Magic Under Stone Read online

  “That’s your mother’s grave? Those rocks?”

  Violet nodded. She went to the rocks and leaned her head against them. “It’s a fairy grave.”

  I shivered. “Let’s not talk about it,” I said. I didn’t want to think of Erris’s body buried under stones like these.

  “Why not?” Violet said. “I’m not sad. I don’t remember her.” She spoke almost too emphatically to be believed.

  “Aren’t you sad you don’t remember her?”

  “Well… I do miss her. It’s just that she feels like a story. Actually, worse. I think I know the mother in the Poppenpuffer Family books better than her. I guess everything would be different if she were still alive. Papa wouldn’t have gone to work for the Queen of the Longest Night.” She turned to me. “But don’t feel sorry for me or anything.”

  “I don’t,” I said, although, of course, I did, a bit.

  It was windy on the bluff, carrying sounds away from us, but we were both suddenly alert to hoof-falls, coming from the forest. Had something happened? I couldn’t imagine Celestina would take a horse if she needed to find us, unless it was urgent.

  Violet and I looked at each other, wide-eyed, silently asking the other if we should run. What if it was those nasty boys from the shop?

  Violet grabbed my sleeve. “Let’s hide behind Mother’s grave.”

  The stones were big enough to conceal us from view of the forest, but terribly exposed on every other side. I knelt with her, but I was restless, my hands gathering small rocks I could throw at the face of an attacker. At least I was wearing my trousers.

  I heard the horse step from the woods. It came closer, and closer, until it was sniffing the gravestones on the other side. Hiding became an almost unbearable tension, and it seemed unlikely the horse or rider would not find us at any moment, so I stood up, one hand full of rocks.

  For a moment, I was speechless. Violet stood alongside me, equally speechless. The horse was unlike any I had seen-strong but delicate, like a stylized horse in a painting, with a pure white coat and curious, too-intelligent eyes.

  But its rider was even more stunning, with skin like honey and eyes keen as a tiger, his straight black hair caught in a ponytail that stirred with the wind. He was not dressed like anyone from Lorinar; he wore a blue shirt that fastened with a sash, with an open neck and bare arms, and boots made from brown hide stitched with red thread.

  And in his ears, gold hoops. And at his wrists, golden cuffs like a second skin.

  It didn’t seem possible, but ancient tales were stirring in my mind, tales that traveled the world like spices and cloth, tales of imprisoned people with great power, the power to dissolve into smoke, the power to grant a heart’s desire, creatures recognizable by their golden cuffs of bondage.

  A jinn.

  Violet took hold of my sleeve again, and I met those golden eyes.

  “Who are you?” I asked. My voice stayed steady.

  “I was sent by the fairy king.”

  The fairy king. He had found us. Celestina said he couldn’t harm Violet, and I prayed that was true, but Erris…

  How quickly I had relaxed. I had started to delude myself that the fairy king wouldn’t bother with us, and I didn’t want to remember how this fear felt, knowing I must do and say just the right thing to save us. But here it was, like a fist inside me, squeezing on my lungs.

  “The fairy king?” Violet asked. I squeezed her hand as a signal that she should let me do the talking. Clearly, the signal was missed. “Well, don’t bother. You can’t hurt me. You can’t lay a finger on me.”

  “Who are you?” the jinn asked.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Why would I want to hurt you?”

  Violet shied back, apparently realizing rather belatedly that she’d said too much.

  “I’m looking for Erris Tanharrow,” the jinn said. “Do either of you know a gentleman by that name?” He spoke very calmly, as if he already knew we did.

  “You’re a jinn,” I said. I wanted to be sure of this before I thought what to do, although even then, I was not at all sure if my knowledge of jinns was true or formed by the exaggerations that inevitably come from tales carried by trade routes.

  Violet was breathless, staring at him as if hypnotized. “A jinn…”

  Possibilities raced through my mind. Jinns were bound to their master until they granted three wishes. At least, that was what most of the stories agreed upon, although I had heard tales of one wish, five wishes, limitless wishes. I also had no idea how powerful these wishes were.

