"Haru, you're back!"
Ru'a threw her small arms around Hafa's waist, hugging him as he walked through the door. She glanced at the basket full of food items he was carrying, her head cocked. "Are you going to make breakfast?"
"Yes," Hafa answered, maneuvering into the kitchen area with Ru'a clinging to him. "Is Makarim awake?"
Ru'a shook her head. "Everyone else slept in except for Mumyi, he left before I woke up."
Hafa frowned. "He did?" He found it odd that their new friend would leave without telling anyone, but he didn't feel too concerned. He'd done the same thing, after all. Mumyi was among strangers, so it wasn't exactly a surprise that he'd want some time to himself. He might have even been looking for clues as to Siraj al Din's whereabouts. That's what Hafa would have been doing, had he been in Mumyi's place.
The little girl nodded. "Ghazi is still asleep in the other room, too. Should I wake everyone up?"
As if on cue, Rani walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and yawning hugely. "I'm hungry," the boy said drowsily. He didn't seem to be totally aware of his surroundings yet; Hafa had to strategically pull a chair out of the way to avoid a direct collision. Ru'a shook her head disapprovingly.
"Ru'a, you wake up Ghazi. I'll wake Makarim and then start breakfast."
"Okay!" Ru'a chimed obediently, mussing her brother's hair playfully before skipping out of the room. Rani swatted her hand away long after she'd left, his reaction time laughably sluggish. Hafa steered Rani to a chair and gently sat him down. The boy didn't even think to resist, immediately laying his head on the table with a tired sigh.
Upon climbing the ladder to the bedroom, Hafa immediately noticed that Makarim hadn't moved from the position he'd been in when Hafa left that morning. Concerned, Hafa approached the bedside and sat next to Makarim, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
"Makarim. Wake up."
Makarim's brow twitched in reply, his eyes barely opening. He was silent for a long moment before his eyes shifted to Hafa's face, a faint smile pulling at his lips.
"Haru… Good morning."
"Morning." Hafa frowned. "Do you feel okay? Your face looks red." Before giving Makarim a chance to answer, Hafa placed his hand flat against Makarim's forehead. "You're warm."
"Am I?" Makarim asked. "That's strange, I still feel pretty cold."
"You're sick," Hafa stated. "You need to stay in bed today."
Makarim's eyes opened and he made to get up. "I can't be sick, Rim and Aini are coming back! I'm sure if I just got up and moved around a little-"
"Makarim," Hafa gripped Makarim's shoulder and gently eased him back down. "You'll just worry everyone if you push yourself. Stay in bed for now, and I'll bring you up from breakfast in a bit. Rim and Aini will understand."
Almost immediately, Makarim seemed to lose the will to argue. He slumped against the bedding and allowed Hafa to cover him back up with blankets. "You're right…" he said. "Really bad timing to get sick, huh?"
"Sickness doesn't have any regard for timing," Hafa pointed out. "Just focus on feeling better."
"Have you ever been sick, Haru?" Makarim asked curiously. "When you were a djinn?"
Some time ago, the answer might have come to Hafa almost instantly; now, recalling such ancient memories was like digging barehanded through rock and gravel to unearth pieces of something that used to resemble a memory.
"I don't think so," Hafa answered. "I can't really remember."
"Ahh."
Makarim sounded concerned. Hafa cleared his throat.
"Now that I'm human, I'm sure it won't be long until I come down with something. I'll have to do my best to take care of you so that you'll take care of me, too."
Makarim chuckled. "Of course," he said with a soft smile, pulling the blankets more tightly around himself.
.
.
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Hafa knew only the basics of preparing food. It wasn't as if djinn didn't eat food as humans did, but cooking was usually unneeded and seen as a waste of time. Still, in the short time Hafa had lived with Makarim he had gotten the hang of it, even if the things he could prepare were incredibly simplistic. No one complained as they ate their breakfast, and those who were awake enough made sure to compliment the food. Hafa barely heard them. His thoughts were firmly resting with Makarim and he couldn't seem to distract himself. As the children and guest ate their food and chatted, Hafa excused himself to take some food up to Makarim.
Climbing the ladder to Makarim's room one-handed while carrying a tray of food wasn't nearly as easy as Hafa assumed it would be; regardless, somehow he reached the top without having spilled anything. What he saw as he stepped onto the landing was Makarim very much out of bed, pulling his clothes on. Hafa frowned.
"Makarim-"
"Oh, Haru!" Makarim smiled, embarrassed. "Did you bring that up for me? I wish I'd gotten down there sooner, I could have saved you the trouble…"
"You really shouldn't be up, Makarim."
"It's okay, Haru. I don't know how, but I feel just fine now!" Walking over to Hafa, Makarim leaned forward with a smile. "Feel for yourself."
Hafa placed his free hand against Makarim's forehead, his frown slowly receding. Somehow or other, Makarim no longer felt warm and his face no longer looked rosy with fever. Hafa wasn't sure how, but Makarim appeared to be fine.
"You're sure you feel okay?" Hafa asked.
Makarim nodded. "I feel great. I just had to wake up a little more, I suppose." He glanced at the wooden tray Hafa was holding. "Haru, did you make that? It looks delicious!"
"Mm. If you're feeling better, come downstairs and eat with everyone."
"Right. Let's go!"
As Makarim started toward the ladder, Hafa had a wild surge of inspiration and grabbed Makarim's arm, garnering a surprised look from him.
"Haru? Something wrong?"
When trying to think of how to address any of the important issues he'd been keeping to himself, Hafa hadn't really come up with any sort of concrete plan. Now that they were alone and everyone downstairs was otherwise distracted, he wasn't sure he wanted to pass up the opportunity.
