djinn wars 02 - taken (35 page)

“I see your master has let you off the leash,” he returned, blue eyes narrowing between their fringe of heavy lashes.

He’d chosen those words on purpose to provoke me, or at least, that’s what I guessed, and so I told myself that the last thing I should do was show any kind of reaction.

“Jace is talking with Zahrias, if that’s what you mean,” I said smoothly. “And I was just going to take my dog for a walk, so if you don’t mind stepping aside — ”

“I wanted to to speak with you,” Aldair cut in. His arms dropped to the side, and he moved a step toward me. Not close enough that you could really say he was getting in my personal space, but certainly close enough that I felt my heart beat begin to speed up. I thought this would be a really good time for someone — anyone — to come along and rescue me, but as was typical of such situations, the corridor remained empty except for the two of us.

I let out a breath. “We’ve already spoken. You know I’m with Jace, and that’s not going to change. I’m sorry you lost your Chosen — that’s a terrible thing — but I can’t help you. Not in the way you want, that is.”

His jaw hardened. “And has Jasreel even bothered to tell you the truth of what happened?”

“As a matter of fact, he did.” I lifted my own chin, adding, “It seems as if the whole thing was settled according to your people’s rules, which is just another reason why you need to let it go.”

“Settled?” The glitter in Aldair’s harsh blue eyes seemed to indicate that he didn’t think anything had been settled. “He would say that, when he twisted our contest so he would emerge the victor. Do you enjoy bestowing your loyalty on someone who’s a cheat and a liar?”

Those two terms were so far removed from everything I knew about Jace that all I could do right then was shake my head and try my best not to laugh right in Aldair’s face. “Jace has done everything he can to protect me, and I know he’s an honorable man. So whatever you’re trying to do, whatever you’re trying to tell me — it’s not going to work.”

“Indeed it’s not,” came Jace’s voice, tight and angry. He approached us from the direction where Zahrias’ conference room was located, then stopped by my side and glared at Aldair. The two of them were nearly the same height, Jace perhaps a hair taller. I wondered if their djinn gifts were just as equally matched. Not completely equal, I supposed, or Jace wouldn’t have beaten Aldair in their fight over me. That still seemed like such a strange concept, to have these two beings dueling over the right to claim me as their Chosen.

Annoyed as I was with Aldair for attempting to force another confrontation, I knew I didn’t want things to escalate any more than they already had. I moved closer to Jace and looped my arm through his. “It’s okay,” I murmured. “Let’s just go.”

But the arm I held might have been made of rock, as inflexible as it felt against mine. “No, Jessica, it is not okay. This matter was settled. That Aldair keeps attempting to stir it up again — well, that is something I will not stand for.”

“Oh, you won’t?” sneered Aldair. His eyes reminded me of the blue-hot hue at the center of a gas flame, burning, angry. Right then, he seemed far more like a being of fire than the air elemental I knew he actually was. “Perhaps we should have a rematch? I don’t think things will go as well for you a second time.”

“Enough!” The word cracked through the air like a whip, and I turned to see Zahrias striding down the hallway toward us, flames burning in the air all around him. If the intensity of that virtual fire was any indication of his mood, then he was one royally pissed-off djinn. He stopped a few feet away and crossed his arms. “Aldair, you are done here. I will waste no more breath on this issue, for you know that I did put in a word for you when you requested it, and nothing came of that. Jessica is Jasreel’s Chosen, and that is the end of it. Do you understand?”

The hot blue of Aldair’s eyes was almost obscured by his lashes as he scowled at Zahrias. For a second he said nothing, only glared at his leader. Then he snapped, “Oh, I understand. But do not think that is the end of it.”

A rush of air, so violent it tugged at the ends of my hair and sent the loose strands stinging into my eyes, and then he was gone, disappearing in that disconcerting way the djinn had.

For a second or two, neither Jace nor Zahrias said anything, and I thought it best to keep my mouth shut as well. At last Jace released a short gust of breath. “I knew he would be a problem.”

Zahrias didn’t bother to argue. “Yes, things were much better when you and Jessica were safely off in Santa Fe. But we will all have to live with one another, and the sooner he accepts the situation, the better.”

I privately doubted whether Aldair would ever accept the situation, but I had a feeling neither Jace nor Zahrias would appreciate my pointing out the obvious. Even though Aldair had taken himself off in a rather spectacular fashion, dark blood still suffused Jace’s cheeks, and the flames dancing around Zahrias hadn’t subsided, although they did appear to have moved closer to his body, hugging him almost like a second skin.

“Go back to your suite,” he told us. “I think it better that you dine in your rooms this evening. I’ll make sure Lauren has something sent up to you.”

“That ‘something’ had better include a good bottle of wine,” Jace all but growled, and the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the other djinn’s mouth.

“I believe I can arrange that,” Zahrias said, and he, too disappeared, leaving Jace and me alone.

He turned in my direction and appeared to inspect my expression closely. “Are you all right, beloved?”

“I’m fine,” I replied. “He didn’t do anything. Just talked.”

“Sometimes that can be enough,” Jace said darkly.

While I was considering that remark, he took my arm in his and began to lead me toward our suite. Although I didn’t mind lying low, I did mind if our movements were restricted to the point where we couldn’t even walk Dutchie. Why should Jace and I be the ones under house arrest when Aldair was the person causing all the trouble?

Then again, we were both much more cooperative than that wayward elemental….

