A Soldier of Shadows
Page 30
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Nuriya shook her head slowly. “You are different, Benjamin…”
“Why don’t you just try?” River butted in, clearly sensing my temper.
“My dear,” the jinni replied, “as much as I can help Benjamin in a thousand different ways, I am, after all, not God.”
I swore beneath my breath.
Great. That’s just great.
“But Ben and I have already seen that you can transform people and change their identities,” River continued. “We saw you turn our witches into birds!”
“That was an entirely different scenario, my dear,” she said, shaking her head again. “There’s much about Benjamin that you don’t know.”
“So you do know what is wrong with me at least, don’t you?” I said, trying to reel in my frustration. “Those weeks that I was away from The Oasis, I heard your voice in my head, telling me that you knew who I was and knew what I wanted. Then you gave me that vision of myself as an infant.”
To my relief, Nuriya nodded. “Yes, indeed.”
“So if you’re telling me that you can’t turn me back into a human, and you’re not willing to even try, then at least you can explain the vision that I had. You can tell me why I am like this, and what happened. Who was that Hawk exactly? Where did she take me?”
Nuriya’s face lit up. “Of course, we can tell you everything that happened in your past. Aisha is fully capable of doing that. Aren’t you?”
Aisha nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes.”
“Then I will leave you with her, my son…”
“No! Wait—”
Brushing a hand against my cheek, Nuriya vanished in a puff of smoke.
I stamped my foot in frustration. I’d been about to insist that the queen at least grant me my wish rather than the insufferable Aisha. The damn jinni had given me no chance.
Infuriating woman.
“So now we know what we’re doing,” Aisha said briskly, clasping her hands together and setting her focus back on me. “But before I take you back in time and give you more visions, I suggest you take some time out.”
“What?”
“The visions I’m about to impart on you will be a lot to take in. You’ve had a stressful past twenty-four hours. Your mind needs to rest and unwind. Relaxation will help it to open up.”
I brushed her aside. “Forget that. Just give me the visions now.”
“Benjamin, I must insist on this. If you don’t, you won’t have a clear mind, and you won’t be able to retain all the information you desire.”
River squeezed my hand. “Maybe you should do as she suggests,” she said quietly.
I breathed out sharply. “Okay. I’ll return to my apartment and sit in a chair for fifteen minutes.”
“No, no, no,” Aisha said, looking amused. “You need at the very least one hour, and sitting in a chair is no way to unwind. I will show you exactly how you must do this…”
Not waiting for my approval, the jinni transported River and me to a softly lit chamber filled with a light blue mist and a heady aroma of frankincense.
There were six round steaming pools that looked like a cross between jacuzzis and hot tubs. The stone walls were a warm earthy color, as were the floors, giving the whole place a rustic feel.
“Relax in one of these baths for an hour,” Aisha said.
In the few moments I’d been in the room, breathing in the exotic-smelling incense, I could already feel my head becoming lighter.
“There is a changing room over there,” Aisha continued, pointing to the far corner of the room. “You’ll find everything you need in there.” Then she addressed River. “If you’re staying here with him too, the women’s changing room is on the opposite side.”
I looked up at a large clock that was fixed near the ceiling, noting the time. “I’ll stay here for sixty minutes,” I told the jinni, “and not a moment longer.”
“All right,” Aisha said. “And by the way, when you need to summon me, you don’t have to come looking for me. You have your amulet.” She gestured toward the gold band around my wrist. “All you need to do is brush the snake’s head.”
“Okay…” I said, eyeing the band. Aisha gave River and me one last look before taking her leave.
I headed toward the men’s changing room, while River headed to the women’s.
The men’s was a ridiculously large room for a changing room—and lavishly decorated, as with the rest of this place. The floor and walls were made of marble, and the embroidered towels were the softest I’d ever touched in my life. I found a stack of crisp folded swimshorts. I took a pair and slipped them on. Heading back into the spa, I was surprised to see River already waiting for me. My breath hitched as I took in how stunning she looked in a thin red bikini. She had bunched her long, rich brown hair over one shoulder, and this was the first time I’d seen so much of her curves. I found myself slightly speechless.
“Uh, shall we?” I pointed to the nearest bath to us and we both slipped inside.
The water was warm and fragrant as it bubbled against my body. We sat opposite each other against the walls of the pool. Then River left her spot and glided toward me. At first she moved slowly, timidly, but when she reached me, her hands gripped my arms and she pulled herself onto my lap. Her chest pressing against mine, she moved in to kiss me. As her luscious lips were a split second from touching mine, a voice called from the women’s changing room.
