Hazel blinked at the frozen scene. She looked from a sphere with faces peering out, floating in front of Gaelyn, to Gaelyn, to a Jinn standing on the other side of the orb. This Jinn held a dagger poised to stab Gaelyn. Hazel took a breath. When Silkie froze everybody, had she stopped Gaelyn’s murder? She had to do something before the scene unfroze. She had to save her Wizard Partner. There was time, because Cl’rnce was frozen here in the Dr’gon Plane, so he couldn’t get any worse. But Gaelyn and the threatening Jinn were not held by Fae magick, but instead by Silkkie’s Jinn magick across the planes to Elm Court. How long would the little cat’s magick last?

Gaelyn needed Hazel, now! “Bring Gaelyn to me, and bring that Jinn,” Hazel started to order Silkkie. Immediately she changed her mind and threw up a hand to stop Silkkie. Hazel peered again at the scene in the crystal ball. “Wait. Silkkie, bring Gaelyn and that ball here to me.”

Silkkie purred. Hazel kept her eyes on the scene in the crystal. Gaelyn and the orb of something shining stood in Silkkie’s crystal, and the next second they were gone. A clunk behind Hazel made her whirl around.

Gaelyn’s usual cheeks-wide smile was missing, but she nodded and said, “I am so glad it’s you.”

Overwhelmed by relief that Gaelyn was safe, Hazel started to step forward to hug her best friend, but then she remembered her anger and hung back. “I take it from this spinning ball that you’ve been busy. I can’t say the same. I haven’t gotten a cure for Cl’rnce yet.”

Holding up a hand, Gaelyn pointed at the shining orb and directed it to float above Silkkie and the crystal ball. Her eyes jerked from the sphere back to Hazel. “Not that I’m not grateful, but why did you bring me here?”

“Well, to start, Silkkie says I saved you from a Jinn who was about to stab you.”

Gaelyn nodded. “Thank you, but …”

Hazel fished the Dr’gon Fang out of her pouch and pointed to it, cupped in the bit of tapestry in the palm of her paw. “The Fang is behaving weirdly. And so is Silkkie.”

Not really looking like she was listening, Gaelyn nodded. She picked up Silkkie’s ball. The cat-Jinn’s eyes flashed over to her, but immediately raced back to the Dr’gon’s Fang. It no longer sparkled.

Hazel began, “There’s something about this unicorn tapestry …”

As she said “unicorn,” Silkkie growled. Hazel lifted her eyebrows at Gaelyn to say “see.”

Gaelyn nodded to Hazel, crooked a finger for Hazel to follow, and walked away from the bench. “It’s not so weird that Silkkie is growling at the tapestry. She hates unicorns. Uncle Firth rescued her from a cruel one.” She stopped, her brow wrinkling as if she was thinking of something. She looked down at Silkkie. “Remind me about the bargain Uncle Firth struck with you.”

Hazel sighed. “Do we have time for this?”

“I think it may answer why my Elm Court is being attacked. And …”

Silkkie interrupted. “I was being tortured; your uncle rescued me; we made a bargain that I would serve you until you took over as Queen of Elm. Then you would grant me full freedom.”

“And you were to keep both of our identities secret. Right?” Gaelyn asked.

The spinning orb of Jinn began to descend close to Silkkie. Gaelyn’s eyes went large. “Do they know?”

Hazel snapped. “Does who know what? What good is this? I need help with this Fang. I need to save my brother!”

Gaelyn held up a hand. “I’m sorry. I know. Silkkie can help both of us, if I’m right. She can stop the attacks. She can help you reverse the poisoning.”

“Then do that!” Hazel grabbed for Silkkie’s ball, but Gaelyn swept it out of her reach.

“Do they know you’re here?” Gaelyn asked Silkkie.

“No. I’m disguised. They can’t sense me,” Silkkie said watching the orb descend lower. “I think.” Her head snapped to Gaelyn. “Do you think … they attacked you because of me?”

“Yes. They blame us for your disappearance.” Gaelyn glanced over to the revolving ball that slowly trailed over to them. “That Jinn who was trying to kill me called me a kidnapper. And he spit out something about me taking someone’s power. You’re the only Jinn around me. Do you have some powers that these Jinn are desperate for?”

“Kidnapped?” Silkkie said. “I was, but not by Fae. By that unicorn.” She spit the last words, a growl finishing the word “unicorn.”

“Seriously? Jinn formed an army and started killing Fae, because they think you kidnapped Silkkie?” Hazel said.

“Jinn are intensely loyal and family oriented. To attack one Jinn is to make an enemy of all,” Gaelyn said. “And Silkkie knows something about a Power the Jinn mentioned.”

