Chapter 25: The Servants of the Sultan

Notes: Thanks to b0b for beta-reading this!

Wednesday, January 27th – The Unseen World

Aaliyah was held by fire.

Zaritha must serve Rashid ibn al-Marid Aliyah realized, fear spiking through her. She was in the clutches of the cruel Sultan of the Djinn. I allowed the serpent to nest in my bosom and treachery was my reward. Her powers had still been tied into the Ifrit, still feeding the witches and powering the magical circle around the school, when Zaritha turned.

She had been unable to defend herself. Not that Aaliyah could have done much to fight against an Ifrit with her powers restricted by her father's edict. Only with Kyle's command could she unleash her powers in any direct or meaningful way.

Zaritha has seized me and is carrying me to our enemies! she cried out in her mind.

Kyle didn't answer.

Zaritha was pulling them into the Unseen Realm—her home. They were between the dimensions. Perhaps her thoughts couldn't reach Kyle while they were in this nonspace. Fear clenched her heart. The Ifrit had reduced them both to the elements that formed their bodies. For Aaliyah, that was dust. For Zaritha, fire. And those flames wreathed her, trapping her dust in a prison of heat. She was helpless, unable to control where they went.

And she knew where they would appear. In Sahabah, the capital of the Djinn and the court of Sultan Rashid. If the Marid did not execute her outright for conspiring against the Sultanate, she would be thrown in a prison of sapphire. Her telepathy could never make it through the blue gemstone. She would be unable to communicate to Kyle and free herself.

She was never going to see him again.

No! He rescued me from the witches! He'll find a way to rescue me from the Marid. He has the weapons to be able to assault the Marid.

She was suddenly flesh. Zaritha's hand squeezed tight about her throat. She reached out for Kyle immediately. Her thought rebounded, striking sapphire. The gem was blue, the color of water and intellect—the Marid's color—and her thoughts couldn't worm past it.

But it wasn't the Sapphire Cells. It was dark where they were, but the crystal on her feet was rough, faceted, not smooth and worked like the cells. Zaritha's grip relaxed on her throat and she sucked in a breath of air.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," the Ifrit answered, then fire danced above her outstretched hand, illuminating them.

They were surrounded by rough, crystalline walls. The light danced on the facets on the walls, floor and ceiling, reflecting the sapphire back at them. Aaliyah drank in the beauty of this place, touching the smooth side of a sapphire stalagmite thrust from the floor.

"We're in the Sapphine Caves," she whispered, looking at the Ifrit. "Why would you bring us here?"

"I didn't," Zaritha spat. "I meant to bring us to Sahabah."

"So you do serve Rashid."

"For longer than you have existed, little houri."

Aaliyah's cheeks flushed at the insult. "You will speak to me with respect. I am your future Sultana as well as your Mistress."

Zaritha snorted. "You will be dead when I deliver you to Sahabah."

Hope blossomed in Aaliyah's heart. They would have to leave the caves to travel to Sahabah. She would easily be able to contact Kyle and then he would merely wish her back to his side. Aaliyah straightened her back, putting an imperious tilt to her head. "Then let us go see Rashid."

Zaritha smiled. "You would like that. I'm not stupid enough to let you step foot outside of these caves without a diamond anchor about your throat." Just like sapphire stopped thoughts, diamond stopped teleportation.

"Then how do you plan to take me to your Master?"

"I guess I'll have to summon help."

"No." Aaliyah reached out and seized Zaritha's cheeks, staring into her red eyes. "You forget who your Mistress is. You will lead me out! Now!" She had to be strong. She had to have the will of the Sultana to get out of this.

"What are you talking about?" laughed Zaritha. "I serve Rashid. I am his most favored servant. The one he trusts with the most delicate of tasks."

"Like kidnapping me?" Aaliyah shook her head. "No. You were supposed to kill me. I saw the burning fist. You would have killed me, but something stayed your hand. And now we are back in our realm where you cannot kill me without breaking the Laws."

"Nothing stayed my hand!" snarled Zaritha. "I am supposed to bring you back to Rashid."

