Page 84 of Bewitched By the Djinn
“Love you too, kiddo.”
By the time we step out into the crisp early morning air, the city is still quiet, just a few early risers moving about. I tug my black cotton jacket tighter around me, the layered weight of my clothes a small comfort—sturdy pants, boots I can run in, and enough layers to handle whatever Aetheria throws at us. We move quickly, keeping our heads down as we make our way through the streets.
The portal location is in an alley tucked behind an old wrought-iron gate. To anyone else, it’s merely an abandoned courtyard, overgrown with ivy and half hidden behind the remains of a crumbling archway. But the air hums with magical energy.
This is where Helen and Bennet both came through from Aetheria.
Helen and Delores linger near the entrance.
Bennet and I walk into the center of the courtyard to give them the illusion of privacy, but in the quiet morning air, their conversation is audible.
Delores speaks first. “I don’t like this.”
“I know.”
“Don’t you dare die, or I’m coming after you.”
Helen laughs, though there’s a watery edge to it. “Understood.”
When they finally break apart, Delores’s gaze flicks to Bennet and me. “Take care of her.”
Bennet nods. “We will.”
Helen joins us in the center of the courtyard. She kneels, drawing a small vial from her pouch and pouring a shimmeringblue powder onto the ground. Then she whispers under her breath, tracing a sigil into the dirt with the tip of her finger.
The air shivers.
A thin sliver of golden light appears in the empty space before us, stretching and widening until it forms a glowing archway. Through it, towering trees with glossy emerald leaves appear through the mist, their trunks wide and spiraled with vines that glisten in the dim light. The scents of blooming flowers and damp earth brushes over me.
Holy shit, magic land.
Helen straightens, shoulders squaring. “It’s time.”
Bennet steps forward first, glancing back at me. “Ready?”
I take a breath. “As I’ll ever be.”
And together, we step through the tear in the world, leaving the mortal realm behind.
The second we land on Aetherian soil, the portal snaps shut, the strength of it making me stumble forward.
Bennet reaches for me, grabbing my arm. “Okay?”
I nod. We’re surrounded by dense jungle, abundant leaves above blocking the light, dark soil below our feet. The air is thick with moisture and touched with magic, like it’s holding an electric charge.
“Where are we? Are we close to the castle?” My pulse is unsteady from the journey through the portal.
Helen shakes out her hands, her face pale, the usual glow of her magic dimmed from the strain of the spell. “We’re in the land of the marids. Thalassara.”
I blink, my mind rummaging through the information Bennet told me the other night about Aetheria as I was falling asleep. “Giants? We’re in the giant part of djinn land?”
“You can tell by the humidity and the trees. They are bound by water magic. They once ruled vast territories, before the current kingdoms formed.” Bennet squeezes my shoulder. “Itwill be fine. We’ll stay quiet and out of sight. The odds of us running into a giant are slim. They sleep during the day.”
“And if one of them decides to wake up?”
Helen winces. “It won’t be good. They don’t like visitors. They think the other kingdoms betrayed them and stole their lands. They see all outsiders as invaders, no matter who they are.”
“So they might want to crush us forhistoricalreasons?”