"Makarim… There's something I need to-"
A high-pitched shriek from downstairs silenced Hafa aggressively, and both men stared at each other in surprise. It was undoubtedly Ghazi's voice. Neither man wasted any time in reaching the ground floor, rushing to the kitchen in a near-panic.
Both of them immediately relaxed. Rim and Aini stood just inside the door, Ghazi hugging her brother tightly whilst sobbing. Rim kissed her hair, looking like he might cry himself.
"You're really here… You're okay!" Ghazi cried, her voice muffled against Rim's chest. He chuckled, cradling the back of her head.
"Yeah. Sorry I'm late."
"I missed you! Dammit, we looked everywhere for you…"
"I know, Aini told me. Thanks for looking."
Ghazi pulled away, sniffling, and Rim placed his hand on the crown of her head, jostling her playfully. She giggled, trying and failing to swat his hand away. He grinned. "I missed you too, little sister." Rim's gaze shifted to Hafa and Makarim. "'Morning."
"Good morning, Rim," Makarim offered with a smile. "I'm glad you two made it here safely! Did Sa'akah come with you?"
Rim jerked a thumb behind him at the door. "He's-"
"Excuse me for intruding," Sa'akah said, stepping into the house. Both Rani and Ru'a's mouths fell open when the man entered; neither of them had seen anyone taller than their older brother before.
Ghazi had just started wiping her tears away when she laid eyes on Sa'akah, and they immediately reemerged. She walked over to Sa'akah and looked up at him with a stern, penetrating stare. A moment later, another sob burst from her pink lips.
"Sa'akah… They told me already, but actually seeing you here…"
Sa'akah smiled warmly at the girl. "It's been a while, Ghazi."
"What happened to you?" Ghazi asked tearfully. "Where have you been this entire time? Have you been okay? Safe?"
Sa'akah chuckled awkwardly. "It's a long story. I really don't want to bore you." From beside Sa'akah, Aini shifted uncomfortably.
"Rani, Ru'a, come over here," Makarim prompted gently, and the twins left the table and approached their brother, both of them clinging shyly to his thawb. "Rim, Sa'akah, these are my siblings Rani and Ru'a. What do you say, you two?"
"Nice to meet you," the twins chimed in unison.
Rim smiled at them, though he looked vaguely apologetic; Hafa wondered if Rim was harboring any guilt about what happened to their father. Either way, it didn't seem as if Rim thought it an appropriate thing to bring up at such a time.
"You too," Rim said, and Sa'akah nodded politely.
"Did you really wander the desert all alone, just like Haru?" Ru'a asked boldly, the tension seeming to have left her much more quickly than her brother.
Rim grinned. "Yeah, though not for quite as long."
"Was it hard?" Ru'a asked. Rani was staring at Rim imploringly, awaiting an answer.
"It… wasn't fun," Rim said with a laugh. "That doesn't matter now, though. Thanks to Aini, Ghazi and Hafa, I found my way back."
Ru'a smiled and nodded. Ghazi wiped at her eyes again, and then cleared her throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "I have a great idea! Lets make a big dinner for everyone tonight! We'll all pitch in and help, and have ourselves a great feast in celebration!"
The twins immediately perked up at the idea, and Makarim offered his kitchen for the event just as Reem and Najiya appeared to welcome the travelers home. As everyone talked and planned, Hafa watched them all, finding it difficult to believe that reality was collapsing just outside of this happy scene. He glanced out the window, looking up at the sky; the clouds above them seemed to be moving much too quickly.
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"Jewelry? Really?" Rim asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "A lot's changed since I left, huh?"
"We just opened shop a couple of months ago!" Najiya said, his mouth half-full of food. "We're getting really popular around here!"
"Who designs the jewelry?" Aini asked curiously, wiping at his mouth with a bit of cloth. Najiya's mouth was officially too full to answer, so he simply stared at Reem with eyes sparkling with respect.
"That would be me," Reem answered with a smile. "I think up the most beautiful designs, and Najiya secures the materials to make them. He's amazing at bartering, and even more amazing at finding raw materials outside the city to use. Together, we're a rather formidable team!"
Makarim chuckled. "You're absolutely right about that. People have been coming all the way from Mecca to buy your jewelry."
Rim sat up, rotating his arm pointedly. "How's the arm, Najiya?"
"All better!" Najiya chimed, mimicking Rim with his own arm. "Better than ever!"
"That was a bad break," Rim observed, grabbing another slice of bread. "I was worried it wouldn't heal right."
Najiya nearly choked on his food. "You were worried about me, Rim?" Najiya asked, Reem sitting back to avoid any food spray that tended to occur when Najiya spoke while eating. "That's super sweet!"
"Don't make it weird," Rim chided, taking another large spoonful of rice. Hafa watched curiously as Rim continued to pile rice on his plate, inwardly amused. He could still remember bits and pieces of his time with Rim when he was a marid, and it seemed as though his appetite hadn't changed.
As agreed, a huge dinner had been prepared for everyone as evening fell on the city. Ghazi had been initially worried that they didn't make enough, but as dinner neared an end, it seemed they made too much. Mumyi hadn't returned. In the midst of their collective joy of safely receiving Rim and Sa'akah, everyone was finding it hard to be concerned. Hafa had thought Mumyi would have returned to them by now, but he fully acknowledged that any number of reasons could have been keeping Mumyi from coming back. Perhaps he simply didn't want to. He had no real loyalty to them to begin with. The only connection they shared was Siraj al Din and the jewel he wore around his neck - neither of which were insignificant by any means - but with Siraj al Din still missing, he knew Mumyi likely didn't feel much of a need to stick around. Regardless of these perfectly reasonable possibilities, Hafa wondered if something else might have occurred.
