“Hello?” My mother's hesitant voice answered. “Elaria, is that you?”
“Hey, Mom,” I said in relief. My parents had been put through hell when Gargo possessed my grandfather, Poseidon. The last thing they needed was an angry Jinn posing as my boyfriend to mess with them. “I'm having a problem with Slate.”
“Oh, no, he's such a lovely man.”
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. Lovely was not a word commonly used to describe Slate. “He's been possessed by a Jinn who is after revenge.”
“Ummm...” she drew out the word. “What?”
“I need you to have Dad ward the island against Slate. He might try to come after you to get to me.”
“But, El,” her voice dropped to a whisper, “he's already here.”
“What?!”
“He's here,” Mom repeated. “Slate's in the living room with your father.”
“Is he alone? Did he bring anyone with him?”
“No, it's just him.”
“Mom, do you have the traveling stone I gave you?”
“Yes, it's right here.”
“I want you to use it to travel to Kyanite but aim for the gates because the castle is warded. Do it now.”
“But your father—”
“I'm on my way, Mom. I'll get Dad. You need to get out of there!”
“Okay. I'm coming.”
I yanked the charm out of my ear and looked up at my men. They took out their traveling stones without another word. All of my lovers have been to my parents' island before; they all knew how to get to Pyrosvesti and were always welcome.
And one of them had just used that welcome against me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
How do you fight someone you don't want to hurt?
That question dominated my thoughts as I traveled to Pyrosvesti, my parents' private island, with the lovers I had left. We went straight into the living room of the sprawling home my parents had built within the branches of an enormous banyan tree.
Slate—I mean, the Jinni—was waiting for us.
He had an arm around my father's waist and a clawed hand at his throat. The Jinni was in Slate's Gargoyle form, using it to his best advantage. My father is a powerful Fire Witch but Gargoyles are immune to fire; their thick skin protects them from a lot. The look on my dad's face told me that he'd tried everything in his repertoire before the Jinni had overpowered him. If Dad's expression hadn't confirmed it, the blood seeping from the corner of his lips would have.
“Hello, Spellsinger,” Slate's voice had a creepy edge to it.
Or maybe that was my imagination. Maybe I simply needed him to be different than Slate in some tangible way.
“Release my father,” I demanded calmly.
“Or what?” The Jinni asked with a smirk. “You'll kill me? I don't think so. Love burns inside this body for you. Even now, it shines so brightly that it's fucking distracting. I can't imagine that you feel much differently about him.”
“That's why you took Slate,” I whispered in revelation. “I killed your lover so you possessed mine.”
The Jinni blinked slowly and his grin spread wider. “You think you're so smart. Well, my little genius, can you guess what I want from you now?”
“I imagine you want to trade my father for me.”
“Very good.” The Jinni nodded. “I find myself in need of a whore and you have proved yourself to be quite talented in the bedroom.”
My men made deep growls of fury.
I went still. “How long have you been in Slate?”
The Jinni laughed cruelly. “Long enough, sweetheart,” he sneered Slate's endearment for me. “Love is a strange and wondrous thing, isn't it?”
I blanched.
“Boy, I don't know who you are, but you're fucking with the wrong family,” my father declared bravely.
“Oh, this is most definitely the family I want to fuck with,” the Jinni said while he continued to stare at me, obviously enjoying my discomfort. “So, what's it going to be, Elaria Tanager? Will you come back to the Zone with me or will you watch your father die?”
My father didn't do the typical heroic thing and tell me to tell this guy to go to hell. He didn't have to; I saw it in his eyes. He'd sooner die than see me submit to a monster. I felt differently.
“I'll go with you. Just let him go.”
The Jinni grinned. My men objected vehemently while my father's face twisted with fury and fear.
“Excellent choice.” The Jinni let go of my father's waist to reach into a satchel he had slung over one shoulder.
He pulled out another of those arena collars and started to toss it to me but as soon as my father noted the Jinni's distraction, he jumped on the opportunity. Literally. My Dad lifted his knees to his chest, forcing the Jinni to either take all of his weight, slice his throat, or let go. The Jinni, shocked by the move, let go. I believe it was an automatic reaction but it didn't matter. My father ended up on the floor but was there for only a moment before he made the aforementioned jump and sprang away like a frog.
My men converged on the Jinni as his eyes went wide. He had a split second to decide whether to face us or flee. He chose the latter, grabbing the traveling stone that hung around his neck; the one I'd given to Slate, and using it to escape. He sneered at me as he vanished.
“Dad!” I rushed to my father, but he held up a hand to hold me off as he started to chant.
I recognized the words; it was a Witch's warding spell. My assumption was confirmed when Dad added the name; Slate Devon to the spell. A shimmer of magic blasted out of him, surging upward and out, to add to the island's defenses. As soon as it was done, my father took a deep breath, let it out, and pulled me into a hug.
“Your men are a pain in my ass, Ellie-phant,” he whispered but there was no censure in his voice, only relief.
“Just wait until you hear the rest of it,” I
