Chapter 23

CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE

An hour later, Stella was dressed in her best black suit pants with heeled boots, a sheer black top, and a black and red brocade split sleeve blazer. It was one she had bought from a djinn designer and thought it would be appropriate.

She had tamed her hair as best she could, pinning the curls up with a loose sexy style and sliding in two red roses.

There was a glimpse of a hickey on her neck, only slightly hidden by her collar. She should’ve been embarrassed, but something warm curled in her stomach whenever she looked at it.

Dom had marked her as his, one of the most significant ways shifters claimed someone openly.

Instead of feeling grossed out by that, Stella was smug.

You’re so in love with him, Claudia’s voice said in the back of her mind.

It didn’t matter how much Stella wanted to deny it, she had been half in love with him at Carnevale, and the last week had hammered it into place.

She didn’t know how or why, but he seemed to feel the same.

Find Claudia and the others, then figure out what to do with your heart and all the other complications later, Stella told herself as she swiped on some red lipstick.

Dom returned to her palazzo less than twenty minutes later. He was devastatingly handsome in his black-on-black suit. His only adornment was the golden seal ring of the Aladoro house on this finger. His smile slipped from greeting to admiration as he stared at her walking down the dock towards him.

Antonio whistled from the driver’s seat of the boat, making her laugh and easing her anxiety a little.

"Suitable for a meeting with the djinn?" she asked. "You know that mansion is known for its parties, and my bet is we are going to be walking right into one."

Dom grabbed her by the waist and lifted her into the boat beside him.

"You are gorgeous, as always," he said, kissing her cheeks. He whispered in her ear, "I’m going to have a lot of fun unraveling all of this later."

"Is that so?" Stella turned to greet Antonio. "How did you get dragged out into being our driver?"

"The docks are always packed on that side of Cannaregio, so I’ll come and get you when you are ready to leave," Antonio explained. He gave her a fond smile. "You look lovely, Lady Stella. And what an interesting mark you are sporting as an accessory."

"Don’t be jealous. I still love you too," Stella assured him.

Antonio raised a brow. "It’s not my jealousy you will have to worry about."

"My ego can take it," Dom replied, even as he put an arm around Stella’s waist.

As they neared Cannaregio, Stella nervously checked to make sure her eyeliner hadn’t run, and her lipstick was neat.

"Don’t be nervous. Zahir isn’t as impressive in real life," Dom said.

"Maybe he’s not the one I want to make sure I look good for," Stella replied, and Dom’s eyes flared gold.

"Easy, master. You need your business face on," Antonio reminded him sharply. The two shedu locked eyes in a silent argument that Stella couldn’t interpret.

"I’ll be perfectly pleasant," Dom assured him.

"Just don’t create an incident when the djinn flirt with her because you know they will to try and provoke you."

"I’m not a cub anymore. Really, you are worse than my mother."

"Flirting is like breathing for the djinn. This isn’t my first Wands party, trust me," Stella said, squeezing Dom’s hand.

At the last Wands party Stella had attended, she thought she had spotted Zahir Matani, but there had been so much illusion magic in the air that she’d never been sure.

The Wands districts of Cannaregio and Santa Croce were known for its fire mages, wild human creatives, fabulous djinn, and the strong Jewish community that had kept their traditional district and Synagogue. That tradition also meant they didn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the King of the Djinn, but the Doge.

If rumors were true, that fact irritated the king, but Stella hadn’t seen any proof of that whenever she found herself in the districts of the House of Fire.

They heard the music before the glittering dock and the King of the Djinn’s floating court came into view in front of a palazzo. Each window of the building glowed with different colored lights, and the streets around it were full of party goers.

Most people would think a special occasion was taking place, but in Stella’s experience, every night in the Wands district was party night.

"We’ll be two hours at the most," Dom told Antonio as they pulled into the dock.

A handsome black djinn offered Stella a hand out of the boat. He was wearing a gold suit with gold painted on his eyelids and golden rings piercing both of his pointed ears.

"Greetings, Master Aladoro. I am Asim. The king has asked me to escort you and your...associate to him," he said, giving Dom a short bow and Stella a wink.

"Then lead on. We wouldn’t want to keep the king waiting," Dom replied, looping Stella’s hand around his arm. They followed Asim through a guarded door and into the thrumming music and dim lights of the party.

Magic lay thick in the air, and everywhere Stella looked, beautiful djinn danced and threw back glowing drinks. A fire sprite was dancing on a table, leaving burn marks wherever her feet touched.

Every corner was piled with decorative cushions and had shifters, humans, and mages lounging with hookahs blowing brightly colored iridescent smoke.

People cleared out of the way for Asim as Stella and Dom followed him up a crowded staircase to another floor of people. Dom’s hand on hers tightened fractionally as Asim stopped and bowed.

"My king, your visitors have arrived."

Zahir lounged on gold-embroidered vermillion cushions, one arm balancing casually on his knee.

He was wearing a silk robe as vibrantly blue as a butterfly’s wing and had it open to show off a muscled bronze body decorated in strange circular tattoos. A drink of the same blue color dangled from his ringed fingers.

