Death Rite Genie: An Urban Fantasy Folly Read online

  I saw the realization click as she pulled from me and smiled at the elderly Asian woman at the door. Kaede was my human half-sister, and she was younger than me. Thanks to djinni bottles, they kept us young the more we slept inside it. And gave us awkward family ties, especially if they were human.

  “And you’re just letting her cry out here when there’s good food inside?” Kaede beckoned her inside, a mischievous smile spreading over her face. “The first girl Mal brings over in years, and she’s in tears. I don’t know what that boy’s problem is.”

  “It’s not my fault,” I grumbled. Kaede could be embarrassing.

  Luce wiped her cheeks. “Mal’s helping me with—”

  “Her ex is stalking her. I figured she’d be safe here.” I shoved my hands in my pockets and headed toward the door.

  Kaede’s expression turned from playful to concerned and she opened the door wider. “Pops okay with this?”

  “She’s a chef, so I think he’ll be pleased.”

  Kaede laughed and shut the door behind us. “Can you make dumplings, Lucy?”

  She nodded.

  “Good, we need more help.” Kaede gestured at me. “This one can’t pinch worth his life.”

  I could pinch just fine. They just didn’t stay together once they were fried up.

  Kaede ushered Lucy forward, then smacked the back of my head. “Just friends?” she hissed.

  Great.

  I followed them into the large kitchen. Pops sat at the head of the table with a plate of steamed buns and a glass of water in front of him. Age had made him small. A few of my teenage “cousins” ate udon while absorbed in their phones and younger kids ran in and out of the kitchen.

  “Pops,” I said, “this is Lucy.”

  I held my breath, waiting to see how he acted. I’d told Pops all about her and how she’d claimed me as a master, a taboo for djinni, especially lightlighters like me. Officially, I’m a knight of the Fifth Court with the bureau, but they call agents lightlighters because we shine light on justice, and vow to never take mastery over a bottle.

  Realization poured over Pops as he eyed Lucy critically. “I’ve heard about you.” Clutching the shawl around his shoulders, he shoved a gyoza at her. “The pork needs more salt.”

  The test.

  “Pops.” Kaede’s strained voice held a twinge of amusement.

  Lucy grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks, stuffed a gyoza in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “You’re right.” She lowered her voice. “I’ll take care of it.”

  She passed the test. Pops could have what he wanted on Sundays.

  He smiled, his dimples creasing his cheeks. Pops and I looked alike. I had his cleft chin, but my fae mother’s eyes.

  “He helpin’ you again?” Pops asked.

  “Again?” Kaede placed the meat mixture and wrappers on the kitchen island. She smacked the back of my head again.

  Lucy rubbed her wrists and met my eyes, her teeth chattering. My house was warm for Pops, so her chill was a surefire sign her magic could manifest. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today.”

  I lifted a brow. Yeah, she’d made me a master, and I’d used all three wishes for her freewill, but she needed to cool it a bit with the honesty. We were among humans. Pursing her lips, she washed her hands, added more salt to the pork, and massaged the mixture together.

  She washed her hands again and pushed her sleeves up. The sight of her gold burns—melted wax-like scars adorning her wrists—still filled me with a mixture of anger and awe. A freed djinni was a rare sight, indeed. If anyone noticed, they were too polite to comment

  The gyozas were a hit. So was the back of my head.

  It was after eight, and while most of my relatives had left, I ducked into the laundry alcove, pulled out my phone, and called upon my blending powers—just to be safe. Mostly, my powers were passive and activated when I felt stressed or stood too still, and people tended to forget I was around unless I moved. But I could also use my power when needed. I woke up my phone. I’d received a few notifications from Web Smoke, and I didn’t want my human cousins to see it. It was an email from my new boss notifying the antiquities department that someone had stolen the Blarney Stone. I hated that my thoughts went to Penny Avalon, Lucy’s mother, but she was a notorious thief who’d proven she couldn’t give up that part of her life, even after Frankie died.

