huge mistake.”
“I agree. The High Council’s brand of justice is better than that traitor deserves.” Thane took two of the huge chocolate chip cookies Niri offered on a plate.
“True, but that doesn’t matter right now.”
“What are you talking about?” Vander asked, folding his massive arms across his chest. “You wanted him accounted for as much as we did.”
“Rue’s got some kinda psychic connection to Lona.” Rafi resumed pacing the floor. “That’s how he got her to go along with his plan to hold Karis and her mother hostage.”
“She’s a conduit for psychic energy,” Niri said, passing the plate of cookies to Thane. “Rue used her to that end.”
“Shit.” Thane sat his teacup down on the table. “So bringing him back—”
“Bringing him back here”—Rafi stopped pacing—“cost Lona her baby.”
The silence in the room was deafening as Rafi gritted his teeth, setting off the headache pounding against his temples.
“The High Council is not going to let him go because of Lona.”
Niri flinched at the sound of Vander’s deep voice breaking the silence.
He’d voiced the thought that had already been running through Rafi’s mind. “That’s why, one way or another, I’m going to make sure Rue releases Lona from this link they’ve got between them.”
“His hold on her could be over now,” Niri said, stepping between Rafi and Vander. “We won’t know until she wakes up. Don’t you think we should wait and see how she fares?”
Rafi hated to wait any longer, but Niri had a point. There could be no reason to disobey the High Council’s rules for meting out justice.
“How long before we’d know whether she was free of this psychic link?”
Niri shrugged. “Twenty-four to forty-eight hours? It’s hard to say. It will all depend on when Rue tries to reach out to her again. Given the position he’s in now, I don’t think you’ll have to wait long to find out.”
“Forty-eight hours is the longest I’m willing to wait to make sure Rue never hurts Lona again.”
“Whatever you need, I’ll help you,” Thane said, standing up.
“Me, too.”
Rafi met Vander’s gaze over Niri. “You have a family now.”
Vander nodded, his gaze deadly serious. “I’m not going to do anything to jeopardise that, but you’re my family, too.”
Rafi bowed to his Djinn brothers, thankful for their support. He wasn’t alone, no matter how often he felt he was.
“Thanks.”
“Forty-eight hours, then.” Vander moved towards the door, snagging a cookie from Niri as Thane joined him. The two of them dwarfed the small entryway.
“I’ll be in touch,” Rafi said as they stepped outside. “Good magic.”
“Good magic,” the other genies replied with their eyes on Rafi.
The unspoken understanding between each of them was clear.
They would deal with Rue if he posed a threat to Lona in any way.
Rafi watched his friends disappear into the night, thankful for their support. The Djinn Brotherhood’s loyalties always lay with the High Council, but when one of them had just cause and needed help, the Brotherhood took care of its own.
* * * *
Lona moaned in her sleep, willing herself to wake up from the nightmare drawing a scream into her throat. She opened her eyes, breathing hard, blinking in the flickering candles lighting the bedroom. Disorientated, she took in a deep breath as she remembered where she was and why.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?”
Lona turned her head to the side to see Rafi getting up to come and sit next to her. Just seeing him made her want to break down all over again. How could a man she hardly knew show her so much concern, make her feel so safe, when the guy she’d loved blindly never had?
“Tired, still.”
Her throat tightened as Rafi smoothed her hair back from her face. “How long have I been sleeping?”
“Almost twelve hours. Are you in any pain?”
Yeah, I’ve got a million tiny cuts all over my heart.
Lona sat up slowly, anticipating pain, and found
“I agree. The High Council’s brand of justice is better than that traitor deserves.” Thane took two of the huge chocolate chip cookies Niri offered on a plate.
“True, but that doesn’t matter right now.”
“What are you talking about?” Vander asked, folding his massive arms across his chest. “You wanted him accounted for as much as we did.”
“Rue’s got some kinda psychic connection to Lona.” Rafi resumed pacing the floor. “That’s how he got her to go along with his plan to hold Karis and her mother hostage.”
“She’s a conduit for psychic energy,” Niri said, passing the plate of cookies to Thane. “Rue used her to that end.”
“Shit.” Thane sat his teacup down on the table. “So bringing him back—”
“Bringing him back here”—Rafi stopped pacing—“cost Lona her baby.”
The silence in the room was deafening as Rafi gritted his teeth, setting off the headache pounding against his temples.
“The High Council is not going to let him go because of Lona.”
Niri flinched at the sound of Vander’s deep voice breaking the silence.
He’d voiced the thought that had already been running through Rafi’s mind. “That’s why, one way or another, I’m going to make sure Rue releases Lona from this link they’ve got between them.”
“His hold on her could be over now,” Niri said, stepping between Rafi and Vander. “We won’t know until she wakes up. Don’t you think we should wait and see how she fares?”
Rafi hated to wait any longer, but Niri had a point. There could be no reason to disobey the High Council’s rules for meting out justice.
“How long before we’d know whether she was free of this psychic link?”
Niri shrugged. “Twenty-four to forty-eight hours? It’s hard to say. It will all depend on when Rue tries to reach out to her again. Given the position he’s in now, I don’t think you’ll have to wait long to find out.”
“Forty-eight hours is the longest I’m willing to wait to make sure Rue never hurts Lona again.”
“Whatever you need, I’ll help you,” Thane said, standing up.
“Me, too.”
Rafi met Vander’s gaze over Niri. “You have a family now.”
Vander nodded, his gaze deadly serious. “I’m not going to do anything to jeopardise that, but you’re my family, too.”
Rafi bowed to his Djinn brothers, thankful for their support. He wasn’t alone, no matter how often he felt he was.
“Thanks.”
“Forty-eight hours, then.” Vander moved towards the door, snagging a cookie from Niri as Thane joined him. The two of them dwarfed the small entryway.
“I’ll be in touch,” Rafi said as they stepped outside. “Good magic.”
“Good magic,” the other genies replied with their eyes on Rafi.
The unspoken understanding between each of them was clear.
They would deal with Rue if he posed a threat to Lona in any way.
Rafi watched his friends disappear into the night, thankful for their support. The Djinn Brotherhood’s loyalties always lay with the High Council, but when one of them had just cause and needed help, the Brotherhood took care of its own.
* * * *
Lona moaned in her sleep, willing herself to wake up from the nightmare drawing a scream into her throat. She opened her eyes, breathing hard, blinking in the flickering candles lighting the bedroom. Disorientated, she took in a deep breath as she remembered where she was and why.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?”
Lona turned her head to the side to see Rafi getting up to come and sit next to her. Just seeing him made her want to break down all over again. How could a man she hardly knew show her so much concern, make her feel so safe, when the guy she’d loved blindly never had?
“Tired, still.”
Her throat tightened as Rafi smoothed her hair back from her face. “How long have I been sleeping?”
“Almost twelve hours. Are you in any pain?”
Yeah, I’ve got a million tiny cuts all over my heart.
Lona sat up slowly, anticipating pain, and found
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