In The Deep End

There was neither a sense of relief nor a sense of awe. If anything, it made Simon Harris' guard go further on edge. It only confirmed that the woman with Jess was the Ruby Genie. The same fiery Djinn from the vision danced and fought against those who threatened his girlfriend's safety and kept her mother enslaved.

The hooded man talked to him again, his eyes still covered. He refused to show his face and kept himself guarded as he acted as ominous. Sensing Simon's unsettled demeanor, the mysterious male held out a reassuring hand,

"I understand. You are right to be suspicious. Regardless of that, know that I'm not here for your Djinn. She is yours to do with as you please, so long as the Masters remain uncaring or unaware of her. I am here because I simply desired to know the answer to something, which led me to you. That is all."

His hands then rested on the cane in front of him, and he leaned forward enough to show Simon the smile on his face,

"Just as I'm sure you do as well. The remnant around your neck tells me as much. You are young and are still new to this life. A boy to many, but some can see past the façade of youth."

The partially gloved fingers reached and adjusted something in front of his eyes,

"The Masters do not tell you this, but when a wish is uttered upon another djinn without consent, their owners will be considered in conflict. The sisters do not interact with sisterhoods of other bound realities aside from the Citadel."

He looked out again as the Ruby Genie in the distance remained entwined with Jessica,

"She has no intention of hurting her. The Ifrit are fiery by nature, but I did not compel this action. She bears many secrets, many burdens. Coming back to this realm is a greater shock for her. Given the attitude most Djinn have toward what they perceive as mortals."

The teenager narrowed his eyes as he could barely distinguish what was happening with their faces so close to one another. The man cleared his throat to regain his focus,

"You have many things to fear but none from me. I have no intent to claim your genie. If others knew of her and what she truly is, that would not be the case for you. However, I will refrain from doing so since it is in my interest to see her stay where she is. If you're willing to sit, I shall tell you one story, and you will give me one in return. There will be nothing else, and I will be on my way."

"Your Interest?"

Finally hearing Simon's voice for the first time, he could listen to the middle-aged voice with a hint of a mixed accent chuckle, amused,

"Surprising, isn't it. What interest would one who wields the power of a servant of creation have with another? The Masters do no such thing themselves. Even when amongst each other, they have no need for the other. They are as likely to turn on each other as their challenger. They are immortal beings of power, but you are not. Do you consider that a flaw or an advantage?"

**** to break his gaze from Jessica, the once-awkward teenager turned back with a stern gaze, trying to shut his emotions off entirely as he had before when overwhelmed. Intimidation could not be allowed to dominate. The man leaned over his cane and waited with a smile,

"I cannot stay long. Humoring an old man who brings advice hasn't become frowned upon now, has it?"

The man held his hand out again as Simon looked toward his genie again briefly, focusing on Jessica as his brain raced to understand his own position. The elder chuckled in realization,

"Ahh, I see. She's important to you as more than just your servant. You know of her more than what she is; you feel something stronger than simple ownership or control. Her kind would frown upon her if she held the same. There are many things that powerful beings responsible for her existence would frown upon. Since they know what will happen, they do not bother to ask what could happen. That bond with her is yours but comes with its own consequence."

The smile faded from the hooded one as he held his hand to the bench seat next to him again,

"Therefore, I have less reason than I already gave you and more need to speak with you. What you do with that after will be your decision, not my concern."

The young man clenched tighter as he felt the growl under his breath. There were more options, but he hadn't been in a fight before, and there was no way he would trust whoever this person was. They had the same genie, shard, and hood, but there was no way the teen could know he was who he claimed to be.

But, there was equally no reason why he couldn't be.

What was more dangerous a recourse? To listen or to not.

The stranger leaned back and smiled, satisfied as the young man approached before guardedly placing the backpack between his knees and sitting down to the left of him,

"One of the wonders of Djinn Magic is that you can live on past your years, and many men before you with their power had done so. Do you know any of these in particular? A rhetorical question."

The man leaned over and held up his index finger with the stitching and coverings visible from the fingerless gloves.

