once a century. He always dreaded the audience.
“So.” Duvalli peered at Keeshan down the length of his
arrogant beak of a nose. “Have you fucked her yet?”
Keeshan bristled. “That is none of your business.”
“You’ve fucked her.” Duvalli affected a sigh. “You never
could control yourself. You are one horny son of a bitch, Sir Keeshan. Did she
like it? Beg for more? Oh wait. Of course she did. You used the incantation.”
This was not a question but when a red tide rose on Keeshan’s cheeks, Duvalli
laughed, a harsh cackle. “Let me guess. She appears in your chamber and less
than a minute later you’re drawing your lust spell all over her body.” He spat
onto the stones at his feet. “The little whore was probably crawling all over
you—”
“Do not call her a whore.” Keeshan’s nails etched his palm.
It was all he could do to keep from slamming his fist in Duvalli’s stony face.
A dark brow rose. “My. What a tone. If I didn’t know better,
I would think you were challenging me.”
Annoyance, impatience, desperation riffled through him.
Keeshan opened his mouth and a command just…slipped out. “Release her from the
incantation.”
Duvalli blinked. Keeshan had never dared command anything of
him before. Ever. “What?”
A cold trickle of fear dribbled through his bowels but
Keeshan ignored it. What could Duvalli do to him that he had not already done?
How much worse could it be? He steeled his spine and snapped, “You heard me.”
The Dark Djinn stared at him for an echoing eternity and
then barked a harsh laugh. “Never say you are going soft, Sir Keeshan.”
“I want you to release her from the incantation.”
“Ridiculous. Why would you want to free her? That spell
guarantees she cannot resist you.”
“I don’t want her like that.”
“It’s never stopped you before,” the Dark Djinn scoffed.
“Things are different now. I want it to be her choice.”
Duvalli studied him in silence, tapping his lips. “Don’t be
an idiot. If the incantation is broken, it will be broken forever.”
“Good.” Keeshan’s response was not far from a sneer. He was
weary to the bone of his life in the lamp. Weary to the bone of sex that meant
nothing and never could.
Duvalli’s lips curled into a travesty of a smile, a mockery
of nonchalance. His entire body was taut, vibrating like a bowstring. “Imagine
it. Eternity trapped in the lamp with no way to make the women accept you.
Constant, infinite lust. And no release.”
“Release her,” Keeshan snapped. Anguish clawed at him and
the true reason for his roiling fear slipped out. “Every woman who has given me
her heart under that incantation spent the rest of her life in misery.”
His nemesis smirked. “You ruined them for other men.”
“That was hardly my fault. You are the one who sent them to
me. You carry this onus.”
“Technically, I had nothing to do with it.”
“You wove the spell!”
“But the Great Djinn chooses your consorts. We can only
assume there are reasons for each choice. But do not fret about them.” The Dark
Djinn forced a grin. It was not a pleasant sight. “No doubt when they moved on,
into other incarnations, all your women were able to find a modicum of
happiness with other men.”
Keeshan’s heart stuttered. “And your sister? Did she ever
find happiness in other lives?”
Duvalli’s complexion mottled. His tattoos glowed a furious
crimson. “You know damn well the mirror will not show her to me.”
Keeshan rocked back on his heels. He could tell he was
making no progress with the Dark Djinn. He rarely did. But he still had one
argument left. “So tell me, Duvalli. What is the difference between your sister
and these women the lamp brings me?”
“What?”
“Would you condemn Circe to Aimalee’s fate? To be sent to
the lamp? To be compelled to want me?”
Duvalli stood in a rush, his cloak swirling around his body.
He fairly hummed with rage. He stormed down the stairs of
“So.” Duvalli peered at Keeshan down the length of his
arrogant beak of a nose. “Have you fucked her yet?”
Keeshan bristled. “That is none of your business.”
“You’ve fucked her.” Duvalli affected a sigh. “You never
could control yourself. You are one horny son of a bitch, Sir Keeshan. Did she
like it? Beg for more? Oh wait. Of course she did. You used the incantation.”
This was not a question but when a red tide rose on Keeshan’s cheeks, Duvalli
laughed, a harsh cackle. “Let me guess. She appears in your chamber and less
than a minute later you’re drawing your lust spell all over her body.” He spat
onto the stones at his feet. “The little whore was probably crawling all over
you—”
“Do not call her a whore.” Keeshan’s nails etched his palm.
It was all he could do to keep from slamming his fist in Duvalli’s stony face.
A dark brow rose. “My. What a tone. If I didn’t know better,
I would think you were challenging me.”
Annoyance, impatience, desperation riffled through him.
Keeshan opened his mouth and a command just…slipped out. “Release her from the
incantation.”
Duvalli blinked. Keeshan had never dared command anything of
him before. Ever. “What?”
A cold trickle of fear dribbled through his bowels but
Keeshan ignored it. What could Duvalli do to him that he had not already done?
How much worse could it be? He steeled his spine and snapped, “You heard me.”
The Dark Djinn stared at him for an echoing eternity and
then barked a harsh laugh. “Never say you are going soft, Sir Keeshan.”
“I want you to release her from the incantation.”
“Ridiculous. Why would you want to free her? That spell
guarantees she cannot resist you.”
“I don’t want her like that.”
“It’s never stopped you before,” the Dark Djinn scoffed.
“Things are different now. I want it to be her choice.”
Duvalli studied him in silence, tapping his lips. “Don’t be
an idiot. If the incantation is broken, it will be broken forever.”
“Good.” Keeshan’s response was not far from a sneer. He was
weary to the bone of his life in the lamp. Weary to the bone of sex that meant
nothing and never could.
Duvalli’s lips curled into a travesty of a smile, a mockery
of nonchalance. His entire body was taut, vibrating like a bowstring. “Imagine
it. Eternity trapped in the lamp with no way to make the women accept you.
Constant, infinite lust. And no release.”
“Release her,” Keeshan snapped. Anguish clawed at him and
the true reason for his roiling fear slipped out. “Every woman who has given me
her heart under that incantation spent the rest of her life in misery.”
His nemesis smirked. “You ruined them for other men.”
“That was hardly my fault. You are the one who sent them to
me. You carry this onus.”
“Technically, I had nothing to do with it.”
“You wove the spell!”
“But the Great Djinn chooses your consorts. We can only
assume there are reasons for each choice. But do not fret about them.” The Dark
Djinn forced a grin. It was not a pleasant sight. “No doubt when they moved on,
into other incarnations, all your women were able to find a modicum of
happiness with other men.”
Keeshan’s heart stuttered. “And your sister? Did she ever
find happiness in other lives?”
Duvalli’s complexion mottled. His tattoos glowed a furious
crimson. “You know damn well the mirror will not show her to me.”
Keeshan rocked back on his heels. He could tell he was
making no progress with the Dark Djinn. He rarely did. But he still had one
argument left. “So tell me, Duvalli. What is the difference between your sister
and these women the lamp brings me?”
“What?”
“Would you condemn Circe to Aimalee’s fate? To be sent to
the lamp? To be compelled to want me?”
Duvalli stood in a rush, his cloak swirling around his body.
He fairly hummed with rage. He stormed down the stairs of
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