a family again."
"You are not my parents," I said. "I have a dad who's probably looking for me right now!"
Ivan shot a glance of pure hatred at Will. "He's still alive."
Will looked up to meet Ivan's eyes. "He wasn't going anywhere. I made sure to knock him out—"
"I told you to kill him," Ivan snarled.
My head darted in Will's direction. He had been ordered to kill my dad, but he didn't.
Because I asked him not to?
"I was thinking in the interest of your relationship with Miss Greenwood. Paying me to kill the person she thought was her father would not make her trust you," Will replied.
Ivan's face was red as a beet. "It's none of your business what relationship I have with my daughter. I ordered you—"
"Darling." Isabelle placed her hands on Ivan's arm. "I know you wanted him dead, but Will was right to do what he did. Until Kyra has adjusted, she will cling to her delusions." She pulled his face to look at her. "He can't hurt us now."
I hated the way they were talking about wanting to kill Dad, and even more for talking about me like I wasn't standing right in front of them. Oh, I'll just get over everything and adjust will I?
"Is Will, like, my brother or something?" I blurted out. Anything to make them stop talking about Dad. Plus, I'd totally failed to pretend to play along with these people. I let my temper get the better of me. I had to act like I sort of believed what they were saying. I wouldn't learn anything if I kept accusing them of kidnapping me.
"What?" Ivan said, confused at my sudden interest in my new family.
"I mean we all have the same eye colour. What about Pyke and Mia? Please don't tell me I'm related to them."
There was a brief silence where Ivan, Isabelle and Will raised their eyebrows at me like I was a crazy person.
"Sweetheart," Isabelle said. "Will isn't related to you, just your father and me."
"Then what's with the golden eye thing?" I shrugged. A flush of relief washed over me. Will wasn't my hot older brother.
Isabelle shook her head. "I forgot you don't know anything about who you are, anything about our race. We're going to have to get you a tutor of some kind," she started rambling again.
"Our race?" Now I was really confused.
"Yes, our race," Isabelle said. "We're Djinn."
Chapter Twelve
"I'm a Djinn," I repeated for the sixteenth time, and still didn't believe it.
"Yes, darling," Isabelle said, pouring three cups of tea, though no one had asked for any.
"I'm a genie who grants wishes and lives in a lamp?" I cocked my head at her, in the hope she'd realise just how insane she sounded.
Isabelle waved a hand at me and snorted. "Genies are silly myths humans created to explain us. Djinn are far different and powerful than you can imagine."
My mind flashed back to Arabian Nights . I was only reading it yesterday, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
"Hmm …" Isabelle tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How can I explain this to you? This is fun, isn't it?" Isabelle was becoming creepily cheerful. Will took a step closer and bowed to her.
"Mrs Greenwood, if I may. I might be able to help."
I glanced at Ivan, still standing by the fireplace with his arms crossed. He made a grunting sound under his breath that everyone chose to ignore. What was his problem?
"Very well," she agreed, letting him take the floor.
"Djinn are a race of beings with supernatural powers who have been around as long as the human race," Will spoke as though he were a student, giving a speech in class. "Djinn live all around the world in communities ruled by kings—"
"And sometimes queens," Isabelle added, cheerfully.
"Not for long," Ivan mumbled.
"These communities are in isolated places to hide from those who wish to hurt us."
"And who wants to hurt you?" I asked, actually interested.
"Enough of that," Ivan interrupted. "Kyra can't learn everything about who she is in one day."
"You're so right," Isabelle said. "Will, you seem to explain yourself
"You are not my parents," I said. "I have a dad who's probably looking for me right now!"
Ivan shot a glance of pure hatred at Will. "He's still alive."
Will looked up to meet Ivan's eyes. "He wasn't going anywhere. I made sure to knock him out—"
"I told you to kill him," Ivan snarled.
My head darted in Will's direction. He had been ordered to kill my dad, but he didn't.
Because I asked him not to?
"I was thinking in the interest of your relationship with Miss Greenwood. Paying me to kill the person she thought was her father would not make her trust you," Will replied.
Ivan's face was red as a beet. "It's none of your business what relationship I have with my daughter. I ordered you—"
"Darling." Isabelle placed her hands on Ivan's arm. "I know you wanted him dead, but Will was right to do what he did. Until Kyra has adjusted, she will cling to her delusions." She pulled his face to look at her. "He can't hurt us now."
I hated the way they were talking about wanting to kill Dad, and even more for talking about me like I wasn't standing right in front of them. Oh, I'll just get over everything and adjust will I?
"Is Will, like, my brother or something?" I blurted out. Anything to make them stop talking about Dad. Plus, I'd totally failed to pretend to play along with these people. I let my temper get the better of me. I had to act like I sort of believed what they were saying. I wouldn't learn anything if I kept accusing them of kidnapping me.
"What?" Ivan said, confused at my sudden interest in my new family.
"I mean we all have the same eye colour. What about Pyke and Mia? Please don't tell me I'm related to them."
There was a brief silence where Ivan, Isabelle and Will raised their eyebrows at me like I was a crazy person.
"Sweetheart," Isabelle said. "Will isn't related to you, just your father and me."
"Then what's with the golden eye thing?" I shrugged. A flush of relief washed over me. Will wasn't my hot older brother.
Isabelle shook her head. "I forgot you don't know anything about who you are, anything about our race. We're going to have to get you a tutor of some kind," she started rambling again.
"Our race?" Now I was really confused.
"Yes, our race," Isabelle said. "We're Djinn."
Chapter Twelve
"I'm a Djinn," I repeated for the sixteenth time, and still didn't believe it.
"Yes, darling," Isabelle said, pouring three cups of tea, though no one had asked for any.
"I'm a genie who grants wishes and lives in a lamp?" I cocked my head at her, in the hope she'd realise just how insane she sounded.
Isabelle waved a hand at me and snorted. "Genies are silly myths humans created to explain us. Djinn are far different and powerful than you can imagine."
My mind flashed back to Arabian Nights . I was only reading it yesterday, but it felt like a lifetime ago.
"Hmm …" Isabelle tapped her chin thoughtfully. "How can I explain this to you? This is fun, isn't it?" Isabelle was becoming creepily cheerful. Will took a step closer and bowed to her.
"Mrs Greenwood, if I may. I might be able to help."
I glanced at Ivan, still standing by the fireplace with his arms crossed. He made a grunting sound under his breath that everyone chose to ignore. What was his problem?
"Very well," she agreed, letting him take the floor.
"Djinn are a race of beings with supernatural powers who have been around as long as the human race," Will spoke as though he were a student, giving a speech in class. "Djinn live all around the world in communities ruled by kings—"
"And sometimes queens," Isabelle added, cheerfully.
"Not for long," Ivan mumbled.
"These communities are in isolated places to hide from those who wish to hurt us."
"And who wants to hurt you?" I asked, actually interested.
"Enough of that," Ivan interrupted. "Kyra can't learn everything about who she is in one day."
"You're so right," Isabelle said. "Will, you seem to explain yourself
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