Khalil held the exhausted baby against his shoulder. He paced slowly, so he didn’t wake Max up. He had chosen, of all things, to wear jeans and a T-shirt again. The outfit brought to mind their date, which seemed like it had happened ages ago, except now the clothes looked shockingly exotic against his more inhuman physical form. He held his energy under such tight control, it made Grace’s bones ache just to look at him.
Max wasn’t aware of any of that. The baby had begun to snore. He sounded like a squeaky toy. Khalil put his cheek against Max’s head, rubbing his small back.
“Do not trouble yourself in the slightest over paying for the trip,” Khalil told Grace quietly. “It will all be taken care of.”
Grace jerked as suddenly the ebony-skinned Djinn appeared and knelt beside her, diamond eyes intent. The strange Djinn said, “I will pay for all of it.”
If anything, Khalil grew even quieter, yet this time a thread of steel ran through his voice. “Now is not the time, Ebrahim.”
“I understand,” the other Djinn said, just as quietly, while pain flared in his expression. “Just know I will pay for everything.” He looked into Grace’s eyes and whispered, “Anything you need.”
“Thank you?” Grace kissed Chloe’s temple and tilted her head sideways to see the little girl’s face. Chloe was sleepy but still awake, and sucking her thumb. Grace said to the Djinn in a gentle, perky voice, “You need to back up and give us some space now. Actually, if you really want to help, you could get the children something to eat since our kitchen blew up.” Grace murmured to Chloe, “Are you hungry?” Chloe nodded. “What would you like to eat?”
Chloe slipped her thumb out of her mouth. “Cheese.”
Ebrahim looked at Max.
Khalil said promptly, “Similac formula. Not the powder. Ready to feed bottles with nipples. A package of Pampers disposable diapers, a dozen jars of stage two baby food—get a variety of things, and remember, he loves applesauce—and a small spoon, some baby wipes, and a diaper bag. A soft stuffed toy suitable for a nine-month-old and a cotton blanket. That should meet his immediate needs.”
Grace stared at Khalil, her mouth open. If she hadn’t fallen in love with him already, that would have done it. Twice.
Ebrahim’s intensity had splintered into confusion. Khalil told him, “Ask a store attendant to help you pick it all out. And hurry.”
The other Djinn dematerialized and blew away. Grace asked, He was a bit intense. What was that all about?
Khalil told her, His mate is damaged. He saw Phaedra and heard us talking. He is hoping you can help his mate. I didn’t remember that when I called on him to pay his debt.
She pushed the heel of one hand against her temple. Oh, criminy. I can’t promise anything to anyone. Khalil, what I did was a fluke. Honestly, Phaedra did most of the work.
He squatted in front of her. Max looked so tiny nestled against his chest. I know. And now really isn’t the time. But when the time does come, would you at least be willing to try—for him or any of the others? He gripped her shoulder. No matter how you answer, I will support your decision.
And if she hadn’t already fallen in love with him, that would have made the third time today. Of course I’ll try, she said. I couldn’t say no.
He looked into her eyes, took her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers. Indeed.
Just then the two Djinn that had been exploring the house assumed physical forms and walked toward them. They wore the shapes of identical women, tall, blonde and strong looking. Grace looked at them with her mind’s eye. Their presences were almost an exact carbon copy of each other; they really were twins. Khalil’s expression darkened as they came near, his face hard. He asked, “What have you discovered?”
“We have shut off the gas,” said one of them. “There is nothing magical in the ruins.”
“And the cause?”
The other twin held out her hand. In her palm was a piece of damaged metal. “We think it was this piece of the stove. It is part of the gas regulation and ignition process called a flame failure device. It appears quite faulty.”
Grace said, “We used that stove hundreds of times, and it worked perfectly.”
Khalil looked at Grace. “This was the first time you used the stove since yesterday’s work day, wasn’t it, when you had so many people over?”
“Yes.” She went a little numb.
The twins looked at each other. One of them asked, “Did you leave the house for any length of time?”
Twelve people, not including Olivia, who knew each other well. They looked her in the eye and ate her food and mowed her lawn. Did twelve people do this?
She nodded and whispered, “For about forty-five minutes.”
Khalil’s rage flared red-hot against Grace’s senses. His face was vicious. “Brandon Miller has metal devices like this in a hidden workshop. Along with tools with which to alter them.”
Chloe knuckled her eyes. “Did our lunch break the house?”