Learning a New Life - 6. Chapter 6

"What the hell was that! Where did he go!?" Susan exclaimed.

"Watch your mouth young lady. He obviously teleported out somehow, if we're lucky ... ah! There it is. He left the crystal where it fell. We can follow him," Joanna replied. Joanna gestured her hand towards the stand and the old book went flying towards her. "Let's see ..." she muttered to herself as she leafed through the book. "Teleportation can be tricky ... have to … exactly where ... ah, here we go. Take my hand." She put the book on the table and they read the spell together.

They felt a small lurching sensation and were taken in an instant from their home to an alleyway, out of sight from prying eyes.

"Oh, I hope to everything holy that boy has the sense not to expose himself in public," Joanna said, as she and her daughter ran for the street. Susan rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know what I mean ..."

They came to the busy street and looked around but did not see Michael anywhere amidst the crowd of Saturday morning shoppers. They were at a loss until Susan spied a door swinging shut. With little else to go on, they ran into the office building. They did not have a connection to the bag as Michael had and so did not have an instinctual sense of where to go once they were close. It was only when they heard shouting and other indications of a scuffle that they dashed ahead and around several corners until they found themselves in a rather large space filled with cubicles, where people were screaming, papers were flying, and the sounds of a physical confrontation were heard from a particular cubicle.

At the far end, Susan saw two security guards coming through a set of doors and pointed, calling out, "Mom!"

For her part, Joanna held up a hand and the door slammed shut. The audible "thump" of the guards bumping into the now locked doors could be heard just over the rest of the din.

The two women rushed to the part where there was the most noise and saw Michael on the floor being kicked in the ribs, holding his hands over his nose with blood leaking from it.

"Oh for the love of ... ENOUGH!" Joanna shouted and held up her hands. Michael's assailant was thrown back against the cubicle wall, knocking his head on the hard plastic and he passed out.

Susan, meanwhile, was standing very still except for her own hands, which were at her head while her two index fingers massaged her temples in slow, circular patterns. She slowly but steadily recited, "All things shall be peace, all shall be peace ..." As she did, the noise in the room quieted, and people went back to sitting down or carrying on with their other business, ignoring what was going on around them and what had obviously been transpiring.

Michael was on the floor in the fetal position, tight, and unyielding to Joanna's touch.

"Mom, you do the memory spell, I'll help Michael."

Joanna looked up at her daughter and then grudgingly got up and started to recite the words loudly enough for all in the room to hear.

Meanwhile, Susan knelt down and gently put her hand around Michael's arm. "Michael, we've got you, it's okay. It's over."

* * * * *

I felt her hand on me and I wanted to flinch, but I knew that flinching would only make it hurt more. I wished to be away from all of this! Just visits to the human world and then back at the Glen ... all I ever wanted. Why didn't I take Corther's advice to heart? "Always leave reserves, enough to escape if you need." And here I go and get the shit beaten out of me.

And who the hell made up those fucking rules that our own powers can't work on ourselves?! My nose is probably broken - it's bleeding enough - and my ribs hurt -- I'm sure several are bruised if not broken.

Wait, Susan's a witch, and her mother -- obviously. Maybe they have healing powers. Oh, but Corther always said it was rare ... fuck! What is that old woman saying now? Oh, it's a spell. Damn good thing her powers don't work on me.

Susan's still on my arm ... what's she asking? Did I find it? She has seemed to be nice and helpful, and I'm so drained ... I don't know why I did that damn transportation spell after the energy orbs I manifest in that attic. Wait ... why am I relaxing ... ? Dammit, she's in my head! Go away!

Okay, fine. "Yes, I have it. He had it here. See?" I relaxed my fingers just enough so she could see the bag through them.

What the -- ?

* * * * *

Back in the attic, Joanna was seeing red and screaming. Susan was trying to calm her down.

In the several minutes that went on, Michael had figured out they were back and was slowly relaxing to the point that he gently moved a hand around the bag. It was familiar, just as before, with no damage nor signs of attempted entry. The enchantment it was under prevented anyone else from altering it in any way, besides only allowing its owner entrance. Michael slipped his hand in and wrapped his fingers around the cool, familiar crystal, and he slowly brought it out. He clutched it tightly to his chest and sighed, then regretted it as he felt a pain in his ribs and coughed up a little blood. If he hadn't been in the condition from the recent altercation, he would have been overjoyed.

He debated bringing out Nate. Now that he had the jinni, he could easily order Nate to heal him. And get him away from these women and never see them again. The jinni's transportation ability had already been proven useful and fast. But wouldn't that give these women too much information? In the end, he decided to do it. He was in no condition to manage an escape on his own, and he knew the witch's magic couldn't harm him, so he couldn't see how they could take it from him.

