Until the Stars Burn Cold Read online

  “I seek wisdom and knowledge… and magic.” Turning her head quickly she could not see the source of the voice. A silence fell over the cursed place, and all Shuri could hear was the roll of the surf. Moments rolled into minutes, but Shuri stood her ground and waited.

  “I know what you want. Your cries for your lost love resound throughout the land.”

  “He is cursed into this ring,” Shuri said as she pulled the chain off and held the ring out. “I must break the curse. I must have him back.”

  Shuri saw the shadow against the rock move. She squinted her eyes trying to make out the shape.

  “Why?”

  “Because we were forced apart! Because I love him with all that I am. He suffers and I cannot stand it. With every breath my heart calls to him,” she said. Her eyes widened with surprise and fear as a tall, ancient woman stepped forward. Her dress was pale grey and as fine as a spider’s web, a grey cloak was thrown about her shoulders and her long, white hair fell straight and past her hips. She fixed Shuri with her pale, watery stare.

  “And what of your children, your husband?”

  “I love my children, and my husband is a good man. I gave him my word that I would be his wife and I will not renege on my vow. I know that magic comes at a price, mother. I sacrifice my love and future with Jinn, so that he may be free.”

  “It is not enough, my daughter. The spell is cast and fixed. I cannot save your beloved. No one can.”

  “Then we are lost!” Shuri cried as a wave of sorrow swept over her.

  “Yes. Be content daughter. Go back to your fine home, to your children, to your husband.” The old women said as she stepped closer, reaching out she took the ring from Shuri’s hand. “Forget your beloved, for he is past your reach.”

  “I cannot,” Shuri said with desperation. “I cannot leave him bound and suffering forever.”

  “Ah, but what is this!’ Alima said as she rolled the ring between her fingers. Her lips pulling back in a toothless smile.

  “Mother, what do you see?”

  “I see the sorcerer’s power grows. He is bound to the Jetae Shamsheara, it increases his power and protects him.” The old woman flicked her wrist and a small fire ignited the pile of charred sticks. The wind fanned the flames and tiny embers floated high into the night sky.

  “Do you mean the glass bauble that my uncle traded me for?”

  “Yes. With it his spells that would have lasted a lifetime will now last twenty or more.”

  “If I was to destroy it, would it release Jinn?”

  “Yes, but Kansbar has left this land. You will never see him again in this lifetime.” The witch stared unblinking into the flames. The building heat began to fan her long white hair, the tendrils weaving in the warm air.

  “Then there is no hope.”

  “There is a spark, the tiniest of embers. Tell me child, what magic protects your beloved?”

  Frowning Shuri shook her head. “Jinn has no magic.”

  “You are wrong,” Alima said as she closed her eyes. “I can see it. It is a pale blue light which surrounds him, flows through him… protects him.”

  “I do not understand.”

  “He is protected by the magic of your necklace. Do you not know?” Alima handed the ring back to Shuri.

  “The necklace is old, it passed down through the women of my family. My grandmother said that the necklace was charmed with protection and understanding. I did not understand what she meant and thought it was just a pretty tale.”

  “Your grandmother was a wise woman. The necklace gifts understanding. Whoever wears it sees and hears with clarity. They are also protected.”

  “It didn’t protect Jinn from my uncle’s magic,” Shuri said as she shook her head.

  “It protects him now. The Shamsheara and your necklace were made out of the two sides of love. The Ifrit who made the Shamsheara was twisted by his love for his goddess. It turned to jealousy, power and the need to control. Whereas the necklace’s power only wishes to protect. The Jetae Shamsheara is all powerful and the necklace is weak in comparison. But the necklace is steeped in woman’s magic, made up of light, love and protection. Slowly this magic will eat away at the sorcerer’s curse until Jinn is freed.”

  “Then he will be free soon?”

