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

grew nothing, no Purge beasts to speak of, everything illuminated in an anemic glow. A hill rose a short distance away, again lacking any signs of life or Erebus.

I sought out Safiya, still holding Santana’s hand. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

The djinn muttered amongst themselves, seemingly as confused as I was. Even if they’d never personally visited this otherworld, they’d have known it by reputation.

Looks like the grand old witch messed up, Kadar muttered. She’s brought us to some abandoned otherworld, the stupid hag.

I ignored him and continued looking around. In this flat emptiness, I finally saw the full extent of the djinns’ formidable numbers. Before, I’d had my doubts that the djinn could persuade Erebus to liberate them, but seeing them en masse—now, I doubted that Erebus could refuse.

I gave Santana’s hand a squeeze, to try and coax her out of her shock. But she didn’t look back at me.

“Hey, you’re okay. We’re going to be okay,” I whispered. “Kadar and I will protect you. I know this is weird, but I couldn’t leave you in the desert. Whatever happens, we’ll get you out if things take a turn.”

She gave a faint nod, but I couldn’t tell if she was convinced.

“This is Tartarus,” Safiya replied confidently, bringing my attention back to her. “Though I understand your bemusement. I share it. This is not the way Tartarus ought to appear, nor has it ever looked this way when I have been summoned by our creator.”

“Might you have pulled us in the wrong direction?” Abdhi swayed, clearly nervous. “Transporting thousands upon thousands of djinn is no simple task, Safiya. Perhaps there were too many and something went awry.”

Safiya shook her head. “No, this is Tartarus.” The flames in her eyes brightened. “Oh, that foolish Child.”

“What is it?” Santana asked, finding her voice. She leaned into me, a bit of steel coming back into her eyes. That’s my girl… Even in the darkest of times, nothing shook her for long.

“His otherworld has responded to his new form. Their realms are innately linked to their beings, created to emulate their wishes and their natures,” Safiya explained, her tone somewhat awestruck. “Now, his otherworld does not recognize its creator. It is… lost, in a sense, and has reverted to its initial state of vacancy. A true blank slate. I did not think it would happen so quickly. Indeed, I did not think this would happen until we djinn had all crumbled to nothing, but it seems I was serendipitously mistaken.”

Santana frowned. “Wait, does that mean Erebus isn’t here?”

“It appears so,” Safiya replied, a small smile tugging her lips.

“Then what possible reason could you have to smile?” Zalaam interjected sharply. “If Erebus is not here, you have brought us on a wild goose chase. How can we demand freedom of him if he is not home for us to confront?”

The djinn collectively grumbled in agitation, but Safiya took it in stride. In fact, she seemed eerily calm.

“Fear not, my brothers and sisters. You need not be alarmed by this alteration in proceedings.” Safiya addressed the entire army of djinn. “Indeed, this lends itself to our advantage. It removes all the risk and doubt we have harbored regarding our separation.”

“No offense, Safiya, but how?” I asked.

She doesn’t know what she’s yakking about. She’s bluffing because this has all gone wrong, in the most spectacular way. Kadar bristled inside me. If the djinn suspect she’s made a mistake, they’ll wrench her limbs out of their sockets and use them to beat out a samba.

Safiya turned to me. “Follow me, and I will show you.” She set off without waiting for a reply, trekking across the empty landscape toward the dusty hill. The djinn followed, because what else could they do? Safiya had brought them here with hope in their glowing hearts, and they wouldn’t leave until they were satisfied. Santana, Zalaam, and I fell in with the crowd, sticking close to Safiya.

“Does she know what she’s doing?” Santana whispered. “It’s kind of a relief that Erebus isn’t home, but… I thought the djinn needed him to break free?”

I put my hand on the small of her back. “She seems to have an idea. Maybe she knows something we don’t.”

Santana seemed to grow stronger by the second, recovering from the initial shock. “What’s the point in living for thousands of years if you don’t pick up a trick or two, right?”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

She glanced at me. “Thank you for not leaving me in the desert. I might not know what she’s got in mind, but I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Seeing all the djinn here, it’s pretty damn impressive.”

“I’d never have left you behind,” I insisted.

“I know, but you might’ve made a silly decision in the moment, thinking I’d be safer in the middle of nowhere.” She managed a smile. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

We’re not out of the woods yet. It might still be a stupid decision, Kadar chimed in. But at least we’ll all go up in flames together, eh?

That’s not going to happen, I replied inwardly.

Roasty-toasty Levis and Catemacos. Kadar laughed coldly, but I felt a shiver of hope bristling through my stomach. His hope.

At the top of the hill, after a thigh-burning climb, a morsel of architecture finally appeared. Crumbling ruins, sitting at the summit. The withered remains of vines continued to strangle the decrepit pillars, but little else adorned the hilltop. A few tumbleweeds bounced along on a faint, cool breeze.

“Is this supposed to make sense?” a towering Marid muttered frostily.

“It will.” Safiya entered the ruins and stopped in front of a block of gray stone. An altar of some kind. Or, it had been, once. Gently, she touched her fingertips to the block’s surface. Red light slithered underneath, and the top of the altar screeched open with a grating of stone on stone. Her hands delved inside, then receded a moment later. Hovering above her palms swirled a ball of red-and-black matter, part liquid, part smoke.