“There are a couple of possibilities, training with another gifted telepath, or a personal friend who also happens to be a meditation guru, but there is a much faster method and time is of the essence…yes?” He took a generous bite from the apple.
She nodded, distracted by the golden shimmer in his eyes. “I feel like I’m running out of time.”
“Well, there is only one way I can guarantee that will unleash all of your physic and magic abilities with minimal risk.”
“Okay,” she prompted him with her hands on her hips, “what is it?”
“Sex.”
She blinked. “What?” Her cheeks warmed under his stare.
“Sex is extremely powerful.” He paused to take another big bite. “During sex, the body becomes aligned mentally and physically…well, usually, if the sex is good.” He flashed her a sexy grin.
“Oh, puh-lease!” Karis scoffed, her face getting hotter and hotter every time his lips formed the words to say ‘sex’.
“Trust me, when you are in tune with your body on a spiritual and physical level, it will be very easy for the rest of your mind to accept what the subconscious and body already know to be true.” He moved from the bar stool with fluid grace and snatched a paper towel.
She watched him wipe up a piece of the fruit and laughed. “So what you’re saying is I have to have sex in order to tap into my gifts? Not having sex is what’s been holding me back all these years?”
“Sex is what will help you the fastest now, but the best way would have been for you to develop your abilities with your mother as a child.” He finished the apple. “It’s been so long.”
Try never
, Karis thought. “Excuse me?”
Vander tossed the apple core in the trash. “We don’t have apples like this where I am from.”
“I won’t even ask,” she muttered.
“Good. There’s no time. Right now you have to decide if you are ready to become who you are. I can help you find your mother, but you’ve got to let go of your reservations about your power and become strong.”
“By having sex?” she asked again, spitting out the words. She stood still as he moved off the chair to stand next to her. Her heart began to race as he lifted her face with his palm under her chin to meet his eyes.
“Yes,” he said softly, tangling one loose curl with his finger.
“Is there any other way?” she asked, her voice catching as he continued to play with the lock of hair. How could a hallucination conjure up more sparks within her than any other guy she knew? The whole scenario would have been laughable if the circumstances weren’t so dire. She didn’t have many friends in general, let alone a single male friend she wanted to call up and ask for sex.
“You don’t need anyone else, Karis, just me.”
Red-hot tingles zipped over her skin as his words sunk in. “You?” She swayed when he removed his hand from her face. It was hard to focus when he touched her.
“I am Djinn, as powerful as you in many ways, together we can bring your gifts forward faster than any other human male you know…or don’t know,” he finished with a teasing grin.
She flinched. “Stop doing that!” He had access to all of her chaotic thoughts with all of her emotions laid bare for his amusement.
“I don’t think any of this is funny.” He caressed the side of her cheek with one finger. “I can’t help the fact I can read your thoughts. That’s a part of who I am.”
Karis closed her eyes for a moment, confused by her body’s response to his simple touch. She had never experienced an attraction so strong. Being in his presence was unsettling and comforting at the same time. “Your skin is so warm.”
“My core temperature runs hotter than your own…something else I can’t control. My skin will always feel warmer to you.” His eyes moved from her face to her messy ponytail. “Your hair is magnificent…why don’t you wear it free and wild?”
“In a word—humidity.” She could lose track of time staring into his hazel eyes. They were hypnotic and sexy like the rest of him.
“Thank you, Karis. I find you incredibly beautiful too.”
Her eyes widened at his statement. She dropped her gaze to his sensual mouth only inches from her own. What would it feel like to have his full warm lips covering hers?
For the first time in her life, she hungered for a man’s kiss. She lifted her face and leant forward. Just a little higher and the kiss was hers.
“Stop it!” She took a huge step away from him. “I don’t know what you are doing to me, but stop it.”
Vander chuckled. “I’m not doing anything to you, Karis. This is how it is when undeniable sexual attraction exists between two people. This is good—”
“Good?” she yelled, cutting him off. “What are you talking about? This whole thing is nuts, you’re nuts, and I am too for sitting here listening to you. Get out. Out of my head and out of my house! Get out!”
“Enough.” He spoke with deadly calm as his gaze flicked over her trembling body. “This has all been a big shock to you and I know you are scared. I will leave and give you some time to face what’s happening, but you know better than me, time is running out.”
Karis folded her arms across her chest and took a deep breath. She would need a lifetime to regroup.
“I can’t give you that much time.”
“I know.” She looked up at him. “If you really can help me…I want that.”
Vander nodded. “All you have to do is think or speak my name and I will appear.”
“Like poof! And there you’ll be?” She realised his assessment of her being in shock was dead on, as hysterical giggles bubbled up in her throat.
“Something like that. Look, you need to decide soon.” He spoke the words firmly, his eyes holding hers in a steady gaze. “I can help. Call my name when you are ready.”
“Okay,” she whispered, blinking as he disappeared from sight in a rush of swirling heat circling the room. The air began to cool immediately and she wrapped her arms around her body, her loneliness even more pronounced in Vander’s absence. For a second, she considered saying his name but she knew she wasn’t ready to face him again just yet.
Sinking to the floor in utter exhaustion, she hugged her legs as uncontrollable shivers racked her body. She stared at the hand painted bottle on her counter, the reality of all that had just taken place hitting her hard. Was she actually contemplating sleeping with a genie? This was how she was going to help her mother? Tears filled her eyes and she began to cry.
Her mother was out there somewhere. She could feel it and the overwhelming sense something terrible was going to happen made the hot trail of tears wider.