  Lucy wandered in the adjoining hallway and examined pictures lining the wall. She hadn’t noticed me yet, or she was probably ignoring me. A strange vibe had been coming off her since Kaede’s insistence that we should date. I hitched my shoulders, feeling Kaede’s impending head slap. But she wasn’t nearby, and I was still blending in with the shadows.

  Lucy frowned, her gaze tracking over the portraits. She rubbed the resin-encased four-leaf clover necklace between her fingers. The fresh clover smell of Frankie Avalon’s luck magic was enticing. I held my breath, staring at her. What was wrong with me? Lucy and I were friends. Great friends. I released my powers, feeling like a dick.

  I walked into the hall and she noticed me immediately when no one else would have.

  “You okay?”

  “Worried about my mom and Mags. I wish I knew how to start looking for them.” She bit her lip. “I’m scared I’m putting your family in danger, too. I should probably go.”

  I frowned. “Where would you go?”

  She shrugged. “A hotel’s probably safest.”

  I shook my head. “Not safe.”

  “But I can’t put your family at risk any more than I already have.”

  I squeezed her arm. “You’re not hurting anyone here, and by those pictures you showed me, I’d be worried if you were anywhere else.”

  “I haven’t heard from Mom or Mags.” She peered at me. “What if something—”

  “Don’t say those things, Lucy Avalon.” My fingers flexed on her shoulder. “Don’t think like that. It’s the most you can do for them right now.”

  She sighed so heavily, I felt it in my chest.

  I nudged her. “Let’s go to the park. Get fresh air. Talk about something else.”

  “I need to grab my bag.”

  I followed her into my room and closed the door. I had everything I needed to appear human. A double bed, a dresser, and clothes hanging in the closet. Lucy scooped up her tote and winced. It sounded like she’d upended a silverware drawer in it.

  “Really?” She stared inside the bag. “Did you go on a purging mission being tucked away this long? Come on. Return everything back inside.”

  I wanted to see what her bottle had leaked. I knew from our conversations over the last few months that her bottle was behaving oddly. I’d never heard of such a thing before. While she negotiated the terms for a sweatshirt, I pulled on a jacket.

  “Geeze, it’s not like I’m asking for a fur coat,” she muttered through chattering teeth.

  I caught a beguiling whiff of her wildflower-scented magic, and a fuzzy… something fluffed out of her bag.

  Her eyes widened as she pulled it completely free from her tote and held it in front of her. “At least it wasn’t a fur coat.”

  “Is it… alive?” It looked like a cross between a sasquatch and a Baja jacket. “What is that?”

  “I don’t even own something like this. She just makes things randomly for me. It’s real cute.” The quirk of her lips said otherwise. “Thanks, Alicia.”

  “Who’s Alicia?”

  “I’m trying out names for my bottle. Right now, she’s acting like an Alicia.”

  “All right.” I chuckled. “Are you ready?”

  We took the sidewalk to the park, and a comfortable silence surrounded us. Everything I wanted to say sounded flirtatious, but I didn’t believe now was the time.

  “There sure are a lot of places for sale,” she said. “Housing boom?”

  I frowned, scanning the other yards. Lucy bit her lip, and not for the first time I noticed that expression from her. When we’d had a djinni silk bo
nd that allowed me to hear her thoughts, I’d grown irritated with it because it was usually followed by some mental observation about my body, but now… it could mean anything. Navigating these unfamiliar waters with her was something I hadn’t prepared for. I walked backward, examining the houses, then turned back around, closer to her. “Hmm. Some of those are djinni signs.”

  “Just now?” Her voice rose in pitch. “Maybe I was followed.”

  “No, they aren’t new. I just never looked that hard at them. It’s the street in the Lantern that’s worrisome, not here.” I touched her arm as we walked across the grass. “Mom acting weird?”

  “Define weird.” She sat on a bench swing, dropping her bag on her feet. “We haven’t spoken much since I found out about her heist in the Faelands. She said it was an old obligation she had to see through, but I don’t believe her. She blames you because I wished for our djinni silk bond to be broken instead of curing my bad luck curse, you know.”

