Passion Read online

  Rowan grinned at me. “Yes, well I guess she is a rather special specimen.” Again, he appraised me with his eyes. If I wasn’t so into his brother Torrid, I would have felt a flush go up my neck to cover my face.

  “Indeed.” He stepped back and looked at me. “All you need, young lady, is to drink up your canister of water and a hearty meal and you're good to go.”

  “That’s good to hear,” I said, flattered by his assessment of my health, but feeling more tired than he seemed to think I should.

  “Well, my work here is done,” he said as he collected his odd assortment of devices and tools and packed them away in a multicolored cloth bag. “Should you require my services again, my young lady, it would be my pleasure.” He turned to Rowan and nodded before leaving us.

  “Somehow I don’t feel as impressive as he seemed to think. In fact I feel rather overwhelmed.”

  “Not that I doubt you're healthy and strong, but I think he was more taken in by your beauty than anything else.”

  I felt a rush of heated blood come to my cheeks. “Well, that’s very sweet, but I hardly think a doctor would be so taken in.” I snorted and made a face. “Puh-leeze!”

  Rowan lips curled up in amusement. “You’d be surprise.”

  A djinn entered the tent and set a lunch tray nearby. After thanking him, Rowan brought the tray to me.

  I finished my canister and grabbed a big glass of water and gulped down half of it, then stood. “We have to hurry if we’re going to find Torrid.”

  “Eat first,” he ordered.

  “And I think the best way to find Torrid is to find Liam first.”

  He pushed the lunch plate toward me and was about to insist I eat, but his eyes darkened. He pursed his lips as though he’d eaten too many lemons while his fingers lingered over the edge of the plate. “Liam,” he echoed. “That’s the little human being you had a relationship with before Torrid, right?” I was surprised by the jealous expression on his face.

  I resisted the urge to glare at him and simply gazed at him calmly and with as much maturity as my eighteen year old self could. “Liam is not ‘a little human being.’ He’s a lifelong friend who has always been there for me. And, yes, I did have a romantic relationship with him. Is that a problem?”

  “I apologize. I didn’t mean to sound judgmental. From what I’ve learned, Liam is related to the man who is behind all this.”

  “And would you condemn him for that.”

  He straightened his shoulders and seemed at a loss for words a long moment. Shifting back and forth, then from one foot to the other, he parted his lips to speak, then clammed shut, opting to remain silent. “Okay,” he finally blurted out. “Let’s start over. So you want to find Liam in order to find Torrid. Fine. Eat and we’ll go looking for Liam.”

  I laughed, charmed and amused by his awkward moment. “Look, Liam is Pim Seer’s son and, yes, Pim Seer is the governor of Arcadia and, I guess, to a certain degree responsible for what’s happening, but Liam isn’t a part of it. He’s innocent in all this and deserves my help.”

  “So it’s not just a matter of getting him to help you find Torrid. You want to find him… period.”

  “I want to find and help as many people as I can, and, yes, Torrid and Liam are at the top of my list. Now, are you with me or are you just going to keep arguing the point?” I crossed my arms in front of me and turned away from Rowan. He was reminding too much of Torrid…the way he looked, the way he frustrated me when it came to Liam. Heavens, I missed Torrid.

  “I reserve the right to form an opinion of this little human… hmmm, sorry, this fine young man you know so well, but if he’s going to help you find Torrid, then I’m with you. I want to find him before anything…”

  He stopped himself and I felt my heart jump to my throat. “What?”

  “Don’t listen to me. That’s just the normal fears of an older brother. I know Torrid is more than capable, but I still can’t help being a big brother.”

  “Right,” I said, unconvinced. “I know. Torrid is smart. That’s why my father sent him to be with me,” I muttered in a robotic and automatic tone.

  “Don’t let this psych you out. What do we have to do to find this Liam person? How much back up do you want? A few soldiers? A small battalion? A whole army?”

  “No. None of that. I know Arcadia better than any of your soldiers, and I think I know where we can find Liam.”

  “Just me and you… and this human.”

