Chapter 16: Reverse Flip in Time
"So what if Azazel did make Diego's friend vanish, what can we do about it?" Mark asked Nimrod, stretching his stiff arms out in front of him.
"I don't believe that Azazel quite made the fellow disappear, exactly. When he was last in circulation, what Azazel was most infamous for were his bindings, which were powerful enough to rival those of an adult djinn, such as myself. There is a type of djinn binding that a djinn can place on djinn and mundanes alike, called a diminuendo, that causes the subject to shrink, sometimes to the size of the doll, occasionally to the size of an atom. Either way, it's a binding that can only be reversed by the djinn who first invoked it. Nasty stuff, especially when an Ifrit has something to do with it." Nimrod explained to him. "Of course, there are plenty of other bindings that Azazel could have used, but if the article I discovered is to be believed, then my friend Diego has attempted to claim that Professor de la Rez has been turned into an incredibly lifelike doll, thus my suspicions of the use of a Diminuendo binding. Of course, the newspapers have branded poor Diego as insane, but this seems quite unjustified."
Mark looked thoughtful. "So you're saying that there isn't anything we can do for Diego's friend, at all?"
"Goodness, me, no! We can report this offense to the Blue Djinn of Babylon, Faustina, blessings be upon her name. She may not do anything about it, but Azazel is already walking on a shaky tightrope when it comes to the djinn justice system. He keeps trying to depose the leader of the Ifrit, first Iblis, and now Jirjis. They've been having trouble keeping Azazel under supervision, I believe."
While Nimrod and Mark were talking, Holly began to feel rather sick. She really did hate being so high up in the air. She had decided that if Nimrod ever wanted to teach her how to control a flying carpet, she couldn't do it. She was far too distracted by the horrible prospect of causing herself and everyone else that the flying carpet now carried to fall several thousand feet into the Mediterranean Sea. She wished that she wasn't afraid of heights and falling so much, and, indeed, Holly wasn't quite sure why she was. However, more than that, Holly wished that she knew if Cas was safe. Still somewhat unsure of her djinn powers, Holly delayed the use of her focus word, for fear that it might just transport her to where Azazel was, and then Cas would probably be in a worse pickle than before. Holly yawned, feeling unnaturally and unusually tired. She tried to stay awake for as long as she could, but eventually, she fell asleep, almost feeling as though someone or something was forcing her to do so.
When Holly opened her eyes again, she was back in the garden that she had been in when she first encountered Nimrod. She looked around, feeling very apprehensive, but for now, at least, Holly seemed to be alone in the magical garden. She walked around, looking at the enormous apple tree and the two ancient looking columns in the garden. Holly was just beginning to get used to the odd spinning sensation she felt, when, with a dramatic roar of thunder, a man in a pale cream-coloured suit appeared suddenly in between the columns. He had longish curly brown hair, held back in a ponytail, stormy grey eyes, a strong, square jaw, and a somewhat prominent nose. In his right hand, he held a cane, the head of which was carved in the shape of a ram's head. Rain began to pour down, soaking Holly to the bone within minutes, which she found very odd. It was a dream, wasn't it? How could she feel wet in a dream?
"Who... Who are you?" Holly shouted at the stranger over the shrieking wind. The man turned towards her but looked up into the sky first.
"Quiet!" he shouted into the sky. The wind and thunder died down, but it continued to rain heavily. The man in the cream-coloured suit seemed a bit annoyed, but sighed and otherwise ignored the weather. He looked at Holly, and Holly shivered. Not because of the rain, but because this man's stormy grey eyes seemed to contain within them the most powerful, roaring fire that Holly could imagine.
"Who are you?" she repeated fearfully, her eyes open to their fullest extent. She felt that if she wasn't sopping wet, then her hair would have been standing on end.
"I am Gabriel, the Messenger of Allah." he replied. "Shall we get out of this rain? It's rather unpleasant." Gabriel held out his right hand to Holly, holding his cane in the other. Holly simply stood there, getting wetter by the second and absolutely stupefied.
