Page 70 of Bewitched By the Djinn
I swallow. “Um... what do you mean, what is going on?”
“You smell like him.”
Of course I do. We spent most of the night wrapped around each other and then he rubbed his face against me like a contented house cat marking his territory.
“It’s nothing.”
“Right. The bond and the flirting and the intense looks. Nothing at all. Bennet has been so sheltered and closed off his whole life, I’ve often wondered who would be the one to break through his walls.”
I wave a hand, heat creeping up my neck. “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just the curse, you know? We’ve been basically tied together since I freed him from the lamp. Not that there’s been any actual tying up—we’re not like that. There’s nothing happening here, is what I’m saying. Nothing at all.”
No wild orgasms in the swamp. Nope.
“Right. I understand. Nothing going on.” She nods solemnly—then bites her lip, failing to hide her smile.
We step into the kitchen, and my mouth falls open at the sheer extravagance of it. White marble counters stretch for miles, their surfaces gleaming under the recessed lighting. A massive island sits at the center, its top covered with an array of food, trays of fresh fruit, imported cheeses, and delicate pastries that are too pretty to eat. There’s a double-door fridge that could probably hold an entire grocery store inside, and state-of-the-art appliances line the walls, their polished steel surfaces reflecting the golden glow of the lights overhead.
“Tell me how it all happened, the lamp and Bennet and finding us?”
I settle onto a stool at the island and give her the short version of everything that’s happened over the past few days, finding the lamp, releasing Bennet, the search for Helen and being chased by ifrit.
“Ifrit? Here?” She taps her finger on her chin. “It’s all so bizarre, isn’t it?”
“No ifrit followed you and Helen?”
“No. But Helen did mask our presence. How did they find you, I wonder?”
“I have no idea.”
She quickly describes their adventure so far, which is much less dramatic than Bennet’s and mine. They’ve basically been hanging out here since they found Helen’s father, meeting Helen’s extended family and helping prepare for the birthday party—it’s for the daughter of one of Helen’s half-siblings who just turned one.
“That must have been strange for her, discovering she had other siblings.”
“Four of them.” Delores pours water into a beveled glass and slides it to me. “Three sisters and a brother. Two of the sisters live here in town, one is overseas, and the brother is off at school.”
We snack from the platters of food as she tells me about their arrival. They weren’t sure what Helen’s father would think, if he’d reject her or want nothing to do with her. But to their surprise, he was welcoming.
“He doesn’t know about Aetheria or djinn or any of it.” Delores lowers her voice. “He thought he was just helping out by donating some of his essence to wealthy people willing to pay. He had agreed to not seek her out.”
I pop a grape in my mouth. “What did she tell him?”
She leans against the counter. “The truth, mostly. That her parents passed and she tracked him down through the agency that arranged it. His wife died a few years ago. He was happy she came to find him. He had always wondered if anything had come from his donation.”
Right then, a man walks into the kitchen, the same one from earlier who handed off the gift.
Delores beams. “Mr. Landry. This is Bennet’s lady friend, Cassie. Cassie, this is Mr. Landry, Helen’s father.”
Lady friend?
“It’s nice to meet you.” I wave.
Helen’s father chuckles. “It’s nice to meet you too. I’m so glad Helen’s brother was able to make it. Thanks for coming out today. Help yourselves to anything you like.” He gestures to the food. “We always over cook. I came in to grab more drinks for the kids.”
We make idle chitchat for a minute and then he disappears with a handful of juice packs.
“What do you think of their uncle Hugh?” I ask, when we’re alone again.
She makes a moue. “I’m not sure. He’s always seemed like he has their best interest at heart, but now I wonder. It doesn’t make sense though. Why would he do all this work to get Bennet and Helen out of his way? For power? How would their disappearance do anything but cause a crisis?”
