Chapter 2 #3
Centuries passed and legend blurred into myth. Fear of the Jinn faded into whispers, nothing more than stories told by firelight. The once-vigilant watchmen of the Veil grew complacent, their fortresses crumbling and their oaths forgotten.
But the Veil was not perfect.
Though the Jinn were sealed away, mortals could still cross. Those who did never returned.
Rumours spread like wildfire. Some whispered of vengeance, that the Jinn lurked beyond the rift, plotting. Their fury festering. Others claimed the Jinn were gone, their souls devoured by the spell that had imprisoned them.
The Seers knew better.
Prophets spoke of a great war to come. They saw visions of shadows swallowing the sky, of fire consuming cities and the Heavens weeping under the weight of ruin.
And so, the mortals prepared.
Armies gathered. Fortresses rose once more along the Veil’s edge, banners of war marking the borders of a conflict they believed had never truly ended. They trained warriors, forged steel, and prayed to Heavens they had long since abandoned.
For years, they waited.
But nothing came.
No storms tore through the land. No fire rained from the sky. No monsters clawed their way free from the Veil.
The Jinn had been defeated.
The guardians of the world turned their blades inward, waging wars against their own kind. Kingdoms rose and fell, not by the hands of the Jinn, but by the greed of men.
“Come to me.”
A whisper slithered through the still air, curling around my body like a serpent. I clutched the covers close, my fingers digging into the fabric to shield myself.
“Come now. It is time.”
I felt her voice more than heard it, the words vibrating through my bones. My heart hammered a wild rhythm. Outside my window, the sky was black as ink, the stars swallowed by the abyss of night.
I pulled the covers over my head, willing my mind to believe I was trapped in a nightmare. But the call came again—more insistent—slicing through my hope.
I threw the blanket off and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My limbs moved like they were weighed down with iron shackles.
I stripped off my night clothes before slipping back into my worn-out tunic and trousers.
I stepped carefully, movements quiet as I opened my door.
Moonlight spilled through the open windows, casting a pale glow along the short hallway. My mother’s door was ajar enough for me to see the steady rise and fall of her breath. The urge to wake her, to tell her everything, was almost unbearable.
My throat tightened with each step I took toward her. She lay curled beneath a thin embroidered blanket, lost in dreams I could only hope were kinder than reality.
A sad smile pulled at my lips.
How terribly I wanted to stay. To slip beneath the covers beside her, press myself into her warmth and let her hold me as she had when I was a child.
A tear slipped down my cheek as I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. My whisper barely disturbed the silence.
“I love you.”
She stirred, her fingers twitching against the fabric, but she did not wake.
I turned away, swallowing the cry that clawed at my throat. With one last lingering glance I pulled the door shut behind me, sealing her away in the warmth of her room.
The village was silent, every home tucked away in slumber.
The faint scent of jasmine wafted through the air, calming my nerves, if only slightly.
I crept through the winding paths, careful not to draw too much noise.
I passed Theo’s home, wanting nothing more than to run in and tell him everything, or to at least say goodbye.
I had no clue what this bargain would entail, but something deep within my bones told me I wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.
Zaheera didn’t tell me where to find her. She didn’t need to. I could feel the force of her pulling me forward like an invisible tether, as if I’ve always belonged to her.
I moved like a shadow through the streets of the village, each step bringing me closer to the edge where civilisation gave way to wilderness.
The towering trees crackled softly in the night breeze—the leaves crunching beneath my sandals.
As I went deeper, the moonlight disappeared, swallowed by the thick canopy above.
Only scattered beams of silver were able to break through.
I mentally cursed myself for not bringing a lantern.
Then she appeared before me.
Zaheera.
My mother’s words did her no justice. She was beyond beauty. A being of fire and shadow, both terrifying and mesmerising. Her intense, ember eyes burned into me as she took a slow step forward. Her sheer presence was suffocating, like standing too close to a flame.
The gold chains adorning her caught the scattered moonlight, gleaming against the dark fabric that did little to conceal her form.
I should’ve bowed—should’ve averted my gaze. But I remained rooted to the spot, unable to do anything but stare.
“It has been many years,” Zaheera said, her voice like silk. “Many long years that I’ve waited for you.”
A shiver rippled down my spine. I had so many questions, but only one demand escaped my lips.