"We both know you know of one in particular, do you not? You may have even heard of his name if you are capable of such wisdom at your age. He was a king in his time. A man of great renown, one that was said to even harness and attain the power of the Djinn. Among all those in his court, his Djinn served him faithfully more than anyone else could. So important to him that, unto his ****, they were set free, and his legend remained even as his kingdom disappeared."

The man leaned forward with both hands folded onto his cane, the sight of a golden band around his wrist with a ruby in its center glistening in the sun briefly as the clouds blocked it. He leaned over slightly and motioned to Simon, who could see the slight upward curl in his lips,

"At least, that is what he wanted them to believe. In truth, to save his servants, he faked his **** and then roamed the known world with the sisters. He was hidden with his Djinn for many years, away from all others. Separating himself and his servants of creation from the lives of those they could interfere. For centuries, they traveled as he continued to learn the secrets of their magic and improve his combination of it with the craft of his own world to become a powerful sorcerer. Myths were born from his experiments. Eventually, however, the magic of his servants could no longer be hidden. The Masters were no strangers to him, but this would be the last. For those seeking to remove the Djinn from this world came. The veil could no longer protect them from the Masters and their hunger for power. In the past, he could make his mark in the arena or disappear into the deeper safety of his realm. That would not be the case with the three that came. However, the ageless king was ready for them, but it was a relentless battle deep within the desert."

His hands tightened and became clenched as if angered. The cane trembled and tremored,

"It was one he had prepared for but could not truly predict, even with the gift of foresight. It could not predict the power born outside time. During their battle, he lost those he cared deeply for all those years. Despite it all, he continued to fight, but that was when something happened that no one suspected."

Simon could feel the eyes underneath the hood looking straight through him. The man's lips formed a grin as he locked onto the young man beside him. An unsettling feeling twisted inside the young man's stomach as he spoke again,

"Something that changed the outcome when all seemed lost. Neither he, the Djinn, nor even his opponents truly knew what caused it. It would not be revealed until over millennia and centuries passed that a descendant sought the knowledge he had. That learned to use humanity's knowledge as well as the gifts of the Djinn, combining them."

The middle-aged man then motioned toward the Djinn with Jessica again,

"That so long after he and his left this world, another would be born. That the legend was not yet at an end. It is still being written, and only through resonance was the ageless man allowed to know of their existence."

Then he motioned again, leaning back into the bench, hands still affixed to his cane,

"There are many realms, boy. A Djinn born among mortals is neither as common nor a rarity as it once was, but to be raised together among their Master is a rarity for either of their kind. Djinn stumble and often wind up in the hands of those more foolish and uncaring. The Masters and Sisters both cast them into our world for amusement."

Simon watched as he motioned the cane toward him and sounded slightly amused,

"You're a creative young man. Very creative. I'll give you that as praise you've earned. However, you'll slip up if you continue to push outside the realm's boundaries. What you have done does not violate their rules or raise their attention. My attention is not theirs. Do not tempt fate if you value your existence. If you push outward any further than you have, it will make borrowed time that you feel exists already shorter than you believe. The Sorcerer King's actions to protect the Djinn Sisters on this world were not to be wasted on such foolish things."

That last remark was almost a hiss, a bitterness masked by the man's mouth in a composed grin and flash of his teeth. It was strange how he was talking about himself. The purpose was to give enough detail for him while trying to stay vague.

He was trying to stay as hidden in his identity with his words as with his attire.

It was a test.

"The Masters like it when a Djinn reveals themselves. It makes their job easier. Many fall into the trap the sisters often give them by breaking the bindings or offering freedom. The Masters find the greatest amusement in those sisters foolish enough to fall into the trap. Their Elders or the more experienced take another tactic. They know that if they free themselves or break their protective veils, they risk the Master's wrath. Their power unbound is chaos, which is their purpose to bring under heel. It makes their hunger uncontrolled and allows the hunt to begin. They don't tend to notice or care for things outside of their own power. They especially don't notice when it's a world they have been before. Those foolish enough to release too much, too disruptive, too soon, too regretful, is the smell of a freshly seasoned meal that draws them closer. A mortal realm with a djinn is simply a realm with a djinn to acquire. Whatever they have granted to release such forces disrupts to ripple to the outside. Things that are meant to stay inside, and only inside, you can do a great many things."

