Oracle's Moon (Elder Races #4)(61)

Khalil had never been called “dude” before. He was fairly sure he didn’t like it.

Then Carling walked back into the room, and the moment passed. She handed an envelope to Khalil. “Neither of us has access to all of our accounts at the moment,” she said. “So this is what I can do for right now. Let me know if she needs more, and I can do more later. The Oracle should not be hurting for money.”

“Agreed,” Khalil said.

Then Rune and Carling looked at each other and shared a short, apparently private and rather incomprehensible conversation. “I’ve been reading diving information online,” Rune said. “I think all the cave systems in Florida are underwater.”

“They are for now,” Carling replied. She pursed her lips. “That doesn’t mean we can’t find a suitable cavern somewhere, block it off and pump all the water out.”

“Inconvenient,” said Rune. “Time-consuming. But possible.”

“I wonder if she would like Florida?”

Jealousy stirred. Khalil said, “Why are you talking about trying to move the Oracle to Florida?”

Carling and Rune looked at him, both wearing the same mild expression. Rune said, “We decided we might turn collecting underutilized resources into a hobby. It’s kind of fun.”

“The Oracle is an underutilized resource,” said Carling. “A very Powerful one who has fallen somewhat out of fashion in the last century or so. It is a shame Grace has become so isolated.”

“And Max is cute as hell,” said Rune. “I’m sure his sister is too.”

Khalil demanded suspiciously. “What are you planning?”

“Dude, we don’t have any agenda in mind,” Rune said with a blink. “It’s not like we synced our electronic calendars with some kind of overarching evil plan.”

Khalil decided he definitely didn’t like being called that word. Having done what he came to do, he deemed it was time to leave. Remembering what Grace said about leaving without a word, he said to Carling, “Good-bye.”

“Keep in touch,” Carling told him.

“And you, as well.” In the end Khalil was glad he chose to meet her halfway. Perhaps Carling was, after all, one of the few creatures he might call friend.

Then Khalil looked at Rune. No. He was not prepared to go that far.

Rune raised his eyebrows. He gave Khalil another one of his sleepy-seeming smiles. “It’s been so special.”

“Don’t call me ‘dude’ again,” Khalil told the other male, as he strode toward the sliding glass doors.

Khalil found Soren reading in the guesthouse he had taken for his quarters. Soren’s physical form was tall and lean, with craggy features, white hair, and piercing stars for eyes. As Khalil approached the open door to the small house, Soren said, “Come in.”

Khalil stepped inside slowly. The living and the dining rooms were all in one great room that was filled with fashionable furniture suitable for a beachside residence. Other than several books, stacks of file folders and a high-end laptop on the dining table, the place looked uninhabited, but then Soren created his own clothing when he created his physical form, and he didn’t have any bodily needs.

“Please have a seat,” Soren said. “I hope your visit was productive.”

Any first-generation Djinn had a presence so intense it took a while to grow accustomed to being in proximity to one. Khalil braced himself as he took the lounge chair opposite Soren’s. He replied, “I accomplished everything I intended to accomplish.”

“Did you,” said Soren. “I understand you have befriended this beautiful human Oracle and are looking forward to your date tonight.”

Khalil was not unsurprised to find that Soren had listened in on his conversations with Carling and Rune. Jailors often did monitor their prisoners. He said nothing.

Soren set his book aside. “If you were less mature, I would be concerned that you may have become too fascinated with the lure of those bound in flesh. I mourn whenever the folk of the air fall prey to this fascination. It is a sad thing when a Djinn falls to his death.”

Soren referred to when Djinn made the irrevocable decision to create a completely human form and fall into flesh. It was a rare occurrence. Khalil had never had a close association with any Djinn who had chosen to fall.

Djinn could only choose to be mortal. They did not have the Power to create one of the other long-lived Elder Races who were bound in flesh. It cost too much Power for a Djinn to fully transform. They could not create a cage of living flesh for themselves and also make it immortal. He had always wondered what might prompt a Djinn to make such an extreme sacrifice. He could not imagine a Djinn who might do so just as a rejection of who he was. As Soren said, there had to be a lure, something they fell toward.

Unbidden, the memory came to mind of soft little bodies sleeping so trustingly against his shoulder. That memory was followed closely by another one, the delighted joy on Max’s round face as he took his first two steps toward Khalil. He thought of the peculiar satisfaction in watching how Chloe’s forming, questioning mind worked, and of that ineffable, precious thing he had touched as he stood looking out the porch screen door at a tranquil summer evening.

Finally his mind turned to what he had been avoiding for most of the day, the most addictive memories of all. The softness of Grace’s lips, the way she kissed him, molding her mouth and body to his as she molded her presence to him. As he thought of it, the intensity of heat that flared inside him was blinding.