"How is mortality treating you, Hafa?" Rim asked, snapping Hafa out of his thoughts. Hafa looked up to meet Rim's eyes. "Is it manageable?"
Hafa felt acutely aware of Sa'akah sitting to the left of Rim, though the man was busying himself with eating, paying no mind to the conversation.
"It's fine." Hafa said truthfully. "I'm still learning many things, but none of it is confusing."
"No complaints, then?" Rim continued. It sounded as though he was asking out of guilt, which made Hafa feel oddly guilty in turn.
"I miss being able to skip sleeping and eating. Being human is very demanding. If you forget to do something for too long, you can die so easily."
"That's… a very grim way of looking at it," Ghazi commented. Only half-listening to the conversation, Miss Maha flicked her fluffy cat tail, nuzzling into a tighter ball in Ru'a lap. The little girl giggled and pet Maha's head.
"I think it's interesting!" Najiya exclaimed. "Things that are so natural to us are completely different from how djinn live!"
"I honestly never expected to have a conversation like this during dinner so casually…" Makarim said with a chuckle. Reem nodded stoically in agreement.
"Speaking of… that sort of thing. You guys used the same hookah to save me, right? Where is it?"
Makarim set his utensils down. "It's in the basement, safe and sound. We've been keeping it in a locked chest, just in case."
"Ah, I appreciate it."
"Did you want to see it?" Makarim offered.
Setting down his goblet with some finality, Sa'akah spoke. "I'd like some time to observe the nature of the curse before reuniting Rim with his soul. So long as that's alright with you, Rim."
"Whatever you think is best is fine. I'm not really in a hurry or anything," Rim answered easily, yawning and stretching.
The conversation dissolved into something rather silly as the company finished off their food, Najiya at the helm. As they talked and laughed and drank, Hafa excused himself, stepping outside through the back door to sit on the stairs, breathing in the cool night air. All of the merriment was wearing him thin, though he was far from ungrateful for it. He was frustrated with himself. He had resolved to tell Makarim everything Sa'akah had told him, but how could he now? Seeing Makarim happily chatting with the others completely squashed his resolution. Before the joyful get-together came to a close tonight, he needed to figure out what to do.
The door behind Hafa opened for a moment, unleashing the exuberant noise from the kitchen before shutting and muting it again. Hafa assumed Makarim had come out to check on him, but before he could turn around to see for himself, a deep voice stopped him from doing so.
"You were very quiet during dinner. Have you decided?"
Hafa frowned, his hands gripping his elbows, his chin digging into his arm. "Can't we talk about this later?" Hafa asked quietly.
"We don't exactly have the luxury of time," Sa'akah said with a sigh, descending the sparse steps to stand near Hafa. "I hope you realize it's much too early to be this dark."
Hafa hadn't even noticed - too absorbed in his thoughts - but Sa'akah was right. Hafa was quiet for a moment.
"If affects the sun and moon?" he finally asked, perhaps a tad waspishly.
"I don't think it does. I believe it's only our conception of the time flow that is changed, if that makes any sense."
It didn't make much sense to Hafa, but in all fairness, nothing Sa'akah said did.
"Well?" Sa'akah prompted. "Have you had enough time to think it over?"
It wasn't as much a decision as an obligation. If it would reverse such an impossible event, than it wasn't even a question. He had to do it, no matter how frightening the concept was. Still, Sa'akah's prodding was irksome, regardless of how necessary it was.
"Can I ask you some questions?" Hafa asked. "When we first talked… it was a lot of information to take in all at once."
"Ask away." Sa'akah said easily.
Hafa took a deep breath through his nose and let it out slow. "You said before… you weren't sure that giving this body back to the sands would make a difference. Is that still true?"
"There's no point in lying about it," Sa'akah said. "There's no clear solution. To be honest with you, I can't even say that I'm positive about the Unholy Events - that's simply what I was told by the ghul who guard the Palace, and since things have been unfolding per their prediction, I have no choice but to take them at their word."
"So I might die for nothing?" Hafa asked softly.
A long silence filled the air between them. Sa'akah moved to sit on the steps, a respectable distance from Hafa.
"Maybe. To be bluntly honest, I don't think it will do any good. Our realm and the Other World are pressing on each other, bending each other to the breaking point. With such powerful forces opposing each other, I find it hard to believe that two bodies would impact the progress in any way."
Hafa's eyes flicked to Sa'akah. "Two?"
Sa'akah flashed him a disheartened smile. "You won't be making the sacrifice alone, if it makes you feel any better. I'll be joining you."
Hafa wasn't quite sure how to react, so he chose to stare stonily in Sa'akah's direction until the other man broke into a chuckle. "You're not the only one who isn't meant to be here. My body might belong to me, but that doesn't mean my soul should be in it. Since I don't intend to ask Rim to sacrifice himself, I figured I could at least take his place."
"What about Rim? And Aini and Ghazi? You'll leave them so soon after reuniting with them?"
"I explained it to you before, didn't I? None of that matters. If we do nothing, reality collapses. Everyone dies. If we act, there's a large chance the same thing happens. My back is against the wall and this is the only solution I've come up with. There's no time for more research or theories."
Another awkward silence fell. Hafa turned away. His irritation with Sa'akah conflicted with a strange camaraderie that he hadn't been expecting, and he was having a difficult time stomaching it. He hated how uncertain everything was, he hated the idea of dying for no reason. In the same breath, he couldn't live with the thought of not trying to set things right. He supposed Sa'akah had felt the same.
