Lynus and Kit strode across the cleared ground, visible as billboards. I filed a mental note to break Ian’s teeth for not telling me how close they were—if I lived that long. At least I had some mojo back. Still, I didn’t dare move. I had to hope they wouldn’t be able to find me, because I only knew spells that destroyed tethers, not humans, and I’d already thrown away my weapon.
But the half-breeds headed straight for the blind monk. “Hey. Old man,” Lynus called as they neared him. “We’relooking for a coupla dead men walking. They come through here?”
The monk went rigid as a rock. “Who are you?”
“Mother fucking Teresa. Answer the question.” Lynus stopped in front of him, with Kit flanking his left. “Two guys. Beat-up, weird-lookin’ assholes. You seen ’em?”
A sardonic smile flashed across the monk’s face, and he tapped a finger on his glasses. “I haven’t seen anything.”
“Don’t get smart, old man.”
“Lynus, lay off.” Kit elbowed him and stepped forward. “Look, mister, just answer him. We don’t want no trouble with you.”
The monk sighed. For just an instant he turned toward me, and I could’ve sworn he looked right at me. “No one at all has been here,” he said. “No one but me, and the other monks. You do realize this is a monastery?”
“Yeah. It’s also the only place to hide for miles in these goddamned woods, and we know they come this way.” Lynus’s hands clenched at his sides. “I think you’re lying. Monk.”
“I assure you I’m not. And I think you should leave.”
“I think you should tell me where the fuck they are!” The enraged half-breed reached out and snagged the front of the monk’s robe. Before I could even register that the bastard meant to kill someone over me, much less do something about it, Lynus jerked the monk forward and snatched the glasses from his face.
The second or so that followed refused to obey the laws of physics. Time distorted itself, stretching and folding, making out-of-order impressions on my brain. Lynus let out a breathless curse and dropped the monk’s arm like it was on fire. He grabbed Kit, or maybe Kit grabbed him. Both of them vanished. Running footsteps sounded, then ceased abruptlyin a rush of air. Like they’d taken off flying—but that was impossible. Snakes didn’t fly.
Finally, my shocked system focused on the monk, and the gaze that returned unfailingly to the place where I stood. Those eyes weren’t blind. They were reptilian green, with slitted pupils.
I couldn’t move. No lockdown spell this time—sheer terrified indecision kept me planted in place. He was Morai, no doubt about that. But where were the fangs, the hairless dome, the seething and murderous hatred? There was nothing threatening about his appearance. He was tall and slender, with fair, almost feminine features. Lynus had called him an old man, but he didn’t look that old. Late thirties—and since djinn didn’t age the way we did, that probably gave him a couple of thousand years on Ian. Not good. The older a djinn, the more powerful he was.
I tensed, preparing to sprint for the building, find Ian, and get the hell out of here. I’d been set on fire enough for one day.
“So much for discretion.” A small smile pulled at the Morai’s mouth. He retrieved his glasses from the ground and put them on again. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share this with the others here. My brothers aren’t ready to know. They are human, after all.”
He had to be talking to me. I was pretty sure there weren’t any more invisible descendants out here—but then, how would I know? For the moment I didn’t know a damned thing anymore.
He took a step toward me. “They won’t come back,” he said. “Please, show yourself. No harm will come to you.”
I couldn’t stand here and wait for divine intervention. Neither God nor Ian was about to swoop down and save me, and on the surface it didn’t seem like I needed
But the half-breeds headed straight for the blind monk. “Hey. Old man,” Lynus called as they neared him. “We’relooking for a coupla dead men walking. They come through here?”
The monk went rigid as a rock. “Who are you?”
“Mother fucking Teresa. Answer the question.” Lynus stopped in front of him, with Kit flanking his left. “Two guys. Beat-up, weird-lookin’ assholes. You seen ’em?”
A sardonic smile flashed across the monk’s face, and he tapped a finger on his glasses. “I haven’t seen anything.”
“Don’t get smart, old man.”
“Lynus, lay off.” Kit elbowed him and stepped forward. “Look, mister, just answer him. We don’t want no trouble with you.”
The monk sighed. For just an instant he turned toward me, and I could’ve sworn he looked right at me. “No one at all has been here,” he said. “No one but me, and the other monks. You do realize this is a monastery?”
“Yeah. It’s also the only place to hide for miles in these goddamned woods, and we know they come this way.” Lynus’s hands clenched at his sides. “I think you’re lying. Monk.”
“I assure you I’m not. And I think you should leave.”
“I think you should tell me where the fuck they are!” The enraged half-breed reached out and snagged the front of the monk’s robe. Before I could even register that the bastard meant to kill someone over me, much less do something about it, Lynus jerked the monk forward and snatched the glasses from his face.
The second or so that followed refused to obey the laws of physics. Time distorted itself, stretching and folding, making out-of-order impressions on my brain. Lynus let out a breathless curse and dropped the monk’s arm like it was on fire. He grabbed Kit, or maybe Kit grabbed him. Both of them vanished. Running footsteps sounded, then ceased abruptlyin a rush of air. Like they’d taken off flying—but that was impossible. Snakes didn’t fly.
Finally, my shocked system focused on the monk, and the gaze that returned unfailingly to the place where I stood. Those eyes weren’t blind. They were reptilian green, with slitted pupils.
I couldn’t move. No lockdown spell this time—sheer terrified indecision kept me planted in place. He was Morai, no doubt about that. But where were the fangs, the hairless dome, the seething and murderous hatred? There was nothing threatening about his appearance. He was tall and slender, with fair, almost feminine features. Lynus had called him an old man, but he didn’t look that old. Late thirties—and since djinn didn’t age the way we did, that probably gave him a couple of thousand years on Ian. Not good. The older a djinn, the more powerful he was.
I tensed, preparing to sprint for the building, find Ian, and get the hell out of here. I’d been set on fire enough for one day.
“So much for discretion.” A small smile pulled at the Morai’s mouth. He retrieved his glasses from the ground and put them on again. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share this with the others here. My brothers aren’t ready to know. They are human, after all.”
He had to be talking to me. I was pretty sure there weren’t any more invisible descendants out here—but then, how would I know? For the moment I didn’t know a damned thing anymore.
He took a step toward me. “They won’t come back,” he said. “Please, show yourself. No harm will come to you.”
I couldn’t stand here and wait for divine intervention. Neither God nor Ian was about to swoop down and save me, and on the surface it didn’t seem like I needed
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