"Gabriel... The archangel? The one who visited M... Muhammad?" Holly swallowed loudly as Gabriel nodded.
"Yes, the very same. In any case, child, will you allow me to take us somewhere less rainy or must we stay here in this dreary climate?" he asked. Holly stared at his outstretched hand. "Well?"
It's only a dream, Holly reminded herself, and took Gabriel's hand. Immediately, her surroundings began to distort and change, until they had twisted into a cold, snowy street somewhere Holly didn't recognize.
"Where are we?" she asked, looking around for some sign that she recognized. At last, the cold caught up with her and she began to shiver violently.
"New York City. 1927. One of my personal favourite years in the United States. However, we don't have time to linger out here. Come along!"
Gabriel led the way into a nearby hotel, walking briskly so that Holly had to almost run to keep pace with him. During this time, Holly realized that she was wearing a rather odd-looking dress and a hat, under which her hair was styled in a rather becoming reverse flip, and over it all, she wore a heavy fox-fur coat. All that she was wearing was red, and must have been very stylish for the 1920's.
"Why am I wearing this silly getup?" she asked Gabriel, noticing that he was wearing only white and shades of cream.
"Because it would look very odd if you had shown up around here in jeans and a t-shirt, Holly. We're not in your mind anymore." Gabriel said, as if that explained everything. "I don't want people staring and asking silly questions. We're rather pressed for time."
"Do you mean to tell me that we actually are back in the year 1927, in New York?" Holly asked incredulously.
Gabriel looked at her. "I'm an angel," he said simply. "Your mundane way of thinking is rather dull, isn't it?" At last, they were in the warm hotel. Gabriel held open the door for Holly, and she walked thankfully into the heated lobby.
"We're headed for the djinnverso tournament. There's a few people you ought to meet." Gabriel walked even faster towards the opposite end of the vast and beautiful lobby.
"Who are we meeting?" Holly asked curiously.
"Ayesha Godwin!" Gabriel called. A very tall, beautiful, dark-haired and otherwise glamorous woman paused, stopping her two (also dark-haired) daughter and son in the process.
"Gabriel?" she asked, sounding somewhat concerned. Holly noticed that she had a crisp English accent. "What is it you want with me?"
"Merely a word," Gabriel replied, and Ayesha shooed her children on to the djinnverso tournament, but Gabriel called after them, too. "Layla, Nimrod, I'd like to have a word with the both of you, as well." Holly almost gasped. She looked up at Gabriel for something, either confirmation or denial, but Gabriel gave no sign of anything.
Layla and Nimrod came over, seeming apprehensive.
"This is Holly, a djinn, like yourselves. She is in dire need of some advice. Holly, tell them of your predicament, if you will." Gabriel ordered, and Holly took a deep breath and began.
"Well, my very best friend in the entire world has been kidnapped by a wicked Ifrit, and we're not sure what to do next. My dad, his butler, my brother, my cousins and I are headed to Madrid as fast as we can, but we don't know if that will help us any."
"Why are you going to Madrid?" Ayesha asked. Holly frowned.
"My dad found a news article about a strange disappearance in Madrid that described my friend's kidnapper perfectly." Holly explained. Ayesha nodded thoughtfully.
"Hasn't Gabriel offered you any advice?" She asked, looking curiously at the angel.
"I was under the impression that that's what he's trying to do right now." Holly said, also glancing at Gabriel.
"Yes, indeed. We're not technically supposed to get involved in djinn matters, but the moment that demons become involved, that's when we have to act."
Layla and Ayesha both gasped. The teenage Nimrod, meanwhile, had stealthily slipped away and was now halfway across the room, laughing rudely at a very irritated-looking young man with a red face and equally red hair.
"Demons?" Layla asked, and Gabriel nodded. Holly merely looked sideways at Gabriel.
"What do demons have anything to do with this?" she asked him.