  “No daughter, no hope for this life. Yet as the ages roll by the spell will diminish, and the necklace will eventually release your love. It is at that time you will be in danger, for Kansbar will not permit you or Jinn to live. When Jinn is released that is the time when Kansbar and the Shamsheara will be vulnerable. That is the time you must destroy the stone.”

  “Mother, I do not understand. How can this be?”

  “Your soul child will always search for Jinn, life after life, after life until one day you will be reunited.”

  “You give me such hope, yet I cannot wait.”

  “You must. Remember my words, daughter. In this future time you and Jinn must confront Kansbar and destroy the talisman. If not, Kansbar will kill you both and you will be parted forever in death.”

  Shuri bowed her head. “My thanks, Mother. I vow that I will remember your words and follow your instructions.” Yet as she raised her head she found herself alone, the fire no longer burned and the only sound was that of the rolling sea.

  ~* * *~

  Mia softly closed the front door and walked towards her little red hatch back. Today she was wearing a rosy colored floral dress. She liked the pattern of overblown roses and the way it swirled around her calves. It made her feel pretty and girly. On a whim she stopped by one of her rose bushes in the front garden, plucked a deep red bloom and tucked it behind her ear. Checking her watch she realized that it was almost 8.45 am and she was running late.

  She had spent the morning daydreaming and remembering the things that Jinn had said to her the night before. The morning seemed to just disappear. She just couldn’t seem to get the image of how he looked at her last night out of her mind. He wanted her and she knew that the attraction was mutual. She slid into the driver’s seat, turned on the ignition and reversed up her short drive. The problem was that even though she wanted Jinn, she was scared. He had another life and once he remembered it, what if there wasn’t any room for her there? What if he belonged to someone else? Could she stand the pain of having found him when there was a chance she could lose him in an instant? Should she take the chance? Dare she?

  Within minutes Mia pulled up outside Templeton Antiques. Swearing softly under her breath she got out of her car and approached the tall figure that languished by the front door of her shop. He was wearing jeans and a Dr. Who t-shirt that announced just how cool bow ties really are. The morning sun glinted off his dark blonde hair. Jason McCreedy was a handsome and well put together man but Mia was still far too angry at him to appreciate it.

  “McCreedy, seeing you twice in one week is a little hard to bear.”

  “Oh come on Mia, don’t be like that.”

  “What do you want? Haven’t you got a book shop to open?” Mia opened the door and flicked on the overhead lights. An Aladdin’s cave was illuminated, from the dark polished wood of the Victorian furniture to the glitter of the crystal chandeliers, and it was a sight that Mia never tired of.

  Jason McCreedy pushed himself off the wall and followed her into the shop. “Well, I was just passing and I thought…” His sentence trailed off into the ether as he struggled to finish it.

  “Really, like I believe that.” She threw her bag on the nearest balloon backed chair before turning around and confronting him. “Like I said, what do you want?”

  “That guy I saw you and Abbey with at the mall. Well, I just wanted to know... to know if she’s dating him?”

  “That’s none of your damn business.”

  “Oh come on Mia, have a heart.”

  “A heart, like you can talk. You dumped and humiliated Abs to go off chasing Vicky Sterling. I mean Vicky-bloody-Sterling, over Abbey. What the hell were you thinking? You broke her
heart, so why should I tell you anything?”

  “Because you have a forgiving heart and I made a huge mistake, Mia. Because I’m a complete idiot and because the only woman for me is Abbey.”

  “Hey, you’ll get no argument from me! But if that’s true, Jason, you’re telling the wrong girl.”

  “She won’t speak to me.”

  “Can you really blame her?”

  “No, I don’t blame her at all. I fucked up, not Abbey. We had just begun to plan a future together and I screwed everything up. Look I’m sorry I shouldn’t have come,” he said in a defeated voice as he shrugged his shoulders and headed for the door. “I know that I don’t have the right but it’s just the thought that she might be seeing someone… being with someone else was burning me up.”

