Page 49 of Bewitched By the Djinn
“I wanted to thank you, too, for thinking of the healing thing with Jackie. I never would have even considered it.”
One shoulder lifts in a shrug. “I might be wrong.”
“But it makes sense. It explains why the doctors can’t find anything, because she’s not actually sick. She’s draining herself.” I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I can’t tell you what it means to have a plan.”
Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing, getting tied to Bennet. It will be worth it if Jackie gets better.
I glance toward the door, debating whether I should go back to bed and stare at the ceiling for another two hours. Instead, words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Can I ask you some questions?”
His head cocks to one side. “What would you like to know?”
I hesitate before settling on, “What were you thinking earlier? About the ifrit attack? You acted like you weren’t saying everything.”
His expression darkens. “The only person who knew where I went was my uncle. He was supposed to explain our absence to the visiting courtiers while I retrieved Helen.”
“Why didn’t he come after Helen while you stayed behind?”
“He is not powerful enough to travel between dimensions, and he cannot track her the way I can.” His jaw tightens. “The way I could. The way weshouldhave been able to. It’s like she’s hidden herself from being found, blocked even from me. I suspected that might be the case when she trapped me in the lamp, but I had hoped...” He shrugs.
“We’ll find her,” I say automatically, even though I have no idea if the swamp witches will even deign to help.
But one way or another, we’ll figure it out. We have to. And once we do, he can go back to his djinn life in Aetheria, and I can go back to my wonderful life of raising my siblings, working for pennies, struggling every day, and grieving the still unresolved loss of my parents. Best time ever.
“Your uncle.” I shift my knees in his direction. “He raised you and Helen?”
His head bobs in a short nod. “Yes. My mother’s brother. Before their passing, my uncle was meant to marry. His fiancée was heir to her own kingdom, and once they wed, he would have moved there to rule alongside her.” He looks down at his hands. “They were returning from meeting her family when the ifrit attacked. Everyone else—our parents, the guards, even his fiancée—was killed.”
I wince. “I’m sorry.”
“He barely survived,” Bennet murmurs. “And after that, he raised us. Taught us how to be ruling djinn. Especially Helen, since she is the heir. She always had more pressure, more eyes on her.”
And being sequestered away from her only sibling, as a child, would definitely have decreased that pressure. Not. “That must have been hard, to be separated from your sister when you were so young and had just lost both your parents.”
His lips turn down. “It was at first. But my uncle knew it was necessary, that she had to be better, sharper, more composed than anyone else. He made it clear she couldn’t afford mistakes and I was a distraction.”
I can’t help a snort. It’s clear he loves his uncle, but ouch. I wouldneversend Kevin away from Jackie. No matter how sick Jackie got. Theyneedeach other.
Bennet nods, as if I’ve said some of that aloud. “Maybe it was too much. And maybe that is part of what prompted her to flee. He was always a bit harder on her than on me, since she was older and the heir. The expectations were higher.”
His shoulders are hunched like the weight of memory sits heavier than he expected, and the shadows under his eyes seem darker in the soft lamplight.
“What about you? It must have been difficult for you to be apart from her as well, even without the same expectations being forced on you.”
He blinks. “I suppose so. I never thought about it.” He glances toward the hallway. “Your siblings, they are close. It’s a good thing.” He hesitates, his brow furrowing. “Helen and I were like that once.”
“It hasn’t always been easy. Jackie takes up a lot of our time and attention, but Kevin’s never once acted like he resents it. He loves her. Looks out for her. They’re good kids. They’re kind.” My throat tightens. “That’s because our parents were too. They left us with something solid. I just picked up where they left off. Or tried to.”
“They are lucky to have you.” His eyes are too intense.
I squirm and wave a hand. “So, tell me more about Aetheria. The women in your kingdom, they can be rulers?”
“Yes. The eldest sibling inherits the throne, regardless of gender. Is that not how it is in your world?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Not entirely. Men are mostly in charge, although there have been some female rulers, queens and presidents and prime ministers, things like that. Men are physically stronger and so they’ve been basically running the show forever.”
Bennet frowns, considering this. “In Aetheria, men are also physically stronger, but women usually hold more magic. And they bear children, which makes them even more vital. Our people struggle with conception. Matches are often made based on compatibility for producing offspring or solidifying political alliances.”
I curl my legs under me. “That sounds wildly unromantic.”