  “If you're too chicken to come, you could stay here and wait,” I said with open hostility. Though I felt such a passionate love for Torrid, I still felt an unbelievable affection and devotion to Liam whom I had desperately wanted to marry before when my Life’s Plan went awry. I definitely felt protective of him. A friendship we had and a close romantic one where he knew me so well for years is hard to leave behind. “I mean, if you're afraid to face a little human being all by yourself.”

  Rowan laughed. “You sure have a way with words. By the way, my fear is not for myself but for you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, save it for the girl you want to woo. As for me, let’s just hightail it out of here and find Liam.”

  “Your faith in this human is that strong?”

  Putting aside the playful or not so playful banter, I turned to him and looked him square in the eye. “Yes, Rowan, honestly and truly, I have that much faith in Liam. I would put my life in his hands in a heartbeat.”

  Our eyes remained locked for a long moment, mine with certainty and conviction, and his with lifelong suspicion and distrust of humans.

  “Not all humans are like Pim Seer, Rowan. I know that may be hard to believe, but most humans are pretty decent. A little misguided sometimes, but still decent.”

  “I understand, but this is the son of the man who created all this…”

  “And Liam was devastated when he learned of that. The moment he comes into power he wants to change so many things. He’s dead set against much of what his father brought to Arcadia.”

  “I hope you're right,” he said after a long silence. “When everything finally settles down, Arcadia is going to need a strong leader who has the good of the people at heart. As Crowned Prince of all djinns, I’m expected to mend relations between humans and djinns. That task would be far simpler if I could find several humans I could trust.”

  “And Liam is that person you could trust. He’s an honorable man and he’ll make a strong leader. I know it must be hard for you to trust, but, please, trust me, follow me, and you’ll see for yourself the kind of man Liam is.”

  A hopeful glimmer came to his eyes as he nodded and I couldn’t resist hugging him. “Everything will be all right,” I said, amused by the shift. I was now the one reassuring him. “Someday everything truly will be perfect… for humans and djinns.”

  I reached out to take his hand and saw the surprised arch of his brow. “Come on.” I led him outside the tent and headed to the edge of the park that now served as a djinn encampment. On the street I looked for a car. “If we can find a car, we’ll make it to the other side of town in about fifteen minutes. Beats walking there.”

  “Or we can fly and be there in five minutes. Beats driving.”

  I shot him a dubious glance.

  “Well, if you don’t trust me enough to fly with me, maybe you can fly there yourself. Has Torrid taught you yet?”

  “Fly? Me? No, he didn’t teach me that. I didn’t even know it was a possibility.”

  “It certainly is. All djinns can fly, though some better than others. Most soar effortlessly, control dips and banks with ease, while a few kind of struggle to maintain control. And then there’s the young blood who think they know everything so they fly in a haphazard way, flying into walls, trees, or each other.”

  “You don’t really make it seem too appealing. I mean, I’m young… who says I’ll get the hang of it?”

  “You're also General Adar’s daughter. Not only are you destined to fly, but you're destined to soar over and
above everyone.”

  “You really think so?”

  “Want me to teach you how?”

  He flashed me one of the most charming grins I’d ever seen and if I didn’t care so much for his brother, I would have melted. Prince Rowan was a charmer. I immediately thought of Torrid. The two djinn princes had charm and masculine sensuality pouring out of them like a second skin. Any female taking a good look at them would easily fall for their charms. I swallowed, looking down. More than anything I wanted to see that charming grin on Torrid’s face. I wanted to know he was all right and I wanted to hear the sound of his voice.

  My voice caught in my throat for a moment. “I want whatever it will take to get to Torrid as fast as we can.”

  Rowan’s gaze softened with understanding. “Then all you have to do is use your desire to find Torrid to make it happen. Concentrate on levitating… just like this.” Without the slightest effort he rose and hovered several inches off the ground. “Desire it, Kama. Think of what it is that you really want and simply come with me into the air. Float away and soar to the destination of your choice.”

  “I don’t know. What if I…?”

