Read Online The Genie's Witch (Dirty Djinn) by Lyn Brittan - Free Book Online
Authors: Lyn Brittan
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by, Karlin ordered herself a drink. Nothing for him, of course. She struggled with the top, grunting and twisting. “If I ask you to open this, will it count as a wish?”
“Yes.”
“Then never mind, but they shouldn’t make these things so hard to open.”
“Done.”
“What?” But the top popped off before she shut her mouth. “That doesn’t count!”
He shrugged and reclined his seat. “You wanted something and now it’s done. Not my rules.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Not as fair as kidnapping a grown man or...”
“Shut...nothing. I think we should both just—”
“Yes?”
Karlin shook her head, opened her mouth then slammed it closed. “Whatever.”
The talking stopped for the rest of the flight. She also refused to speak through baggage claim, in the taxi to the hotel or in the hotel itself. He didn’t mind a bit. He was dead tired and wanted to be left alone. Blessedly, she put him in his own room, probably to prevent herself from slipping up again.
Her choice in hotels didn’t reach any measure of surprise. It was the type tourists gravitated to. Tig’s hands caressed the walls of the old Colonial District establishment. The place had a story to tell, he was sure, but he’d never hear it. His luck, the woman picked one of the few inns without a resident ghost or ‘geist. The former could be counted on to help. The latter should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. He had the benefit of neither.
Karlin still hadn’t picked up that he called Galveston home. He could do it - escape to his house. It wasn’t that far away, but the idea of being away from his lamp for any real length of time filled his veins with ice. The loss of Dinah and the lamp at the same time would be too much for his soul to handle.
Maybe he could steal it back. The woman had to sleep sometime. But too many things would have to work in his favor. One, he’d have to not be caught breaking into a woman’s room. Two, even a busted witch was still a witch and one of the first things she would have learned was a protection spell. Then again, that could work in his advantage. Most spells, except dark ones, were wishes that he could tap into...wishes delayed and timed, but wishes nonetheless in the instant they’re needed.
That, however, would still leave her with a third one and until he knew what it was, he couldn’t chance the risk. For both their sakes, he hoped she had a better plan in the morning.
*****
D inah cried the whole way to the airport. Granted, that was only an eight-minute ride, but the stupid tears continued through check-in, security and boarding.
“I hate to see a beautiful woman cry.”
She brushed her tears with the back of her hand and sniffed her snotty nose before looking up into eyes as dark as mahogany. His skin matched the tone exactly.
Human.
Well dressed.
Beautiful.
And not Tig.
She nodded and took the offered napkin. “Thank you. Rough trip.”
“Guy trouble?”
“You could call it that.”
“He’s an idiot to do anything to a woman as beautiful as you are. How about I get us a couple glasses of wine? I’m Demetrius, by the way.”
She introduced herself, snatched the wine from the flight attendant’s hand and flopped back into the seat. The guy kept talking and though he said her name a few times, his voice didn’t have the same melodic, soul-quivering timbre of Tig’s. Old Dinah would have had this guy’s number in a heartbeat. Now, she just wanted to be left alone.
“So, do you live in Sacramento? Maybe we could get together for lunch? Or dinner, perhaps? I have some good connections.”
“No and I’m not staying in town. I’m just here for vacation.”
“Oh, I see. Shame. Still, maybe I could—”
“No thank you.”
Demetrius nodded, put on his headphones and crawled into a magazine. She shouldn’t feel bad about it. It’s not like they had anything in common.
Like she and Tig.
Or that they lived in the same city to start
“Yes.”
“Then never mind, but they shouldn’t make these things so hard to open.”
“Done.”
“What?” But the top popped off before she shut her mouth. “That doesn’t count!”
He shrugged and reclined his seat. “You wanted something and now it’s done. Not my rules.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Not as fair as kidnapping a grown man or...”
“Shut...nothing. I think we should both just—”
“Yes?”
Karlin shook her head, opened her mouth then slammed it closed. “Whatever.”
The talking stopped for the rest of the flight. She also refused to speak through baggage claim, in the taxi to the hotel or in the hotel itself. He didn’t mind a bit. He was dead tired and wanted to be left alone. Blessedly, she put him in his own room, probably to prevent herself from slipping up again.
Her choice in hotels didn’t reach any measure of surprise. It was the type tourists gravitated to. Tig’s hands caressed the walls of the old Colonial District establishment. The place had a story to tell, he was sure, but he’d never hear it. His luck, the woman picked one of the few inns without a resident ghost or ‘geist. The former could be counted on to help. The latter should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. He had the benefit of neither.
Karlin still hadn’t picked up that he called Galveston home. He could do it - escape to his house. It wasn’t that far away, but the idea of being away from his lamp for any real length of time filled his veins with ice. The loss of Dinah and the lamp at the same time would be too much for his soul to handle.
Maybe he could steal it back. The woman had to sleep sometime. But too many things would have to work in his favor. One, he’d have to not be caught breaking into a woman’s room. Two, even a busted witch was still a witch and one of the first things she would have learned was a protection spell. Then again, that could work in his advantage. Most spells, except dark ones, were wishes that he could tap into...wishes delayed and timed, but wishes nonetheless in the instant they’re needed.
That, however, would still leave her with a third one and until he knew what it was, he couldn’t chance the risk. For both their sakes, he hoped she had a better plan in the morning.
*****
D inah cried the whole way to the airport. Granted, that was only an eight-minute ride, but the stupid tears continued through check-in, security and boarding.
“I hate to see a beautiful woman cry.”
She brushed her tears with the back of her hand and sniffed her snotty nose before looking up into eyes as dark as mahogany. His skin matched the tone exactly.
Human.
Well dressed.
Beautiful.
And not Tig.
She nodded and took the offered napkin. “Thank you. Rough trip.”
“Guy trouble?”
“You could call it that.”
“He’s an idiot to do anything to a woman as beautiful as you are. How about I get us a couple glasses of wine? I’m Demetrius, by the way.”
She introduced herself, snatched the wine from the flight attendant’s hand and flopped back into the seat. The guy kept talking and though he said her name a few times, his voice didn’t have the same melodic, soul-quivering timbre of Tig’s. Old Dinah would have had this guy’s number in a heartbeat. Now, she just wanted to be left alone.
“So, do you live in Sacramento? Maybe we could get together for lunch? Or dinner, perhaps? I have some good connections.”
“No and I’m not staying in town. I’m just here for vacation.”
“Oh, I see. Shame. Still, maybe I could—”
“No thank you.”
Demetrius nodded, put on his headphones and crawled into a magazine. She shouldn’t feel bad about it. It’s not like they had anything in common.
Like she and Tig.
Or that they lived in the same city to start
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