  Mia closed her eyes for a moment, she knew that she would probably regret what she was about to do. Maybe for all her anger, deep down, she still had a soft spot for Jason. Or perhaps it was the fact she saw pain reflected in his hazel eyes. Whatever the reason was she called to him as he stepped through the door.

  “McCreedy... Jinn is one of my friends, not Abbey’s.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Now get out of here. I’ve got work to do.”

  Mia waited until her grandfather arrived and then left the running of Templeton Antiques to him, while she spent the rest of her day at the auction room tying up the last loose ends of the impending sale that was being held that upcoming Saturday. The items had all been cleaned, cataloged and numbered, and by 4.20 pm she actually thought about slipping away early. Just as she reached for her bag, her grandfather walked into the auction room accompanied by a tall stranger.

  “Ah, here she is,” James said with a wide smile. “This is my beautiful and talented granddaughter, Mia.”

  Stepping forward Mia smiled at the tall man with the light brown hair. She guessed that he must be about forty, although it was hard to tell. There was a bland quality about him, yet for an absurd moment she thought there was something slightly familiar.

  “Mia, this is Kane Barton. He’s just moved into our little village and has an interest in antiques.”

  “Lovely to meet you,” she said as she shook his hand. As she looked into his cool grey eyes, a cold shiver ran through her and she forced herself not to snatch her hand away.

  Kane Barton held her hand for a moment too long and searched her face as if he was waiting for a reaction. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Templeton.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a forced smile.

  “Mr. Barton will be attending the auction on Saturday. Isn’t that great?” James beamed oblivious to Mia’s discomfort.

  “Yes, great,” she said as she took a step backwards. “Grandad, if you don’t mind I thought I might leave a bit early. I’ve got a few things to do.”

  “Go and I’ll see you in the morning,” James said, but then hesitantly added. “Although there was another subject that I thought we could have a chat about.”

  “All right, would you excuse us for a moment Mr. Barton.”

  “But of course,” Kane Barton answered with a nod of his head. “Would it be all right if I browsed the upcoming auction items?”

  “Be my guest,” Mia said. She linked her arm through her grandfather’s and led him across the auction hall towards the back room. Only when she had put some distance between her and Barton did she turn her attention to James.

  “Okay so what’s up?”

  “It’s been brought to my attention that you have a young man staying with you.”

  “I told you that, remember. I said that I had a friend staying.”

  “Yes you did, but it was Albert who filled in the details.”

  “So much for doctor-patient confidentiality.”

  “Now don’t be cross. It’s just that he’s worried and so am I.”

  “Jinn would never harm me. He just needed a safe place to stay until he regained his memory.”

  “You know nothing about him.”

  “I know that he’s a good man, and a man that needs my help. Once you meet him, you’ll see.”

  “Well, I won’t let you-”

  Mia broke in before he could finish the sentence. “I love you Grandad and I know that you are concerned because you love me. But, I’m not a little girl; I’m an adult and I have my own life. You can’t tell me who I can or cannot see. I’m not twelve anymore. I care for him and he’s staying with me. End of discussion.”

  “But Mia really…”

  “No buts, my business and no one else’s,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “Everything is all right so please don’t worry. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going home.”

  “Very well, my dear. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Thanks Grandad.” She saw in his eyes that he was defeated. She had to think of a way to introduce them. She didn’t need Grandad’s permission or blessing… but she’d like it just the same. She needed him to see just how wonderful Jinn was. Grabbing her bag she headed to the door, pausing momentarily as she walked past the stranger. “Oh, and goodbye Mr. Barton. I’ll see you the auction.”

  “Yes, you will. As I said, it’s a pleasure.”

  Chapter Six

  Jinn was sitting in the garden. He had spent most of the morning there, in fact. He tried to concentrate on the sound of running water that came from the tiered fountain in the hope it would soothe his soul. The cool water bubbled and splashed in the warm morning air, but Jinn was distracted and nothing worked.