Wiping her eyes, she got up from the floor and walked towards the bottle. The glass seemed to shimmer as she picked it up and relaxed her with each passing second she stared at the colours. She felt calm, peaceful even and sleep beckoned to her as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom with the cool glass in her hand.
She sunk into her queen size bed and struggled to keep her eyes open. For once, she was unafraid of her dreams as she placed the bottle on the pillow beside her and drifted to sleep within seconds.
Chapter Three
Vander cursed as he rubbed the heated skin under the glowing bracelets around his wrist. He could never get used to moving between dimensions no matter how many times he had crossed over.
“Niri?” Moving from room to room, he was grateful to be alone. Later, he would find her and talk, but right now all he could think about was the woman he’d just left. He’d sensed her sadness the instant he’d gone. With little effort, he’d used his own telepathic abilities to send her the message—
I am here, do not be afraid
.
Closing his eyes, he saw her sleeping peacefully with his vessel nestled on the pillow beside her. Pleased, he opened his eyes, still smelling lingering traces of her shampoo on his hands. The intoxicatingly sweet scent of honeysuckle reminded him of her wild hair. She was so different from the other women he encountered in his realm. Although he could sense her strength, it was clear she didn’t recognise her own abilities.
Becoming a Djinn at the age of thirty-four, he’d lived without aging for almost a hundred years. He had seen many beautiful women, but Karis’s unique beauty had tempted him more than once to touch and kiss the curves of her toned body. Yet, it was the alluring air of innocence reflected in the bewitching emerald depths of her eyes that truly intrigued him.
Vander shook his head, determined to get Karis off his mind. He would see through his promise to Nadine to help her daughter, but he hadn’t counted on how much he would look forward…no
enjoy
, the process of helping her come into her power. In fact he couldn’t wait for her lessons to begin.
“Vander!” Rafi bellowed from the other side of the heavy wooden door.
Vander cursed, wishing for a few more moments of peace. Being part of the Djinn brotherhood meant each of his kind knew when another genie passed through the portal. He opened his door, giving his friend the customary tilt of his head in a brotherly greeting.
Rafi walked forward, closing the door firmly behind him. He was a few inches shorter than Vander, but one hardly noticed when confronted with the sheer muscle mass of his body. Rafi resembled a football player on steroids.
His handsome, tanned face was twisted in a scowl, as he ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. “The rogues are on the move again according to one of the High Council scouts. Eventually, they’re going to find a way to tap into Nadine’s power and then—”
“Then, they’ll have unlimited access to an unmonitored portal,” Vander finished. “The entire balance between dimensions will undoubtedly be at risk.”
“So, tell me you’ve finally made contact with her daughter,” Rafi said, grabbing a sweet biscuit on the oak table by the fireplace.
“I did. You know I just got back here.”
Rafi popped the entire biscuit into his mouth. “Right…so why aren’t you with her now? We’re running out of options if we’re going to get a step ahead of the rogues.”
“There were some complications,” Vander stated, sitting down heavily on the leather couch.
“We don’t have time for complications. We need…what’s her name?”
He flashed his friend a narrowed look. “Karis.”
Rafi nodded. “Well, we need Karis now… You should go and bring her back.”
“She’s not ready. I don’t think she could handle the journey.” He poured a neat scotch and tossed it back in one swallow.
Rafi frowned. “What?”
Vander looked up at his old friend. Both of them had been trapped into the Djinn brotherhood, Rafi almost a half of century ago. He trusted Rafi with his life and knew he held him in the same regard.
“You heard me. She hasn’t been trained in her gift…doesn’t even believe she has any supernatural abilities. Because of her mother’s wish, she discovered my vessel but she was scared and in complete denial of my arrival.” He continued as his friend stared back at him in disbelief, “I kept trying to convince her she wasn’t having a nervous breakdown. I’m still not sure she believed me.”
“Unbelievable.” Rafi finished another biscuit. “Nadine is one of the most gifted humans on the planet and yet her daughter has no clue how to use her power?”
“Nadine never wanted to force her. She encouraged Karis to live her life the way she wanted, but now she no longer has that luxury.”
His friend shook his head. “And you just left her alone? You know she’s not safe. It’s only a matter of time before the rogues find her.”
“I will go back very soon and now that she is summoned me you know I am aware of her every move. I wanted to give her a little time to let it all sink in. With all she has to face, I thought she deserved at least that much.”
“Yeah, well, how are you going to help Karis embrace her natural abilities?”
Vander raised an eyebrow. “You and I both know there is only one way to bring about results the fastest.”
Rafi stopped chewing. “
Sex
…you’re kidding, right?
“It’s also the only way to assure the least amount of risk to her.” He stood to face his friend.
“You know how volatile this could be for you and her. There’s got to be another way.”
“There isn’t and you know it as well as I do.” He crossed over to the large window overlooking the approaching shadows on
Shere
Lake
. “I’m not worried. I can control the situation.”
Rafi scoffed. “What if you become attached or worse, if she does? Are you prepared to let her go when this is all over?”
“I am,” he answered quietly, watching the sun dip into the calm waters of the lake. He wasn’t concerned about attachment issues with any female, least of all a human.
“And Niri…does she know what’s going on? What you’re about to do to help Karis?”
The biting question hung in the air as he turned from the window to meet Rafi’s hard stare. “I have no ties to Niri.” He knew the words sounded cold and they were not altogether true. He enjoyed sharing his bed with the lithe elf, respected her friendship but knowing she wanted more from their relationship changed everything.
“You must know how she feels about you. I know you don’t love her, but try to let her down gently.”