  What if the fairy king had wished for this jinn to harm Erris? Would any force keep him away? Jinns in stories always granted their wishes; they never said, Oh, I tried to grant your wish but a couple of young ladies prevented it.

  “Why do you want Mr. Tanharrow?” I asked.

  “The fairy king wants him, and that’s all I know. I won’t harm him.”

  “But what of the fairy king?” I said. “Will he harm him?”

  “I cannot vouch for him, but I will not harm him.”

  None of us here had magic. Erris had brute strength in his metallic body, but what was strength against magic? Especially without particular training. This jinn had unknown abilities.

  For a split second, I pushed him from my mind. If I get out of this, I swear I will never be caught helpless again, I thought. But how could I get out of this? Would the Queen of the Longest Night help me now as she did when I gave Erris life? But I had time to summon her properly, then.

  Perhaps I could lead the jinn in the wrong direction? But Erris would have no idea what I was doing, so he wouldn’t know to hide.

  I was in the middle of these thoughts when Violet made a sudden dash for the jinn. Maybe her knowledge of the protective spell on her made her foolishly brave. She grabbed the hem of his tunic. “Nimira, run away!” she shouted.

  “Violet! What on earth are you doing?”

  “The jinn can’t hurt me, so you just go!” The jinn himself did look startled by this turn of events. If I was going to run away and warn Erris while the jinn was distracted, the moment was now. What would Celestina say if I returned alone and Violet was gone? But I didn’t know what else to do. I turned and bolted back to the house.

  Stupid, stupid girl! She really should know better than to test her magical protection against a jinn. If I had to choose between Erris and Violet, of course I would choose Erris… yet, it nagged at me even as I ran. Violet seemed so innocent-if irritating-and truly living. Not to mention she was the precious daughter of the man who would hopefully save Erris.

  Maybe Erris would have some idea, I thought wildly, without even a guess as to what that idea could be.

  I burst through the kitchen door. Celestina was sweeping the floor.

  “Is Erris here?” I cried.

  “He’s outside, just like you were. What’s wrong? Where’s Violet?”

  “There’s a jinn,” I gasped. “At the bluff. Violet wouldn’t come with me.”

  “A jinn? And Violet is still there?”

  “It’s Erris he’s come for, but she ran up to him, and… I guess she’s all right, if that protective magic holds, but-Well, I just don’t know what to do!”

  “I’d better go after her. If something happened to her…”

  “And I need to find Erris. Hide him, or something. I don’t know how strong a jinn’s powers are. But you be careful.”

  “All right,” Celestina said. “You go to the shore and I’ll go after Violet. If I find Erris first, I’ll tell him what’s going on, and we’ll meet back here. When we can.”

  I nodded, and took off again down the path to the shore. It slanted ever so slightly downhill as it wound its way through the apple orchards, forest, and meadow, making it a little easier to hurry. Still, my heart was leaping from my chest.

  I was not surprised to find Erris at the shore. Watching the water was one of his favorite things.

  I shouted a brief version of events to h
im as I scrambled over the rocks.

  “Luka has a jinn?” His face drained of color.

  “Yes. You have to hide.”

  “If a jinn wants to find me, where can I hide?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m not about to turn you over without a fight. Maybe we could hide you in one of those shut-up rooms in the house. Maybe… or maybe in the cellar? Behind crocks of pickles?”

  Erris looked understandably skeptical. Supposing we even had time to get him back to the house without running into the jinn, surely he would search the house. There must be places to hide in the woods, but I couldn’t think of any offhand, and did we have time to find one?

  “You know,” he said, “I don’t actually have to breathe.” He looked at the water.

  “Underwater? But-will it damage your clockwork? Salt water?”

  “I don’t know, but if there’s one place he won’t think to look for me, I bet it’s underwater. From all I’ve read, jinn have more natural power than any other being. But they are fire spirits. If anything will foil them, it’s water.”

