She blinked and shook her head. ‘I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. I have a wish.’ She inhaled sharply, her nan’s warning blaring at the back of her head. Djinns will take your whole hand if you give them a finger. She had not meant to say it so carelessly. Not without taking precautions. She had wanted him to beg for his freedom or something first, and only then would she have offered him the chance to earn it by granting her wish. Now all of that had gone astray.

  The djinn prowled closer, as if he knew.

  ‘To be swept away?’ he purred.

  ‘To be married.’

  ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart.’ Elijah tsked. ‘I’m not looking for a bride.’

  ‘To the man I love!’

  He yawned. ‘How perfectly dull.’

  Fisting her hands in her skirts, Keira grinded her teeth against her rising temper, struggling not to let it spill out – he could not help her if he was beaten into a pulp, she reminded herself.

  ‘There is a boy that I love,’ she began, steadying her voice. ‘Who swore he would marry me. But now he has been promised to someone else, and…and I’m certain it is his parents that have forced him into it. They must have heard what happened and…’ She trailed off.

  The djinn’s eyebrows rose, as if asking her what, exactly, had happened.

  Her cheeks heated. ‘We shared a special moment,’ she said simply, curtly, and refused to meet his eyes.

  ‘Let me see if I get this right,’ the djinn said, circling her, pretending to regard her like a professor might his student. ‘You’ve given yourself to a boy who’s now made a match with another girl, and because you love him, and because he promised himself to you first, you want my help to make sure he sticks to his promise?’

  ‘Yes! Or, we did not – I didn’t give myself to him – but the rest, yes.’

  ‘What an awful situation,’ the djinn tutted.

  ‘Exactly.’ She nodded enthusiastically, hope bubbling in her chest. His lips twitched. ‘So, will you help me?’

  ‘For a pretty thing like you?’ He put his fingers under her chin and turned her to face him, his voice low and decadent as it curled against her cheek in a caress. ‘No.’

  6

  SPOILED FRUIT

  ‘No? Whyever not?’ Keira blurted out, blinking against her confusion, feeling as if she had just been doused by a bucket of cold water. ‘Are there some limitations to your magic? Are you unable to affect the feelings of others or make the impossible happen?’

  ‘What sort of mediocre djinn do you take me for?’ asked Elijah, his voice dripping with disdain. ‘It is my speciality to free people from their chains – not rope them into new ones.’

  ‘You think I’m trying to rope August into some marriage scheme?’

  The djinn said nothing.

  Keira blew frustrated air through her nose. ‘Fine, be this way,’ she said, adding more bravado than she felt. ‘But I’m not letting you free before you help me. In fact, I order you to stay within this cottage.’ She had no idea if the magic worked that way, but it always seemed to in the stories. She didn’t exactly feel good about it either, but desperate times required desperate methods.

  The djinn jerked ever so slightly, then tensed. His face darkened, and a dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes, causing her to take a step backwards. ‘If that is the case, where am I to sleep?’ he asked, his voice low and sultry. ‘In your bed?’

  She grimaced. ‘How about your lamp?’

  ‘Bed it is then.’ He shrugged and made to move upstairs.

  ‘I’ll ready a mattress for you,’ Keira snapped, pausing him. ‘Just stay here.’

  Begrudgingly, she pushed past him, then gathered the spare mattress and bedding that she used whenever Isolde stayed the night, and quietly wondered if the witch knew what sort of obnoxious spirit she had kept in her home.

  ‘There,’ she said once she’d finished arranging the make-shift bed before the fireplace and beckoned towards it. ‘All ready for you.’

  ‘Why thank you, most kind of you,’ the djinn said, mimicking her haughty tone, and threw himself down upon it, limbs sprawled out like a lazy cat. As his eyes once again found hers, she could have sworn she heard him purr.

