Jinni's Wish, Book 4 Kingdom Series Read Online Free PDF Page A

returned.
    “She will die,” he said, never turning to
gaze at Danika. “Why send me a mate, only to kill her in the next
breathe? Cruel, even for you, starflower.”
    There was no venom in his words, he hadn’t
the strength for it.
    Danika flitted in front of him, mournful blue
eyes glistening with unshed tears. “She’s not dead yet, Jinni.”
    Finally he looked at her. “But she will die.
Is that what you’re saying?”
    She took a deep breath, dragonfly wings
undulating gracefully behind her small fae frame. “Losing Miriam,
that was the hardest thing I’ve ever been through.”
    Jinni didn’t want to hear about her sadness.
Didn’t want to do this, share and confide. He barely knew the
woman. She meant nothing to him.
    And yet… maybe she did. Because the spot
where his heart used to be burned with a gutted sort of flame.
    Danika patted his arm, or at least attempted
to. Her fingers were cold as they slipped through. He clenched his
jaw.
    “But I can promise you, if you choose the
right way. If you make the right choices, happiness can be
yours.”
    He scoffed, rolling his eyes and staring at
the milling bodies. “I’m tired, fairy. Tired of this half-life,
tired of the endless days. Tired of it all.”
    The words sounded so cold, spoken without the
slightest inflection or trace of sorrow. They just were, a
sentiment he’d had years to accept. And yet a siren’s song beckoned
him from within the sterile room full of beeps and strange noises.
A soft and quiet yearning he could hardly understand, for a woman
he didn’t know.
    “Don’t you dare say that to me!” She clenched
her fist, yelling with fury, but also something almost like pain.
When he looked back at her, it was to notice fat tears leaking out
the corners of her eyes. “I’ll not lose you too. Miriam was many
things, but never a liar. She told me what would happen. I know
each and every outcome, each path every choice could make. Make it
right, Jinni.”
    “Why do you care? I have never liked you,
fairy. I never wanted a godmother.”
    Danika’s nostrils flared. “Because I will do
my job, no matter what. You were given to my care, and I take my
job seriously. I hope someday you can accept that, Jinni, but
either way… I won’t stop.”
    Swiping her hand, she opened a blue portal
and without stopping to look back, flew inside. Only then did he
realize he’d never asked about the Golem.
    “What’s happened to me? Where am I? Can you
see me?”
    The sound of the dulcet voice drew his
attention, made the memory of a pulse stutter through him. Jinni
turned and sucked in a breath when he caught sight of the soft blue
glow of a woman’s form filling the doorway. Beautiful brown eyes
stared back at him with a hopeless gleam.
    “Can you see me?” she asked, a thread of hope
lacing the softly spoken words.
    Jinni nodded his head.
    She breathed a huge sigh of relief and ran up
to him, throwing her arms around his waist, but quickly fell
through. More insubstantial than a ghost, Jinni felt the ripples of
her energy wash through him. Pure and clean, and lovely. He stared
at her on the ground, wishing he could hold out his hand.
    She wrapped her arms around herself, white
hospital gown slipping down her pale brown shoulder. “Are you
dead?” Then her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with
trembling fingers. “Am I dead?”
    “My name is Jinni.” It was the only thing he
could think to say, desperately wanting her to know his name.
Wanting to share a piece of himself, miniscule though it was.
    She licked her lips. “My name is Paz.”
    He smiled. A traveler had journeyed to his
Kingdom long ago, bringing a caravan of servants who’d spoken in
foreign tongues. One in particular, a green-eyed beauty, had taught
him bits of her language. A lyrical, romantic language called
Spanish.
    “Peace,” he said, “Paz, means peace.”
    She smiled and something painful twisted in
his chest. “Yes, Paz means peace.”
     

Chapter 4
     
    Paz