Chapter 3-We Fight Like an Old Married Couple
I rolled her name over my tongue. Venus. It was an unusual name. I'd never heard it before. It definitely wasn't a name from around here. The more that I studied her, the more that I could tell that she wasn't from around here. Was she from the land between the pillars of Hercules and the Strait of Gibraltar?
"Where are you from?"
Venus pointed at the now silver lamp. "I came from there."
I looked in between her and the lamp in disbelief. I pointed at the lamp.
"Whoa whoa. Lemme get this straight. You came from there? You came from a lamp?"
Venus nodded her head. Oh gods. I must be hallucinating. I rubbed my eyes. She was still there. Venus let out a small sigh.
"Since you look so lost, let me explain. I'm a jinniyah. Jinniyah are-"
"I know what jinn are," I interrupted. "They're mythological spirits." I shook my head again. Oh man. This could not be happening. There was no way that a smoking hot jinniyah was having a conversation with me.
Venus pouted, sticking her bottom lip out. Tears started to build up in her eyes. Great. She was going to cry. I sucked at consoling crying girls.
"Jinniyah are real," she deceivingly hissed.
…I take that back. She wasn't going to cry. To be completely honest, it looked like she was about chuck me over the roof. As I slowly backed away, my body slowly lifted off the ground. My eyes widened in fear. Oh my gods I was levitating. Fear was slowly replaced by wonder and excitement. I was floating! In my bubble of excitement, I didn't realize that I was falling until I subconsciously grabbed a ledge. I let out a scream and looked up at Venus. Her eyebrows were furrowed and an evil grin was plastered onto her face. I cursed up at her and she ignored me. I called out for help and Venus raised an eyebrow.
"What did you say," she asked me slyly "Are my ears deceiving me for did you just ask for my help?" Venus clicked her teeth. "I would love to teach you a lesson for doubting my powers, but unfortunately my…contract doesn't allow torment of masters."
I slowly felt myself rising up towards the roof and the dark storm clouds that menacing loomed above us. When my feet touched the ground, I had a sudden urge to fall down and kiss the ground. As cool as floating +10 feet above the ground sounds, it's really not cool. It's nerve-wracking and scary. Trust me. You can fall and go splat! at any moment. I wasn't planning on floating any time soon. The little trick that Venus played on me made me never want to leave the ground again.
Unfortunately, we were still on the top of the apartment building. Reflecting back, I couldn't see how I was brave enough to make it up here. Oh wait a second. It was because Barakat and his mob of idiots were going to kill me. Right. Speaking of killing, I had to get back home to Janin and Devika. They were probably worried sick about me. Or at least Janin was. Devika was probably screwing the entire neighborhood. I doubted that she missed me. Crap. If Devika wasn't home, then Janin was home alone. That wasn't good. Why?
One-Janin was a little toddler.
Two-Who knew what Janin was going to do?
I looked back up the sky. Some of the darker clouds were moving the sea and it was just drizzling. That was good. It was safe to go home. But I was still on top of a building. I could either climb back down the building or go roof hoping. Climbing back down the building was probably the better option of the 2. As I walked towards the edge, Venus called my name.
I looked over my shoulder at Venus. Her hands were on her hips and her lips were pursed together.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
I stopped in my tracks and hesitated. Did I really want to bring Venus along with me? She nearly killed me. Who in their right mind would bring an almost murderer home with them? Well, apparently my mind was left because I stopped and waited for her. Maybe it was because she was really hot. Venus smirked at me and glanced over the edge of the building.
"Are you sure that you want to go down the ledges? They're probably slippery."
I growled. God, this woman was being such as pain. First she tried to kill me. Second, it seemed that she wanted to keep me on this roof for eternity.
"Then what do you suggest? Jump of the building and kill myself? Sure. That's just brilliant."
Venus lightly chucked. "No, but I would love to see that."
I closed my eyes tightly in annoyance. " If you're just going to make fun of me, then why in the world do you want to come with me?"
Her eyes mischievously twinkled. "Maybe it's because you freed me from more than 90 years in a stupid lamp…and I have to say, you're very amusing. "
I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my eyebrows. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult."
Venus placed a soft hand on my shoulder. "Take it as a compliment. I don't hand them out very often."
"Why," I asked. "Because you're usually trapped in a bottle." I placed my hands on my hips and gasped. "Oh my gods, I'm Venus and I'm stuck in a bottle!"
Venus's eyes darkened and she frowned. " Oh now you're going to get it Aladdin!"
"Oh now you're going to get it Aladdin," I mocked. My face became completely serious. "Try me babe. Last time I checked, you can't hurt me."
She cursed under her breath. "The things that I would do to you if I wasn't a jiniyah Aladdin, the things that I'd do…"
"You know I hope that they're good things."
Her pupils stared at me from underneath her luscious lashes and she let out a small laugh. "They're not, trust me."
I cursed under my breath. "I was hoping that they'd be good. Now where was I again? Oh yeah, I have to get home to Janin and Devika."
"Janin and Devika," Venus asked. "Who are they? Your cats?"
"No," I bit out. "They're my younger sisters."
Venus raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I can't imagine anything living you with the exception of cats."
"Oh thanks," I commented dryly. "Nice to know that you have so much faith in me."
She smiled. "No problem. It's my pleasure."
I yawned. It was starting to get late."Can we just leave this rooftop and get into the warm comfort of my house?"
Venus shrugged. "I don't know, how are we going to get to your slum?"
I glared at her. "You're a jinniyah. Can't you transport us there or something?"
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Only if you wish for it."
"Fine then. I wish that we-or I-were in my house."
And with that, we disappeared.
