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Chapter 12

CHAPTERTWELVE

Zahir arrived at the Vianello Publishing House the following morning before it had opened its doors. The person who did open them took one look at the Djinn King in his bright indigo and gold robes and let out a cry of surprise before disappearing once more.

"What have I told you about scaring my staff?" a beautiful, blonde-haired woman demanded. Stella Aladoro was a fulmian mage, able to wield electricity and lightning, one of Arkon’s spies, and the wife to the most powerful shedu in the whole of the Republic. She was also a talented artist and a smartass. Zahir liked her immensely.

"Apologies, my love, but I am in a mood, and I needed to see you at once," Zahir said. His mood involved a pretty sigil mage who had refused to let him pleasure her within an inch of her life.

Stella’s green eyes narrowed as they studied him. Finally, she opened the door wider and gestured to him. "Come on, let’s get you some coffee."

Zahir followed her through the publishing house and to the kitchen located at the back of it. Stella already had a full pot of coffee on the go, and she placed a plate of fresh pastries in front of him.

"Where is your amore?" Zahir asked and picked up a croissant.

Stella took out two prettily painted cups. "Dom had an early meeting with Gio this morning."

"You don’t seem surprised to see me." Zahir accepted the steaming cup from her and had a sip.

Stella sat down opposite him with the plate of pastry in between them. "Arkon told me to expect you. He said that you might have need of my assistance. I didn’t expect you so soon, but here you are."

"That sorcerer needs to mind his own goddamn business," Zahir huffed.

"So you don’t need my help with a certain beautiful, talented, intriguing magician that you have become entangled with? Or has there been no entangling, which is why you are pouting?" Stella grinned, her delicate fingers pulling apart a cherry Danish and offered him some. She knew that the djinn shared food as a sign of trust. Zahir took it and had a bite. He did need advice. He just hated admitting it.

"She came to me last night with a crystal containing the images of these two men." Zahir reached into his robe and passed her photos that he had pulled from the projection. It showed both men standing over Ezra. He had watched it over and over, her cries of pain stuck in his brain like needles. He would do such terrible things to those men if he ever got his hands on them.

Stella took the pictures and studied the black-and-white images. "Do they have names?"

"The older one is called Zachariah. I don’t know the other one, but he is an artist. A sculptor good enough to create a golem. How much did Arkon tell you?" Zahir asked. He knew whatever he told Stella would get back to Dom, but without Zahir’s permission, it wouldn’t go further. They were good friends like that.

"He told me all of it. You know how he likes to gossip. To be honest, he was more intrigued about you having a crush on a girl than he was about golems being sold within the Republic." Stella tapped the picture. "Is that the lovely Ezra on the ground?"

"Yes, it is. She assured me that she was no longer in pain, but I want to tear these men apart for hurting her." Zahir took a long drink from his cup. He had slept badly, partly from the revelations Ezra had told him. Mostly, from wanting her and being rejected. He tried not to dwell on it. "She also found out that they were going to sell the golems to the Varangians. She had a name of one of the nobles that is in Arkadi’s court. We need to find out who these men are. I hate conspiracies that aren’t my own. They aren’t nearly as fun."

Stella was frowning as she selected another pastry and had a big bite. "If the Varangian nobles are involved, this could be more dangerous than we originally thought. Are you sure you don’t want to intervene? Ezra could get hurt."

"I know that. I offered to have her stay with me last night, and she turned me down. She is determined to see it through, no matter the danger."

Stella smirked. "She turned you down? Even though she owes you three nights? And you just let her walk away?"

"I never specified what we would be doing on those nights. I would never force a woman, even if a bargain was involved." Zahir sniffed irritably. "I made her the offer, and she said no. I was rejected, Stella. Me."

Stella started giggling. "Why are you surprised? I rejected you too. It’s bound to happen occasionally. Maybe you’re not her type."

"Bah! I am everyone’s type, and I didn’t make you a serious offer. I knew you were mates with Dom, and I was only doing it to piss him off," Zahir said. He stuffed more pity sugar into his mouth. "I was surprised Ezra said no, considering she kissed me only moments beforehand."

Stella’s brows shot up in surprise. "Did she now? You seem to be really put out by this. You had best tell me the whole story."

Zahir hadn’t needed advice about a woman for so many thousands of years that he couldn’t remember the last time he went for help about it.

He found himself telling Stella of the party at the house, he and Ezra dancing, and finally kissing her. He could still taste Ezra’s full lips and the beguiling flavor of her magic. He had never been aroused like that over a simple kiss. It was an all-encompassing, drowning feeling that he had thought he was incapable of having.

Stella listened patiently to him ranting, a small smile creeping over her face. "It sounds to me that you were hot, and then you were cold, and she got spooked. Not that I blame her. You do have quite the reputation for being a man whore. She is smart enough to resurrect old magic, so she’s definitely too smart to fall for your tricks."

"I don’t want to trick her! I want to get to know her, preferably with no clothes on. I’m genuinely worried about her safety, and I don’t know how to protect someone who wants to put herself in danger," Zahir complained. He got out of his chair and began to pace the kitchen. He had set guards to watch her house, but if Zachariah turned up again, he could hurt her, and they would be able to do nothing about it.

"How can I help?" Stella said, pouring him another cup. "You seem to genuinely like this girl. I can’t imagine that happens very often even in a djinn’s lifespan. I can be your middleman if you want to pass messages to her."

"And how would your husband feel about that? As you have pointed out, if the Varangians are involved, it’s going to be dangerous. Especially when Ezra doesn’t produce magic for the golems to work. They will retaliate, and I would hate for you to get caught in the crossfire. I would also hate to see what Dom would do to me."

"It’s Raven business. He doesn’t need to know everything. Just that I’ve made a new friend." Stella tapped her chin. "I can do a trip to that district today with a delivery. I am sure that a magician like her would appreciate a fine journal to record all of her researching in."

Zahir smiled as he warmed to the idea. "Perhaps put in some nice stationery so she could write me occasionally? You can put it on my account with anything else you think that she might like."

It had been so long since he had even considered courtship that he didn’t know what the rules were anymore. Gifts always seemed a good way to win a woman over.

"Arkon and I have been experimenting with paper messaging, and I might have a good way for you to be able to communicate with her without worrying that your messages will be intercepted." Stella placed the empty cups in the sink before she looped her arm through Zahir’s. "Come with me, my friend, and let’s spend some of your money."

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