Page 22 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

They exchanged names and occupations, talked about family, all the normal things humans did while getting acquainted.

It hurt Diego to hear some of the details, though—how the lives of these ordinary people had been ripped apart by fear.

Rashid had been a construction worker, his newborn son only a month old when he was arrested.

Vadim had been a teacher and had lived with his elderly parents.

Hafiz owned a grocery, or had before the government had seized his assets.

Tarek had worked at a clinic, in his last year of residency.

It seemed to Diego that most of them were surprised to find out how normal their fellow inmates were, rather than the dangerous criminals the government painted them to be.

Some spoke English, some didn’t, but in their intersection of languages, they managed.

“We’re getting somewhere,” Diego told his young friends when the group broke up again.

“But where are we getting?” Josh asked with a shake of his head. “It’s nice having things less crazy, but where’s it going?”

“I don’t know yet.” Diego wondered if his exercise in kindness was just that. He wanted to get to know the players, to understand what talents they might draw from, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.

Maybe Finn could help, if he was awake. Their brains so often worked better together. Just inside the door to the monster prison, Nusair stepped out of the shadows and into his path.

“Did you see it?”

“What should I have seen?” Diego backed up a step, disturbed by the hungry expression on Nusair’s face.

“Ah, you didn’t then. I had…hoped.”

“Nusair, what? What did you see?”

The djinn turned away with an exasperated snort and threw up his hands. His posture screamed, well, if you don’t know, I’m sure as hell not telling you .

“Please. Anything might end up helping us all, please.”

Something flickered in Nusair’s eyes. Pain? Anger? Regret? He paced a few slow circles and finally stopped in front of Diego again. “When you had the humans in a circle, sitting close, knees touching, there was a…trickle.”

“A trickle?” Diego cast about frantically for what that could mean. From Nusair, he could think of only one thing. “Of magic?”

“No, of maple syrup. Of course magic!”

“You saw it? Felt it? How could you do that?”

Nusair wrinkled his nose. “I’m always amazed at how ignorant even smart humans can be.”

“Sorry. You’re my first djinn.” Or I would’ve known how touchy and cagey they are. “You’re a being of fire and air, is that right?”

“More or less.”

“And you’ve already said that the iron doesn’t affect you like it does other fae.”

“Give the boy a prize. He remembered.”

“So, they can separate us from the earth and from water, but unless they just want to kill us, they can’t take away the air.” Diego narrowed his eyes. “You can still access the flows. You still have your magic.”

“Easy there, cowboy. I can’t access squat. Do you really think I’d stay if I could?” Nusair leaned a shoulder against the wall. “But I still have eyes.”

“Damn it. I’m sorry.” Diego rubbed at his temples. “It’s hard not being suspicious when you answer questions in circles. Okay. You saw a trickle. Do you see it now?”

“No.”

“Only when we were all—” Diego cut himself short, his eyes widening. “ Madre de Dios . The coven effect.”

“And the sun breaks through the clouds,” Nusair said on a chuckle.

“I never thought it would work through the lead. And I’ve never—” Diego broke off, processing hard. If he could get the others to listen. If they could concentrate. If he could convince them to use their gifts.

“You’ve always worked alone, haven’t you? The powerful ones always do.”

“I’ve…no. I couldn’t manage at all for a while without Finn. It’s comfortable with him. Natural. I’ve never worked with other humans.”

“You are a strange little animal.”

“Might have heard that before.” Diego walked down the corridor to Finn’s door. “I’m getting the start of an idea. So many things could go wrong. But I need him out of there. Could you get my Finn out, please?”

“Is that your wish?”

Oh no, I’m not falling into that trap. “No. Not a wish. I don’t have any hold over you and I don’t want one. It’s a request. I’m asking if you’d do this for all of our sakes. And, yes, out of the goodness of your heart.”

Nusair stared at him, blinked twice, then doubled over laughing. “The goodness… No, it’s too much. Ha! Oh…” He managed after a few false starts to compose himself, swiping at his eyes and gasping. “I think I’ll have to help you just because you made me laugh so hard. It’s been so long.”

“Glad to be of service,” Diego said dryly.

“I need a promise, though, because nothing comes free.” Nusair reached up and pulled his claw pick from a fold in his keffiyeh.

“You need to swear that no being gets left behind if we break out. And I know that’s what you’re going for, so don’t pretend.

You don’t trust negotiations to work and you’re afraid your husband’s failing. This is all about a jail break.”

“I’m not denying any of it and I have no intention of leaving anyone behind.”

“That wasn’t a promise, sorcerer.”

Right. He’s used to dealing with word traps and humans who only want to use him. “I promise. On my soul, I swear. No being, human or otherwise, will be left behind if this works.”

Nusair nodded, apparently satisfied, and moved to Finn’s door. “Care to tell me? If what works?”

“I would if I knew. Right now, I don’t have enough information.”

“Is this how you write your novels, too?” Nusair knelt by the door, inserted the claw, and put his ear against the lock plate. “Make it up as you go?”

“No. Though I haven’t written one in years. This isn’t the same thing, though. With a novel, I know the ending.”