"It's been so long since I've been surrounded by so many people…" Sa'akah said distantly. "I almost needed to go outside to relax in the middle of dinner. So many voices…" He chuckled. "It must have been similar for you when you first arrived here."
Hafa looked down. "It was suffocating at first. It still is sometimes, but…" Something painful caught in his throat. "...I don't hate it."
Sa'akah nodded, saying nothing. A long moment passed in silence before Sa'akah spoke again.
"I expect we have the better part of a week to act. There's a bit of a ritual that goes along with this, so let me know when you're ready. We can leave a message for the others to let them know what we've done, if you wish. If we try and tell any of them beforehand, a lot of time will be wasted." He paused. "Let's try and enjoy the next couple of days, at the very least."
The door behind them opened, the noise from within less rowdy than before. As if they'd been doing something they weren't supposed to, both Hafa and Sa'akah turned reflexively toward the door. Rim grinned at them from the doorway.
"You two done eating? Everyone inside is done, we're getting ready to clean up." he said. Sa'akah stood up, brushing off his robe.
"Let me help. I just needed a quiet moment."
Rim stepped outside, stretching his arms over his head. "Reem and Najiya want us to stay with them while we're here, and while I'm trying to figure out my next move. That okay with you?" Rim tilted his head at Sa'akah's contemplative silence. "You aren't leaving, are you?"
"I'll stay if you want me to." Sa'akah said with a smile. Rim smiled back and punched Sa'akah in the shoulder.
"You can't leave now, stupid. We all just found each other again."
"Right, right." Sa'akah laughed, shoving past Rim to enter the house. "I'm not going anywhere."
Rim shot an inquisitive look to Hafa. "You coming, Hafa?"
Hafa nodded, bile stinging his throat.
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Two days passed with relative ease.
The Sultan Akram and his entourage left early in the morning of the second day, the day after Maha unsuccessfully attempted to infiltrate their campsite.
"Runes! There were runes drawn all over the ground I couldn't get close!" Maha exclaimed, shivering. "It felt horrible being anywhere near them!"
"Runes?" Reem asked, rubbing his chin in thought. "What in the world would they need protection from djinn for? What are they afraid of, exactly?"
Regardless of the suspicion this raised, it was quickly and halfheartedly alleviated when the party from Sama Al-Kah left. Reem still intended to keep watch until he was convinced they'd seen the last of the Sultan and his men.
There was also the issue of yet another jewel showing up, just as Miss Maha had previously guessed. Maha felt it on Sa'akah the moment they were near enough to each other, and promptly reported it to Reem and Najiya. Unsure of what to make of such a coincidence and in light of everyone's relatively good mood since Rim had been found, neither Reem nor Najiya saw fit to alert anyone when there didn't seem to be anything wrong.
Mumyi hadn't returned. It was hard not to be worried, considering he'd told no one where he was going or made any indication that he wouldn't be coming back. Even if they hadn't known him long, he was the brother of Siraj al Din, and they all shared a joint desire to find him. Still, there was nothing to be done except hope he was safe and wait for a possible reappearance.
Since the conversation he'd had with Sa'akah the night Rim returned to the city, Hafa hadn't been able to talk to Makarim or anyone else. It was no longer out of cowardice, but out of necessity. Sa'akah had made a good point; why trouble anyone with the inevitable? Over the last two days, the hiccups in time had become more apparent. It wasn't just an early sunset or a late sunrise anymore; entire hours were missing, slipping away so quickly and silently that no one even noticed they were gone. He wasn't sure if Sa'akah's words to him the other night had put him at ease or if the reality of the situation was just finally sinking in, but he had lost the will to fight. The body he lived inside was not his own. Something horrible was happening, and surrendering his body might help put things right. It was a small chance, but it was the best they could do. Why had it seemed so complicated before? There was only one choice from the beginning.
Leaving Makarim was the only thing that bothered him. The one thing Sa'akah seemed sure of was his connection to Makarim - the thread that supposedly bound them between lives - was severed, and there didn't seem to be any way of fixing that. This was the only detail that left him feeling hopeless. If he had some guarantee that he could be with Makarim in some form beyond this life, he wouldn't feel so sour.
"Haru? Can you grab that blanket over there?" Makarim asked, pulling Hafa from his consuming thoughts. Hafa nearly forgot what a blanket was before coming back to his senses and securing the aforementioned item. Dragging the blanket to the bed, Hafa dropped it on the pillows and cast Makarim a side-long glance.
"You aren't feeling sick, are you?" he asked. For the last couple of days, Makarim had woken with a mild fever that seemed to go away just as quickly as it came.
Makarim plopped onto the bed and sighed hugely, stretching out on the bed like a cat. "I'm feeling fine. I think maybe it was just getting too hot up here with the twins sleeping in bed with us like they were... They've taken such a shining to Rim, though, they're finally sleeping in their own beds tonight, so I should wake up feeling fine." He smiled drowsily at Hafa. "I'm glad we finally have a night to ourselves." He immediately yawned, covering his mouth guiltily. "Too bad I seem to be too tired to really enjoy it…"
Hafa sat on the bed, flopping next to Makarim and pushing his head into the crook of Makarim's shoulder, pressing a chaste kiss to his neck. "Being alone with you is enough for me."
Makarim laughed tiredly, pulling Hafa close. "Same here. Besides, we have plenty of time. Rim is home! We have the rest of our lives together."
Hafa stuffed his face into Makarim's shoulder. He took a deep breath through his nose. Makarim smelled like sun and clay; he had grown to love this smell.
"...You would be okay without me, wouldn't you?" he murmured softly into Makarim's shoulder. Makarim's head moved; his nose brushed the top of Hafa's head.
"Haru? What was that?"
