth. He walked several feet away toward the entrance of a grand wooden structure—a lavish treehouse residence—and stepped inside. Standing in the entrance room, in the middle of the shiny wooden floor, was a familiar female Hawk with curly auburn hair and a black beak.
She looked steadily at Arron. He closed the distance between them, and, holding her hands, locked beaks with her in what one could only assume was a kiss.
“How did it go?” the woman asked, her voice smooth and gentle. “Did you find the oracle?”
“Yes, my love,” Arron replied, taking her hand and pulling her into a living room. They both sat down in soft cushioned chairs. “The boy is as I thought… a potential threat to us, yet also a bargaining tool if things don’t go according to plan. The oracle’s advice was that we must keep him safe in Aviary at all costs.”
The woman’s gaze seemed oddly distant as she nodded. “Yes, Arron. We must.”
My eyes shot open in the dark chamber. Aisha was still standing in the same spot.
My mind reeled from what I had just seen, as I tried to make sense of it all. That female Hawk… she was the same one I’d seen in the very first vision—the same one who’d brought me to Cruor. Yet she seemed to be Arron’s wife, or lover? Why would she betray her own man? Heck, her own people? And who was Hortencia, that oracle woman, exactly? I considered asking one of the hundred questions flooding my brain, but I was too anxious to see more.