Djinn (22 page)

I gripped onto the picnic table for support. Will was right. If Dad had told me he needed blood, I would have given it to him without a second thought.

"I can't believe he used me like that," I whispered. "Did he even care about me at all?"

"I don't know," Will answered. "Honestly, maybe he did love you. He did raise you, after all."

"Someone who wants to use you as a blood bank doesn't know how to love," I said, fighting back tears. Will was trying to be nice, but I doubted even he believed the words he said.

Will squeezed my hand. I'd forgotten I was still holding on to him. "Will, when you told me I was the only Djinn to be taken and brought back …"

"I wasn't lying," he replied. "You are the only Djinn to be taken
and
brought back."

"But there have been other Djinn who have been taken?" I said.

"Yes. Compounds all over the world do their best, but Blooders grow in numbers by the year. With every new generation of Blooders, their abiltity to use our blood strengthens, and so does their lust for it. Djinn do get taken, and we never see them again."

I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I thought I might pass out with all the new information. My dad had been using me for power, and my new home wasn't even safe.

"Don't you try to get them back? The others that are taken? You got me back," I said.

"You were different. That was one Blooder, alone. Most Blooders live in their own communities and travel in packs. Attacking them would be foolish. We might not even find the people who were taken, and we could lose so many more."

Spoken like a true soldier, I thought. One doesn't outweigh the many unless your name is Kyra, apparently.

"Some of the council want to send the Guardjinn to attack the Blooders," I told him. "I thought you should know."

"We'd heard rumours about that," he admitted. My guess was that Will would do whatever he was told to do. Stay, attack, it didn't matter.

"Celeste is against it though," I assured him. "She's a good person. She cares about you like—"

"Like we're normal Djinn," he finished.

"You are Djinn, as much as me, or Celeste, or Ivan."

"Not everyone sees it that way, I'm afraid." Will looked to the sky. The sun was falling lower and lower, casting orange and pink hues across the canvas of the sky. "You need to go," he said. "It's getting late, and your parents will be wondering where you are."

He hopped off the bench, slipping his hand out of mine. My hand felt cold, like something was missing, and I held it close to my chest.

"I'll walk you back," Will said, and I followed silently, still processing everything I'd just learned.

Chapter Twenty-One

I kept the information I'd learned about Blooders to myself. I mean, don't get me wrong I wanted to shout at Ivan so bad for keeping it from me. But, no; I kept it to myself because, really, what was the point in screaming and yelling? I knew the truth now. There were dangers out there for Djinn, and Malcolm was one of them.

That part hurt the most. After Will dropped me home, I spent the night crying in my room. My heart ached, ached with pain, because not only did Dad take me from my real parents, but he did it to use me for my blood. I was nothing to him except power, and for all he knew, my power would be weak and pointless. I hated to think what he would have done with me then.

Will had thought perhaps he did care about me. Could you really go sixteen years raising a child and not feel for them? Maybe he changed his mind, and just wanted to raise me as his daughter, and not a blood-donating machine. I would never know now. I didn't think I would cope if I ever did find out the truth.

It had been a few days since then, and I'd been on my best behaviour. I'd completed my lessons with Will and spent time shopping with Isabelle. Dress shopping was a nightmare, filled with hours of endlessly trying things on. My feet ached afterwards, but at least Isabelle let me buy some clothes that I liked: jeans and t-shirts.

Today was to be my first day of training in the palace with Nate. I had looked forward to it all week. Finally, the chance to see what my powers were. I dressed in a grey tracksuit, tied my hair in a ponytail, and headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, Kyra," Isabelle said.

"Morning Mum," I replied. I'd started calling Isabelle Mum when I was with her. I wasn't sure I really felt that comfortable with it yet, but she smiled every time I said it, and who was I to deny her that?

Ivan sat with his paper to his nose and ignored us, as usual. There was no way I was calling him "Dad", and I really didn't think he'd care if I did, anyway.

"Are you excited?" she asked, passing me a bowl of fruit salad.

"You bet," I said.

"I remember when I first developed my ability," she said with a happy sigh. Her eyes drifted up to the ceiling, and I wondered if she was remembering the moment. "My parents were so proud."

"You never told me what your ability was," I said, taking a bite of banana.

"Haven't I? How silly of me. I can control the wind," she told me. "Small breezes to gales. Not that I ever have use for it, of course," she added, with a glance to Ivan.

"That's really cool. I wonder if I'll develop that." I shook my head. "I mean, I know abilities aren't genetic or anything, but Will said there were cases where entire families, and sometimes communities, all developed the same ability."

"Really?" Isabelle beamed at me, eyes wide. "I didn't know that. You're starting to know more about Djinn history than me."

"What's your ability, Ivan?" I asked. I was in such a good mood, that I decided to be nice and involve him in the conversation.

He looked over his paper at me then folded it and actually put it down, which surprised me. "I have the ability to create lightning," he said, sounding extremely proud.

That explained all the flickering lights and electric currents I felt when we'd had the fight two weeks ago. His ability must be very strong and uncontrolled.

Ivan looked at his watch. "You're going to be late," he said. "Would you like a lift to the palace?"

I nearly dropped my spoon on the table and spat the food from my mouth. Ivan was offering to take me somewhere, actually doing something nice for me.

"Ummm … no, that's great of you to offer, but Nate said I should warm up before I got there, so I thought I'd jog."

"Prince Nathaniel, dear," Isabelle corrected.