The young man remained guarded by the older man, who remained enigmatic. Clearly, he knew what he was talking about, and he spoke in the way a paternal figure would - a father, an uncle, a mentor, or a grandfather. Simon's guard remained as he briefly glanced at the Ruby genie entwined with Jessica against the alleyway wall across from them. Their lips were clearly mashed together in what would've been a lengthy kiss.

"It seems they've met before," the stranger remarked from his own observation,

"Or, they recognize one another. How curious. She does not normally spend this amount of time with an unknown child."

The man tapped Simon's leg to regain his attention briefly as they both watched Jessica being kissed and entwined with the Ruby Genie,

"It's common among them to engage one another like this once they find each other. They are passionate creatures. It's one of their ways. All sisters long for bonds and connection. Djinn are very emotionally driven beings compared to humans. They can only disguise it for so long, but self-control is not their way.""

Simon kept his thoughts close to him, staying silent, almost selectively mute, as his eyes narrowed. Jessica never met the Djinn from his dream, at least not that he knew of. Her talk about smoke whisps came to mind after the wish for the portal device to become active. Was that it?

He didn't have long to ponder as the hooded elder chuckled,

"You don't seem surprised by that. Seems you already have some knowledge of things. At least more than I can see or expect. That's good. Witnessing my fight has already left some impact on you. Seeing those we are up against, that you are up against. What they are capable of."

His fight? Simon turned his head and looked curious by that remark, avoiding most eye contact when possible out of habit.

"So you're here to warn me, then? Is that it?"

A smile grew as the man tapped his cane again and leaned back,

"In a way, I suppose I am. I wasn't expecting something like this when I returned to this realm to explore. This world, my people, and everything since then, only to find the both of you. So, consider me intrigued about what you're up to. A young man and a djinn, a person in your position would have many changes to go about. You have the power to grant your heart's innermost desire. The magic and power should be in the air around this world to change it from the original. You can remake anything in your image. Yet I see very little magic or transformation in front of me."

Simon quickly rebuffed the man,

"Wasn't how I was raised."

An amused chuckle lightly exited from the elder man's throat and lips,

"I see you've discovered another of the sisters' secrets. That's good. I've seen too many fools squander that power for the most basic reasons. They are capable of a great many things, the Djinn Sisters."

The man sighed as he tapped his cane against the metal bench and the concrete of the walking path in front of them,

"So, it would seem, as are you. Much has changed from when I last set foot here."

Simon stared out as he watched the Ruby genie continue to grope and feel his girlfriend at a distance with their lips locked,

"Are you saying you're Solomon, then?"

The mystery man sighed. His voice cracked with a sense of longing,

"It has been a long while since I heard that name. Far too long. I feel it linger only in my mind."

There was an awkward silence between them for another moment as Simon made sure not to lose sight of him in the corner of his eye. The minute his visitor made a move, he wouldn't have long. The teen didn't know his capabilities just yet. He needed to continue to analyze more details.

However, just as he attempted to, the man turned his head and revealed the dark sunglasses that blocked his eyes from view,

"Let us say that I am. If I was, did you figure out what I was trying to do with my seal?"

Simon raised an eyebrow at the man's question but saw the smile of anticipation slowly curling on his lips. He wanted to know if he figured it out. The young man nodded in the affirmative, making his teeth grin, and the older gentlemen leaned back, satisfied,

"Then you'll know what I did wrong the last time. You've discovered the reason why one piece is in my pocket and another around your neck?"

The paranoia and the unease did not fade. Jessica Edwards' Master and childhood companion refused to drop his guard,

"If I did. What would your answer be?"

The bearded man chuckled and smiled in more amusement,

"I'd say you're on the right path."