His black hair was cut in a conservative style—shorter sides and longer at the top—but it was streaked with gold paint like his clipped goatee and was slightly mussed all over.

He was sex and magic given form and knew precisely how to wield it as a weapon.

Black eyeliner surrounded bright black eyes as Zahir ran his gaze over Stella in a slow, hot stroke.

His mouth quirked in a lazy smile that said, yes, it would be the sexual awakening she always dreamed about and would never, ever forget.

"Domenico, you got my message," Zahir said, his voice rich and full of sin.

"It was hard to miss," Dom replied, and the djinn grinned. He got to his feet in a smooth, graceful move.

"I’m so glad you decided to come, signorina. Arkon was quite gossipy and excited that Dom was playing detective with a girl," Zahir said.

"For someone who is meant to be a spymaster, he seems to be rather shit at keeping secrets," Stella commented, making the djinn laugh and flash a tongue piercing.

"That is our Arkon." Zahir was slightly shorter than Dom, but he oozed charm as he pushed his way between them, taking Stella’s arm and leading her away.

"Come, habibi, let’s find you a drink, yes?" Zahir purred and looked over his shoulder. "You follow, my pretty kitty."

Stella tried not to laugh at Dom’s outraged expression while Zahir ignored him completely. He took them to another room and pointed to a barstool before moving around to the other side to start mixing them drinks.

"Tell me, do you only paint cards, or do you do commissions as well?" Zahir asked Stella.

"Mostly cards, but I love a good canvas and do the occasional painting when I have the time. I’m actually doing one for Dom at the moment," Stella said, leaning back into Dom’s warmth as he came to stand directly behind her. His fingers curled under her jacket to stroke against the sheer fabric covering her skin.

"Excellent! I have no need for cards. Never really used them," Zahir said as he poured out a bright purple cocktail. He ran a finger around the rim of the glass, setting it on fire. "But I always require more paintings of myself looking amazing. I hope you’re not shy about nudes." He placed the flaming cocktail in front of her. "Blow."

Stella leaned forward and blew on the red flame. It changed to blue before sinking into the drink. She sipped it, and her mouth danced with flavors of spice, blueberries, starlight, and petrichor.

"Nothing quite like a djinn cocktail is there, habibi?" Zahir said and placed a glass of scotch down in front of Dom. "Don’t worry, you don’t have to blow on it unless you really want to."

"Did you really summon us here so dramatically just to drink with you and talk about a portrait?" Dom asked.

"Why? Were you busy?" Zahir asked innocently.

"Yes," both Stella and Dom said at the same time.

"Please tell me he isn’t this serious all the time, Stella. But I suppose he is right; you and I can settle a time to discuss my painting further in private. I have so many ideas and positions I’d love to get your opinion on."

"I’m at your majesty’s service," Stella said, a touch mockingly.

"I like this one, Dom." Zahir kissed the air at her and laughed at Dom’s answering growl. He drained his drink and gestured at them. "This way, let’s talk in private." He opened a door behind the bar that Stella was sure hadn’t been there a minute before.

"Bloody djinn," Dom muttered, and they followed him inside.

Magic tickled Stella’s senses as she stepped through silky darkness and into an eerily quiet office.

Zahir’s desk was covered in papers and books as well as a variety of small and interesting objects that Stella didn’t dare try to examine. The door they came through shut and disappeared behind them.

The djinn king sat at his desk, all joviality gone like a mask had been removed. They took the chairs opposite him, and Stella sipped her drink nervously as the air charged.

"Arkon tells me you are looking into the disappearances. It’s good to know someone finally is. Tell me what you learned so far, and I might be able to assist," Zahir said, breaking the tension.

"At what price, I wonder?" Dom asked, swirling his scotch but not drinking it.

Zahir gave him a charming smile. "You have me all wrong. I would owe you. I pay in the only currency that matters, Domenico—favors. I’ll make you a deal; if you find out what is happening with the missing people, specifically my people, and you see justice through to whatever end, then I will owe you a favor, prince. Not a small thing to have in your pocket."

"If you knew what was going on, why haven’t you tried to find out what happened to them yourself?" Stella fought to keep her voice steady.

She wanted to scream. People had been going missing for a year, and no one had bothered to stop it even though they knew.

"Because I cannot go to the places the task requires. Specifically, the damn Swords districts," Zahir said. He drummed his fingers on the desk.

"You suspect the person running the kidnapping ring is from Swords?" Dom asked.

"Oh, I know they are, but the area is sewn up too tightly for me to want to risk starting problems. You know most of your people look at Wands and Coins like second-rate Houses. If we go walking around your perfectly ordered streets, we are likely to get your inquisitorsup our asses, and Rodrigo would never shut up about it."

"But if Dom does it, no one will care," Stella said thoughtfully. "In fact, they are likely to go out of their way to help."

Zahir smiled. "Exactly. You can be my inside man, Aladoro. Now tell me what you know, and I will see if I can help."