She's lying. She swore to be Kyle's concubine and she hasn't realized what that implies. "Then why didn't you take us to Sahabah? Why here? We're in Ghul territory. As far away from Sahabah as one can be."

"Something went wrong," Zaritha shrugged. "You interfered somehow."

"If I interfered, why would I dump us in the Sapphine Caves and not Khoshilat Maqandeli. My father's court would be a far better place to end up."

"What does it matter where we are!" Zaritha spat, knocking Aaliyah's hands back. "We're here and soon I will deliver you to Rashid."

"No!" Aaliyah seized her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "I am your Sultana. You are my husband's concubine. You swore the oaths. You are part of my harem. And you will obey me, Ifrit!"

"Never! I'll never serve a weak, little houri like you. I merely used your husband to enact my revenge on Burke. I am not your plaything."

"I disagree!" Aaliyah pushed down on Zaritha's shoulders, trying to press her down to her knees. "Submit and pleasure your Mistress!"

Zaritha's knees buckled, lowering down, her red eyes wide with confusion, then her fires roared up and she let out a scream and pushed Aaliyah back. Aaliyah stumbled, tripping on a facet of the sapphire floor and she fell on her backside, the Ifrit looming over her.

"You think you can dominate me!" the Ifrit hissed.

Fire burned about Aaliyah and fear flooded her for a moment. But the fire didn't touch her skin, only her clothing, burning it all away. She lay naked before the Ifrit, her dusky body heaving. Zaritha seized her black hair, pulling her face into the Ifrit's cunt.

"You will eat my pussy! Revel in a lowly commoner's snatch, Sultana!"

Her pussy smelled of spice, rubbing against Aaliyah's lips. There was something exciting about being forced. Her tongue licked out, pressing through Zaritha's dark labia and through her pink folds, drinking the passionate fire of the Ifrit.

"That's it, little houri! Eat my pussy. I see Kyle taught you how to be an obedient slut."

She worked her tongue faster, the Ifrit humping her hips against the Jann. Aaliyah wormed her tongue in deep, moaning and savoring the flavor of her. Zaritha's body arched, her moans echoing through the crystalline caves.

Aaliyah was skilled at pleasing a woman, her tongue lithe and agile. She found her hard nub, flicking it with her tongue, batting it around, stirring up Zaritha's pleasure. She nibbled, then sucked on the nub.

"That's it! Oh, yes! Such a skilled whore! Lick my pussy! Drink my passion!"

Zaritha came hard.

Aaliyah grabbed the Ifrit's knees and pulled. The woman was unprepared and fell onto her back on the sapphire floor, her round tits jiggling. Aaliyah moved quickly, straddling the Ifrit's face before she could react and shoving her pussy down on Zaritha's lips.

"And now you have to worship your Mistress, slut!" Aaliyah moaned, grabbing one of Zaritha's dark nipples and pulling hard, stretching out her tit. "Come on, lick my royal pussy! Revel in how wonderful I taste.

Zaritha's face struggled beneath Aaliyah's pussy, trying to escape, but Aaliyah kept grinding herself, smearing her aching cunt across the Ifrit's face. Pleasure tumbled through her as she forced the Ifrit to submit.

Aaliyah groaned when Zaritha's tongue parted through her pussy.

"That's it, slut! Submit and worship your Sultana!"

Zaritha moaned into Aaliyah's pussy, working her tongue through the Djinn's delicate folds. She sucked Aaliyah's labia into her mouth, nibbling and tonguing them, giving Aaliyah such wonderful pleasure.

Aaliyah played with Zaritha's nipples, stretching out her concubine's tits and letting them snap back down. Zaritha gasped and moaned every time, sucking harder as her breasts jiggled and shook.

"That's it! Make your mistress cum!"

Zaritha's hands wrapped around Aaliyah's waist, seizing her bubbly ass. Fingers dipped into her crack, teasing her backdoor. Aaliyah purred as the Ifrit shoved a finger deep into her bowels. The Djinn's back arched as burning pleasure filled her.

Her hips rocked, moving her clit to Zaritha's hungry lips. The Ifrit latched down and sucked hard on her nub, nipping it with her teeth. The pleasure swelled inside Aaliyah, growing to encompass her entire core.