He then pulled an object from his coat. Simon's eyes widened at the sight of the brass oil lantern with a ruby in its base,

"Whether or not you choose to believe me, however, is up to you. Truthfully, you could keep on going or ignore my visit. That fact you do not trust me is good. The Masters would not hesitate to smash open your realm should you be discovered. They are also tricksters and manipulators, in my experience. Immortal beings of infinite power could pay attention if they desired, or they could ignore that which does not concern them. Especially when it comes to humans."

The man looked down with a smile,

"So, would you like to meet her? I believe it is time for her to do the same."

"Sweet child of the Marid. Sweet, foolish little sister. You must listen to this one now."

Jessica could barely keep her eyes focused; she felt so hot. The brunette djinn's ruby-red eyes glowed straight into her with fiery resolve. Her burning fingers cupped the cheerleader's drooling chin as she continued to pin the blonde with her knee between both her thighs,

"Please. Listen to me, little sister. Look at me now. Listen, Jessica."

The horny and disoriented blonde felt her blurred vision focus as she snapped to the face of the genie.

The Ruby Genie from her Master's Dream. She smiled at her, holding and caressing her with intensity as oxygen ignited in a flame. The elder genie kissed her again as their chests pressed against one another briefly. The cheerleader moaned as her attention remained solely on her while her mind could absorb,

"What is made with vision cannot be broken. What is crafted can be imbued…only the material may bind the immaterial…."

As she registered the words, a feeling of familiarity flickered inside Jessica's heart, the words unknown to her mind, but not her feelings,

“Sister…Ifral…Ifrall….”

Ifrallia.

She was Ifrallia, the dancing flame, child of the Ifrit, sister of the Djinn, and so many things, but anything more was blocked and shielded by fire. Jessica was not allowed to know. She was led in the dance, not in control of it. She could flow if she could only focus a little more.

The bronze finger on her lips interrupted the genie before she could finish speaking it all. As her skin felt the heat waves, emerald eyes snapped wide open in realization. She was still being held against the wall in sight of her Master. Master had witnessed their hands and the physical form of the dance. Ruby eyes stared back guarded, but sympathy and concern burning into their stare,

"Forgive me. I did not know, little one. There is so much you do not know. But you must listen…."

Holy fuck. That was like what her Mom did dancing in her brain, and the vision of seeing her react, the way her Master used the medallion, that image of light from nowhere that made no sense. She was one of the djinns that spoke to her when Simon wished to imbue the device that summoned her mother. Ifrallia was the red smoke whisp in the veil!

Immediately, Jessica began to resist but was once again pinned against the building behind her with her pussy grabbed with one of the fiery Djinn's palms,

"Listen to me now. Sister Jessica Edwards. Your Master's fate depends on it. He is your Master, and you are his Djinn, are you not?"

Jessica's eyes snapped to the ruby orbs glaring at her again, the sight of the magical auras coming into focus as the thread ran toward the dark figure next to her Master. The Djinn pulled her face away again as the panic grew,

"Do not look at him. You must not distract yourself, Child. Find our fate, find his works and our truth. This world is your shield; do not leave it. Learn your gifts."

The teenage genie watched a bright ball of fire, like a burning marshmallow, pulled from the ruby sister's mouth. Jessica felt the hot fingers against her jaw pry her mouth open and drop the flaming ember into her mouth and directly on her tongue.

"Swallow it, little sister. Please."

The blonde could feel the fire disappear down her throat, heating her from the inside as it traveled down her esophagus and dispersed like wildfire into her spine and finally into her pussy. Jessica moaned and began to want to rip her clothes off to make the heat inside her disappear. The ruby genie placed her lips back over her own the whole time, locking their tongues to relax and soothe the 18-year-old.

"I share my knowledge with you, sister. I share knowing you are on the forbidden path and face the punishment of my sisters if discovered. I share with you my guiding ember with hope, knowing your allegiance to a mortal. May the fire of my memories guide you to discover the darkest of our secrets with its light. May your deepest wish be granted, sweet little child of the Marid."

Jessica felt her arms finally release her as the Djinn fell back with a moan.

