Stone Chameleon (Ironhill Jinn #1) (31 page)

C
onnor turned into Amun’s lane minutes before 3:00 a.m. after we called him for a ride. Isaac had damaged my car so badly the engine wouldn’t turn over, and he didn’t bother coming back to make sure we made it out of his territory without being eaten. How thoughtful of him.

Harper snored softly beside me in the back seat, her head slumped on my shoulder. The sweetness of her breath made my teeth hurt. When we came to a stop in front of the dark ranch house, I nudged her until she groaned, and then tugged her out of the car and toward the front steps.

“Do you think she’ll take the bait?” Connor took the stairs two at a time and opened the door for us.

“She will, or I’ll find another way. I won’t allow any of you to fall into her psychotic hands.” Weariness dragged against my voice, but it lifted at Connor’s relieved sigh.

“Even if she does come, how do we stop her?” Amun came in behind us and flopped onto the sofa.

They all looked to me, even Harper, who’d perked up since I’d urged her down on a hard rocking chair. The powder on her lips suggested the reason, having downed another few Pixy Stix.

Turning my stone over in my fingers, I listened to its unique harmony, hoping it would chase away the shred of jealousy remaining over Amun’s reaction to the necklace. It didn’t work. I wanted to ask him if he still loved Caroline, but my nerves couldn’t handle a positive answer, so I remained silent.

“I think the first priority should be to detain her,” I began. “I can raise the bedrock and erect a barrier around her no matter what form she’s in, but if she comes as water, it has to be solid. Even a small crack will allow her to escape.”

“Then I shoot her?” Harper waved her Sig at the ceiling.

Amun rose to an imposing stance, sneering down at my friend.

I jumped up and blocked his view, tilting his face in line with mine when he tried to side-step around me. “I’m trying to understand the culture, Amun, I truly am. Your instincts tell you she must be protected at any cost. But you must also see my point of view. If saving another vampire from final death and saving you and Elias and the others from becoming Celeste’s play things means I need to kill her, I’ll do it and accept the consequences.”

I moved my palms down to rest against his chest, his heart throbbing beneath them. “If this is too much for you, perhaps you should stay here?”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight again.” Some of the heat had gone from his veiled eyes. “It’s your culture, too. And I do understand something needs to be done to stop her, but do we really need to end her life?”

My head ached, and I wanted nothing more than my bed and a miracle, or at least a reasonable ally. “If we can disable her somehow and get her to the reservation, would you be satisfied with us keeping her prisoner there? Is that better than ending her life?”

He gave a curt nod. “That would give us more time to bring her around to our modern way of thinking and to teach her discretion.”

“And how do we keep her heritage a secret from the reservation staff, genius?” Harper said, polishing her gun with the bottom of her shirt.

We all turned to her, and Connor said, “What?”

She shrugged. “You know I’m right, Lou.”

I did know. It was Amun and apparently Connor who refused to grasp the quagmire trapping us up to our necks in vampire and jinn politics.

“That poses a problem, but I’d rather James and Blake know than Isaac if it comes down to choices. Which leads me to the second problem. No matter what we do to stop her, how do we satisfy the vampire council of my innocence without revealing our nature? We can’t turn her over to them, dead or alive. I’m sure they’re able to discern species through a person’s blood.”

At Amun’s deep inhale, I put my hand up to stop him. “I’m thinking through the possibilities, that’s all. Can you please have an open mind until we’ve developed a few scenarios that might work?”

“I know I must be confusing you, and I’m sorry.” Tugging at his shirt collar, he reclaimed his spot on the sofa. “This inbred instinct is so strong it’s suffocating. I hate it. My head and heart would destroy the world to protect you, Baylou, yet some ancient part of me, my jinn spirit, demands I protect you both.” His gaze lifted to meet mine. “Do you remember how it felt the other night, when you said something took over you?”

“I couldn’t control it at the time—I just reacted. Afterward, it scared the life out of me. If that’s what it’s like for you, then we’re in a bit of trouble, I think.”

“I’m afraid that if we’re forced to…” He groaned and re-centered himself. “It may be difficult for me to let it happen. But I hope you know if it comes down to saving you or her, there is no choice, no matter what jinn spirit wants. I care for you, Baylou.”

The knots cramping my muscles untied themselves. I wasn’t typically one who needed reassurance, but since I’d met him, my own buried instincts had made me a bit insecure where he was concerned.

I turned to Connor. “Do you feel the same urge as Amun?”

He nodded, jaw set. “I do, though not as strong, it seems. If she threatened the life of the one I loved, I’d do anything to stop her, even though it would cause the complete extinction of the water born.”

Was he suggesting Amun loved me? I must have misinterpreted that. As for the water race, I hadn’t thought about it that way. “She’s really the last of them?”

“That we know of,” Amun said, resting his chin on his curled fingers. “The other pods have told me that much. Only five Earth Callers remain, with none other than you possessing an affinity for stone and the ability to take the form of their element. The rest are fire and wind.”

I lowered myself onto the arm of a chair, knowing if I sat down all the way I’d drop off to sleep. “So the best case scenario is that I encase her in stone. What then? How do you slow water?”

Harper snorted. “You need that freeze ray gun Mr. Gru has in
Despicable Me
.”

“What the high hell is that?” Connor eyed her as he would a lunatic, though I detected a glint of interest there, too. I could think of worse matches for her than a sneaky maintenance man with a good sense of humor.