And then it burst.

"Yes!"

A whirlwind of rapture filled her, howling through her body. She danced and convulsed on her concubine's face. Her pussy clenched, juices squirting out to flood the Ifrit's hungry mouth. Her cries of passion echoed over and over through the caves.

"So wonderful! That's how you please your Mistress."

Zaritha screamed, then pushed Aaliyah off. "I am not your servant!" She stood up, summoning fires to consume Aaliyah's pussy juices smearing her face and neck.

Aaliyah saw her opportunity and let herself transform into Dust so she could escape.

Zaritha's hand lashed out and seized the dusty whirlwind Aaliyah had become and forced her to be real again. "You will not escape me again. I will not fail like I did last time!"

"Last time?"

"When I sunk the ship carrying you to the bottom of the Atlantic. You should have just slept at the bottom of the ocean for eternity. You could have had your sweet dreams. But you repaid my mercy by resurfacing. Now you'll face the Marid's wrath!"

South Hill, WA

Fatima paced before the door to Rogers High School's main office, a barrier of energy blocking it, thrown up by Burke after Kyle went through. Britney and Fumi were nearby, both so calm and collected. Fatima didn't get it. She itched to be in there and kick the bastard's ass, to help Kyle rescue their mother.

"Come on!" she snarled, stabbing Fireheart, her magical yari, into the drywall. The spear's blade sank in an inch before it encountered the barrier.

"It encompasses the entirety of the office," Britney said.

"I know that! You don't have to tell me what is obvious!"

The purple barrier vanished.

"He did it!" Fatima chortled and dashed into the main office, passing the secretary's desk and burst into Burke's office.

She stared in horror at the carnage. A raven cawed, flapping away through the closed window.

Kyle lay twitching on the floor, the body of Burke sprawled across him. Kyle's katana, Earthbones, was thrust through Burke's body, the blade stained with the warlock's blood. Fatima's mother lay on the floor farther in the office, her throat cut, blood staining the front of her clothes.

"Mommy?" Fatima whispered, her yari falling from her grip. She crossed the room, falling to her knees before Faiza Unmei. She touched her cheek. She was warm. But not as warm as she should be.

"Kyle!" Britney snarled behind her. The Rakshasa grunted, a body thumped to the floor. "He is badly wounded. We need the witches."

"What about your mother?" Fumi asked.

"She's..." Fatima couldn't bring herself to say it.

"She is dead. Fumi, go and fetch Christy. Kyle needs her healing magic. I can smell venom on his wounds."

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Fatima whispered, brushing a stray lock from her mother's forehead. She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I wasn't fast enough to save you."

"Aaliyah isn't answering," Fumi said. "I tried to wish Christy here, but she's not responding."

"Stay with him. I will go fetch them," Britney growled. "I can run fast."

"What's wrong with Aaliyah?" Fatima asked, pulling her gaze away from her mother's peaceful face.

"I don't know," Fumi answered, stroking Kyle's hair.

Christy let her spell fizzle as the last embers blew away. Zaritha and Aaliyah were gone.

Aaliyah! I wish you back by my side where our husband wants you!

Nothing happened. Aaliyah didn't respond.

"What just happened?" Phillipa asked. "Why did she do that?"

"I don't know," she answered, her insides clenching. This was the second time she had seen Aaliyah kidnapped. How am I supposed to tell Kyle she's gone this time?

"What do we do, Mistress?" Sable asked.

Christy looked at the High School. "We wait here until they come out. Just like we planned."

Her body trembled in the driving rain as she peered towards the school. What happened in there? Burke was clearly dead, but were there any casualties? Aaliyah had been the gateway of communication.

"There's Britney!" Phillipa called out with relief.

Christy turned and saw the inhuman girl racing towards them, crouched over, almost running on all fours. Her face was darkened by black stripes, her bushy-brown hair bristling like a fierce mane. In moments she had crossed the parking lot, stopping before them.

"Kyle is badly wounded. He needs your magic."

Fear clenched her heart. "Right."

They ran after Britney, the Rakshasa setting a more human pace. They raced around the wall of stone Kyle had conjured to trap the brainwashed students, their feet splashing through puddles. Britney rushed through the shattered ruins of the main doors, beckoning them onward.