  ‘As a thank you,’ she tested, ‘might you not come with me to meet August? The village youths always celebrate the hunt in the woods at night. You can see for yourself that he holds very little regard for Gianna.’ The expression on August’s face during the announcement of his engagement resurfaced in her mind, and she felt even more certain that a pleading look of despair had hidden itself in his eyes when he looked at her. Begging her to understand this was not his choice. Perhaps even begging her to find a way to help him out of it.

  ‘No, shan’t,’ the djinn said, having sprung back to his feet and begun fidgeting with the buckles of his black trousers, the firelight casting flames upon his toned torso. ‘It was quite exhausting enough watching you ready this bed for me.’ The corner of his lip twitched. Even more so when her eyes strayed over his bare skin. Twice.

  Shaking herself out of her reverie, Keira growled and stomped out of the living room. ‘Fine! I’ll figure something out myself.’ She poked her head back around the doorframe. ‘I better not find you in my bed when I return.’

  ‘Whatever the lady desires.’ The djinn waved her off. ‘Should you fail in your endeavour, however, you’re more than welcome to join me on mine.’

  His words followed her as she marched through the village, stalking her like a thundercloud over her head, darkening with her ire. Striking her with the mental image of the two of them together on the mattress, images of what would have happened if she had been such a girl, if for a moment she had possessed the casual spirit of the Nightladies. Grunting, she pushed away the images and spluttered a few curses until another struck her, this time bringing with it a flutter at the depths of her core, taking her breath away and rooting her to the spot as she pictured his fingers carefully freeing the ribbons of her stays, his mouth tasting the skin of her breasts, and her lips parting to let out a⁠—

  Distractedly, she ran her fingertips over the cool silk of her laces, and shook her head, her nan’s warning echoing in her head. Not even a minute had passed with Elijah under her roof, and her head was already filled with outrageous daydreams. It had to be a spell by the djinn, for sure.

  It continued like that the whole way: The harder she tried to not think of the djinn, the more she pictured him bare skinned before the fireplace. And the more her curiosity grew. But as she neared the woods, the sound of revelling youths finally drove him out of her mind.

  As expected, the youths had upheld tradition and brought the celebrations to the lake once the tavern closed for the night.

  They stood in clusters, talking, smiling and laughing over their brass mugs and bottles. She moved amongst them, greeting those she knew, yet stayed far away enough not to be invited into a group. Her eyes searched for August, and she spotted his familiar white hair and scarlet hunting jacket in the middle of a larger group. Gianna was by his side, her pretty blue eyes lit with excitement and happiness. One could tell by the way she nodded her head and beamed in gratefulness that they were receiving all kinds of well-wishes and questions about the future. August merely bowed and smiled whenever addressed and appeared to let Gianna fill in the rest. If only Keira could get him on his own…

  Walking over to a long table of refreshments, she paused to pick up a drink and observe them from afar. A group of boys was hollering and dancing close by, and even closer were the Nightladies, sprawled over one of their picnic blankets, engaging young men and women in talk.

  For a moment, Keira wondered whether or not she ought to pull one of the ladies aside and ask them for advice. If anyone could give her some pointers regarding what had happened in the fisherman’s hut and what she should have done, it was them.

  However, no sooner had she made up her mind, than she noticed that one of the young men was bothering one of the ladies by pulling at her arms and skirt, taunting her to come dance with him despite her rejections.

  Next thing she knew, Keira stood before the Nightlady and pushed the boy away.

  ‘What the hell?’ erupted the boy. ‘Whatever did you do that for?’

  ‘I–I’, Keira stuttered, gaze flicking between the Nightlady and the boy, both equally stunned as she. ‘You need to leave her alone,’ she uttered, hoping her voice carried more confidence than she felt. The boy quickly composed himself and stepped up too close for comfort.

  ‘Why is that? Would you like me instead?’ His expression changed as recognition dawned, and a wide smile spread across his lips. ‘Hey, boys, look who we have here!’ he whooped, locking his gaze with someone else’s behind her. A shuffle of quick feet sounded after, before more bodies appeared in her peripheral vision. She drew a breath.

  ‘Keira! Joined the Nightladies have, you?’ Miles chuckled and threw an arm over her shoulder. ‘Tell me, was it a rite of passage that went down earlier, or what?’

