The low rumble that came out of Khalid was, Lucien realized, actually a word. Upon further reflection, it was the word, “What?”
Lucien understood the man’s consternation. Losing one’s promised fiancée must be a very troubling thing, especially without any kind of prior notice. He felt for the man, but what had been done was not as easily undone. All Lucien could offer now was an explanation. “We are already married. As Imari said, this is a conversation better had else—”
The razor tip of Khalid’s staff was suddenly in Lucien’s face. “How dare you?”
Lucien wasn’t prepared to go full reaper just yet. That felt like too much of an escalation. And he was hoping that with a full explanation, this could all be worked out. “It was the only way to protect her. We’d be happy to give you the whole story once you get that weapon out of my face.”
Khalid stayed exactly where he was.
With a loud, exasperated sigh, Imari pushed the staff away. “Khalid, enough. What Lucien said is correct. It was the only way to protect me. Now, please, do the right thing and let me go.”
“Break our betrothal? Never,” he snarled.
She grimaced. “You act as if we were madly in love and inseparable when the truth is we’ve been promised since birth but don’t know the first thing about each other. We don’t love each other. We don’t even know each other.”
“This isn’t about love,” he growled. “This is about—”
“Honor and order,” she finished. “Yes, I know. That’s also why I didn’t want to have this conversation here.” She crossed her arms. “And since I still have to break the news to my parents, why don’t we go there and have this all out?”
He lowered his staff, planting the end on the ground. “They will disown you. You will never be allowed to return home.”
“Sadly, I’m prepared for that. Now, do you want to hear the whole story, or would you rather be mad and pouty?”
Khalid’s dark brows pulled together in consternation. “I am not pouty.”
“Happens to the best of us,” Lucien muttered.
Khalid arrowed in on him. “What was that?”
“Nothing.” He returned to Imari’s side, certain she was no longer in any immediate danger, and put his hand on her back. “Lead the way.”
She looked at Khalid. “Are you coming or not?”
“Of course I am coming.”
She uncrossed her arms. “Then we’re going to need a bigger carpet.”
Khalid cut his eyes at Lucien. “I am not sharing with this jinabi.”
“What did you call me?”
Imari snorted. “It just means foreigner.”
“Well. I am that.” Then he thought about what Imari had said. A bigger carpet? For what? And as for Khalid not wanting to share… Lucien kept all emotion from his face and held his tongue, even though his immediate response was to smirk and say, “Too late.”
Imari ignored them both and headed for the rugs surrounding the pool. In a couple spots, there were piles of rugs still rolled up. She grabbed one of those, hoisted it over her shoulder, and brought it back.
“I could have helped you with that,” Lucien said.
She shrugged as she dropped the rug to the ground. “I’m stronger than I look.”
“I have no doubt of that.”
Khalid had also picked out a carpet.
Imari unrolled the one she’d chosen, then stepped on and took a seat cross-legged before patting the spot next to her.
Lucien sat, sudden realization lighting upon him. “Is this what I think it is?”
She smiled. “Depends. What do you think it is?”
He wasn’t sure he wanted to say. Sure, he was a grim reaper, and he’d seen more types of supernaturals come through Insomnia than he could count, but this was something different. This wasn’t the kind of magic he’d come across before. “It’s…a magic carpet?”
“Winner, winner, chicken tagine dinner.” She laughed. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
He snorted. “No. Many types of reapers, War Angels included, actually do ride horses, and just so you know, those horses fly.”
Her eyes widened a little. “Now that would be a fun ride.”
“It was.” He turned to look out toward the horizon. “But Phantom was reassigned when I retired.”
“Sorry about that.” She touched his arm. “I didn’t mean to bring up a bad memory.”
He smiled at her. “You didn’t. I miss him a little, but I have a garage full of horsepower now.”
She laughed. “That you do.”
“Speaking of, show me what this thing can do.”
“You got it.” She gave a command in jinn, and the carpet went taut, then lifted into the air and off they went.
The ride was far smoother than Lucien had expected. It was a little like sitting on a firm water bed, fluid in that kind of way, but he felt secure.
The ground beneath them fell away, and he could see the extent of the oasis they’d been in. “Where are we exactly?”
“The Chaos Realm. It’s the world of the jinn.”
He peered over the side. “Doesn’t look very chaotic.”
“It’s well controlled.”
“It must be.”
“It has to be. Or things would go bad very quickly.”
They followed a swath of palms to the east. A road had been carved through the center. It all seemed very well planned. The palms were all perfectly aligned, the road was surfaced with shell-shaped pavers, and tall brass lighting fixtures curled up from the ground at regular intervals. Well controlled was beginning to make a lot of sense.
If he’d leaned over and trailed his hand below the carpet, he swore he could have touched the palms. Every now and then, a bird darted past and into the foliage.
The palms below fanned out on the other side of the road, then smaller roads forked off the main one, all at even intervals. At the end of each road were more beautiful homes. Not the size and grandeur of the palace he’d seen, but stunning nonetheless. And they seemed to get larger the deeper in they flew. Again, all in a very symmetrical, planned way.
He glanced over his shoulder. Khalid wasn’t far behind on his own carpet. And he was glaring daggers at Lucien.