The blonde fell to her knees across from her, both hands reaching underneath her skirt to rub her burning pussy. With one last action through their gasps, Ifrallia pressed her forehead against hers as both genies moaned and squirmed,

"The boy is close. Free yourself of resistance, and you'll be free of your fear…."

The brunette uncontrollably gasped and moaned as she pulled herself away. Smoke appeared as her business suit burst into flames to show her glowing naked form.

The studs were embedded in the flesh of her nipples and navel, and her skin became fire, followed by her hair turning to smoke; her body disappearing into a vortex of bronzed golden ash.

"Wait! Sister! Ifrallia!" the teenage genie cried out as she held out her hand, but it was too late.

She was gone.

As if she had never been, leaving Jessica to stay frozen on the ground, trying to process what had just happened along with the aroused state she left her in. The genie panted and pumped her fingers inside herself desperately to release the heat from inside her. The cooling relief that came from her juices flowed to her legs.

Simon watched as the red smoke appeared from the bronze lamp in the man's right hand. The dazzling ruby set in its left side before the Djinn with the same colored eyes was suddenly in front of them both, desperately needing relief.

"M-Master…."

He became amused in tone,

"We'll be leaving soon, Ifrallia. My business is almost finished, but there is someone you should meet."

Simon watched as he motioned the Djinn to look at him, and the ruby-eyed Ifrallia locked eyes on the ring on his finger. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but not in the same disdainful way as Maridallura's had. Then, fearfully looked up in realization at the shard around the teen's neck.

Her Master spoke to him again, leaving her on her knees before him,

"I have to be a little more direct with her in this instance. She was more amazed by how much had changed since we were both in this realm. Amazing, isn't it, Ifrallia?"

Bemused, the hidden man stroked his salt-and-pepper beard again,

"I wish I knew how long it was…."

The fiery Djinn suddenly moaned on her knees. Simon could hear the puddle drip beneath her as the ruby-eyed creature gasped out,

"One-thousand-four-hundred-eighty-seven mortal years since this one has set foot in this realm, Master."

The man sighed, "Thank you, my dear."

Simon's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was leaving that as a clue, not so much as an honest answer. The Djinn unbuttoned and pulled away at her clothing. She burned the fabric of the business suit away to free naked form, save for the piercings and jewelry beneath. Her Master stood and tapped his cane again,

"I must be going. Wouldn't want you to lose the protection we've left for you."

He paused and then turned to face the younger djinn owner with a finger,

"There's a price to be paid for anything - any want or desire. The Masters want capable, obedient, and powerful Djinn for themselves. It is the only thing they desire or find value in. There was a vision of one that would rise to be more powerful among all others when they achieved True Mastery. Show your complete Mastery of her, and she will be saved from them. Only in the arena will that be proven to their kind."

The arena. Showing Mastery over Jess? Simon looked at his visitor and then at his girlfriend, who finally saw him. They locked eyes across the parking lot and the hill. The young man waved to the cheerleader to stop her from approaching,

"I'm not going to make her fight there."

The admission caused the older man to smile and chuckle in surprise,

"Really, now? That's quite a surprise. Every other realm where a djinn is in the hands of our kind is challenged by their kind, who have gone there to keep what they have. Rarely do they fight on their own ground anymore. Perhaps that's worth something. Perhaps you know more than the sisters tell the mortals when they wish to know of their heritage."

A prideful and satisfied smile graced the man's lips as he looked at Simon again,

"But you also know things the sisters themselves do not. Perhaps some things are still yet to be discovered. Wouldn't that be something?"

The man tapped his cane and changed the subject,

"Now, I think it would be fair that since I have given you a story, perhaps it's time for you to give me one in return."

A story, huh?

Simon paused as he looked at the man's grinning face, so at ease with itself. No tension at all, and in control of his demeanor. Then his brain clicked.

If he wanted to know, he'd have to decipher it for himself. The awkward teenager reached into his bag and pulled out the checked-out copy of Dune before handing it to the man, who slowly took it as a curiosity,

"What is this?"

"A Book, you wanted a story. That's it."