  “Take my hand, keep your eyes on me and trust in the magic you have within you. I’m right here if anything goes wrong. We’ll start out hovering low and speed up and soar higher as you get more comfortable with the notion.”

  I settled my hands into his, closed my eyes and envisioned Torrid standing in front of me. As his face came to my mind’s eye, a fluttering of weightlessness shook me and for a moment I felt a wave of panic.

  I peeked at Rowan from under my lashes and his hands tightened over mine. “Don’t worry. You're doing fine.”

  Closing my eyes, I felt the movement of air through my hair and knew we were advancing, though barely.

  “You're doing great.”

  For a few moments, I hovered unsteadily, advanced awkwardly and hovered again, but soon I was steady and sure of my ability… so long as Rowan held onto me.

  “You’ve already got the hang of it, but now I need you to open your eyes and tell me where we’re going.”

  I let out a little girlish yelp when I opened my eyes and saw that we were hundreds of feet off the ground. “Oh, my God. I didn’t think we were so high. I thought we were just hovering a few feet off the ground. You said we’d stay low until I got the hang of it.”

  “But you do have the hang of it. You're like an old pro.”

  “That may be, but don’t let go.” I squeezed his fingers tightly, afraid he’d release me and I’d float away.

  “I’ll hold onto you as long as you need, I promise. Now, where to?”

  “The governor’s mansion.”

  He stopped and we hovered high in the air while confused crows circled us, cawing all the while.

  “The governor’s mansion? You really want to lead me to the lion’s den, don’t you?”

  “Don’t look at it that way. Look, I’m sure Liam is there. Don’t bail out on me now, Rowan. As you asked me to trust you in flying there, I’m asking you to trust me in where I’m leading you, please?” I tugged on his hand and led the way.

  He gave me a soft look that would warm any girl’s heart and sighed. “No wonder why my brother would do anything for you, Kama. With those eyes of yours, looking so earnest and sweet, it takes a strong or heartless man to refuse you anything.”

  Chapter 4

  Within minutes we landed on the front porch of the governor’s mansion. I felt the tension in Rowan’s hand and as I let go of him, I saw his agitated scan of his surroundings. I’d never imagined he could be so intimidated.

  The house was silent and showed no signs of life. I tried the front door only to find it locked.

  “Let’s go around to the back yard. The back door is often open.”

  On entering the yard, I was instantly brought back to a happier time. Though the yard was now lifeless and portions of the lawn showed signs of damage from the shards of glass that had fallen, I could still see the white flowers, the satin ribbons and the hundreds of people who’d attended my eighteenth birthday, the age I was waiting for, hoping with it came a Life’s Plan that would include Liam.

  It’d been so special, and yet, when I looked back, it’d been the beginning of the end of the life I’d envisioned for myself.

  “Come on. I’ll try the door.” I climbed the steps to the patio and heard movement from the balustrade nearby. Then I saw him, the unmistakable broad-shouldered figure of the man I first loved.

  He stood tall and strong, but sad as he looked out over the rose garden, his handsome profile outlined against the sun. My breath caught as I remembered how just one glance from him once could send me into a frenzy. I felt a wave of emotion for him. How could I not? I’d known him for so long and had shared so much with him. I’d planned my life around him… around this very house.

  “You okay?” Rowan said as he came up beside me.

  “There he is.”

  “Then let’s go see him.”

  I put my hand to his arm to stop him. “I think it’s better if I go see him alone… at least to start with.”

  Swallowing the growing ball of angst, I took a tentative step toward Liam. Secretly hoping he’d hear my footsteps, I was reluctant to break his silent reverie. Guilt built up, leaving me feeling selfish and heartless. I knew he was still pained by our break up, and here I was coming to him to ask for help finding my new love.

  “Liam,” I whispered, hearing the pain in my own voice.

  He turned, inhaling deeply as he did so. “I had a feeling you were here,” he said, solemnly and suddenly so tired. His blues eyes met mine. “I don’t know if I smelled that sweet fragrance that always follows you everywhere, or just sensed your presence, but a sudden and very clear picture of you came to my mind out of nowhere.” He stared at me, taking me all in from head to toe.