Michael slowly touched the crystal in the right spots, murmured the words, and quickly, Nate materialized in the room. At that point in time, it was Joanna who happened to be facing towards Michael and she immediately stopped arguing. So abrupt was it that Susan kept up for several seconds before realizing she was the only one talking, saw her mother staring, and turned around to face the now two men in the room.

"Nate, heal me," Michael commanded.

"As you wish, Michael," he replied. It wasn't a snap of his fingers, a nod of his head, a wiggling of the nose, nor a pull on the earlobe, but a simple matter of once it had been stated, it was done. Nate definitely seemed to be getting the hang of being a jinni.

Joanna for her part thought the jinni looked vaguely familiar until it struck her, and she immediately tried to use her own gifts to throw the being out of her house. The only effect was that Nate's form seemed to shimmer for an instant, turning slightly misty. He turned from Michael and frowned towards the woman, stating, "Your powers cannot touch me, witch. I am beyond you." He turned back to Michael and very, very gently picked him up. Michael put his near arm around Nate's neck, tucked his head down and nestled it against Nate's chest, and said, "Nate, take me home."

"As you wish ... ." They were gone.

* * * * *

"Why did you attack that?"

"I have my reasons."

"It was a jinni!"

"Supposedly. Well, yes, I guess so."

"But Mom ..."

Joanna sighed and gestured, then she sat on the chair that had moved to just behind her. "Susan, do you remember several weeks ago when I needed you to help me scry for an occulted city in the forest outside town, near the Flatirons?"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't tell me why."

She nodded. "Right, because once we found it, I didn't want you to follow me. It was potentially dangerous, but I needed to do it."

"Where did you go?"

The old woman smiled wryly and laughed slightly to herself before stating, "To see the elves."

Susan gasped and collapsed into her own seat that she knew would be behind her. "But Mom, they -- they don't interact with anyone."

"I know, but I had overheard a warlock telling his friends that he had found out where they were, and he wanted to increase his own power by destroying their enclave and taking all the magical books and devices within. Elves rely primarily on knowledge and illusions - and hiding - and are quite lousy at mounting any real defense if threatened, or at least that's what the legends say," the woman gestured to The Book sitting on its podium, basking in the rays of the noontime sun.

"Anyway, I went to warn them, but I didn't know what kind of reception I would get." She laughed again. "They were surprised when I knew how to enchant my own vision so as to see them, but the reception I got was one of simple arrogance and denial of any danger. So I left."

"That doesn't explain why you attacked Michael's jinni. Nor how a boy like that got a jinni."

Joanna's face grew somber. "I said a powerful warlock was going to attack them, remember?" Susan nodded. "The warlock was Michael's jinni."

Susan's eyes grew wide. "But that means --"

Joanna nodded.

"But -- but how!?"

"I don't know. But whomever that boy is, there is a hell of a lot more to him than meets the eye, and I mean to find out what it is."

* * * * *

I slowly lowered Michael into his bed, and he fell asleep just seconds after his head made contact with the pillow. I wanted to do more. I hadn't seen him in days, and I wanted to know what happened. I slowly moved my hand to his forehead to read his thoughts, but I stopped. For two reasons. First, it would be an invasion and Master would not want that. Second, it was against the rules, and I didn't know if I would be able to even if I tried. I had learned many things from reading the guidebook during my solitude, and one of them was that despite a seemingly unlimited amount of power an established jinni could command, he or she was still bound by unbreakable rules, controlled and enforced by those even more powerful.

I looked at his sleeping form, my hand still hovering near his face. I left it there, feeling his gentle breath from slightly parted lips. His chest slowly expanded and contracted. I knew I was his servant, but I felt something more. A love for this boy who was barely a man with an innocence and naïveté about him that made me want to protect him as much as love him.

Learning why I needed to heal him would come later. I moved my hand to brush his hair out of eyes. He was laying on his side and only took half the bed. I could sit here, waiting for him to wake like before. Instead, I took a risk. A moment later, I was behind him, laying next to him with my arm draped carefully over his chest, near the crystal but never touching it.

I lay there for hours. Hours turned into days as I gently held my Master. I breathed the word: "Michael."

* * * * *

Michael awoke to a presence. He felt the arm over him and a body pressed close to his. He nearly started to panic before realizing that anything that this person could have done would already have been done, and so he relaxed. He shifted under the arm, rotating to see who it was, and he was surprised to find Nate looking back at him.

"Nate? I ... what -- what happened?"

Nate was surprised Michael did not question why he was in bed with him, but he ignored the small favor. "I healed you, brought you home, and you fell asleep. You were drained. You've been asleep for three days."

"That explains why I'm hungry," Michael replied as he pushed himself off the bed after Nate raised his arm. Michael walked out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen, stopping only once he reached the room and realized that there was no food. Though he had set up a house and established himself somewhat, Michael still lacked any complete idea of how to live in this kind of environment.

Nate had followed him towards the kitchen and was leaning against the wall, propping himself up on his arm. Michael turned towards him and asked, "This is pretty pathetic, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" was the confused reply.

