“Promise me.”
“I swear on a Jinni’s Gift,” I agreed. She relaxed somewhat, but the mood was ruined. Life as a princess must not be so great after all. I tucked it away to think about later, when I was alone with my thoughts. But that just made me think of Gideon. Would I ever be alone with my thoughts again?
CHAPTER 27
Kadin
BY THE TIME THEfirst light touched the room, I gave up on sleep. Between thoughts of Arie and of the day to come, I had too much to worry about. Rolling out of bed, I threw on my boots and headed downstairs. Breakfast and a strong cup of coffee would wake me.
In the doorway, I stopped. There was only one other person at the breakfast bar.
Gideon.
The staff at the Red Rose clearly recognized a Jinni when they saw one. They tiptoed around him, wide-eyed.
I nearly turned around to go back to my room, when he turned to face me.
“Good morning,” he said, as polite as ever.
“Morning,” I replied, my voice raspy from waking up. Uncomfortable, but not sure what else to do, I pulled up the stool next to him, slouching over the bar. I should’ve stayed in my room. As soon as the thought came to me, I shoved it into a dark corner of my mind and told it to stay there. “Coffee, please,” I said to the bartender.
“How... did you sleep?” I ventured, struggling to find an appropriate topic of conversation for a Jinni. Did such a thing exist?
“Very well, thank you,” he replied. “And yourself?” There was a slight twist to his lips that made me feel like he was laughing at me.
Not well,I thought impulsively.I kept thinking about how you read minds.
And that kept you up?
I leapt out of my seat, the stool falling backwards, hitting the floor with a crash. This was far worse than I’d imagined. Gideon looked over his shoulder as I crouched near the door.
“Goodness,” he said, “I didn’t think you’d be so easily spooked.”
I cleared my throat, just blinking at him for a moment. “I wouldn’t call this easily spooked at all,” I answered after clearing my throat again. “This definitely falls into justifiably spooked.”
He wasn’t using any other abilities that I could tell. But it would be wise to be cautious. “How do I know you won’t use any Gifts on me?”