Lucien rolled his eyes and went back to sightseeing. Khalid was entitled to his feelings, but this wasn’t a place anyone outside of the jinn could access, so Lucien might as well take it in. He would be dealing with Khalid, and Imari’s parents, soon enough.
Imari gave another command, and the carpet descended and veered right to follow one of the side roads.
The home at the end of that road was a sprawling fortress of blue-tile-capped turrets, polished sandstone, and undulating curves.
The carpet slowed, and they sailed past intricate gardens laden with fruit trees and more types of palms than he’d known existed.
Guards patrolled the grounds, and it suddenly occurred to Lucien that if Khalid was a prince, he wouldn’t be betrothed to just any woman.
Who was Imari, exactly? Or perhaps the question was, who were her parents?
The carpet came to rest in the courtyard outside the main doors, which were a pair of intricately carved, arched wood panels at least ten feet tall and just as wide.
He got to his feet, offering Imari a hand, as the doors opened.
An older man in a long embroidered robe came out to greet them. “Welcome home, Imari.”
She gave him a little bow of her head in greeting. “Thank you, Ravi.” She glanced at Lucien. “Ravi manages my parents’ home.”
A butler of sorts, then. Lucien nodded at the man.
Khalid had landed behind them. He now strode forward. Ravi bowed deeply. “Prince Khalid.”
“Ravi. We need an audience with Imari’s parents immediately.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Right this way.”
Khalid followed, forcing Imari and Lucien to fall in step behind him.
“How chivalrous,” Lucien said.
“Chivalry is not a jinn concept,” Imari answered.
“I see that.”
Ravi led them through another, more ornate courtyard, this one with large cushioned seating pallets, brass stands holding brightly colored birds, and a beautiful tiered fountain. More palms and some stretches of fabric like he’d seen before offered shade.
Suddenly, he realized he and Imari were no longer holding hands, but he could still see color. How odd that the Chaos Realm had that effect. But then, Imari was born here. So it made sense in some way he hadn’t yet fully figured out.
Once inside the house, it was much like he’d imagined. Gleaming tile everywhere in intricate patterns and colors, sumptuous rugs underfoot, delicate filigree lanterns covered in cut crystal that sent sparks of brilliance over everything. Polished wood shutters kept out the strongest of the sun’s rays while still allowing light through. The house was cool and calm, with the faint burble of water from the fountain drifting in and the occasional tinkling of chimes.
Every inch of the residence spoke of restrained wealth. And sometimes, like in the case of the mother-of-pearl mosaic stairway that led to an upper level, not so restrained. But it was always precisely laid out and balanced. Symmetry reigned. Elaborate, expensive symmetry.
He leaned over to whisper to Imari. “Who are your parents exactly?”
She whispered back, “My father is the Vice-Minister of Oasis Management, a position held by the men in his family for the last twelve hundred years. And my mother is the king’s Vizara of Strategy.”
“What is that?”
“She is basically his Secretary of Defense.”
“I see.” And he did, very clearly. Imari’s family was interlaced in the politics of the Chaos Realm as thoroughly as if they were royalty themselves.
This was not going to be a fun conversation.
Ravi stopped at a new set of doors. “If you will wait here, I will bring your parents.”
“Thank you, Ravi.”
He opened the doors, bowed, then left them.
Khalid didn’t wait for Imari and Lucien, just went in and stood by one of the windows.
Lucien held his hand out. “After you.”
Imari’s smile was tight. No doubt her nerves were as well.
They went in. The room was as beautiful as the rest of the home, with tall ceilings and tall windows that overlooked another spacious garden space, but the main feature of this colorful garden was a cobalt blue pool.
Lucien walked to a window to see it better. It was the size of a small lake and built to look natural among the palms and flowers. Waterfalls cascaded down an outcropping of stone on either side. There appeared to be a grotto underneath each one.
“Beautiful,” Lucien said. “Like everything else.”
Imari stood at his side looking out the window. “It is.”
“You grew up here?”
“I did.”
“Happy memories?”
She hesitated, and he wondered if he’d asked something he shouldn’t have, but then she answered. “Yes. Mostly. It’s just odd to be here after so many years and see that nothing has changed. But that’s how the jinn keep a handle on things. No change means no chaos. And so the old rules are the same rules we follow. No deviations, no adjustments, no questions. Order keeps order.”
It made sense to him. If something was working, and holding the chaos at bay, why on earth would anyone want to tempt fate and do something different? But in Imari’s case, upholding tradition would mean losing herself.
Even in the face of chaos, he couldn’t justify that.
“Imari, you’re home.”
They turned to see two people walking in who must be Imari’s parents. It was no surprise to Lucien that her mother was beautiful or her father handsome. There seemed to be no one on this realm who wasn’t perfect. How much of that was controlled by magic, he wasn’t sure.
They were dressed much like Ravi had been, in embroidered robes. More elaborate, but very similar styles. Imari’s mother complemented her outfit with gem-studded gold jewelry, and her father wore a gem-studded sash around his robe. Their slippers were also decorated with gems.
He felt the sudden urge to bow, but restrained himself.
“Mama, Papa.” She bent her head as she dipped into a slight curtsey. When she rose, she put her hand on Lucien’s arm. “Lucien, these are my parents, Zakir and Farozza Zephara. Mama and Papa, this is my—”
“Husband,” Khalid spat.
Lucien sighed. So much for easing into things.