We did walk the dog, and saw no sign of Aldair. I actually had no idea which room here at the resort was even his. Probably a good thing. After that, the wind picked up, bringing with it the scent of snow, and big white flakes began to fall just as the sun set.

It was a good evening to be under house arrest, all things considered. Jace built a healthy fire in the hearth, and we drank an amazing Bordeaux that had to have come from some private reserve room in the resort’s cellars.

We sat and watched the snow fall, and fed Dutchie some choice bits of our beef bourgignon while we talked about Lindsay’s work with Miles Odekirk’s box and whether we’d see any real results from it. Jace didn’t seem inclined to discuss Aldair, and I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. I certainly didn’t want to make it seem as if I was interested in the other djinn, because I wasn’t. On the other hand, I found it hard to believe that I could be the only source of what appeared to be some very bad blood between the two. I didn’t think I was all that important.

So after we’d more or less scraped our dishes clean, then put everything back on the room service cart and covered it up with the tablecloth that had also been provided, I finally got the courage to ask, “Do you want to tell me what all this is really about?”

Jace had been tending the fire djinn-style, which meant using currents of air to stoke it up and shift the logs so they burned hotter. It was strange to watch, even stranger to realize that he’d had these sorts of gifts all along, and only hid them while we were in Santa Fe so he wouldn’t tip his hand too soon. At my question, he paused, then turned toward me, dark eyes searching mine. Otherwise, his face was blank, and I couldn’t begin to guess what he might be thinking.

A liar and a cheat.
Aldair’s words surfaced then, and I pushed them away. All right, Jace hadn’t been truthful with me from the start, but I’d forgiven him that. I’d been so terrified and bereft after the loss of my family and friends…of everyone and everything…that I knew I couldn’t have handled the truth of Jace’s existence, of the djinn, of why the world had ended. Not until some time had passed, anyway. He’d wanted to shield me, and I couldn’t blame him. I doubted I would have done any differently.

“Beyond Aldair being a stubborn fool?” he replied.

“Yes, beyond that. I’m not Helen of Troy — I kind of doubt I’m worth all this fuss.”

At those words, Jace smiled, but at the same time, he shook his head. “You hold yourself in too little esteem. I think you compare very favorably to the fabled Helen.”

I just stared at him. He’d never revealed to me how old he really was, so I supposed he
could
have been around to see the real Helen of Troy. But my brain didn’t want to try wrapping itself around that concept, so I said, “Be serious.”

“I am serious. Deadly serious.”

In answer, I lifted an eyebrow at him and settled back in my chair, waiting. Two could play at that game.

He appeared to relent then, and came back over to the table and sat down. There was a little bit of Bordeaux left in the bottle, so he poured half of the remainder into my glass and the rest in his. Then he lifted the glass and held it up, appearing to inspect the color of the liquid, deep garnet when backlit by the fire leaping in the hearth.

“Let us just say that Aldair and I have never gotten along very well. This dispute over who would have you for his Chosen — that seemed to be the final blow. He is not the sort to accept defeat easily.”

I picked up my own glass and swirled the wine in it, but didn’t drink. “I’m surprised you both ended up here. I mean, didn’t you all have the whole world to choose from when it came to where you would settle down…after?”

“Not exactly.” He took a swallow of the Bordeaux and closed his eyes briefly, as if savoring the taste. “We came to the places where our Chosen had lived, more or less. We thought it would be less of a shock that way, since at least your surroundings wouldn’t be completely unfamiliar. And since the woman Aldair took as your substitute was also from New Mexico, albeit farther south, in Roswell, it was necessary that he stay in this region.”

“Was that why you were so reluctant to come here to Taos?” I asked. “Because of Aldair?”

“I would have preferred to avoid him, yes. But also…being with you in our house in Santa Fe, being together like that, was more than I could have ever dreamed of having. I didn’t want that to end. I feared for the way things might change, once you knew what I was, and once you were around others like me.”

How ironic that a being of such amazing powers, such age and worldliness, could experience some old-fashioned, very human insecurity. I set down my wine glass, and reached over and took his hands in mine. “I love you, Jace,” I said simply. “I loved you in Santa Fe, and I love you here in Taos. Where we are doesn’t matter, only that we’re together.”

His fingers tightened against my flesh, warm, strong. How I’d missed the feel of him, the heat of his skin. Even though we’d been back together for a few days, it still seemed like a miracle. Or maybe it was simply that everything about him was a bit more precious, now that I knew what it was like to have him torn from my life.

Our eyes met, and I saw the need there, a need echoed by my own body. We made love several times a day, and yet it still didn’t seem enough to satisfy my longing for him. Maybe I was just trying to make up for all those weeks when I’d slept in an empty bed.

By some unspoken signal, we both stood at the same time. He pulled me against him, his mouth finding mine, tasting me, as I pressed against him and claimed some of his warmth for my own. Piece by piece, our clothing fell away, until we were both naked, our bodies heated by the fire and our need for one another.

We sank down on the rug, not even wanting to take the few steps getting to the bed required, touching and stroking, flesh pressed against flesh. He lifted me so I sank down on him, finding our rhythm once more, as his hands caressed me, fingers closing over my breasts.

It was perfection. He was perfection. We sighed through our climaxes together, and afterward he lifted me to the bed so we might fall asleep in each other’s arms. Everything in the world was forgotten — Aldair, Miles Odekirk’s devices, even Evony’s grief — as I clung to Jace. How could anything possibly go wrong, when everything felt so right?