Page 22 of The Void

He chuckled. “The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.” He rested his head in his hands. “Go on,” he said and then yawned.

“Anyway, not long after I arrived this time, I was visited by Feng, the first djinn. My ancestor. I can’t even calculate to what extent she is my great-great-great… whatever. Or how many generations there were between her and my ancestors when they left this place. What I do know is…” She turned a little more towards him and lowered her voice. “Feng warned me that these people are the reason my ancestors left. That they seek to bind me here somehow. I think that’s why I can’t leave here.”

Lucas’s eyebrows shot up.

“Bind?”

She shrugged. “So far, this city and everyone in it has been given into my control and under my protection by two… goddesses? I don’t really know what they were. All I know is that they told me I’d see them again and that they wouldn’t know me. That it was my duty to remind them who they were the next time I saw them. Then they…” She raised her hands towards the ceiling. “Poof, disappeared into stardust.”

He was silent for a moment. “Jain and Proteus warned me that a great war is coming. They said that you and I are the only ones who can stop it.”

“Who are Jain and Proteus? And who are we supposed to fight?”

“Jain and Proteus brought me here. They’re… well, monsters really.” He chuckled softly. “I’ll describe them to you in great detail another time. As for whoever we’re supposed to fight…” He shrugged. “If they’re anything like the Kri, than we’re in serious trouble. They or it, whatever, kicked my butt back there.” He groaned and shifted to pull her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I never saw the creature’s true form, since…” A shiver raced through him when he remembered how it had taken Mia’s form. “Never mind. But I doubt we’d be able to win anything at this point. We’re so unprepared.”

Mia was quiet for a moment. “How are we supposed to do anything without your powers?”

Yawning, he stretched and pulled her completely into his arms, shifting them both until they were spooning.

“Tomorrow we’ll figure that out,” he said with another yawn.

“I thought you were going to stay in your own bed?” she teased.

He smiled into her hair, enjoying the smell of her, the feel of her body next to his.

“I never said that. You did. I like it right here where I am.” He fell instantly asleep.

When he woke, there were three women standing over the bed, looking down at them with curiosity.

He groaned, thankful that he and Mia were still fully clothed, even if they were still holding one another.

Mia jolted awake, sitting straight up. Seeing the women there, she sighed.

“Morning,” she said to the woman cheerfully.

“The day has started,” the women said together.

“Yes, I can see that.” Mia glanced out the window. “We’ll be down soon.”

One of the women started to talk. “We must dress—”

“I can dress myself today. Thank you,” Mia interrupted.

The women looked at him.

“I can dress myself,” he said with a chuckle. “Thanks.”

The women glanced at Mia one last time before leaving.

“Ugh.” Mia plopped down again on the bed. “I forgot to tell you that there is no personal space here.”

He rolled over and looked down at her. “Sleep well?”

She smiled up at him, her eyes running over his face. “Yes, and I’d wager you did too.”

His hand moved to her shoulder, and he started making small circles with his fingertips. “I did.” He shifted closer. “We could always pick up where we left off last night, now that we’re both rested.”

She turned her body into his, lifting her hands into his hair. “What did you have in mind?”