  He clinked his drink against her own, but Keira merely forced a tight smile, realising that the rowdy boys had formed a circle around her. She tried to catch the eye of the Nightlady for support, but she had already disappeared amongst the throng of people. A low chanting began to take form amongst the boys, the words hard to distinguish amongst their slurred voices.

  Feigning indifference, she raised her own goblet to their leering grins and forced a cheery smile while trying to excuse herself and break through their ranks.

  They only moved in tighter, with Miles’ arm slipping from her shoulder as the words became more distinguishable and her heart pounded harder.

  ‘Lady of Pleasure, damdidadidei

  Her shame knows no measure, damdidadidadi

  Lady of Pleasure, dirty as can be

  And whoops, there she goes, for a swim. Damdidam.’

  Cold went down her back, the blood in her veins curdling in panic as they reached for her. She pushed against them, but it merely made them grab onto her faster, latching onto her arms and legs, sweeping her off her feet.

  She cried out, and August and Gianna looked up along with others, but no one moved as the chanting boys carried her over their heads.

  She screamed and batted their hands, clawed and twisted, kicking out. With some satisfaction, she felt a crunch underneath her heel – a nose, maybe – and hoped that it was Miles’. But it wasn’t enough.

  With a last holler, they tipped her, and her scream slashed through her throat before it filled with water.

  They had dropped her into the lake.

  First there was a deafening silence as the world stood still, existing of nothing but water and murky darkness. Then there was splashing and soaked fabric wherever she turned, as she thrashed and struggled her way to the bank. After a few failed attempts, where she fell flat on her stomach, water once again rushing down her front and back, she finally managed to stagger onto land, chest drenched with both horror and water. Laughter howled through the woods, ricocheting off the tree trunks, returning to her tenfold.

  ‘Thought you might want a wash, you filthy girl,’ Miles hissed beneath his cackle and slapped his thigh.

  Keira bared her teeth at him, embarrassment rattling through her bones with the cold.

  A hand reached out for her and helped her to her feet, her wet curls dangling down her face and obscuring her view. Flitting between them, her eyes scanned the laughing and ogling crowd for one face.

  August.

  He still remained beside Gianna, looking stunned, but the expression soon turned to alarm as Keira gathered her skirts and started towards him. Beckoning Gianna to stay, he rushed to meet her.

  ‘What in Saint Helena’s name is going on, August?’ Keira cried when he gripped her wrist and pulled her away from the crowd.

  ‘Shh, not here!’ he hissed, then smoothed his features over and murmured softly to the folk standing nearby that his servant had had a little too much to drink and that he would help her make her way home.

  ‘You need to tell me, now!’

  ‘I had nothing to do with this,’ August said, looking her over once they were away from the party. ‘I’ll tell Miles to leave you alone.’

  ‘That is not what I’m talking about, August!’ Keira cried. ‘What is this rubbish about you being engaged?’

  He stilled, his jaw hardening as he clenched his teeth together. ‘I don’t believe that’s any of your business.’

  ‘Any of my business? You promised me, August. You said you’d marry me!’

  ‘Keira, I am very fond of you. You—I’ve always appreciated your company, but I think you’ve hit your head in the lake. I never made you such a promise,’ he said, a little louder than necessary, and threw nervous glances over his shoulder, as if he expected someone to be listening in.

  The treetops swayed in the breeze and Keira’s heart hammered through her chest. ‘Maybe not in so many words, but you said—what about earlier today? What about what you made me do!’

  This time he grabbed her wrist again and brought her closer to him, his voice low.

  ‘It was a mistake, I admit. We shouldn’t have done it. I can’t have a wife that so willingly would spoil herself so.’

  He might as well have punched her.

  Shock marred her to the bone, and her words trembled with the effort it took to speak. ‘But…I only did it for you.’

  His jaw set. ‘I’m much obliged. But for your sake, we ought never to speak about it again. Go home, Keira, before you catch a cold.’ August bowed before he returned to stand by Gianna.