Hafa shook his head, settling more closely to Makarim and draping an arm over his chest. "Nothing. Let's go to sleep. It's been a long day."
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Aini was somewhere cold. Somewhere dark.
Stone walls surrounded him on all sides. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see a wide staircase form in front of him that ascended so high that the rest of them dissolved into inky darkness. Cool air was blowing from the top of the stairs, compelling Aini to climb them. Hesitantly, he did.
He was worried about how dark it was. Very quickly it became too dark to see, and Aini hugged his arms to guard against the cold. Just as he thought he might not be able to continue for the imposing darkness all around him, small, white orbs blossomed along the walls of the staircase to illuminate his way. They looked exactly like the orbs Sa'akah could create with a tap of his staff; Aini looked around, expecting Sa'akah to be somewhere nearby.
"Keep walking. The answer you seek is at the top."
Although Aini couldn't see him anywhere, Sa'akah's voice came clearly from every direction. Aini continued to turn, his eyes darting around wildly.
"Where am I? What am I looking for?" he asked.
When no immediate answer came, Aini continued to climb. Sa'akah's voice floated to him from somewhere far away.
"I told you, didn't I?" Sa'akah asked coldly. "I explained to you what's going to happen to us all. The end of everything. The collapse of our worlds."
Aini hugged his shoulders more tightly. "I know… I've kept quiet about it, like you asked. That doesn't explain why I'm here."
"Pay attention to what you see. The answer you seek is at the top."
"What does that mean?" Aini asked, frustrated. There was no reply. He was alone in this place. He had been from the start. In fact, this was the most empty place he had ever encountered; it felt unnaturally devoid of life. Aini could feel neither djinn nor human anywhere; he'd lived his whole life acutely aware of how many djinn lived unseen among mortals, so it was especially strange for such an ancient, dark place to be devoid of djinn.
By this point, Aini knew he was dreaming. Most of his dreams tended to be lucid, but generally he could control the direction of the dream to some extent. This felt different. He'd never felt so herded before. There was only one way he could go and it was up these stairs, surrounded by floating orbs of light to guide his path. Still, he pushed on. The answer you seek is at the top. Was there some way of stopping the catastrophe Sa'akah had described to him that night in the palace? He'd been sick over it ever since he'd been told. He hadn't even realized how discorded the air had become, too wrapped up in finding and being reunited with Rim and Sa'akah to give it any mind. It was natural to dream about something so severe that was preying on his mind. As to why it felt so different… As Aini climbed the stairs, he hoped his answer would be clear.
The higher he climbed, the colder it became. How many stairs could there possibly be? Just as Aini was considering turning back, a bright light overwhelmed his senses and the stairs faded away.
When he opened his eyes, he was somewhere new. Alarmed, Aini turned around, nearly tripping over his own feet; the staircase was completely gone. Instead, it looked as though he had emerged from an archway and entered a huge, tall chamber. Stone pillars lined the walls, the rest of the room littered with pedestals, benches and torches. In the center of the room - the obvious object of attention- was a giant statue of a man. Aini craned his neck to look at it, his mouth open in awe. The first thing he noticed was the staff the man was holding; it was Sa'akah's staff, there was no doubt about it. This man must be King Solomon. Even without having recognized the staff, the ring on the statue's finger was clearly the Seal of Solomon, complete with all four jewels.
Aini tentatively stepped into the room, taking in his surroundings. The place felt old but it looked so new; even the candles on the pedestals looked as though they had just been lit for some sort of evening service. As Aini continued to explore, he couldn't help but wonder why his dream had guided him here. He knew the statue of Solomon was relevant, but how? What was he supposed to learn here? He'd climbed to the top just like Sa'akah said, now what?
When he looked back at the statue, he had to stifle a gasp. There was a figure standing at the base of the statue - a figure resembling the statue he stood under from what Aini could tell - facing away from him and seemingly unaware of the surprised onlooker. The figure was dressed in heavy robes and held Sa'akah's staff in one hand, his other hand outstretched to touch the base of the statue. As Aini watched, a large stone panel at the base of the statue painstakingly slid down and away, revealing a passageway. In a blink, the figure was gone.
Cautiously, Aini approached the statue, peering down into the passageway. It was so dark he couldn't see a thing; the little light orbs Sa'akah could create would be extremely helpful.
His chest felt tight. As he began his careful descent, Aini distinctly felt as though he was doing something wrong, going somewhere he wasn't allowed. The air was thick and stagnant, making it difficult to breathe. Should he continue? Surely there was something important here, but it was getting difficult to move his limbs. There was a voice from somewhere far away, pulling him back, and no matter how hard he tried to resist, he could feel the dream slipping away from him.
.
.
.
"Aini! Wake up!"
Aini's eyes flew open and he inhaled a massive breath. Rim was in his field of vision, eyes wide in concern, his hands gripping Aini's shoulders firmly. Aini felt like his heart was beating out of his chest and his body was cold with sweat; he grabbed Rim's arms in an attempt to ground himself, taking steady breaths.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Rim asked worriedly. "You started shaking… You started breathing really hard, you scared the hell out of me…"
Aini shook his head, letting out a cleansing sigh. "It was just a dream," Aini reassured, covering his eyes with his hand. "A really weird dream…"
"You sure?" Rim asked, releasing Aini and sitting back on the bedding with a sigh of relief. "Was it a nightmare?"
Aini was still for a moment, considering. "I don't think so. I think it was important." He shook his head again. "I'm not sure." Moving his hand to peek at Rim, Aini quirked a brow. "I didn't wake you, did I?"
"Nah. I can't sleep. I feel restless."