The man inspected the cover and flipped through the pages, curious about the content. It was as if he'd never seen an actual hard copy of a book before,

"I see…I guess I'll figure out the purpose of this for myself then? As you figure out the point of my own."

He slapped the cover shut with a clap and then motioned with one final question,

"You're walking a fine line, as I have said. You're safe for now. I do not foresee this world having another unexpected visitor in quite some time."

"How can I believe that?"

The ragged man chuckled,

"Again, you are right to be skeptical, but there are those who have a vested interest in you continuing your work, my friend. So, take it as a warning more than anything else. Those who came before you have done many things to protect this world. For whatever reason, your companion exists here. She is capable of granting a great deal more than you realize, so long as you stay in her realm."

"However, you cannot hide her forever. Time is an ally and an enemy, but that is not the only universal ****. Djinns require their magic to be wielded, so it's best not to leave them be. Suppress them for too long, and they'll no longer be able to control the magic within themselves. It will crave release as a sister is powerless in the face of her own desires. It is a paradox of the Master to solve for them."

Simon locked onto him as he continued to stare out at Jessica recovering on the ground, a hand atop the Ruby Genie's brown hair as she remained frozen in place,

"You have a unique bond to that one. Very unique. So, I suppose I should ask my biggest question. When another Master comes to this world for your Djinn, what do you intend to do, then?"

The Master of Jessica Edwards looked toward his beloved briefly and finally fixed his eyes on the hooded man and the irises hidden underneath his sunglasses. Simon closed the distance between them and allowed his height to become more pronounced. He could barely make out a trace in the man's face, but the teenager made plain what would happen.

For the briefest of moments Simon Harris said nothing, but shared the intent and the aura as the thoughts of his plan swirled in his mind. He visualized it in every detail, down to what he desired to do, without revealing anything else.

The lips of the older man twitched. His face was unsettled as his slight smile made it clear the visitor was unnerved.

"I see."

He then turned as Simon traded a glance with the brunette genie of his vision on her knees. She was transfixed. A genie of radiant heat trembled as if placed in the cold of a freezer. Her head snapped to her own Master as the disheveled-looking man chuckled to himself,

"I have been gone far longer than I realize. Space and Time truly are strange things. They are of little consequence to beings of power and immortality, yet there is a weakness to that, isn't it? If only those who came for Ifrallia and her sisters bothered to pay attention that day. They may have learned the story isn't over."

As he finished, the stranger held out the book Simon had given him. The teenager felt the harsh wind and a chill down his spine at a smile back toward him,

"I hope we can exchange stories again someday, Mr. Harris."

With a cap tip, the man snapped his fingers and tapped the cane. The Ruby Djinn, Ifrallia, and Hooded One were instantly gone. Disappearing into the elements and light bending around their forms to disappear into nothingness.

Unfortunately, Simon didn't have long to register what had just happened. The amount of tension and anxiety he had held back from the encounter released at the exact moment Jessica teleported and hugged him protectively to the pavement below them. The blonde externalizing the totality of emotions that he was still trying to process,

"What the fuck! What the fuck just happened, Master! Master! Are you okay? Did he do anything to you? Master, say something!"

Simon winced upon hitting the sidewalk, "Ow."

The teenage genie straddled him as she sat up in a panic, pale in the face and spazzing as she pointed to where the two visitors had once been,

"Sister jumped me! And then she did the Dreamdance on me! I saw her sisters and that place in the desert and the fighting! Those crazy looking, an-and the snake lady, the smoke lady, the big worm that Giant Fucking Spider Thing! That guy with the staff was…was…was he that...Master, were you talking to…."

Simon began to tune out his girlfriend's voice as the blonde genie bounced atop his waist as she flailed in a panic. The dampening of his shirt from the dampness and warmth of her pussy on his abdomen. Her hands ran through her hair as the popular high school cheerleader continued to point at where he had just been sitting and where she had been jumped.

In truth, his brain was locked. He felt hollow trying to process the event that had just transpired.

He was right.

They had been caught.

Only one word exited his mouth as he suddenly shouted loudly at the top of his lungs, much to Jessica's bewilderment,

"FUCK!"