Christy followed. At the end of the hallway a man lay dead in a pool of blood, a black staff lying by his feet. She paused, staring at the staff, her aura reacting to it. There was something familiar about it and—

"Christy!" snapped Britney. "Your husband is dying."

"Right," she nodded, ripping her eyes away.

She fell to her knees at Kyle's side. He trembled, his left leg was swollen and turning black, some sort of venom eating away at the tissue. She seized his hand, and cast the spell, "Ishtar, share your love with this man and restore him to his health."

Her amber necklace flared, feeding the power the goddess had given her through her aura and into Kyle's body. He convulsed, her power driving back the venom burning in his veins. She could feel the evil of it. This was no natural venom. It resisted her magic.

She clenched her amulet, forcing her will to focus, to banish Burke's foulness from her love's body. Sweat beaded her forehead as she warred for Kyle's body.

The venom was winning.

A hand touched her shoulder. Sable's tourmaline aura poured into her, adding power, enhanced by Burke himself, into Christy's. She renewed her fight, pressing against the venom. Phillipa's hand took her left shoulder, her jade aura joining the fight.

"You can do it," Fumi whispered.

"I can't," she groaned.

The venom was insidious, retreating before her healing power, sliding down veins and capillaries. Just when she thought she had it eradicated, the venom flared up in a different part of its body. Burke had crafted it to be impossible for a witch to heal.

I need to burn it out of him somehow. Every drop of the venom had to be destroyed simultaneously. "Fatima! I need your fire!"

Fatima stared down at her mother's corpse.

"Fatima! Your fire! Now!"

"What?" the young girl asked, prying her eyes up.

"Summon your fire and give me its power or Kyle will die!"

Life seemed to spark in Fatima's eyes. She held her hand out and her spear burst into flames. Fatima directed the fire, and the energy rushed into Christy's body, pure and hot. She poured that purity into Kyle's body, sending the flames into every part of his body, eradicating the venom.

She almost collapsed when she released the spell.

Kyle's eyes opened.

"Kyle!" Fatima shrieked, hugging her brother with a fierce passion. Then Fumi was wrapping her arms around the pair of them.

Christy smiled in relief, standing up on wobbly knees.

"You saved him! Thank you, Christy!"

"Yeah," Christy nodded. She wanted to hug Kyle, but she needed to grab something. "I'll be right back."

She headed back to the hallway, her heart beating for joy, and picked up the black staff. It hummed with power. An artifact, like Kyle's sword, but it didn't command an element. It commanded an abstract—darkness.

Shadowedge... The words appeared in her mind, rising out of the darkness.

Christy looked at the corpse of the man who had taken Faiza through a portal of darkness. "You used Shadowedge to teleport."

She could almost feel how to teleport, the staff almost whispering to her, and she reached out to the darkness present everywhere, merely hidden by the light. She opened herself out, letting her aura touch the darkness and opened up a hole. She stepped through it, her body folding and compressing, then she appeared at the other end of the hallway.

"How useful," she smiled.

"What are you doing, Christy?" Fatima yelled.

"We are going to have to flee," Britney stated.

"What?" Kyle whispered, sitting up.

Christy stepped into the room, clutching the staff the other man had been wielding. She knelt down next to Fumi, putting her arms around them. Where's Aaliyah?

"The police know we are responsible for killing several of them," Britney answered. "With Burke dead, it will only be a matter of time before the cops arrive here. We must be away. Flee the country."

"Fine," Kyle groaned. "Where's Aaliyah?"

"Zaritha took her," Christy whispered.

He blinked. "What?"

"That bitch!" snarled Fatima.

"When Burke died, Zaritha attacked Aaliyah, then the pair disappeared in fire."

Kyle's heart sunk. "She must be one of the servants of the Marids. Fuck!"

"And she's not answering us," Fumi added. "Zaritha must know some way to stop her powers."

Kyle refused to think of the alternative.

"She must have taken Aaliyah to the Genie world." Kyle grabbed his sword, ripping it out of Burke's body as he stood up. "That's where we were always heading for. Why wait."