Sitting up and running a hand through his silver, sweaty hair, Aini frowned at Rim in concern. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah. I can't really place it. I feel like something's wrong, but I can't put my finger on why." He laughed through his nose. "Stupid, right? Everything's going well, so there's really no reason to feel that way."
Aini chewed on his bottom lip, considering his possible responses. When was Sa'akah planning to talk to Rim about everything? Rim still didn't know about the Unholy Events or even about their village; most importantly, he didn't know about himself. Was Sa'akah really planning on telling him everything? Was it okay for them all to enjoy themselves and live their lives as normal while the world crashes down around their ankles? And that dream… Should he tell Sa'akah about it?
"Where is Sa'akah?" Aini asked curiously. Sa'akah's bedding was unused and he was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't terribly unusual; while staying with Reem and Najiya, the three men slept in the loft while Ghazi stayed with Ru'a, and Sa'akah didn't seem to spend much time in the loft at all.
"Outside, most likely. I went looking for him when I couldn't sleep, but I couldn't find him. I wonder if that guy sleeps at all." Rim said, scratching his head.
"Rim," Aini moved the blankets aside and climbed in Rim's lap, sliding his arms over Rim's shoulders, "Have you had a chance to talk to Sa'akah yet? Like… alone?"
Rim reflexively rested his hands on Aini's hips. "Not really. There hasn't been a lot of time for it."
Aini hummed, still absently biting on his bottom lip. "Maybe tomorrow you should talk to him. After all, you two haven't gotten any time to really catch up, right?"
Rim grinned. "Why so worried? You haven't had any time to talk to him, either."
The hesitancy in Aini's expression must have been enough to prove otherwise. Rim raised his brows. "Or have you?"
"Ahh," Aini cleared his throat. "I couldn't sleep that night at the palace. I took a walk, and ran into Sa'akah. We were able to talk for a little while."
"Oh, yeah?" Rim's smile became deviously playful. "Just talking? Or did something else happen?"
"Wh- Rim!" Aini whispered, his face on fire. "Why would you even ask something like that!"
"What?" Rim countered, laughing. "How could he even resist, if he got you all alone?" He tilted his head at Aini curiously. "Don't tell me you didn't know…? When we were kids, he was really smitten with you. It was obvious."
Aini tried to speak but it came out as a sputter. "I- how- w- how would you even know something like that?" He shoved Rim in the shoulder. "And why do you sound so delighted about it?"
Rim snickered and held Aini's hips flush with his lap, leaning forward to put his teeth teasingly against the nape of Aini's neck. Aini let out a shivery whimper that he immediately stifled.
"Whenever I teased you back then, he always got into it with me. He pampered you, you know."
Aini grabbed Rim's shoulders and exposed his neck to him, his breathing hitching in his throat when Rim gently licked at this pale skin, pressing the sharp points of his teeth along his collarbone. "Rim…"
"It gets me kind of hot thinking about it," Rim rumbled against the boy's neck, "how damn desireable you are."
Letting out a soft breath, Aini let his eyes flutter closed. "Sa'akah… he liked you too, Rim…" he breathed, letting loose a whimper as Rim's mouth traveled up the side of Aini's neck and kissed along his jawline.
"That so?" Rim growled, nuzzling Aini's neck. "Well, if he decides to come back to bed tonight, he might get a show."
"Rim...! We can't… what if we wake someone up..?" Aini groaned, needily bucking his hips against Rim's groin despite his protests.
"Be quiet, then," Rim whispered, seizing Aini's mouth in a hot kiss. Aini grabbed handfuls of Rim's nightshirt, kissing him urgently as Rim shifted under him, laying Aini gently down on the bedding while working impatiently to get him out of his clothes. Aini's trembling hands flew to Rim's shirt, sliding under the cloth to feel his skin.
The only indication that anything had gone wrong were Rim's hands halting in their endeavour as if he'd been frozen, and their frenzy of kissing ended prematurely when Rim's head snapped up, stone-still as though he were listening intently to something. For a moment, Aini thought Rim heard someone awake in the house; trying to get his breathing under control, he touched the side of Rim's face.
"R-rim? What's wrong?" he whispered. Even in the darkness, Rim's face looked pale.
"Do you hear that?" Rim asked. His voice was hushed but shrill. Aini listened, but he couldn't hear anything unusual. Now that the fear had been put into him and his arousal was rapidly fading away, he could certainly feel a foreign tension in the air that hadn't been there before.
"I don't hear anything," Aini said, sitting up and adjusting his disheveled clothes. "What do you hear?"
Rim raised a hand to his head, sitting back. "I… fuck. I don't know. Talking. Whispering. This voice… This fucking voice…"
"Rim?" Aini put a hand on Rim's shoulder in concern. "What's going on? What's wrong?"
"Something's wrong. Something…" Rim looked up and met Aini's troubled gaze, his eyes wide in realization. "We have to go. Now."
.
.
.
There was a sharp pain in his neck. He couldn't breathe. At first Hafa assumed he was dreaming, but it had been a long time since he'd had one of those. Hafa tried to open his mouth and take a breath but only a choke emerged. All at once he realized he was being strangled.
Hafa's eyes popped open and he awoke to the suffocating feeling of hands firmly circled around his throat, pressing hard on his airway. In a panic Hafa grabbed at his attackers hands, trying to pry them free; they wouldn't budge, and Hafa's thrashing didn't seem to do a thing. He felt added weight on his pelvis; his attacker was straddling him, pinning him down. Where was Makarim? Was he safe? Had the attacker gotten to him first?
As Hafa's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he was able to see the figure hovering over him. Wide green irises stared down at him, catching the moonlight. Hafa went limp in confusion, a choke leaving him.