“Of course.” I shot back to my feet. “Connor, Amun tells me you can control the weather. Can you cause a concentrated drop in temperature rapid enough to freeze water in a hurry?”

The storm clouds seemed to clear from his eyes, leaving them bright. “I suppose I could. Never tried before.”

“Can you test it? That would give us more time.”

“Sure thing.” He smiled and headed for the kitchen. Over his shoulder, he added, “You’re right, Amun. She’s pretty smart for a girl.”

Harper burst out laughing as I turned my glare on Amun.

The indecipherable Persian raised his hands in defense. “I did not say that—those are his words. I said you’re brilliant, and you are.” To Connor, he said, “Thanks a lot.”

The weatherman’s laughter induced my own. “Welcome.”

“Okay, so presuming Connor can freeze her, I’ll imprison her, Connor will immobilize her, and we get her to the reservation. Second scenario is that she proves too difficult to contain. What’s our fallback plan?”

“Water’s opposite is fire.” Harper had stashed her gun and focused on a knot in her hair instead. “Don’t suppose one of you guys can breathe fire?”

“Romiel. Sebastian is too timid for this, so he’ll be staying behind.” Expression contemplative, Amun squinted at Harper. “But what will he do? She’s water, which counteracts fire.”

I nodded to the ideas forming in my head. “If he can heat the space around her, the amount of water she’ll have access to will diminish as it turns to steam, giving her a shorter reach. Amun, you can dissipate it faster by carrying it away with your winds.” It occurred to me he’d mentioned another flame. “What about the other of your pod? Isn’t he also fire?”

“Tristan.” The word thudded from Amun’s lips, like an insult. “He’s too unpredictable. We won’t be involving him in this.” His tone left no room for argument.

It wouldn’t be that easy. We needed more. “What I wouldn’t give for a warlock who could snap his fingers and immobilize her, or at least force her into her non-water form.”

“Um…I might be able to find some elven magic that would work.” Cheeks growing pink, Harper gave a sheepish grin. “I’ve broken into Grandpa’s study before. Turned me into a slug for a few days, but it was totally worth it.” Her snort induced a laugh from all of us.

A tiny spark of hope ignited as the plan took shape. “That would be brilliant, Harper. Find what you can, but don’t get yourself into trouble.” I pointed at her to drive my point home.

“
Moi?
Trouble?” She got to her feet, groaning with a stretch. “You must have me mixed up with someone else.”

“Har har, you’re not funny.”

“What time do you want me back here? Might need to catch a few zees if you want me to to stand on my own, and I’ll need, like, three breakfasts if I’m going to get all magical.”

I’d have liked to tell her to stay away, but if she could find elven magic, she would be the only one of us who could wield it. “In the note, I told her we’d be at the northeast corner of Colony Park at 6:00 p.m., at which time I would personally destroy her treasures.”

“I know we’ve been over this, but are you sure a park is the best place to have this fight?” Amun asked.

“That part is just field and wildflowers, surrounded by trees thick enough to give us privacy from all directions. I’ve been there at different times of the day for work, and I’ve never seen a soul there, and it’s far enough from the playground and water for neither to cause an issue.”

“Okay, I’m outta here, and I’ll meet you back here at around three.” Harper waved and waggled her eyebrows as she exited. “Have fun, you two.”

Scowling, I headed for the spare room.

Amun trotted up behind me. “What did Harper mean, ‘have fun’?”

I let my forehead fall forward and bang against the bedroom door, picked it up, and dropped it down harder. “She knows what the bite marks mean, and I’m sure she thinks we’re having…because of what she walked in on back at the aquarium, despite my insistence to the contrary. She’s just doing her best to get me riled up, and she’s doing a fine job of it.”

“Oh.” Warmth from his hands slid down my arms, chasing the chill from them. “Do you remember what I told you about how my life used to be when I was little? How we used to sleep together?” At my tired nod, he continued, “It was the safest I’ve ever felt in my life, surrounded by my people. I miss it.”

“That sounds lovely.” I meant it. Drifting to sleep in the arms of others like myself, taking comfort in their power and acceptance, made the thought of sleeping alone almost unbearable.

He pressed closer, bathing me in his erotic heat. “This could be our last night together. Not that I think it will be, but just in case.”

I turned, needing to read his eyes, and found them open and shy. “What are you saying?”

“Will you let me hold you tonight, just to sleep? It will also allow our energy to recharge more than if we sleep alone.”

I should have said no, heaven knows I should have turned and shut myself away, but the enticement of his offer drew me up to kiss his chin.

“Just to sleep.” I jabbed a finger into his chest. “Any funny business, and you’ll be out on your ear.”

His smile captured my heart.

“I’ll call Romiel and see you guys in the morning.” As Harper had done, Connor wagged his brow and waved as he went out the front door.

At my groan, Amun smirked, and then took my hand, led me into his bedroom, and shut the door.

His bedroom.

Alone.

Yikes

Nervous tingles had a party in my flesh. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” I wasn’t sure if I was more worried about him breaking the “only sleep” rule, or me doing the breaking.

He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to me with a sleepy grin before climbing into bed. “You can change in the bathroom if you’re embarrassed.” As his alluring body disappeared beneath the covers, my trance, induced by his partial nudity, broke.

Definitely me I was worried about.

I sped into the ensuite, undressed, and pulled his shirt on over my head. His sandalwood musk engulfed me. I brought a handful of the fabric to my nose and inhaled him. “Oh, I am in so much trouble.”