  Lucy lowered her face and stroked the long fur on her sleeve, but not before I saw her downcast expression. I motioned for her to make room on the swing, and she scooted over.

  I sat next to her, our shoulders and hips touching. “Me? You made that decision all on your own.” I couldn’t be more thankful she severed our bond on Rasputin’s bone.

  “I know. I told her so, too, but I guess she can’t accept it. However, she’s not bitter about it. We haven’t had to do anything crazy, and since magic forces me to be straightforward with my words a lot, we’ve had some honest conversations.”

  “And you’re working with your bottle.”

  She smiled. “Yeah. I redecorated the inside. It’s no longer a prison… but the outside still looks the same.”

  I remembered being embarrassed and disgusted with her I Dream of Jeannie styled bottle. “Have you been able to sleep an entire night in it yet?”

  “Not yet,” she whispered. “But I try every night.”

  “It’s good you’re doing that. Eventually, your bottle will dematerialize, and you can ditch the old lady purse.”

  She laughed softly and rested her head on my shoulder. I stiffened, wanting to cradle her close and promise her things would work out, that I’d take care of everything. But I couldn’t.

  “I like my purse.” Her feet jostled the bag. “Next, it’ll be quilted with cats and dolls on it.”

  “It’d clash with your chucks.”

  “Good point.” She straightened and bit her lip.

  “What’s wrong?” When she didn’t answer, I bumped her shoulder with mine. “I know you’re holding something back.”

  “Well… Mags and I were fighting over… This sounds silly saying it out loud.” She peeked at me. “Privacy. Which is stupid because now they’re missing, and all I’m doing is having fun with your family tonight. I should be looking for them.”

  “Don’t feel guilty. We couldn’t have done anything without contacting the bureau today when someone was in your house.”

  “I should’ve been able to do something on my own about it, instead of crying to you.” She huffed. “It’s what Mom would’ve done.”

  “Stop beating yourself up. You’ve done nothing wrong.” I dipped my head. “Pops likes you. So does Kaede.”

  “I’m glad I made a good impression.”

  “Thanks for being cool about my fake cover with my family.” I pushed the bench swing back and forth.

  Streetlights were on, and if I listened hard enough, I imagined I’d hear someone call us home. I tilted my head, observing her. I felt electric around her, but maybe she didn’t feel the same now since we’d torn our djinni silk bond. I should ask, but I couldn’t force myself to.

  “So… about those pies you promised me.”

  She flushed. “I’m good for them.”

  “That’s what you say, but I still haven’t had a single pie, and it’s been five months.”

  Countless emotions flickered over her face too fast for me to identify. She moved to stand.

  I stood with her and grabbed her hand. “You okay?”

  Lucy tugged away. “No, obviously. My mom and Mags are missing, she left me a warning that I’m in danger, and I’m sitting in a park with you!”

  I stuffed my hands in my pockets, ignoring the sting. “I want to check out your house, but not during the night when you have a realty sign in your yard. So, we’ll wait for tomorrow. There’s nothing to be done right now.” And I certainly would not bring up that the Blarney Stone had been stolen. Penny probably wasn’t connected with that.

  “Then why the park?” she asked.

  “I’m waiting for Kaede to leave.” I shot her a sheepish look. “She wants me to find a nice djinni girl to settle down with, apparently. And you’re the first she’s met.”

  Lucy glared. “She said you’ve brought girls around before.”

  I laughed. “Uh, yeah. When we were in high school. Humans. She wants someone for me long-term. She likes you.”

  “You can give her the bad news that you don’t like me in that way.” She picked up her bag and began heading out of the park.

  “You’ve been doing that all day. I haven’t been hit upside the head so much in decades.” I frowned. “And you’ve never confirmed with me.”

  She whirled on me, her expression tight. “You made it clear you weren’t interested when you said we should be just friends. I’m not an idiot.”