“What was the bargain?” My tone was sharp, much sharper than I’d intended, but I didn’t care. I needed answers.
Zaheera’s feline smile widened, yet her eyes darkened to burning coals. “Mind your tongue girl, before I remove it from your mouth.”
Shit.
I swallowed hard but didn’t back down. I met her gaze head-on, my defiance burning just as fiercely as my fear. I didn’t know where all this courage came from, but I latched onto it like a lifeline.
Zaheera tilted her head, amusement dancing in her eyes.
“You’re a feisty one,” she purred, stepping closer. Her breath smelled of smoke and spice. “Keep this up and you might just find your way back.”
My stomach knotted at the implication of never returning.
“What. Was. The. Bargain?” I enunciated each word, surprising even myself with my boldness.
She exhaled, a sound that resembled a chuckle before lifting her chin up with quiet power. The gold beads woven into her dark hair clinked together like distant bells.
Finally, she spoke.
“Bound by fire, forged in deceit. The mortal child shall bring defeat. A king of embers, a throne of flames, her will shall break his reign and name. On the year of her quartered life, she’ll be the end to his endless life.”
I blinked. No longer did I blame my mother for forgetting.
“Very…. umm. Poetic?” I scrunched my face in confusion. “But. I don’t know what that means.”
Zaheera laughed—and I swore—it was the most terrifying sound I’d ever heard.
“A force beyond the Veil threatens your lands. A force not to be taken lightly.”
Her fingers traced an invisible shape in the air and before I could react, she waved her hand. A rush of wind engulfed me, the world around us vanishing.
Instead, there was darkness, then a vision from beyond.
Armies of men and women marching as one, their voices raised in rhythmic chants.
Fists slamming against their chests in time with the pounding war drums. The air was thick with the scent of burning torches and the weight of an impending storm.
They pressed forward until they reached a wall, almost invisible save for the faint shimmer that distorted the air around it.
A barrier between worlds.
At the very front, cloaked figures in dark robes stepped forward, placing their hands upon the Veil. Their lips moved in hushed incantations, voices weaving together in an ancient language beyond my comprehension.
The sky trembled. A deafening crack split the air like thunder as a jagged fissure snaked across the unseen wall, its edges pulsing with raw energy, threatening to shatter completely.
The vision shifted violently, throwing me backward, until I stood at the very rear. From the distance, the world beyond the Veil wavered like a mirage, unstable yet terrifyingly real.
The crowd began to part, a wave of bodies moving aside to create a clear path.
A figure walked through the sea of reverent followers, each step sending tremors through the ground. His presence was magnetic—both terrifying and enthralling. They all bowed their heads as he passed.
He towered over them, a mountain of a man. His broad shoulders shifted with effortless strength, his bronze skin glowing beneath the sun. Each step unveiled the powerful ridges of muscle rippling across his back.
The sunlight danced across him, casting highlights over his sculpted form.
His hair, dark as night, was braided down his back, adorned with golden clasps that glinted in the light.
His powerful legs were wrapped in leather, and heavy bracers encircled his forearms, marking him as both warrior and ruler.
With a single motion, he raised his hand and fire erupted from it, swirling in an untamed display of fury and power. A roar erupted from the gathered masses, their cries of triumph almost deafening as the drums intensified.
With deadly precision, he pressed his burning palm against the wall.
It shattered.
Once again, darkness engulfed me.
I gasped, finding myself back in the clearing.
My knees almost gave out from the sheer magnitude of what I’d just witnessed.
“Those weren’t mortals,” I whispered in horror.
“No.” Zaheera affirmed, expression carved from stone “They are Jinn.”
“That was a vision of the past… right? Something that has already happened?” I asked, desperately hoping for reassurance.
Zaheera cocked her head, her feline gaze locked onto mine. “What you saw—what I showed you… has not happened. Not yet.”
“You can see the future?”
“I see all.”
Sickening dread coiled in my stomach. “But why show me this? What do I have to do with any of it?”
Zaheera stepped closer.
“Because you will journey beyond the Veil, into the realm of the Jinn,” she stated, each word a command sealed by fate. “To prevent this war, you must end his life. You must bind his immortal soul within the stone.”
“Wh—whose life?”
Zaheera’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “The king of the Jinn.”