"This," he gestured around. "I'm pathetic. I have no idea what I'm doing. I've lived here for - what? two weeks? - and I have no direction, no purpose, and ... and no food!"

"All you have to do is wish for what you want - at least food-wise - and it's yours."

"But that's no way to live. Don't get me wrong," he quickly followed, seeing the hurt look in Nate's eyes. "It's just that's too much of a crutch. I don't want to live from wish to wish. I have to live in this world, the same way the rest of my kind does. Relying on you to fix every little thing is just not the right way."

"Then what will you do? How do you know how to fit in?"

"Damn it, I don't know! That's the problem!" Michael was frustrated now and upset. Nate felt his heart leap, and he tentatively walked over to the boy, opening his arms. Michael took the embrace and fell against Nate's chest and began to sob. Nate gently rubbed his back over the next several minutes.

When Michael's tears had subsided, he remained in Nate's embrace. Nate felt almost as helpless as Michael did, though for different reasons. For one, he was a jinni and could do almost anything, at least in time and in theory. But he couldn't grant a request to "fit in." It was not anything specific nor tangible. But besides that, he had had plenty of time to think over the past few days while in bed with his young master and realized that he loved him. He could remember nothing from before the time he knew Michael, and he knew that he was a servant. He did not know if he had ever been in love, nor even exactly what love was, but he knew -- no, he felt -- that he was in love with Michael. He wanted to protect him, care for him, and see him happy, and it was breaking his heart (if indeed jinnis had hearts) that Michael felt helpless despite the vast power he could wield.

"Michael?" There was no response. He started again. "Michael, I know it is not my place to give you advice, but could you ask for help? Isn't there anyone who could tell you want to do, how this civilization works?"

Michael was silent, and after several seconds he slowly turned his head upwards to look at Nate. "I don't know anyone here."

Nate was quiet and then asked, "May I read you?"

Michael pushed himself away and wiped his eyes on his arm as he sniffled. "What?"

"May I read you? Read your memories of your time here to see if I may have a solution?"

This was dangerous, Michael knew. If Nate found out what he had been ... he was still bound, a servant, a jinni, but the whole point was for him to lose his memory and start over. He had to be cautious. "How would I know if you lie to me?"

"I cannot lie to you if you ask me a direct question."

"If I order you to only limit your reading to my interactions with people in this world since I left the Glen, will you do that?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. And I order you to do what I just asked."

Michael remained in place while Nate took a step forward and placed his hand to Michael's forehead. A few seconds later, he stepped away.

"What about Susan and her mother?"

"What!?"

"They helped you find me."

"But they were invasive! I don't know anything about them! How do I know I can trust them?! How do you know they won't hurt me? How do you know they're not evil?"

"A read through all your memories of interactions with them really shows no evidence of anything but trying to help you. I think you should go back to the LGBT center tomorrow morning and just tell Susan that you need help." Michael looked dubious. "I'll come with you. Wear the pendant, but keep me out. If she starts to do anything against you, we'll be out of there and she'll be down before she knows what happened." Michael still looked unconvinced. "Please? I -- I --"

"What?"

Nate lowered his head. "I want you to be happy, and I think she's your best opportunity right now. Please?"

Michael looked back at Nate and began to realize what was going on. He had made Nate look like his ideal man, but he had segregated that thought since that first day because "you don't date the help." He had been so worried, on-edge, frightened, and overwhelmed for the past couple weeks that he hadn't realized Nate was feeling the same way. And it made sense what he was saying -- he was a jinni after all.

"Nate?"

"Michael?"

"Let's go back to bed. We'll see Susan in the morning. Wait -- first, make me another pizza."

After he had eaten, Michael stood up and held out his hand to Nate who took it gratefully, his heart leaping as he was led down the short hallway into Michael's bedroom. Michael stripped out of his shirt, shucked his shorts and boxers, and turned to face Nate unabashedly. "Lose the clothes," he stated simply.

"As you wish," and unceremoniously the clothing vanished.

"If this is going to go anywhere, we'll need to work on your style a bit more," he laughed as he got into bed, laying on his side.

Nate followed, spooning behind Michael, his nipple rings pressed firmly into Michael's back sending small shivers through his body. He was firming and nestled between Michael's firm cheeks, but Michael simply said, "Not yet."

Nate remained where he was, but did not go further. He had his arm draped over Michael as he had just a short time before as he felt Michael's breathing change, indicating his young master had again fallen asleep. Nate couldn't help it -- he gently lifted the covers and looked, and then he smiled, seeing that Michael was in the same state as he. He lowered the covers just as softly and placed his head on the pillow near Michael's neck, breathing him in, and almost wishing the he, too, could fall into slumber to be with Michael. At the same time, he was glad just to be where he was, as he tenderly rubbed his hand over Michael's chest while he slept through 'til morning.