“May I?” He holds his hand out for the book, and I hand it over.
When he attempts to open it, nothing happens. Even though I saw that coming, I’m disappointed. Determined not to run my mouth again like a fool, I sit quietly as he examines it from every angle. Idris runs his fingers along the golden clasp—his lips pursed in concentration—before assessing the back and spine.
With nothing else to occupy myself, I stare at his hands. They are pale and slender with long, tapered fingers—capable, demanding, and confident all at the same time.
What would they feel like on my skin?
Horrified, I banish that thought, realizing too late Idris has stopped perusing the book and is studying me just as closely.
“A curiosity,” he says. I desperately want to ask if he means the book or me. “Have you tried your blood?” Idris’ lips twitch. “Not allof your blood. Just a few drops, little djinn.”
My blood?I scrunch my face up.Right. I’m no longer part of the human world.
“Blood magic used to be quite common, but it’s fallen out of favor in recent years, especially here on Earth. I cannot imagine why.” Idris smiles widely, and the effect is almost as blinding as the light by the door.
“Did you just make a joke?” I demand, wincing at how rude I sound.
“Apparently, not a very good one,” he admits.
Idris rotates the book back to the front cover and holds it out to me, running his finger over a spot in the middle of the clasp where the color is darker.
“I would try putting a little of your blood here.” His fingers brush against mine during the transfer, and I can’t help my shudder. “The author of that book likely wanted to make sure it never fell into the wrong hands.”
His arm falls back to his side and I nod, unsettled by the sudden static energy swirling around the room. When I stand, Idris rises with me, letting me lead the way back out. The skin on my neck tingles; I feel him watching me.
“Thank you for your help,” I say when we reach the front door. “I’ll let you know if the blood works.”
I turn to face him and our eyes meet. Suddenly, I’m frozen by the intensity in his icy blue eyes as they search mine.
“You’re drained,” he says. It’s a statement, not a question. He’s giving my earlier bluntness a run for its money.
I can’t stand the idea of Idris thinking I’m weak, so I square my shoulders and lift my chin. “No, no, I’m fine.” I paste a fake smile on my face. “I had a long nap earlier, and I think I slept too long. It must have made me groggy.”
“You don’t have to lie to me,” Idris whispers. His voice is so painfully gentle I flinch. “Without your talisman, it’s only going to get worse.”
I don’t want to hear this.
“Wow, Idris.” I force a laugh. “You’re not winning any gold medals for optimism.” His soft expression doesn’t change at my obvious deflection.
“When humans talk of my kind, they often say we cannot tell a lie,” Idris murmurs, his eyes cataloging my face. “That’s rubbish, of course, but I’ve often wondered if there’s at least a little truth to it.”
He brings his hand up slowly, tracing the plane of my forehead with his thumb. The furrows I didn’t even feel myself making relax under his touch. A cool sensation moves through my head like a gentle breeze, and the throbbing headache I’ve been trying to ignore since this morning disappears. My body sags in relief.
“I’ve seen many people I care for fall in battle or to betrayal.” The mesmerizing lilt of Idris’ voice sinks into my skin and takes root there. His thumb ghosts over my lips, just a whisper of a touch, before falling away from me completely. “As we speak, my home realm is ravaged by lies and greed, so I’m sorry if I cannot give you optimism, little djinn. But please don’t mistake my truth as a desire to see you fail.”
He steps back, and the only sound penetrating the night is the distant fall of the fountain’s water. I have so many questions I want to ask, but I don’t dare. Not now, maybe not ever. The only thing I’m brave enough to ask for in this moment is his silence.
“Please, don’t tell them, Idris,” I whisper. He frowns. “For the longest time, terror was all I had. Gideon and Callum changed that for me, and I don’t want fear to be the only thing I leave behind for them to remember me by.”
For a long moment, he says nothing. The silence stretches so long that I give up. I’m pivoting to make my way out the door when his voice stops me in my tracks.
“I can numb your pain, but I cannot heal what’s causing it.” He sounds frustrated, but I can’t tell if it’s with the situation in general or me. “Come to me when it becomes too much.”
I nod, then yank the door open and hurry away. He didn’t make me any promises, but for some reason, I trust Idris to keep his mouth closed. The fae may not be able to pull me from the magical current dragging me under, but he can give me the strength I need to keep my head above water.
It will have to be enough.
When I get back to Gideon’s room, the guys are still gone. I take the opportunity to nick my finger with my razor. The blood wells up immediately, and I press it to the dark spot on the front of the book.