"Yes, of course, Prince Nathaniel." I finished my food and left the room, still a little caught off guard. It was a nice gesture, but I didn't trust it. I was sure he was only acting that way because I was finally doing things he wanted, like being proper and getting in with Nate. I'd heard the way he talked about royalty and power at dinner. Ivan wanted power above all else. That, I was certain of.

I closed the front door and began my jog to the palace. It didn't take long, but I was warm and ready when I arrived. The palace guards stopped me at the gate, but only for a moment, and soon I was in the foyer waiting for Nate.

"Kyra," Nate called as I entered the room. He wore black trackies and a matching singlet. I hadn't noticed how muscular he actually was. Nate's arms curved in all the right places, his muscles tensing as he walked. He must work out a lot.

"Hello, Prince Nathaniel." I curtsied, pretending I was wearing a dress.

"You don't have to do that," he said.

"I feel like I do. The palace is overwhelming." I glanced around awkwardly.

"Come on, you have to meet the others." He slipped his hand into mine and for a moment I blushed, but Nate didn't seem to be doing it in a romantic way at all. He was just really friendly toward me. I guess I wasn't used to it. At least, not yet.

He led me to the training room, which looked pretty much like every school gym I'd ever been in. It had wooden floorboards painted with various lines, gym mats stacked in the corner, and vault jumps and other equipment scattered around the room. In the centre of the room stood a boy with shaggy blond hair, staring up at the ceiling. He wore baggy jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. He didn't look ready for training at all, like Nate and I.

I followed the boy's gaze to the roof and gasped when I saw a girl floating ten feet in the air.

"Good work, Millie," Nate called, as we entered.

She was very beautiful with curly auburn hair and porcelain skin. Her face was flawless, with large golden eyes, and a sweet smile curling up her cheeks. I did think it strange for someone to wear make-up to training though. Even her tracksuit was stylish, black with gold stripes down the side.

"Thanks, Nate," Millie called, and floated a little higher.

"Kyra, this is Seth Hallow," Nate introduced me to the boy.

"Hey, Seth," I said.

He glanced at me from behind his shaggy hair, a little too long. He swept it from his eyes. "Hi," he said, and went back to watching Millie.

"He's a little shy," Nate told me. "Up there, that's Millicent Baxter."

"Hey, Kyra. So good to meet you!" Millie chirped, waving ecstatically.

I remembered one of the councilmen was called Baxter and wondered if he was Millie's father.

Millie's smile was genuine; she really was pleased to meet me. She continued to wave from above, focusing all her attention down below. Her floating became jagged, jolting as her concentration slipped, and she plummeted to the floor.

"AHHHH!" she screamed.

I watched, unable to do anything as she fell to certain death, but just as she was about to hit the ground a large gym mat flew across the floor, stopping underneath Millie to break her fall. She hit the mat with such force it was unclear if she'd actually survived.

I followed Nate as he ran toward her. I finally caught my breath when I spotted Millie lying in the centre of the mat, a little dazed, but otherwise unharmed.

"You alright, Millie?" Nate asked, offering her a hand.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," she repeated, fixing her hair. "Thanks, Seth."

I looked to Seth who merely nodded, a trickle of blood falling from his nose.

"Are you alright?" I said.

Seth wiped his nose with his hand.

"He'll be alright," Nate said. "He's still learning."

I passed Seth a tissue from my pocket; he took it and scrunched it against his nose. "Wait," I said. "Did Seth just move that gym mat with his mind?"

Millie and Nate laughed. "Seth's ability is telekinesis," Nate said.

"And I can levitate," Millie added. "Well, when I concentrate."

"But that's why we're here," Nate said. "To learn what our abilities are and how to control them."

"You guys are so cool," I sighed, like a schoolgirl swooning over her crush. "I hope my ability is as awesome as yours, Seth."

"It's not really that impressive," he said, averting his eyes.

"You're kidding, right? You just saved Millie's neck," I said.

Seth shifted uncomfortably and looked down, pretending to be very interested in his shoelaces.

"Seth isn't great with praise … or people," Millie said. "Don't take it to heart. He'll open up once he gets to know you. It took a month for him to talk to me, so you're already doing better than I did."

I liked Millie. I couldn't really explain it, because I'd only known her for a few minutes, but she was just so friendly and cheerful. She reminded me of Isabelle, but less intense and more girlie—like the person Mia had pretended to be when we were at school together.

"Let's see if we can coax your ability out of you," Nate said. "Show us what you can do."

* * *

I stood in the middle of the training room with Millie, Nate and Seth watching me. I felt exposed and vulnerable, standing all by myself. I was used to being the best when it came to physical activities, but what I was trying to do was far from simply kicking a soccer ball around. I felt the pressure of it all, my parents, my friends, even people I hadn't met yet. I was the Djinn who came back after sixteen years and there were expectations. What if I couldn't preform?

"What exactly do I do?" I asked, shifting from side to side, my hands slick with sweat.

"We're going to put you through a series of tests to see if you show any signs of your ability," Nate replied.

"Right." I nodded, still not feeling confident. "And ah … how does that go exactly?"

Nate looked to Seth. "Seth, do you want to start?"

Seth didn't say anything, merely stood in place, eyes locked on to me. His stare only made me feel more awkward than before. A bucket shook like there was an earthquake on the spot underneath it. Tennis balls erupted from the large bucket, bouncing toward me.

"What do I do?" I said, dodging balls left, right and centre.