  “How are you, Liam?”

  Shrugging, he leaned back against the balustrade. “As good as I can be under the circumstances. How have you been?”

  “Things have been pretty rough, but I’m okay.”

  Softening his gaze, his hand rose as if to reach for me, but he quickly brought it back to his side. A tentative smile came to his lips. “You look as beautiful as always; a little disheveled, but great. I’m really happy to see you, Kama, but I don’t understand what you're doing here. I thought you were… well, with… you know. I thought you were with someone else… with that Torrid guy.”

  I saw the hope in his eyes. “I was worried about you,” I said genuinely concerned about him. “Everything has been so crazy these past weeks, and these past few days...”

  Grinning, he came to me, pulled me into his arms and said, “God, I missed you, Kama,” as he bent his head down and kissed me with such urgency and passion, I lost my breath.

  Then I remembered Torrid and pulled back. “Liam, I…”

  Though he continued to smile, I saw the hard line that came to his eyes as he backed away. He averted my gaze and turned his attention to a low hanging branch that still had a few burnt and dried leaves clinging to it. “Come on, Kama,” he finally said in a throaty tone. “I know you, remember? What did you really come out here for?”

  He looked up at me, but his gazed flickered over my shoulder and the hard line that’d come to his eyes intensified. He’d spotted Rowan.

  “Oh, now I get it,” he said, biting back on the bitterness.

  “We have to hurry, Kama,” Rowan said as he came to stand beside me.

  “Liam,” I said, ignoring Rowan. “Torrid has been caught.”

  His jaw tightened as did his fists, but he maintained his composure. “Where is he?”

  “That’s what I was hoping you’d tell me.”

  He shrugged.

  “A band of Catchers got a hold of him while we were in the Coliseum. I thought you might know where they would take him.”

  “Kama,” he said. “I’m a Catcher now.”

  I heard a gasp escape me
and was surprised by the sound. My heart thundered with panic and uncertainty. “Liam, no.”

  “Don’t look at me like that, Kama. I can’t stand it. I’m not the kind of Catcher you think. I’m the leader of a group of Catchers who only want to capture Rogue Magical Ones.” He took my hand. “I know you’re half-djinn, Kama. Although you’re no longer with me, I could never harm you like that, catch you like some common Magical One.”

  “Oh, Liam,” I said with a heavy sigh. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. That’s wonderful, and I know you’ll do a great job.” I turned to look at Rowan and gestured for him to approach. “And I know the Crowned Prince of the djinns will be happy, too.”

  “The who? Crowned Prince? Of the djinns.”

  “Yes.” I hooked my arm into Rowan’s. “Liam, this is Rowan, the Crowned Prince of the Nethers, of the djinns.”

  They stared at each other for a tense moment.

  “You're a Catcher,” Rowan stated simply.

  Liam nodded.

  “So you must know where they’re keeping my brother, right?”

  A sure and confident smile came to Liam’s lips and in that moment I saw a maturity in him that had never been there before. There was a strength in his shoulders that had not been there before, a gleam of wisdom in his eyes.

  A sense of pride in Liam rose in me, and my faith he’d become a strong and empathetic leader, was strengthen. This was a Liam I’ve caught glimpses of throughout the time we’ve grown up together, but now looking at him, he had become more confident and bold.

  “I have an idea where Catchers would bring such a coveted prize such as Torrid. I doubt they…”

  “So that means you’ll help me… us.”

  “As strange as it may sound, I want to see Kama happy, and if that means bringing her to Torrid, then yes, I’ll help… her.”

  “I… I really appreciate it,” I said, touching his shoulder.

  His eyes bore into mine then. “Just because we’re no longer a couple doesn’t mean I no longer care for you. I’ll admit it hurts, a little more than I would have ever thought, but I accept your decision. I still want to consider you a close friend and I hope you’ll always think of me as a good friend.”