“How am I supposed to crack it?” I asked.
“A rock?” Wolf suggested.
I glanced at the door that led to the butterfly garden. “That's not such a bad idea.”
I slipped my boots on and headed through the French doors beside the bed. Lush plant life huddled and arched over the path I took to the central meadow. If I was going to summon someone, I wanted to have some space for him to arrive in.
Everyone followed me into the sunlight that streamed in through the netted opening above. Immortal butterflies flit lazily around us, their shimmering wings catching the light as they collected nectar from tropical flowers. I accidentally sent a few of them scattering as I searched through the bushes for a stone. When I found one, I brought it back to the center of the grassy meadow; the ring in one hand and the tool of its destruction in the other.
“I hate the thought of breaking jewelry,” I whined.
“Just do it,” Atropos growled.
I struck the ring onto the rock and the crimson jewel cracked instantly. Light blasted from the cracks and shot straight up like a beacon. I gaped at the column of energy that surged up from my hand until Wolf grabbed my wrist and shook it.
“Let it go, Mate,” he urged.
I released the ring, and he quickly drew me back. The column of light touched the earth and a shape immediately started to darken it. Light turned to fire then the flames wove into a man. The man I'd just seen in my dreams stepped out of the column as it disappeared. His stare connected with mine instantly, and he held a hand out to me. I went forward in a daze, hand extended, hypnotized by that dark stare. I had nearly reached him when my men realized that this might be a bad idea. They lurched toward me, but the man was too quick. He grabbed my hand and yanked me forward against his chest. As soon as we impacted, he became fire once more. The flames enveloped me. I heard stricken shouting but it cut off abruptly, and I knew I wasn't in Pride Territory anymore.
Chapter Eighteen
The man released me and stepped back. As he did, he grew in size until he towered over me. “Welcome to my home, Dragon Queen and welcome to the Territory of the Jinn.”
I stared at him blankly and then around myself in shock. A paradise of palaces capped by domes and cupolas, guarded by minarets, and connected by stone bridges and wide walkways spread out before me. Sunlight glinted off Arabian domes, made of glass instead of stone or metal. The structures were just like the man who had brought me there; reminiscent of the Middle East but with an obvious alien quality to them. Although it was warm—delightfully warm—the landscape was lush with plant life. Trees festooned with fruit grew around the palaces and vines crept over the stone walls in lacy patterns. Flowers bloomed everywhere and the scent of green things hung in the heavy, humid air.
We stood upon a lofty balcony and below us, beyond the carved stone railing, a lake lay like a rippled mirror, reflecting the surrounding palaces with a hazy stretch. Sleek boats glided across the lake, heading to waterways that branched off to flow beneath the bridges and around palaces in place of dry streets. Despite the widespread water and overwhelming amount of plant life, there was also a lot of fire present. Torches hung on walls, giant columnar braziers stood in lines to either side of the walkways, and fire pits dominated social courtyards where you might expect to find a fountain. Above us, the sky beckoned, bright blue and clear. I cast my gaze along it wistfully then down, beyond the Jinn city, where the water ended on a wooded shore. Past that, a hazy desert stretched.
It was dragon heaven. Or Jinn, rather.
“Hold on; you're a genie?!” I suddenly grasped what he had said. “Genies are real?”
“So asks the Dragon Queen.” He rolled his genie eyes.
A hissing interrupted us as a snake slid out of my vest and down my arm. I blinked at it in a daze—still too stunned by the genie bit to process a snake emerging from my cleavage—and it dropped to the polished floor. It lengthened and grew into a giant pit viper as both the Genie and I continued to stare at it in amazement. The enormous viper gave one last hiss at the man and then shifted into my naked boyfriend.
“What do you think you're doing; abducting my woman like that?” Viper snarled up into the Genie's face.
Yes, the Genie was taller than Viper. Quite a bit taller, actually.
“Viper?” I snatched his wrist and pulled him back. “How did you get here?”
“I saw him grab you and just jumped.” Viper glanced at me. “I shifted as I did. Maybe I sensed what he was doing—I don't know—but when I shifted, I made myself smaller and managed to wrap myself around your wrist. When we came out of the Aether, I ended up down your vest.” A sly grin spread over his face as he glanced at my cleavage. “No complaints here.”
“I didn't know you could shift into a smaller snake.”
“Neither did I.” He smirked at me. Then he narrowed his eyes back at the Genie. “Now, answer my question. Why did you snatch her like that? What are you up to?”
“Calm yourself, Star God,” the Genie said. “I have no ill intentions toward your lover. I needed to bring Vervain here to meet my people, but I couldn't bring all