“And they lived happily ever after. Now shush.” Eyes squeezed shut, Nusair fished around in the lock until he received one click then two more. With a cocky grin, he swung the door wide. “ S’il vous pla?t entrer, monsier .”

“Polite and multinational. I’m impressed.”

“You should be.”

Diego forced himself to wait until Nusair moved out of the way before rushing in. Probably rude to knock the djinn over to get to Finn. Then he had no more attention to spare. With a strangled sound of dismay, he dropped to his knees beside Finn and gathered him close.

“Finn, querido, mi amor , do you hear me?” He kissed Finn’s face over and over, needing him to wake with a desperation approaching madness.

The iron combined with the arrested half-shift had obviously exhausted Finn. Purple shadows ringed his eyes, startling against his too-pale skin. He shifted in Diego’s arms, banging one of his cuffs fretfully against the floor before his eyes cracked open.

“Well, hello, my handsome prince,” he got out in a hoarse murmur. “Are you another nice dream?”

“No, I’m here. It’s me.” Diego hugged him tighter, trying to get his shaking voice under control. “I had some help getting your door open.”

“How lovely. Are we leaving, then?” Finn patted his arm. “No, I expect not, since you’re so upset. Why are you so upset?”

“You look terrible.”

“Your pardon. If I knew you were popping in for a visit, I would have cleaned up.”

Diego kissed his dry lips gently. “Shh, you’re perfect. I’m just worried.”

“Hmm. It does feel good to have you here.” Finn nuzzled at Diego’s chest and sneezed. “You smell a bit odd, though.”

“Sorry. Chemicals in the water.”

A rustle of cloth at the doorway attracted Finn’s wandering attention. “And you brought a friend. Rather handsome djinn, isn’t he?”

“Very attractive. Now—”

Finn hitched himself up in Diego’s arms to address Nusair. “What color is your hair?”

It seemed an odd question to Diego, but Nusair pulled a strand of bright purple free of his keffiyeh and turned into the light for Finn.

“Ah. Arabian djinn.”

“You know that by his hair color?” Diego glanced between them, his planned conversation derailed. “Where would you have met a djinn?”

“They like to travel.” Finn gave him a dragon-toothed grin. “I think my husband is having a jealous moment.”

Behind him, Nusair laughed and Diego resisted the urge to ask whether they had met before.

“Maybe. Not much I can do about your past lovers, though. Listen, mi vida . I’ve learned something that gives me some hope.

We’ll leave the door unlocked but I’d like you to stay here where you’re safe until tomorrow.

Then when things settle down after the food drop tomorrow, I’d like to ask Nusair to bring you to the feeding area. ”

“Bring me?”

“I…don’t think you can walk there.”

“Perhaps not. But why?”

“Nusair says there’s a trickle of magic when several humans are together. I’m hoping we can join the trickles into something useful.”

“My clever, clever husband,” Finn murmured. “Will you come and sleep with me tonight?”

Diego hugged him tight, stroking his hair. I don’t want to leave you for a second, damn it . “Of course I will. I’ve missed you, you know.”

“Oh, good. I’d hate to have to think of you in the arms of such a beautiful djinn.”

“I’m not—”

“Teasing. I was teasing. This is rather tiresome, not being able to hear each other’s thoughts.”

“Not too much longer, I hope.”

He gave Finn a last, lingering kiss and lowered him gently to the floor before he returned to the hallway to ease the door most of the way shut again.

Resting his forehead against the cool metal frame kept him anchored, a fixed point in a universe with a sliding center.

He had to remain solid even if he wanted to slide into a puddle of anguish.

My poor Finn. Oh, my poor Finn. How many times do you have to suffer because of my mistakes?

“I think you do love him.” Nusair’s voice came from behind him, hushed and perplexed.

“Yes. I know that’s hard for you to imagine, but I do.”

“It’s quite easy to imagine for me. I can imagine some absurd and surreal things. It was just hard for me to believe.”

Diego ignored him, walking back to the door at the end of the corridor.

“I still think you’re a fool.” Nusair was suddenly beside him without a whisper of sound.

“You can think whatever you want. Just say you’ll help me tomorrow.”

“Only if you tell me what you’re planning. This trust thing is tough if you doubt me as much as I doubt you.”

“One thing.” Diego turned on him, poking a finger at his chest. “Why do you care whether or not everyone gets out?”

Nusair stood his ground and offered a slow smile. “Oh, that’s an easy one. If you promise no one gets left behind, you can’t leave me here.”

“That makes…sense.” There had to be something Nusair wasn’t saying, but Diego let it go. “I want to try to combine magical energies to get the iron off Finn.”

“Ah, so your motives are selfish.”

“Just listen and stop trying to twist everything. If we get Finn loose, he can shift again. If he can shift again, he can become something small and fly through one of the feeding slits. He can tell us what the prison looks like from the outside, how many guards there are and if there’s a way out.

If we can do this first thing, everything else becomes possible from there, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to do big, powerful things with the lead still on.

Just little things. And maybe not much of them. ”

“Why not free me instead? I could become smoke and do the same thing.”

Diego raised an eyebrow at him. “Because I trust Finn to come back.”