  “I asked for time.” I closed the distance between us. “I’ve invited you out here before, but you always had something else to do.”

  She gaped. “Yeah. Working with my mom. In other countries.”

  “And as you found out, Council Bluffs is less than ten miles from Omaha. Why couldn’t you visit when you were home?”

  “Why couldn’t you visit?”

  “Because my father is old!” I glared. “I don’t have much time left with him. I want these minutes.”

  “Then why are you out here with me, arguing with me about the time I’ve been giving you, instead of spending it with him?”

  “Dammit, Lucy. I’ve had the time. I’m looking right at you, wondering if I should kiss you now or wait until we solve this problem.”

  “I don’t want you to kiss me because you feel obligated to keep a promise.”

  My shoulders sagged. “You think it’s only because I promised to kiss you the next time I saw you. Not because I want to?” I would have too, if she hadn’t been crying.

  “Yeah.” She sniffed haughtily. “I don’t even want you to keep the promise.”

  I scoffed, straightening my shoulders. “Understood.”

  Lucy stormed toward the street.

  “Hey! Avalon!” I chased after her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Somewhere else. Somewhere not with you.” Lucy clenched her eyes shut.

  “Why are you acting like this?”

  “Because I don’t want to be just a promise to you.”

  My mouth fell briefly open before I snapped it shut, a sensation I didn’t know how to name pressing against my ribs. “And I don’t want to be the only way you solve your problems.”

  “I’ve never thought that!”

  “Then why have you avoided me since you got back to Nebraska? Why is it that when you have a problem, you finally show up, but not before, huh? Why did you stay away?”

  “Because I’m embarrassed!” she exploded. “I threw myself at you the whole time we were bonded, and you rejected me.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “I understand why, but that doesn’t stop the feelings. Joking about a promise you never meant to give hurts.”

  I pulled back and averted my eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you. I thought you… We’re…”

  “We’re awesome friends.” She sounded tired.

  “This was easier when we were bonded. I could just read your thoughts or emotions and understand where you’re coming from.”

  She snorted. “Now we have to actua
lly talk to each other.”

  I shot her a strained smile. “I’m willing to listen.”

  “Good news, I’m actively working on being straightforward and open with my words, so you’ll hear a lot from me.”

  “Okay, so this is how it’ll go. We communicate with our words and just…” I didn’t know what to end that with. “Be friends” sounded lame, but I didn’t know what else to say.

  “Let’s just be friends. No flirting. Okay?” She held her fist out to me.

  I felt something slip away from me, something I wanted, and I didn’t know how to stop it. I bumped my fist against hers. “Sounds good. We’ll head out to your place in the morning.”

  Luce gave a few false starts to whatever she was thinking, then sighed and nodded. “I’m on board with this plan.”

  More than one thing was certain: I missed her sarcasm, and I had a crush on Lucy Avalon.

  Chapter 3

  I stared out the passenger window, listening to the road noise of the highway the next day. I’d slept poorly because of the same recurring nightmare of the moment I found out I was a djinni and my ex trapped me in a bottle.

  Bottles were a djinni’s most important aspect of their existence. Not only was it a pocket realm that could store an infinite number of things with an inexhaustible amount of magic—only available when inside the bottle. Most bottles dematerialized and could be redecorated countless times. However, once you wore gold, it was a prison to the whims of masters and wishes.

  That happened to me.

  I’d lived to my mid-twenties believing I was human until my sleazy ex-fiancé tricked me with a pair of gold bangles and sold me off to clear his gambling debts. Because of his trickery, I had horrendous gold burns on my wrists, and my bottle did not behave normally. That part might be because I’d been lied to my entire life.

  Unfortunately, I woke up inside my bottle and nearly had a panic attack. I couldn’t blame her. My bottle was beginning to understand it wasn’t her fault. When I’d left her early this morning, a container of the fancy Havarti cheese I loved appeared next to me.

  I totally ate cheese on Malware Tanaka’s bed.