"We'll get to that later. Best not to trouble these good djinn." Gabriel said. Holly didn't stop staring.
"In any case, I've no idea why you came to talk to us, Gabriel. Why didn't you seek out the Blue Djinn?" Ayesha asked. Gabriel shrugged.
"I wanted Holly to meet you three, that's all. Thank you for your patience." Gabriel nodded at Ayesha, and waited patiently as Holly shook Layla's and Ayesha's hands, noting, as she did so, how each of them carefully folded their middle fingers back, over their lifelines. Holly copied them.
"Child, should you ever need our help, come visit us in London. Ask for Ayesha Godwin." Ayesha smiled warmly at Holly, leaving Holly with a strange, almost empty feeling, even as she nodded and smiled back.
Layla turned, scanning the room in search of her brother. "Mother, Nimrod's got into trouble again." She tugged on her mother's sleeve.
Ayesha turned to see what her son was up to this time, and tutted loudly. "Oh, dear. Nimrod! Get over here at once!"
When they were back outside, Holly turned to Gabriel. "Was that my grandmother?" she asked him outright. Gabriel nodded.
"Next year she will be named as the Blue Djinn of Babylon, and her heart will harden beyond a shadow of emotion. Perhaps it is best that you won't meet her in that state."
"And so Nimrod- that teenage Nimrod that I just met- he's nearly if not already one hundred years old back in 2012?" Again, Gabriel nodded.
"Yes. Yes he is. We'd best be getting back now, before you're missed from your corporeal form in that century."
"What?" Holly asked, but Gabriel merely took her hand again and began dragging her away from the snow-covered New York street. Soon, they were on an entirely different avenue, under a red-and-gold awning that was right in front of what appeared to be a bookstore.
"One more thing you must know, child, is this;" Gabriel began, pausing to look around the darkening street for eavesdroppers. "Cas and Azazel aren't merely djinn, Holly. Their father is a very, very powerful demon. One of the Princes of Hell- Beelzebub. It is very unpleasant when demons get involved, so I'd like you to be careful."
"But is Cas okay? That's what I really want to know. I don't care if his father is a demon, Cas could never be capable of anything more malicious than an April Fool's prank. He's my best friend, and I want him to be safe."
Gabriel looked down at the slick-looking bricks, just as the sound of rain on the awning became noticeable. "Holly, you ought to know what Azazel is planning."
Holly raised an eyebrow. "What is Azzy planning? I assume that he's in Madrid, is he?"
Gabriel nodded. "Azazel is indeed back in Madrid. He was released from his incarceration by a man named Alphonso de la Rez. He turned Alphonso into a doll, but that is not the end of Azazel's wrath. He plans to eradicate the entire continent of Europe- humans, djinn, angels- everything."
"From Madrid? How will he manage that?"
"There's an ancient destructive power that was supposed to be known only to the seven archangels, but somehow, Beelzebub found out about it, and is using his sons to raise up the Red Sun of Madrid for his own gain."
"He's using Cas? How?" Holly's frown deepened.
"He's trying to use Cas." Gabriel corrected himself. "By the Grace of God, Cas was purified of all true evil. He suffers the same temptations, but Allah granted your friend an iron will and a steadfast resolution to only work for the good of all djinnkind, mankind, and angelkind. Cas is what some cruel djinn (and even a few kind ones) would call a freak. He was born to an Ifritah and a demon, but is nothing like either of them. He never really was."
"Why was Cas chosen to be purified?" Holly asked, even as she felt someone trying to wake her up. Gabriel shrugged.
"It is not my place to question the will of Allah Almighty." he said gravely. "Oh, and Holly," he called as Holly began to be dragged backwards, back into her conscious mind, "Look for the morning sun, and there you will find Castiel Malone."
"What?!" Holly called to him, but Gabriel remained silent
"Holly," Philippa shook her cousin gently. "Holly, wake up."
Holly opened her eyes blearily. "What?" she asked, yawning.
"We've arrived."