Wish For Me (The Djinn Order #1) by A. Star Page A

was in this city and they were looking for me.”
    “You said hunters. As in plural.” He had earlier, too.
    “Yes. There was more than one.”
    “Did you recognize them maybe?” I asked because it was obvious this wasn’t the first time Irving had encountered hunters.
    He shook his head. “No, I never saw their faces. But whoever they were, they were seasoned.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    Irving twisted the arrow around in his hand by its shaft. “This arrowhead was dipped into black ash from the bowels of Crypt, a forbidden land of my realm where the blackest magic takes form. The ground there is covered in black ash, an element often used in the dark arts. It is also poisonous to Djinn and the hunter who shot me knew that. If you had not been available to assist me, I’m sure I would have died before I ever made it to Shrinelyn. It takes copious amounts of magic to travel between realms and the black ash not only poisoned me, it also poisoned my magic.”
    I bit my lip as I turned that over in my head. I had wondered why Irving was bleeding so profusely from one little arrow and now I knew why. He had been poisoned.
    “But do you want to know what bothers me most, Glory?” I reluctantly nodded. “The hunter was not actually trying to kill me.”
    I snorted. “Could have fooled me. Looks like that was exactly what they were trying to do.”
    Irving shook his head. “A hunter with that level of skill never would have missed my heart on accident. They shot me in the shoulder on purpose.”
    “But why?” It didn’t make any sense to me.
    “Because they didn’t want to kill me. They wanted to capture me.” His hand reached out to take mine and I let him. “They want my Chronolier.” Want. I didn’t miss the present tense.
    “Why yours, when there are hundreds of other Djinn out there?”
    “Thousands, Glory. There are thousands of Djinn in existence. But there is only one me.”
    “Well, I don’t give a damn,” I snapped. “You’re mine and they can’t have you.”
    Just my luck, I realized how possessive and ridiculous I sounded a second after Irving did. His arrogant grin made me roll my eyes.
    “I only say that because I haven’t made my three wishes yet,” I said in a huff.
    “Right,” he replied, still smiling.
    I broke our hand hold and crossed my arms beneath my breasts. “I still don’t like you.”
    “So you’ve said.”
    “In fact, I think I hate you.”
    “Oh, well. Life will go on.”
    I glared at him. “Do not make me smack you, Irving Amir.”
    “Do not make me kiss you, Glory St. Pierre.”
    I gawked at him. “Excuse me?”
    “You heard me. You are being quite irresistible right now and there is only so much a man can take.”
    “You’re not a man. You’re a Djinn,” I retorted. It sounded stupid coming out of my mouth, and I told myself to shut right the fuck up before something else dumb slipped out.
    Irving laughed in that beautiful way that always stole my next breath. “I am as much a man as they come, Glory. I can show you…if you’re brave enough to let me.”
    I was so not brave enough to let Irving show me anything that revolved around his cock. “I thought I had to wish for that.”
    He shrugged. “I changed my mind.”
    I opened my mouth to challenge him, but it got cut short when Irving disappeared and reappeared on top of me, leaving a trail of that intoxicating smoke scenting the air around him. I was under him, amazed once again at how fast he moved, a little anxious about the position we were in. His beautiful body pinned me down and one leg rested between mine, his towel half off, half on. He pushed his hips into mine, making sure I felt the truth and wouldn’t need to speculate about whether he was a man or not ever again.
    “Irving…” I breathed.
    He brushed his lips over mine. “Yes?”
    “What are you doing?”
    He chuckled. “I’m sure you are quite aware of what I’m about to do.”
    “But you’re injured,” I tried.