Harley Merlin 12 by Bella Forrest (story books to read TXT) 📗

to receive my power from Erebus, as I always have, pain and insomnia be damned. If we can’t deal with this for a while, then maybe none of us deserve to live.”

Abdhi stood sharply and puffed his chest. He clearly had something to say, but I would rather listen to the Queen of Idiocy than a sorry excuse for a djinn who’d allowed himself to get stuffed into a little lamp for the rest of time. His “mistress” at the Dubai Coven probably hadn’t let him speak in months. Now, we had to suffer for it by listening to him harp on.

“Release Raffe,” he demanded. “Let the young mortal speak.”

I smirked. “Raffe can’t come to the phone right now, so get back in your lamp, you worthless wisp. You aren’t ten feet tall anymore. The worst you can do is huff and puff and blow hot air out of your ass.”

“I can still flatten you, you impertinent imp.” Abdhi’s fiery eyes flickered.

“Is that supposed to scare me?” I laughed icily. “Your leash is showing. One little tug from that uppity mistress of yours, and you disappear back to Dubai. That’s hardly frightening.”

Abdhi clenched his hands to fists and brought them up to his face. “You will regret your insolence.”

I laughed harder. “Ooh, allow me to tuck my tail between my legs and bow down. I don’t give two hoots how old you are—how old any of you are. It won’t match up against youth. That’s the trouble with you old fogies; you struggle to grasp the concept that young people have wisdom, so you try and lead us all into more and more chaos. A bunch of donkeys leading lions.”

Safiya had disappeared from her spot on the rugs.

“And you forget that we have lived long enough to understand what needs to be done, for the sake of everyone, not just ourselves,” Safiya whispered behind me.

I whipped around, startled by her blinding speed. The old gal had skills I hadn’t anticipated. Before I could react, her hand slammed into my forehead.

Intense light flooded my head. I had no hope of fighting it—she was too damn fast. I sizzled away, driven down. I felt the door to Raffe’s secret hideaway unlock, immediately freeing him. I howled and screamed inside him, but it made no difference. I was trapped now, and he was loose.

“This is the second time Kadar got his ass kicked in less than a day,” Santana exclaimed softly, trying to sound amused. But her eyes gave her away. I could see them, through Raffe. She was worried, and she had every reason to be. If these morons staged a coup against Erebus and he retaliated, she’d lose Raffe and me both.

Raffe might’ve been willing to risk it, but was she?

Twenty-Two

Kadar

I sank lower. A bitter stone, with Raffe’s anchor dragging me down into the darkest depths of his subconscious. This was now my prison, though I would make a jailbreak soon. I had the good fortune of Raffe not having the clout to keep me here, as much as he’d have liked to believe otherwise. And he wouldn’t have other djinn saving his skin every time I did something they had no taste for, either. Paltry bodyguards at best. Irksome annoyances at worst.

I can still hear you… My voice wriggled into Raffe’s mind.

I don’t mind if you can, Raffe replied. You got out of hand, but I don’t want you suppressed in there. I’m not my father.

Could’ve fooled me. I feel everything, Raffe. I feel your excitement. You want to be rid of me. I didn’t give in to those emotions, but tiny pulses of shame twinged inside me.

That’s not true. I felt Raffe exhaling. Sharing a body had become second nature. His actions, my actions, what was the difference? It’s not that I want to be separate from you, but think about it—this might help you gain your own form. You wouldn’t have to depend on me anymore, and you wouldn’t disappear because you happened to piss off another djinn. In fact, you’d never have to be pushed down again, and neither would I. No more sharing. We’d be two separate beings, able to do what we wanted, when we wanted, without consulting each other.

I don’t depend on you! I shot back. Who do you think you’re kidding? You’re the one who depends on me. You’d be no better than a slug in the dirt without me to give you some oomph.

He sighed. You know what I mean. We could live separate lives.

Who says I want that? I created a surge of adrenaline, just to mess with him. His heart raced, and I sensed his lungs working faster to push oxygen around his already alert body.

Don’t pretend you don’t, he answered. You’re only part of me because of a curse. I’d miss you—of course I would—but I’d accept your absence, knowing you were free, and I was free.

I snorted. And give up Santana? You’re forgetting something, pal. You brought her into our lives. Your heart and mine are intertwined; what you feel, I feel. You made me fall for her with all your incessant sappiness. Don’t think you can just take her for yourself and push me out of the picture.

I don’t want you out of the picture. Separation doesn’t mean… complete separation. I felt thoughts flitting through his mind as Raffe searched for the right words. We could be like brothers if you wanted. It’d be your choice, because you’d have a choice.

I didn’t know what to make of that. What, some messed-up, weird kind of family?

If you wanted that… yes. The three of us. His stomach fluttered, as if cannibal butterflies fought a battle royale inside his belly. That way, Santana won’t risk her life to have children. If you care for her, like you say you do, then we should be on the same wavelength. This is her life at stake, and we’re the ones with the axe over her head.