“Why don’t you just try?” River butted in, clearly sensing my temper.
“My dear,” the jinni replied, “as much as I can help Benjamin in a thousand different ways, I am, after all, not God.”
I swore beneath my breath.
Great. That’s just great.
“But Ben and I have already seen that you can transform people and change their identities,” River continued. “We saw you turn our witches into birds!”
“That was an entirely different scenario, my dear,” she said, shaking her head again. “There’s much about Benjamin that you don’t know.”
“So you do know what is wrong with me at least, don’t you?” I said, trying to reel in my frustration. “Those weeks that I was away from The Oasis, I heard your voice in my head, telling me that you knew who I was and knew what I wanted. Then you gave me that vision of myself as an infant.”
To my relief, Nuriya nodded. “Yes, indeed.”
“So if you’re telling me that you can’t turn me back into a human, and you’re not willing to even try, then at least you can explain the vision that I had. You can tell me why I am like this, and what happened. Who was that Hawk exactly? Where did she take me?”
Nuriya’s face lit up. “Of course, we can tell you everything that happened in your past. Aisha is fully capable of doing that. Aren’t you?”
Aisha nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes.”
“Then I will leave you with her, my son…”
“No! Wait—”
Brushing a hand against my cheek, Nuriya vanished in a puff of smoke.
I stamped my foot in frustration. I’d been about to insist that the queen at least grant me my wish rather than the insufferable Aisha. The damn jinni had given me no chance.
Infuriating woman.
“So now we know what we’re doing,” Aisha said briskly, clasping her hands together and setting her focus back on me. “But before I take you back in time and give you more visions, I suggest you take some time out.”
“What?”
“The visions I’m about to impart on you will be a lot to take in. You’ve had a stressful past twenty-four hours. Your mind needs to rest and unwind. Relaxation will help it to open up.”
I brushed her aside. “Forget that. Just give me the visions now.”
“Benjamin, I must insist on this. If you don’t, you won’t have a clear mind, and you won’t be able to retain all the information you desire.”
River squeezed my hand. “Maybe you should do as she suggests,” she said quietly.
I breathed out sharply. “Okay. I’ll return to my apartment and sit in a chair for fifteen minutes.”
“No, no, no,” Aisha said, looking amused. “You need at the very least one hour, and sitting in a chair is no way to unwind. I will show you exactly how you must do this…”
Not waiting for my approval, the jinni transported River and me to a softly lit chamber filled with a light blue mist and a heady aroma of frankincense.
There were six round steaming pools that looked like a cross between jacuzzis and hot tubs. The stone walls were a warm earthy color, as were the floors, giving the whole place a rustic feel.
“Relax in one of these baths for an hour,” Aisha said.
In the few moments I’d been in the room, breathing in the exotic-smelling incense, I could already feel my head becoming lighter.
“There is a changing room over there,” Aisha continued, pointing to the far corner of the room. “You’ll find everything you need in there.” Then she addressed River. “If you’re staying here with him too, the women’s changing room is on the opposite side.”
I looked up at a large clock that was fixed near the ceiling, noting the time. “I’ll stay here for sixty minutes,” I told the jinni, “and not a moment longer.”
“All right,” Aisha said. “And by the way, when you need to summon me, you don’t have to come looking for me. You have your amulet.” She gestured toward the gold band around my wrist. “All you need to do is brush the snake’s head.”
“Okay…” I said, eyeing the band. Aisha gave River and me one last look before taking her leave.
I headed toward the men’s changing room, while River headed to the women’s.
The men’s was a ridiculously large room for a changing room—and lavishly decorated, as with the rest of this place. The floor and walls were made of marble, and the embroidered towels were the softest I’d ever touched in my life. I found a stack of crisp folded swimshorts. I took a pair and slipped them on. Heading back into the spa, I was surprised to see River already waiting for me. My breath hitched as I took in how stunning she looked in a thin red bikini. She had bunched her long, rich brown hair over one shoulder, and this was the first time I’d seen so much of her curves. I found myself slightly speechless.
“Uh, shall we?” I pointed to the nearest bath to us and we both slipped inside.
The water was warm and fragrant as it bubbled against my body. We sat opposite each other against the walls of the pool. Then River left her spot and glided toward me. At first she moved slowly, timidly, but when she reached me, her hands gripped my arms and she pulled herself onto my lap. Her chest pressing against mine, she moved in to kiss me. As her luscious lips were a split second from touching mine, a voice called from the women’s changing room.
