“I already told you I wasn’t interested in whatever toys you had hidden in there, Ezra.”
“Oh, I think you’re very interested.” He gave me a lopsided grin and sauntered past to grab another box. “But now isn’t the time. If you’d take your mind out of the gutter long enough, you’d notice the rain has lessened.”
“You smug asshole, it was pouring not even five minutes ago and you know it!”
He stepped closer, until the cardboard pressed against my chest, and he towered over me. “Let me get you back to my home safely, Rani, then I’ll let you play with all the toys you want.”
I glared and picked up my duffel, then grumbled my whole way out to the driveway. The rain was far from gone, and my hair was damp within seconds, but I could actually see where I was walking, so our countdown had officially begun. After all, if we could move around outside, so could the djinn. They were coming.
Thunder rolled in answer to my ominous thoughts, and the wind picked up. I was on my way back up the drive when I heard my name. It was faint, like a far-off shout, but I definitely heard it. Spinning around, my eyes widened as I saw Eryn hanging out of the passenger window of Kai’s truck.
They came tearing up the drive and parked behind our own getaway vehicle. How in the hell had they gotten here so fast? And why? Weren’t we goingtothem? Eryn hopped down the second the wheels came to a stop, snarling something to Kai behind her. He was probably scolding her for getting out without using him as a shield. He was just as overprotective as Ezra.
“We came to help!” Eryn shouted with that familiar determined set to her jaw.
Oh my God, I missed her. I didn’t realize just how much until I saw her in front of me, ready to kick some djinn ass in my name. All my worries were swept away by the next gust of wind. Those evil bastards didn’t stand a chance. Fat raindrops mixed with the hovering mist in a warning. It looked like the storm was gearing up for a second peak.
I heard my name called once again and glanced over my shoulder to see Ezra stepping onto the front porch.
“I think there’s still a few things left to grab, but we can probably get it all loaded before the next round of rain,” I shouted, waving at Eryn and Kai to hurry up.
I turned, inviting them to follow, and watched as Ezra tore from the house in a beeline for me.
“No!” Horror lined his face as he looked past to whatever he saw over my shoulder.
Warning bells rang in my head, and everything moved in slow motion; the raindrops, the swinging branches along the driveway, even Ezra’s steps appeared too slow, like he’d never reach me. The sky lit with another flash of light, adding to the already menacing atmosphere.
Turning on my heel, I wanted to ask Kai and Eryn what was wrong, but they weren’t there. No best friend, no truck, no protection. In their place, spread in a half circle across the front lawn, were five djinn. The increasing rain made it hard to distinguish their features, but I didn’t need to see their feral grins to feel the malice radiating off them.
I backed away, keeping them in my sights. The storm was right above us once more, drenching my clothes and forcing water into my eyes. Were they getting closer, or was I just not moving fast enough?
“Run!” Ezra screamed, before his voice was cut off with a grunt.
There was no time to look behind me. The phantom pain in my gut and the sounds of fighting told me all I needed to know about running toward the house. More djinn surrounded Ezra, and he had a better chance of fighting them off if he didn’t have to worry about me.
Fuck, but I was worried. Could I hold my own against five of them? I was about to find out.
Before they could gain any more ground, I bolted to the left, dodging between the thick bushes that made up the fancylandscaping and vowed to never call them ugly again. My feet hit the grass, and I slid. Mud and water—so much water—made running almost impossible; I was going to break an ankle.
Still, I pushed on, slipping and falling, and at one point, crawling to safety. Except nowhere was safe, not with the barrier down. The djinn kept between me and the house, never allowing me a window to see what became of Ezra or even a wish for a chance to lock myself behind the heavy doors. They were closing in.
One djinn suddenly appeared in front of me, only visible because of the lightning, and a scream left my lips as I fell back. He reached for my ankle and growled as his fingers slipped off wet skin. I kicked at his hand while scrambling back to my feet. Gasping now, soaked to the bone and terrified, I did the only thing I could and broke away from the yard toward the cliffside.
The thing about a rainstorm on the coast was that it churned up the ocean. Currents and undertows combined to make massive waves. Salt sprayed into the air, and ocean mist carried it far from its home to mix with the fresh water falling from the sky. Meaning the strength of my power waseverywhere, and I was no longer afraid to tap into it.
With a hoarse cry, I flung my hand out at the djinn attacking me and imagined all the raindrops turning into little knives. I willed the water to do my bidding, to protect me, and begged the storm to channel her anger into my magick. Answering thunder covered the sound of their cries, but I knew my marks landed.
Not enough, though.
The remaining djinn had weapons of their own. Steel flashed in each of their hands, and I knew they would like nothing more than to bury it in the soft flesh of my body. My escape route stood proud behind me, like a launch pad to freedom. I only had to conquer my fear and take a leap of faith.
Easier said than done when every singular cell in my body opposed this idea. But it was either jump or die, and I already swore that death was not an option. With a plea on my lips, I dove from the cliff.
Down, down, down to the dark raging waters below. A jump from that high sent me deep, but even under here, the storm took root.
Flipping ass over head and around like a cyclone, I couldn’t get my neck back above water. Nothing but darkness greeted me, an eerily similar sight to the night I died. It all came roaring back: the loneliness, the silence, the pounding, deep pressure on my chest because my lungs were screaming for oxygen.
God, I just wanted to breathe.
