world—no, there was still a slight tug back in the direction of the fairy kingdom—but just moments ago, Erris had been here . Close. “Does Erris have magic?” he asked her.
“Why?” she said.
“I don’t sense him here anymore. My magic ... isn’t calling me here. It’s calling me back to Telmirra.”
Violet looked confused. She shook her head.
I have to follow where the magic tugs me. If I sense Erris in Telmirra, even if he isn’t there, I am still following orders . He could put off granting the wish even longer.
Ifra heard sudden footsteps—the wind had obscured the sound, but now they were close, and Violet stiffened.
“Someone’s looking for me! You’d better hurry.”
“You don’t really want to come with me. Whoever I bring back, the fairy king will want to use for his own purposes. And surely your father will miss you when he does come home.” He looked at her seriously. “It’s painful to be torn from your home without knowing if you’ll ever see it again.”
She frowned, cheeks flushed, in a tight, almost childish way and reached upward. “At least take me back to the house on your horse and act like you considered kidnapping me. I don’t want Nimira or Celestina to find me yet.”
He couldn’t help but smile and pulled her up onto the horse.
Chapter 10
As I headed back to the house, the jinn and his mount were coming through the apple orchard. The white horse and the jinn with his gleaming gold seemed almost like an apparition haunting the winter-bare trees. Violet sat in front of him, clutching the saddle horn, looking pale. He whistled and the horse stopped, with a delicate snort.
I held up my hands, but I stopped short of saying anything. What would I say, “Give her back”?
He seemed to take note of my worried look. “Well. You should go,” he said to Violet. She had a strange, lifeless look as the jinn hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her off the horse.
“I’m not interested in harming her,” he said.
“What did you do to her?” I asked. “She looks like she’s had the life sucked out of her.”
Violet coughed. “I’m fine. Really. I’m sorry I worried you, Nimira. I just wanted to ... help Erris.” She walked over to me, but she keptlooking back, as if the jinn had somehow bewitched her with those golden eyes of his.
“Where is Prince Erris?” the jinn said. He glanced at the sun, which was beginning its afternoon dive.
I shrugged, keeping my expression cool.
The jinn looked around him a long moment, while Violet looked at the ground. I wondered if jinn could track, but they were not forest creatures, and no recognition dawned on his face.
Good. Maybe Erris was right about water foiling his abilities.
He looked at me a moment, and at Violet another, and then he gave the reins a twitch, and his magnificent horse moved away with a fluid grace it seemed wrong for a horse to possess, like a woman so beautiful no other can compete with her. I think the horse knew it too, which made it all the worse.
I prayed that he would not find Erris in the water. I wanted to follow the jinn, but my presence would do no good; I might even give some accidental hint as to Erris’s whereabouts.
“He didn’t ... say good-bye,” Violet said. She coughed.
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll stop by the house for tea when he’s done looking for someone else to kidnap,” I muttered. “Let’s get you to the house, you look peaked.”
I put my arm around Violet’s shoulder. I was still feeling kindly toward her because she had looked so small on the jinn’s horse, even though she had acted foolishly. She let me lead her along.
“What happened back there with you and the jinn?”
“Nothing.”
I recalled a time on my uncle’s farm when I had eaten a sweet yam bun I wasn’t supposed to have. My response when my uncle asked me where it had gone was much the same. But I didn’t want to demand an answer. That tactic had not exactly endeared myuncle to me.
“Why?” she said.
“I don’t sense him here anymore. My magic ... isn’t calling me here. It’s calling me back to Telmirra.”
Violet looked confused. She shook her head.
I have to follow where the magic tugs me. If I sense Erris in Telmirra, even if he isn’t there, I am still following orders . He could put off granting the wish even longer.
Ifra heard sudden footsteps—the wind had obscured the sound, but now they were close, and Violet stiffened.
“Someone’s looking for me! You’d better hurry.”
“You don’t really want to come with me. Whoever I bring back, the fairy king will want to use for his own purposes. And surely your father will miss you when he does come home.” He looked at her seriously. “It’s painful to be torn from your home without knowing if you’ll ever see it again.”
She frowned, cheeks flushed, in a tight, almost childish way and reached upward. “At least take me back to the house on your horse and act like you considered kidnapping me. I don’t want Nimira or Celestina to find me yet.”
He couldn’t help but smile and pulled her up onto the horse.
Chapter 10
As I headed back to the house, the jinn and his mount were coming through the apple orchard. The white horse and the jinn with his gleaming gold seemed almost like an apparition haunting the winter-bare trees. Violet sat in front of him, clutching the saddle horn, looking pale. He whistled and the horse stopped, with a delicate snort.
I held up my hands, but I stopped short of saying anything. What would I say, “Give her back”?
He seemed to take note of my worried look. “Well. You should go,” he said to Violet. She had a strange, lifeless look as the jinn hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her off the horse.
“I’m not interested in harming her,” he said.
“What did you do to her?” I asked. “She looks like she’s had the life sucked out of her.”
Violet coughed. “I’m fine. Really. I’m sorry I worried you, Nimira. I just wanted to ... help Erris.” She walked over to me, but she keptlooking back, as if the jinn had somehow bewitched her with those golden eyes of his.
“Where is Prince Erris?” the jinn said. He glanced at the sun, which was beginning its afternoon dive.
I shrugged, keeping my expression cool.
The jinn looked around him a long moment, while Violet looked at the ground. I wondered if jinn could track, but they were not forest creatures, and no recognition dawned on his face.
Good. Maybe Erris was right about water foiling his abilities.
He looked at me a moment, and at Violet another, and then he gave the reins a twitch, and his magnificent horse moved away with a fluid grace it seemed wrong for a horse to possess, like a woman so beautiful no other can compete with her. I think the horse knew it too, which made it all the worse.
I prayed that he would not find Erris in the water. I wanted to follow the jinn, but my presence would do no good; I might even give some accidental hint as to Erris’s whereabouts.
“He didn’t ... say good-bye,” Violet said. She coughed.
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll stop by the house for tea when he’s done looking for someone else to kidnap,” I muttered. “Let’s get you to the house, you look peaked.”
I put my arm around Violet’s shoulder. I was still feeling kindly toward her because she had looked so small on the jinn’s horse, even though she had acted foolishly. She let me lead her along.
“What happened back there with you and the jinn?”
“Nothing.”
I recalled a time on my uncle’s farm when I had eaten a sweet yam bun I wasn’t supposed to have. My response when my uncle asked me where it had gone was much the same. But I didn’t want to demand an answer. That tactic had not exactly endeared myuncle to me.
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