  “But… it’s so cold,” I said, looking at the waters that suddenly seemed too dark. The waves were gentle, but I didn’t trust the water with Erris.

  “Nim, do you want me to be carried off by a jinn or not? I’ll hide behind that rock there.” He pointed. “At least ’til the tide goes out. If I hear anyone coming too close, I’ll duck underwater, so shout when the coast is clear.”

  I had no better plan, and I couldn’t dither here forever, so I briefly squeezed his hands, praying the water would be kind to him, and nodded.

  “I’ll be all right,” he said.

  “You’ll ruin your suit.” I smiled a little, and he smiled a little back, but our eyes were sad. If his suit was the only thing to come out of this worse for wear, we would both be lucky.

  He turned to the water and I turned to the trees. I couldn’t watch the water lapping at him.

  ORDORIO VALDANA’S MANSION

  As the young woman with the dark braids ran away, Ifra stared at the girl holding his arm. She was small and pale, with her hair in bows. She looked afraid too, and the way she peered up at him made him feel sheepish. Her hands encircled the cuff at his wrist, but when he looked at her, she let go.

  “Where are you going to take Erris?” she asked softly.

  “To the fairy king.”

  “Can you take me instead?”

  “Why? Who are you?” Ifra hadn’t heard anything about a girl.

  “I’m his niece.”

  “His niece? You are a Tanharrow too?”

  “Yes. I’m Violet. My mother was a Tanharrow.”

  “Luka didn’t mention you,” he murmured, and he wondered why. Was it because she was a girl? But fairy society had not struck him as especially patriarchal.

  “He doesn’t know about me,” Violet said, her voice flattening. “No one does. My father asked the Queen of the Longest Night to put a spell on me so no one would remember me or know I exist. So the fairy king couldn’t hurt me.”

  “Then why would you want me to take you to him?”

  “Because… I want to know… where my mother comes from. She died when I was little. I don’t know anything about fairies.”

  Ifra slid off the horse, but he wasn’t sure what else to do. She looked so sad. “I understand,” he said.

  “Do you? Does anyone? I’ve never had a friend.”

  Neither have I, he might have told her.

  “When you came out of the forest, I-I was really hoping you were just a lost traveler who’d have to stay the night, except nobody around here would look like you, not even Nimira. She’s from some other country but she’s boring. So I didn’t know what you were, or where you could possibly come from. It was like… I dreamed you up.” She didn’t look as scared of him as she ought to be.

  “I’m no dream.” Despite the cold air, his palms sweated. He’d never had much chance to be around girls his age. “I’m here to take your uncle away.”

  “So take me. I wouldn’t miss much. Celestina only scolds, and she never told me that I was too old to wear bows in my hair. How would I even know? I hardly ever go to town, I’m sick all winter, and Father is never home. Nimira and Uncle Erris don’t like me either. Maybe Uncle Erris does, but only because I remind him of my mother. Whenever we talk, he just goes on and on about his sisters. Well, they’re dead, aren’t they?” She screeched the last bit, her eyes flashing anger.

  “See,” she snapped, “I don’t even care if I scream at you because you won’t remember me tomorrow.”

  “I might,” he said.

  “No one does.”

  “But I’m a jinn. And most people won’t remember me either. I had to erase the memory of everyone I met along the way to find your uncle. And King Luka, when his wishes are granted, he’ll forget me too. Masters forget their jinns. After a little while, they think good fortune came on its own.”

  “Maybe we’ll both forget each other,” she said.

  “Possibly.”

  “Then we can say anything we want. It doesn’t matter.”

  Ifra glanced over his shoulder, unnerved by the way she peered up at him through a fringe of lashes, suddenly wishing the girl with braids hadn’t run off. But they were still alone. “I don’t think… we have much to say to each other.”

  “I do. I think you’re beautiful.” She rushed through the words.

  His cheeks warmed. “Don’t say such a thing! I’m dangerous.”

