The Battered Lamp Ch. 25

A whimper escaped Aaliyah's lips.

Zaritha scooped again, packing more red soil into her wound before she began pouring the dirt across Aaliyah's body, letting the Jann absorb the element that gave her existence, replacing what the Ghul had poisoned.

"You'll live," Zaritha whispered, lying her head upon her mistress's stomach. The Ghul's poison burned through her, slowly snuffing out her flames. "You'll make sure that Kyle defeats Rashid."

Zaritha let her eyes close.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Majlis al-Jinn, Oman

Britney eyed the Marid carefully, holding Waterclaw before her. The Marid's dark eyes flickered around at the concubines all poised, ready to strike, then at Kyle's wives. Fatima had her flaming spear leveled, Fumi was drawing her bow, and Christy stood ready to begin spell-casting.

The Marid was surrounded. Yet Britney smelled only curiosity, instead of fear, from the Djinn. Britney's heart beat faster. The change began to steal over the Rakshasa as her body prepared for battle. This creature was either so confident in her power that she could handle them all, which scared Britney, or something else was going on.

The Marid's eyes settled on Britney. "You wield my knife."

"It is mine now," Britney growled. "Try and take it from me."

The woman smiled. "I have no intention of taking it from you. That dagger was given to the Jann as tribute so many millennia ago." The Marid looked about. "You have all five of the Djinn Artifacts."

"Five?" Kyle blurted out. "Aaliyah only gave me four."

"It's this staff," gasped Christy.

"Yes. Wherever did you find that? The Ghul's staff had been lost to one of Hecate's minions."

"Does that really matter?" Kyle demanded. "We need to get to the Unseen Realm. Stand aside and let us pass or try and bar our way."

"Forceful," the Marid murmured. "I am Sarai, daughter of Rashid."

"The Sultan?" Kyle stepped forward, his sword before him. "So you are our enemy."

"Perhaps." The Marid turned back to Britney. "My dagger chose you. I can sense the deep depths within you. The cunning. The intelligence. You serve this man. Why?"

"Because I must," Britney answered. "I am Rakshasa. I dedicated myself to him when we met as children. I could sense his greatness."

"And do you ever regret that decision? Has your loyalty ever wavered?"

"No."

"Why not? Why does this man inspire you to be loyal? He lacks cunning. I can sense it in his dull eyes. His solution is strength, to batter me aside without trying another tactic first."

"He is strong," Britney answered, looking at Kyle. "He does not flinch from what must be done. His will is great. He has bent many to his service. And he cares. Despite his rocky exterior, warmth burns in his depths. He is the only friend I ever had. I was different. All the kids could sense it. But Kyle did not care. Even if he wasn't a great man, I would serve him for all the years in which he cared for me. He is loyal. He would not betray anyone to get ahead. He will come at you straight on."

"Britney," Kyle muttered, his eyes wide.

"Would you die for him?"

"Without hesitation."

The Marid's eyes narrowed, then she turned to Kyle, kneeling before him. "My father did not steal the Sultanate from just the other tribes when he selfishly held on, but he stole it from his heir. He forced my brother to commit such heinous acts that he became Unbound. Now he is little more than a monster. When I objected, he banished me to watch the portal."

"Unbound?" Kyle asked.

"All Djinn are bound by the Laws. If we break them, there are consequences. My brother broke those rules and, instead of facing the consequences, he untethered himself from all Laws of morality. He is a beast hiding behind a cage of intellect. You will face him when you cross over. My father will unleash all his weapons to stop you."

"We'll defeat him and any others your father sends us," Kyle said. There was no bravado in his tone.

"You seek the Sultanate?" Sarai asked.

Kyle nodded.

"You already have married the Jann heir," she whispered. "You will need most of the tribes support to hold the Sultanate. Defeat my father and end his perfidy, and I will unite the Marid with you through marriage."

"I have four wives already," Kyle said. "And I don't want a woman that is marrying me unless she loves me or submits fully to me." Kyle stepped forward, cupping her face. "Open the gate, pledge me the support of your people, and you can be free to marry whom you want."

She blinked in surprise. "You actually care about my feelings?"

"I only want women who want to be dominated by me. Who agree because that's what burns in their hearts. Do you want to kneel before me and worship me with your body?"

"Not in the least," she answered. "I will open the gate."

To be continued...