A nonplussed expression crossed his face. "Does itmatter?"
I sighed and let out a wet, drunk little laugh. "It does.Unfortunately."
Martin lifted one powerful shoulder in a shrug. "Nothen."
"I'm aJinn."
His eyes widened as understanding filled them. "Ah. The magical object was you," he said. "That puts some things into perspective." His lips thinned. "But why are you telling methis?"
"Because by now the entire town knows it. All of my protective spells have failed and I can no longer castglamour."
Martin bit into his cupcake and I was a little bit distracted by the sight of his white teeth biting into something I'd made. He had a touch of icing on his bottom lip which he quickly lickedoff.
Everything inside of metightened.
"Whathappened?"
I filled him in about the visit from Portia Kadish. I told him how careful I was to conceal my identity at all times. But Martin interrupted me in the middle of myspeech.
"So this was why Jeff Hunt dumpedyou?"
"Not because I was ajinn."
He snorted. "No. Because you wouldn't give himsomething."
Inodded.
"What a tool," hemuttered.
"It gets worse." When I told him about my friends and what they had done, and added in that she wouldn't allow me to cast any protective or glamour magic for the foreseeable future, I could see his fistsclench.
"That's outrageous," he said, his teeth bared in anger. "People will try to use you, Ms.Harper."
"Katie," I corrected automatically. "That's what she wants, I think. For me to figure itout."
Martin sighed and polished off the rest of his cupcake. "There are rumors - " hebegan.
"Three times," I interrupted. "I've been left at the altar threetimes."
He held my gaze and even though I'd had way too much wine and swayed in my seat, I felt like maybe Martin understoodme.
"I'm sorry, Katie," he said and I could tell he really meantit.
"Thanks," I whispered and took in a shaky breath. I raised my wine glass to take a sip, but Martin gently extricated it from myhand.
"Maybe I should get you somewater."
I sniffled again and the first tear leaked onto mycheek.
Martin made a strangled noise. "Please don't cry. Look, it's okay. All of this will be fine. Who's to say anyone will try to take advantage of you now that Jeff is out of thepicture?"
I let out a sobbing chuckle. "You really think it's that easy? I'm like a walking talking wishing well. People will know they can make requests of me." I spoke the secret very few people outside of the Jinn family knew. "And if they word it a certain way I am obligated to grant it." This was the thing that made it so dangerous for my identity to berevealed.
His eyebrows rose. "Wait." He let out a strangled laugh. "You're saying if someone knows what to say you could essentially be takenhostage?"
I nodded. "But the knowledge was lost long ago. People don't know much about us anymore, only that we have wish grantingabilities."
He shook his head. "Information might get lost, but I can guarantee you someone knows about it. You might be safe forever or you might not be safe at all." His dark gaze met mine. "What in the world was Portiathinking?"
