I love you too, he said to her. Joy pierced her, bright as the morning. It beamed out to him. He took it and doubled it back to her.
Ebrahim joined them, standing battle tense at their side. The other Djinn Khalil summoned began to appear until they filled the entire yard.
Soren took a long, thoughtful look around. Then he turned back to Khalil, ignoring Grace. Soren’s expression was pained. He said, “I heard your attachment to the human had grown too strong.”
“According to whom?” Khalil growled. “My attachment to Grace is nobody’s business but ours.”
“She will pass, Khalil,” said Soren. “They always pass. It’s inevitable, and it happens too quickly, and while that is a shame, we cannot grow to love them too much.”
“That is your definition. Those are your limits,” Khalil told him. “They are not mine.”
“Pay attention,” Grace said. She raised her voice. “All of you, pay attention. I am the last Oracle. There will not be another. The Power will not pass on to my niece or to some other female descendant when I die. However long or short my life might end up being, this is it. For the people in your Houses who are damaged, I am their one chance at healing. I am your one chance at healing, if you become too damaged to heal on your own. Do you understand? I can’t guarantee anybody’s healing—but I know you won’t get another shot when I’m gone.”
Ebrahim said, “The Oracle speaks the truth. She healed Khalil’s daughter Phaedra earlier today.”
A profound silence filled the yard. The gaze of every Djinn locked on her.
“Back to you,” Grace said to Soren. “I offer you a bargain.”
“Which is what?” Soren bit out the words.
“I will do everything in my Power to heal any Djinn who comes to me,” Grace said. “No reservations, no matter when, no matter what the issue, I will give to each person everything I possibly can.”
“What do you require in return?” asked Soren. He had frozen, a pillar of white ice.
“I want the life of your son,” said Grace. “I want Khalil, free and clear. I want him to live in whatever manner he may choose, whether that is with me or not. Whether he chooses to fall into flesh and live a mortal life, or not— Yes, I’ve seen that is a possibility. I’ve seen other possibilities too, because nothing in the future is fixed. You will not imprison him. You will not try to stop his choices in any way, because if you do, I will never help any of you.” She turned, looking at the surrounding Djinn. “Never. I swear that on my life.”
Everything in Khalil leaped at her words, but he never took his attention away from the real threat, his father. The rage on Soren’s face was blinding. “That isn’t a bargain, that’s blackmail.”
Khalil flattened farther around Grace, tightening his Power in case of a blow. She said, “Call it what you like.”
“You’re talking about his death!”
“I’m talking about protecting his right to choose whatever he wants.”
“We do not sacrifice our people!” Soren took a step toward her, his hands clenched.
Every other Djinn moved forward too, their attention locking on Soren. Ebrahim stepped in front of Grace and Khalil. It was an entirely brave thing to do and, if Soren chose to strike, entirely suicidal.
Khalil dared to loosen his hold on Grace enough to rise over Ebrahim’s head and face his father. “It appears that no one else agrees with you,” he said. “Enough of this. You will not hamper me in any way from doing what I want with my life. Strike the bargain.”
Soren met his gaze. “Khalil, don’t.”
“Strike it.” He didn’t waver, despite the look in Soren’s eyes. Soren in pain was more dangerous than ever, but Khalil also knew that once Soren agreed to the bargain, the older Djinn would be honor bound to keep it. “And for the love of gods, keep peace between us.”
Soren looked around at his people, and his expression grew bitter. “Yes,” said Soren. Then he vanished.
Grace sagged. Quicker than thought, Khalil took form and snatched her close, and as he counted her precious breaths, he knew that every other Djinn would be doing so as well, watching and helping her in any way they could.
“You’ve just gained an entire race of bodyguards, nursemaids and babysitters,” he said in her hair.
She clutched him so tightly her arms shook. “Nobody babysits the children until they’ve read at least three child-rearing books.” She whispered, “Even though all the possible futures kept shifting, I kept seeing you in some kind of prison. I kept trying to figure out how to stop it from happening.”
She was trembling all over. He tilted her face up and kissed her gently, savoring her soft lips and the core of steel inside her and how she kissed him back.
“I am so proud of you,” he said from the back of his throat. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten you never called me when Phaedra showed up, even after you promised. I am still pissed all to hell at you for that.”
“Hold on a sec,” she murmured. “I might need to gasp and bite my nails.”