Viper stared the Genie down—or up, rather—then finally nodded. “All right. That seems rational.” He looked him up and down. “I don't remember you being so big.”
The Genie laughed and it boomed from his chest. “I'm a marid, we are the largest of the Jinn, but like all of my kind, I can shapeshift into anything. I chose a smaller form to put Vervain at ease but after we arrived, I went back to the one I was born with.”
“There are different types of Jinn?” I asked, immediately fascinated.
“What's a jinn?” Viper asked at the same time.
“Yes,” the Jinn said to me. Then he answered Viper, “We are the Children of Tiamat; shapeshifters, magic-users, and prophets.”
“What about the other races of Jinn?” I prompted.
“You'll meet them soon.” The Genie smiled at my eagerness. “There are ten Jinn tribes and all but one shall be at the temple today. The Palis Jinn don't live here. They are simple creatures and prefer to live near humans, where they have access to human blood.”
“Blood?” I lifted my brows
“Yes, two of the Jinn tribes are blood-drinkers; the Palis, who steal blood from their victim's feet while they sleep, and the Vetala, who are more... refined about the way they feed.”
“Hey, no judgments here.” I held up my hands. “I'm a dragon-sidhe; we love blood.” Then I processed what he'd said. “Wait. Did you say; feet?”
“Yes, the Palis pierce the sole of the foot and lick the blood from the wound.”
“Foot-lickers.” Viper made a face. “I'm sorry, but that's nasty.”
“I knew there was a reason why I always have to have my feet covered when I sleep!” I exclaimed.
The Genie chuckled. “The Palis Jinn were created last, and I'm afraid they received the dredges of our mother's magic.”
“Well, they can't help who they are.” I shrugged. “I'm sure they have some redeeming qualities.”
The Genie seemed to consider this for a moment but instead of answering the implied question, he changed the subject entirely and said to Viper, “Since you're here, you may stay as Vervain's escort.” He glanced down at Viper's nudity. “But I must insist that you borrow some clothing.”
Viper smirked. “Fair enough. But if I'm going to borrow your pants, I think we should at least be introduced. I'm Viper.” He held out his hand.
“I am Zimri-dagan.” The Genie shook Viper's hand. “It's a pleasure to meet you both.”
“You're the man who gave me the ring in the souq.” I reached forward to shake his hand too. “How did I forget about that? Twice.”
“The ring is meant to be...”—he searched for a word—“unobtrusive until it's needed.”
“Unobtrusive, eh?” I stared at him hard. “Why are you helping me?”
“The Mesopotamians killed our mother.” Zimri-dagan lifted his chin. “We were content to watch them fade into obscurity but now, they are rising again, and they are using you as a stepping stone, Vervain. We will not watch another dragon be crushed beneath the feet of those traitors. And you are a special dragon. I have seen the great things you will do.” He paused and glanced at Viper with a small smile. “Both of you. The world will suffer if the Mesopotamians vanquish you.
“And you care about the world?” I asked carefully.
“We are not simply lost children, demigods without a goddess. We are gods in our own right. Humans once worshiped us, and Muslims still believe in the Jinn. We are in their holy book after all, though they claim we were created by their god instead of our goddess. Most of us have grown to love humans; we look after them and guide them.”
“Like Angels,” I murmured.
“Like Angels,” Zimri-dagan agreed. “But made of fire; born of dragon breath.”
“And you can see the future?” Viper asked. “You said that you saw the great things we'll do.”
“When Tiamat, our mother, lay dying, she poured her magic down our bonds, giving us all that she had so that Marduk would not steal that as well as the Tablet of Destinies,” he explained. “Among other things, Tiamat gave us the power to gaze forward, but the future has many paths. Especially now that Marduk has broken your destiny, Dragon Queen.”
“So, you can't accurately predict what will happen?” Viper persisted.
“I can predict what consequences each decision may bring.” Zimri-dagan spread his hands. “It is accurate... as much as I can see of it.”
“Honestly, I don't care if you can predict the future or not,” I said. “If you can help me fight the Mesopotamians, I'd be grateful for that alone.”
Zimri-dagan smiled softly. “We would be honored to help you, Queen Vervain.”
“Thank you, Zimri.”
“Dagan,” he added. “It's Zimri-dagan.”
“Oh, that whole thing is your first name?” I blinked.
“Yes, the whole of it.” He chuckled. “Now, I'd like to take you to meet the Jinn, but first, we must clothe your consort.”
I glanced at Viper's impressive nudity and sighed. “If we must.”
Chapter Nineteen
Zimri-dagan gave Viper a full Jinn outfit; loose pants, flowing tunic, and a sash for a belt, all constructed of lightweight material and dyed in shades of blue.
“Now, you look like a genie too,” I said when Viper was dressed.
“It's Jinn or Jinni,” Zimri-dagan pronounced the second term Gin-ee. “Not Genie.”
“I'm sorry. Was that offensive?” I was horrified. Had I just insulted my new allies?
“It's a modern word that we don't care for but it's not technically offensive,” Zimri-dagan explained as he led us down a grand, stone staircase and out of his home. “There are simply too many incorrect assumptions associated with the word genie. As you see”—he waved his hand to indicate the Jinn city—“we do not live in bottles, and I can assure you that we don't grant wishes. At least not without payment.”
“Why all the water?” I asked as we strolled down a wide, stone avenue.
Other jinn nodded to Zimri-dagan and stared
