“Of course,” I imitated his polite manners, swallowing. His piercing eyes and my complete lack of knowledge about his abilities brought Illium’s stories back to me. “We’ll arrive in Baradaan around dinner time tonight. Since we—Arie—has your word you’ll bear witness for a full day, I was thinking we could officially start tomorrow morning?”
“Why, praytell, did you summon me now then?” Gideon said, tapping his cane on the wagon bed, drawing my attention to the elegant walking stick. Did he have a limp? I hadn’t noticed one. And if he did, why didn’t he cure it? Couldn’t the Jinn cure anything? Questions plagued me, but I didn’t dare ask and risk offense.
“Our sincerest apologies,” Arie answered before I could. “We thought you’d appreciate knowing the plan.” Such a diplomatic response. I tried not to smile.
Gideon softened a bit, though his features remained solemn. “I do appreciate that, thank you.”
“Would you like to stay and have dinner with us?” Bosh chimed in, fearlessly. “If you’re traveling all alone, it might be nice to have company.”
I glanced at the others, especially Daichi and Illium, both of whom sat stiff and anxious, watching Gideon like he might explode any moment.
“Only if you want to,” Ryo interjected.
Naveed nodded vigorously.
I held my breath and waited as Gideon considered us.
Bosh would get an earful from me later. He hadn’t been around for some of Illium’s more chilling stories. Though I didn’t necessarily believe everything I’d learned about the Jinn, I knew there was some truth to the rumors. Most of us had grown up on the legends of the Jinn before they’d withdrawn to their lands.
They were enough to terrify a teenager, much less a young child who’d just wanted a bedtime story. I’d spent more than one late night lying awake in fear that a Jinni might come snatch me from my bed.
Bosh blinked in confusion at the men’s glares. As an orphan, he must have missed those bedtime stories.
The worst of it was, I didn’t know how to separate fact from what parents told children in order to scare them into obedience. When a Jinni appeared, were they really coming from a place outside of our realm? That seemed a bit far-fetched. But then again, so was the whole appearing and disappearing, and that had turned out to be true. What about the other myths? Could the Jinn really steal your soul?
Gideon’s eyes snapped to me at the thought. Had he—no. No, it couldn’t be. Had heheard me? Quickly I sorted through the stories, feeling a distant memory of a Jinni who could read minds—did Gideon have this Gift? Immediately I threw up mental shields, imagining walls twice as high as a castle and ten times as thick, in the feeble hopes I might be able to protect myself.
Gideon tilted his head slightly and blinked at me, before returning his gaze to Arie, who was speaking to him.
“I’m guessing a traveler so far from home must be lonely,” she said. “I’m new to this group myself, but they’re mostly good company. Besides Kadin, of course,” she teased. Gideon didn’t react. “Anyway, you’re very welcome to join us, right Kadin?”
Normally I’d have a good comeback, but the fact that she and Bosh had just invited one of the Jinn to spend the evening with us—not to mention the whole day tomorrow—I could barely think, much less formulate an excuse.
There was no way he’d say yes. But now that they’d offered, I couldn’t say otherwise. “It’s up to you,” I told him after an awkward pause. “It won’t be anything fancy. Just dinner at the Red Rose, one of the nicer inns in town.”
One of the only inns in town, to be specific. Baradaan’s two villages flanking the castle were both small. That was part of why Prince Dev had found a way to personally terrorize nearly every single villager. It was also why it’d be the perfect place for a Jinni to bear witness to the crimes of the princes. In a town that size, there was no way he’d miss it.
Gideon sat more still than any human being, thinking. Then he surprised me by saying four words I’d never expected to hear. “Very well.” He nodded to Arie, Bosh, and the rest of us. “I accept.”