"Ma...urk... ka….ri….m...?"
Makarim's hands found more leverage around his throat, sending shooting pains through Hafa's neck. Hafa could barely breathe, vainly trying to pull Makarim's hands off of him. This couldn't be real. It didn't feel real. This had to be some kind of demented dream. A giddy chuckle tumbled from Makarim's lips.
"You awake now, Hafa?" he hissed. "You were sleeping for so long, and I haven't gotten any sleep at all. You're being rude, Hafa."
Hafa managed to curl his fingertips just under Makarim's palms, but it mattered little. Makarim's thumbs pressed harder against Hafa's throat, drawing forth a gasp and a whimper. As his eyesight faded in and out of focus, Hafa tried to focus on Makarim's eyes. This was not Makarim. Even though it spoke with Makarim's voice, he knew only one being who said his name with such disdain.
"Sh...ar….?"
Hafa was immediately silenced as Makarim increased his hold. He was going to die. He was going to die without telling Makarim the truth about anything, or being able to help him at all. Hafa's hands dropped to his sides. His vision blackened. He thought he'd been ready for death, he thought it didn't matter how he died because the result would be the same. He was wrong. This was the worst way to die he could imagine.
"HAFA!"
His senses were suddenly and violently brought back to him when Hafa heard Rim's voice and felt Makarim's hands leave his neck. Finally free, Hafa rolled onto his side and coughed, weakly inhaling breath as someone grabbed his shoulders from behind and another hand began rubbing his back.
"Haru! Are you okay?! Stay with us!" came Najiya's voice very near his ear.
As Hafa focused on breathing, sounds of struggling filled his ears, coupled with Makarim's angry yells and Rim and Reem's panicked voices as they worked to secure him.
"Reem, watch out, his arm-"
"I've got him, I've got him… Ahh, Makarim, stop fighting us! What's wrong with you?"
Sa'akah's voice suddenly cut through the noise.
"Hold him down tight. Here, use this. Tie him up. Arms behind the back."
Makarim's furious shouts dissolved into manic laughter, ringing unsettlingly through the loft and chilling Hafa's blood. Still sputtering, Hafa turned toward the scene, his hand circled gingerly around his own sore throat.
"Hafa, don't try and move!" Ghazi said in concern, her hands still braced on his shoulders. "You might be really hurt…!"
Rim, Reem and Sa'akah were tying Makarim's arms and hands behind his back as he laughed, his ankles already bound tightly by Aini, who was sitting on his legs, head down, terribly out of breath.
"Maka-" Hafa tried to speak but it came out as a squeak and he resumed coughing. Najiya rubbed his back comfortingly.
"Don't try and speak, Haru!" Najiya warned.
Rim stood up, brushing hair out of his eyes. He rubbed his chin, which looked as if it had been hit during the struggle. "It isn't Makarim, Hafa. It's Sharik. I don't know how or why, but somehow that bastard took Makarim's body."
Hafa couldn't respond, he could only breathe. How could something like that be possible…? He'd been present when Makarim had banished Sharik between worlds. He'd heard the words spoken, and he'd seen Sharik vanish from existence. An icy realization shot through Hafa like the steel of a blade. Between worlds. With the two worlds colliding on one another, was it possible Sharik was able to find a way through? Hafa glanced at Sa'akah with wide, inquiring eyes. Sa'akah met his gaze and gave him a firm nod in reply. It appeared Sa'akah had the same thought.
"Hafa, are you okay?" Rim asked, pulling his fingers through his tousled hair. "Don't answer, just nod."
Hafa nodded, lowering his head to cough again. Najiya stood up, heading to the ladder. "I'll get some water for Haru, okay?" he said, hurrying down the stairs.
Makarim's laughter had become a throaty chuckle, as if he were enjoying a funny joke. Rim cast an acid look at him. "Shut the fuck up, you asshole. How are you even here? How the fuck did you take Makarim?"
"Rim, how did you even know he was here?" Ghazi asked curiously, speaking over Makarim's continued laughter. "If we'd been just a second later…"
Rim shook his head. "I can't explain it. I just felt him suddenly, like he was looming over me again. I felt him around me for so many years… it's not a feeling you forget easily." He turned his attention back to Makarim. "Well? Are you going to answer, or are you just going to sit there and laugh?"
"I don't believe your friend is entirely possessed, Rim," Sa'akah said, placing a hand on Rim's shoulder. "The one called Sharik was destroyed by the Seal. What's happened to Makarim is more like a sickness. Sharik somehow managed to infect him with just enough of his consciousness to slowly poison him over time. His idea of revenge, maybe."
"That explains the fevers and attacks he's been having!" Najiya said, having returned with a glass of cool water and a moist rag which he offered to Hafa for his throat. Hafa gratefully took it and pressed it gently to his neck.
"How… do we…. help him…?" Hafa huffed, his voice hoarse. Sa'akah stared hard at Makarim, who in turn was watching him with a penetrating, even gaze, his laughter all but gone.
"It shouldn't be hard. Even if he were properly possessed, we have the Seal of Solomon. Exorcisms are rather simple. I don't think it should come to that, though. Solomon's staff should be more than enough to ward off whatever pieces of Sharik are afflicting him."
"I broke him," Makarim said suddenly, demanding an uneasy silence from the entire room. "It wasn't hard. He already thought he was useless, after all. It was just a bit of pushing. A bit of pushing." Makarim's head rolled to the side to stare at Rim, who stepped back reflexively. "Little humans are so easy to break. So many itty-bitty insecurities. Isn't that so, Rim?"