  “Do you have to do whatever your master wishes, because you’re a jinn?”

  He nodded, averting his eyes from her.

  “I wish…” She hesitated, and then she burst out, “That you’d kiss me.”

  “But you’re not my master.”

  “I wish I was.”

  “I’m not sure I do.” He smiled a little. He suspected it was rare anyone ever said no to this girl. Disciplined young women wouldn’t demand a kiss from a strange magical person who walked out of the forest.

  “You wouldn’t prefer me as a master over the fairy king?” Violet asked.

  “I would hope that if you are ever a jinn’s master, you would set him free.”

  “I would if you’d kiss me. Would you, if I was your master? I’m beautiful, aren’t I? Is it the hair bows?” She tugged one loose.

  Ifra shook his head. The way her hair suddenly spilled over her shoulder seemed indecorous.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Where I’m from, you only kiss if you’re married. And… you don’t look like the girls from home.” No, she wasn’t lovely and bewitching like some of the girls in the bazaar, but she did seem much more real.

  She scowled, her eyes dark in her pale face. “Celestina never told me how to talk to men. But of course I’m respectable. I’m a princess.”

  Ifra leaned in and pecked her forehead.

  That was definitely something a jinn should not do, unless they were trying to seduce their master into setting them free. But he would forget her anyway, possibly.

  She looked at him a moment, then quickly touched her lips. “One more time,” she said, reaching for his collar. “That didn’t really count.”

  She aimed for his lips this time, but he was suddenly shaken at the idea that he might kiss this strange Tanharrow girl. Developing feelings for any Tanharrow was the worst thing he could do. He turned so she met his cheek.

  Violet drew back, biting her lower lip.

  Just then, something shifted in his senses. Erris disappeared. It was as if he’d vanished from the world-no, there was still a slight tug back in the direction of the fairy kingdom-but just moments ago, Erris had been here. Close. “Does Erris have magic?” he asked her.

  “Why?” she said.

  “I don’t sense him here anymore. My magic… isn’t calling me here. It’s calling me back to Telmirra.”

  Violet looked confused. She shook her head.

  I have to follow where the magic tugs me. If I sense Erris in Te
lmirra, even if he isn’t there, I am still following orders. He could put off granting the wish even longer.

  Ifra heard sudden footsteps-the wind had obscured the sound, but now they were close, and Violet stiffened.

  “Someone’s looking for me! You’d better hurry.”

  “You don’t really want to come with me. Whoever I bring back, the fairy king will want to use for his own purposes. And surely your father will miss you when he does come home.” He looked at her seriously. “It’s painful to be torn from your home without knowing if you’ll ever see it again.”

  She frowned, cheeks flushed, in a tight, almost childish way and reached upward. “At least take me back to the house on your horse and act like you considered kidnapping me. I don’t want Nimira or Celestina to find me yet.”

  He couldn’t help but smile and pulled her up onto the horse.

  Chapter 10

  As I headed back to the house, the jinn and his mount were coming through the apple orchard. The white horse and the jinn with his gleaming gold seemed almost like an apparition haunting the winter-bare trees. Violet sat in front of him, clutching the saddle horn, looking pale. He whistled and the horse stopped, with a delicate snort.

  I held up my hands, but I stopped short of saying anything. What would I say, “Give her back”?

  He seemed to take note of my worried look. “Well. You should go,” he said to Violet. She had a strange, lifeless look as the jinn hooked his hands under her arms and lifted her off the horse.

  “I’m not interested in harming her,” he said.

  “What did you do to her?” I asked. “She looks like she’s had the life sucked out of her.”

  Violet coughed. “I’m fine. Really. I’m sorry I worried you, Nimira. I just wanted to… help Erris.” She walked over to me, but she kept looking back, as if the jinn had somehow bewitched her with those golden eyes of his.

  “Where is Prince Erris?” the jinn said. He glanced at the sun, which was beginning its afternoon dive.

  I shrugged, keeping my expression cool.