  Questions swirled around his head like a flock of ravens in the sky. How could it be that so many years had passed since he had stood on the stone steps in Adwan’s harbor, but he was still as he once was, young and vibrant instead of a handful of dust? He knew that the rumors and gossip in the souk of Adwan was that Kansbar was a sorcerer, but no one knew just how powerful. For a moment his mind flashed back to his last morning with Shuri. He was standing on the steps. Panic rose as he looked down at his hands and saw that they were tuning silver, as if molten metal was encasing his entire body. Pain like needles shot through him as his body rounded into a ring. With his last breath he called Shuri’s name, but it stuck in his throat. He tried to fight it, to move, but his silver body was solidifying and he felt every muscle harden and contract as he rolled down the stairs towards Kansbar’s feet.

  And how had it come to pass that Mia was his beloved Shuri? Were they one in the same or was it just a ridiculous coincidence that both were identical in look and manner? No, he could not believe that; somehow Shuri was Mia even if she did not recognize him. Was Kansbar responsible for that as well or was kismet playing her hand? Jinn stood up and stretched his arms above his head. The past, his past was long dead, but in this strange place, where everything and everyone moved so quickly, what sort of future did he have?

  He sighed as he made his way back into the house and wondered how he was going to tell Mia. The truth was so fantastical there was no way she could possibly believe it, but if he had remembered their past then maybe she would as well. Perhaps that was the answer; just to wait, to bide one’s time until she remembered her life in Adwan. But what if there was still danger? Surely he should prepare her? The magic was cast over a thousand years ago, but was there a chance it could still harm them? Separate them? A shudder ran through his body. Could it still cast me back into the ring?

  He went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. Slamming it down fast he felt the icy coldness flow down his throat. A restlessness settled over him, and the walls encroached, making him feel claustrophobic. He needed to get away into the open spaces. He grabbed the spare keys and walked swiftly out the front door, pausing momentarily to check that it locked behind him. As he crossed the street and neared the trees on the nature strip he remembered the shape in the trees.

  Jinn cast his mind back and tried to remember the events of last night, the events before his memory returned. There had been a man hiding in the shadow of the trees, watching Mia’s h
ouse. He remembered drawing back Mia’s curtain to challenge him. The man had moved out of the darkness, had stepped under the full light of the street lamp. He had been a tall man with light brown hair and a pale face. Jinn’s hand closed into a fist as the final mist that had obscured Jinn’s memory finally blew away leaving him with an almost impossible revelation. Kansbar was still alive and already hunting Mia.

  ~* * *~

  “Jinn!” Mia called as she walked through the front door and absently threw her handbag and keys on the small gypsy table that sat in the hallway. “Jinn, I’m home!”

  For an instant the words that she had so easily called out caught her attention. Funny, it was the first time she had used them in almost a year. They felt good. Having someone at home to greet her, it kind of made her feel a little fuzzy inside. However she experienced a sense of disappointment as she walked through the house and realized that he was nowhere to be found. Maybe it was just as well, it would give her a little longer to repress the feelings that had been resurfacing all day.

  She knew that she should keep her distance from Jinn. Until he remembered his past, she had no right in trying to cement herself in his future. She had been trying hard to deny that she had any feelings for him. Yes, he was handsome and altogether the hottest male she had ever laid eyes on. Her fingers itched to touch him, to run her hands through his brown hair, so dark it reminded her of an espresso coffee. But she stopped herself at every turn, never allowing herself to admit that she would have done nearly anything to feel his arms about her and his mouth against hers again. When he had kissed her last night, Jinn had opened a floodgate of stirring and emotions. And damn it, she just couldn’t get a handle on them.

  The problem was the more she thought about it, the more she remembered how his eyes had darkened in passion and she was lost. The realization ripped through, her almost knocking her off her feet, she wanted Jinn more than any man she had ever seen before. Not just for kissing; she wanted to feel his warm olive skin against hers, she wanted to feel his weight upon her, she needed to feel him inside her.