  7

  A DEAL

  The djinn had been fast asleep upon his mattress when she returned from the revels, his dark locks spilling against his pillow. She did not bother taking a closer look to see if he was pretending, but rather wound her way up the crocket staircase to her bedroom, the drenched fabric of her dress clinging to her legs. It shifted with ice-cold fluidity every time she moved, chilling her to the bone as she reached the bath and found the tub already filled with heated water. She didn’t know how, but an inkling told her it was the djinn’s doing, and had she felt less miserable at the time, she might even have let it soften her towards him.

  For a moment she considered settling in with her wet clothes on. For another she considered drowning in it. Instead, she pinned up her hair, peeled off her layers, and let them splat to the floor before stepping into the hot water.

  Absentmindedly, she let her muscles soak and warmth re-enter her body, her thoughts taking her back to the day she and August first met in the Thornfells’ new living room. Her family’s old living room.

  Lady Thornfell’s gaze had stripped Keira bare as she paced back and forth before her, regarding Keira from top to toe. Behind her, Lord Thornfell languished on the pristine sofa while their teenage son stood by the newly recovered fireplace. Flames cast shadows on his pretty, bored face, bathing his white locks with a gilded hue – save for the one sharing the colours of the fire itself.

  ‘What will we do with her?’ Lady Thornfell said, coming to a stop before Keira, drawing her attention back to her stern face. Her forehead creased and her nose crinkled as if Keira were merely dirt underneath it, forcing Keira to cast her gaze down.

  ‘Take it I’m not getting a new sibling, then?’ the boy drawled, and his words made her stomach knot.

  ‘Absolutely not!’ Lady Thornfell snapped, and the knot eased. ‘I will not foster some other woman’s brat simply because⁠—’

  ‘There now, my dear. The girl has ears,’ her husband said pointedly. ‘And lips to talk with. As I’m sure the rest of the village will do if we cast her out.’

  Lady Thornfell sighed extensively, but clamped her mouth shut and returned to her pacing. Keira dared not say a word, not even as the lady once again paused before her and grabbed her chin, forcing her head to the right, then to the left. Then she prodded her upper arm, pinched her skin below the bone and, once more, let her eyes glide over the shape of her body.

  ‘She’s coming into her womanhood quite nicely. She is what, almost fifteen? She can help man the house and the stables to earn her keep until she is ripe for marriage. Then she’ll be off our hands.’ She turned to her husband without even glancing at Keira for her reaction. ‘The old groundkeeper’s cottage was brokered for her, was it not?’ The man nodded. ‘She can stay there. August, be a dear and take her, will you? God knows I have enough on my hands getting this place in shape.’ Lady Thornfell swept her eyes over the pristine living room, over Keira’s parents’ reading chairs, and their shelves upon shelves of books. Her nose crinkled again.

  ‘As you will, Mother,’ August said and stepped up to Keira, offering her his arm.

  Keira took it shyly and let him lead her out of the house and down the hill towards the cottage. Keira did not dare look at him, and neither said a word until they had reached the cottage and August turned the big, old, black key to open the door, letting her into the dark, empty space. There was little by way of comfort in the cottage at the time, save for the essential furniture, leaving it cold and empty.

  Keira wrapped her arms around herself. ‘Thank you,’ she stuttered, already prepared to close the door behind her and fall into tears. She would have done so too if August hadn’t spoken next.

  ‘Don’t take my mother’s words to heart,’ he said, his sharp facial features softening. ‘Her barks are worse than her bites.’

  ‘I do not wish to be…married off to some stranger,’ Keira said quietly.

  ‘I’ll make sure it’s a good match.’ August winked, then stepped a little closer and added under his breath, ‘Or I’ll marry you myself. Then you’ll be the lady of the house and can boss my mother around. I would pay good money to see that.’

  Keira could not help but giggle. August’s smile widened.

  ‘Oh, no. You cannot smile like that. Now I’ll have to fend every suitor off.’