"You… you son of a-"
"And you," Makarim said, directing his attention back to Sa'akah, "I remember you, boy. Look how you've grown! Last I saw you, you were crying your eyes out in a sea of fire. I'm shocked to see you're still alive. Well… Mostly alive, anyway. How is soullessness treating you?"
Sa'akah's jaw clenched. Aini stood up, grabbing the hem of Sa'akah's robes and giving it an urgent tug. "Sa'akah… Ahh, maybe we should-"
"You know," Sharik continued through Makarim's mouth, "I never even realized you and Rim knew each other until that day you came to the palace. As soon as I saw that guilt on your face, I just knew. You did it all for him, and it all went wrong. So very, very wrong."
"Shut up," Sa'akah hissed, a fist clenched at his side.
"What's this about?" Rim asked, looking from Makarim to Sa'akah in growing interest. "What's he talking about?"
"Anything he says is bound to be a lie, isn't it?" Reem asked uneasily. "If that's truly Sharik speaking, he'll say anything to distract us."
Sharik buckled over in laughter. The sight of Makarim acting in such a way made Hafa's chest tighten painfully.
"You really haven't told him, have you?" Sharik asked Sa'akah incredulously. "You haven't told him who was really responsible for the destruction of your village?"
Rim went rigid. Sa'akah strode forward with a pulled fist, but Reem grabbed his arm and held him back.
"Get a grip! That's still Makarim's body!" Reem reminded, though he had gone rather pale himself.
"A little boy with a book of incantations and good intentions… I can remember it well, even though my form is gone. You were my last master, even though you barely qualified. Why keep it to yourself? How could Rim be upset when you tried so hard to help him?"
"Sa'akah, what the hell is he talking about?" Rim demanded hotly. "Why is he saying this shit?"
"Rim… I was going to tell you-"
"Why pick on him?" Sharik asked with a sharp laugh. "He isn't the only one keeping secrets. Hafa, have you figured out where you got your body yet?"
All eyes swept to Hafa, who avoided Makarim's gaze. Even though Sharik was in control, he still couldn't find it in him to stare into Makarim's eyes while he was exposed.
Ghazi stood up. "Stop this!" she exclaimed furiously. "We won't let you say whatever you want! Sa'akah, do what you need to do to help Makarim. Get Sharik out of him, please."
Sharik chuckled. "Humans have always disliked hearing the truth, haven't they?"
"I don't care if you're speaking the truth or not!" Ghazi argued shrilly. "It isn't your truth to tell! Sa'akah-"
"No, I want to know," Rim growled, taking a step closer to Sa'akah. "Tell me he's full of shit. I just need to hear you say that this is all bullshit, that you had nothing to do with the fire back then." He grabbed the front of Sa'akah's robe tightly in his fist. "Tell me!"
Aini rushed to the men's side, placing a hand calmingly on Rim's arm. "Rim, let's talk about this later, okay?"
Rim flashed a fierce look at Aini, and the boy flinched from the intensity alone. "Aini, do you know something about all this? You knew and you didn't tell me?"
"No, it isn't… Rim, it…"
Looking from Aini to Sa'akah with a look of utter betrayal, Rim released Sa'akah's robes and turned away from them, making for the ladder. Ghazi tried to go to him, but he brushed her off and climbed down to the main floor without a word. After a contemplative moment, Ghazi followed after him.
The loft was silent aside from Makarim's soft tittering. No one quite knew what to say. All of it was overwhelming in the most terrible way. After some time, Reem broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Lets… just do what we can for Makarim. It can't be good for him to have Sharik in his head for any length of time, correct?"
Najiya helped Hafa to stand as Sa'akah stepped forward, staff in hand, stopping just in front of Makarim. For a sick moment Hafa thought Sa'akah was going to strike him, but Sa'akah merely waved his right hand over the curved top of his staff, the blue orb once again blooming just under the wooden arch. Lifting the staff, he tapped the curved top gently to the crown of Makarim's head. As soon as the wood surface touched Makarim's hair, the man slumped forward as if he'd fallen asleep; Hafa knelt next to Makarim with Najiya's help.
"Is… he….?"
"He's fine." Sa'akah said hollowly. "I was right. A generic ward was all it took. He'll sleep it off, and when he wakes up, he'll be himself again."
"No more attacks, or fevers?" Najiya asked worriedly.
"Not because of Sharik, no." Sa'akah answered. "Whatever was left of that djinn is gone. This time, for good." He turned his hardened gaze to Hafa. "You should rest, drink some water. There could be damage to your throat that might cause some trouble later."
Hafa nodded, observing Makarim's sleeping face. His breathing was slow and calm, as though he had just dropped off for a nap.
"Let's untie him," Aini suggested, kneeling down to untie Makarim's ankles. Despite his own discomfort, Hafa began to loosen the binds around Makarim's shoulders as Najiya worked on his wrists. Once they had freed him, Reem and Najiya carefully moved him back to his bed. Seeing Makarim lie in bed with such a peaceful expression on his face made it difficult to believe he'd housed a dead djinn just moments before.
Unusual sounds coming from outside the shop suddenly reached everyone's ears. It sounded like several sets of hooves against stone and distant screaming and shouting; for a moment no one moved, too confused to act. Ghazi's voice rang from downstairs urgently.
"Everybody come here! Quick!" the girl yelled. Without question, the men rushed to the ladder and descended. Hafa brought up the rear, still weak from the attack. When they reached the kitchen, they found Rim and Ghazi staring out the window in shock.
Hafa approached the window and immediately froze. The street was on fire. Entire families were vacating their homes in a panic as horses galloped through the streets, their riders holding blazing torches and glinting swords.
Hanging from each of their saddles, the crest of Sama Al-Kah fluttered ominously on crimson cloth.
