Chapter 22 #3
“Impossible.” I shook my head. But was it?
She was the one who spoke about jinn, who believed in superstitions.
Like burning esfand seeds to get rid of the evil eye, even when we complained it made the house stink.
And her paintings…they were often colorful, of flowers and plants, but sometimes dark—scribbles of black, sometimes of flames… It was all so obvious now.
“Very possible; true, in fact. I met her once back in Shiraz when she was much younger. She had the same edge you have, same scowl that had men too scared to speak to her.” He smiled at some fond memory.
“You did?” I found myself moving closer to Jamshid, like being closer to him might bring me closer to my mum. He knew a version of her I didn’t.
“She was a beautiful woman, your mother. Fierce and confident. You resemble her. I was sad to hear she passed, but it’s the way of the world.
She hid things from you, but we all have secrets.
” He shrugged. “Well, now that we have cleared up the matter of Roxana’s mother, let’s get to the other reason you came here: about your love?
” Jamshid’s words snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Our pasts,” Zain quickly amended.
Jamshid put both his hands on Zain’s shoulders in such a rapid movement that I was reminded he was not just a seer but a jinn. His touch appeared light, like that of a friend imploring his friend to relax. But it did not have that effect on Zain, who brushed him off and got to his feet.
“Don’t touch me,” Zain said through his teeth. However Jamshid had gotten information by touching me, he seemed to get some from Zain in that brief interaction, too.
“You’re sensitive, I get it,” Jamshid said, standing up with the grace of a feline. “You angels often are. You feel a lot.”
“Thanks for the psychological insight, but we came here for actual help. We need a potion to hide our scent from the jinn. They’re clearly tracking Roxana and me.”
“That I can provide,” Jamshid said. “But first, let’s chat. Talking of love is much more interesting, no?”
“What else do you know?” I asked.
“You feel it, too—don’t you? I know your angel does.
The power of your past lives, your past loves.
Some would call it twin flames, which is appropriate, as your relationship ends in literal flames.
” He seemed delighted about this fact. “First in eighteenth-century Persia, when this all started, and then each time you’re reborn. ”
I could feel Zain watching me, but I kept my gaze on Jamshid, who was smiling like he was enjoying dropping this news on us, like the way we were squirming was amusing.
“Why does it end in flames?” I asked in a small voice.
“Why?” Jamshid said, eyes smoldering. “Because your union is forbidden.”
I turned to Zain, whose brows knitted together at Jamshid’s words.
The door sounded with two knocks that echoed around the room. Jamshid jumped toward the door, clasping his hands together in excitement.
“That is my next client. They’re early.” He was smiling, though his teeth were awkwardly clenched. “I hate to be a bad host, but you’re really not meant to be here…”
“There are jinn outside,” Zain explained to me, jaw tight.
“Indeed. And I’d rather they not know one of you is here…”
“Jamshid!” a voice bellowed on the other side.
Jamshid shouted something in a language I didn’t recognize before shifting his attention back to us. “I can conjure a portal here for you both to return to Earth.”
He walked to the kitchen. There was a large cabinet, which he opened to reveal a regular-looking door. At least I knew what to expect this time.
The banging on the front door grew louder and more insistent.
“We jinn are very impatient,” Jamshid muttered. He drew a lighter from the countertop and muttered something under his breath. But rather than throw it at the door, like Zain had, he lit it and blew a breath of air. In an instant, the door transformed into flames. “But let’s not forget the fee.”
Zain placed an envelope on the countertop. In return, Jamshid produced two vials from his pocket, wrapped in paper, which he placed in Zain’s hand.
“A potion to hide your scent from jinn and div until you figure out your next steps. Instructions are on the parchment. Don’t ever say I’m unhelpful.”
Zain nodded in thanks before taking my hand in his, and I prepared myself for the cold as we stepped into the portal. A clattering from behind made me jump, and when I turned, I saw that the jinn had come into the house. They had black eyes and veined skin. They were tall, wearing dark cloaks.
“Roxana?” one of them said. My stomach clenched. Not again. I found myself being pulled into Zain, who was gripping my hand tightly.
“We need to go!” he shouted into my ear. He was right, but for some reason, I couldn’t move my legs. I could only watch the jinn, who were moving gracefully toward us, as though they were gliding across the floor.
I expected them to charge at me, and I raised my hand in the air, as though that would stop them. What surprised me the most was that at this motion, they stopped.
“What—” I began, but I didn’t get to finish my sentence because Zain had me in his arms and had plunged us through the portal. I could have sworn, though, that they bowed their heads before we left.