“But then they’re not that smart. They think the wrong person kidnapped Silkkie,” Hazel said.

“It’s not like them to be fooled,” Gaelyn said slowly. She held her crystal ball in one hand, and said, “Come out, little Silkkie.”

“Yeah, come out and answer questions, Silkkie,” Hazel echoed.

In a puff of pink smoke, Silkkie reappeared on Gaelyn’s shoulder. “How could they be fooled?” Gaelyn asked.

Silkkie closed her eyes. “I could let my disguise drop in front of them and ask.”

“Wait a minute!” Hazel said. “If Jinn are so dedicated to each other, why did Silkkie just come with me while you were fighting and maybe killing her kin?”

Silkkie said, “I was bonded to Gaelyn by the bargain I made with her uncle and her. I could not speak to them before. And when she sent me here, at least I did not have to be part of what was happening …” She let her voice drop off.

Hazel shook her head. “Doesn’t sound right to me.”

Before Gaelyn could say anything, Silkkie chirped up. “Hazel is my Master now. She said so. Since you released me to her and sent me here, that’s legal. So, I can definitely drop my disguise and talk to the Jinn now.”

“You what?” Gaelyn stared at Hazel. “You didn’t!”

“What?” Hazel asked, a bad feeling planting heavy feet on her chest. She feared that not only had her timing on bringing Gaelyn back cost Gaelyn answers but being Silkkie’s Master was going to turn out to be even worse.

Gaelyn paced from the bench to Hazel and back. “Silkkie wouldn’t lie about this. You wouldn’t promise her freedom, I’m sure. So, it’s not like she’s better off with you as her Master. We have to,” she looked down at her hands, “fix this.”

She looked up, and Hazel could tell Gaelyn was trying to appear brave. Her lower lip wouldn’t quite stay still. Hazel had seen this before when she and Gaelyn had faced a Killer Dr’gon with a Dr’gon Partner as powerful as Gaelyn. Death had stared at them. They had prevailed, but they had worked together to win. This time Hazel had rejected Gaelyn.

Gaelyn said, “It’s not that you aren’t a plenty powerful Dr’gon and as good at magicks as anyone.”

“But I’m not a wizard,” Hazel said. “I don’t want to be responsible for Silkkie. What can we do? I thought you’d become her Master again as soon as you came back.” Hazel needed help. She hadn’t meant to, but she’d changed Gaelyn and Silkkie’s bond. Even Hazel knew a Jinn was dangerous in the hands of someone untrained. And Hazel really was untrained.

Gaelyn shook her head, no. “Silkkie called you Master. You’ve made a new contract with her while I was out of the picture. Jinn like locking their Masters into verbal traps. Maybe if I knew the exact words used?” She stared at Hazel.

Hazel shook her head. “I don’t remember exactly.”

Gaelyn nodded and took a breath, then looked up. “Wait! I know. It’s possible you made a temporary contract, not the same binding one Uncle Firth enacted. I mean Uncle Firth’s contract with Silkkie was actually written on ten scrolls and witnessed by two knights of Elm Court. You didn’t do that. Right?”

Hazel nodded firmly. “We did not.”

“Then this kind of contract should be easier to get out of. Once you command her to three challenges, you can change her contract and give her back to me. I hope.”

Hazel felt relieved. Things were not out of control. “So, bringing you back here was one command, right? I thought Jinn didn’t really do that three wishes thing.”

“It’s not the same. Well, sort of. In truth you could keep her indefinitely.” Gaelyn paced from bench then around the room, then back. “It’s just kind of normal for a contract to require threes: three wishes, commands, years …”

Shrugging, Hazel watched her partner.

Gaelyn continued, “Silkkie should let her Jinn family know she’s safe.”

“But if I do, won’t that reveal where you are and where you’ve been?” Silkkie asked.

Hazel and Gaelyn faced each other. “We’ll just have to deal with that,” Hazel said.

Gaelyn smiled. “Let’s work on Cl’rnce. Is that okay, Silkkie? I’ll take you back to Elm, and we’ll find the rest of your Jinn after Cl’rnce is cured.”

Silkkie nodded but added, “How did my Jinn come to focus on Elm? I did not contact them. Your uncle, you, and I were the only ones who knew anything about me being in Elm. I believe someone filled the Jinn with lies.”

“Another enemy behind the attack?” Hazel asked. “We’ll definitely check that out,” she said watching Gaelyn. “I’d like to check on my brother.”

Silkkie jumped onto her crystal ball, and a scene of Cl’rnce still on his back appeared inside. Great and Mighty was bent over the Dr’gon. Neither moved. A dark mist formed in the side of the ball, at the same time Jeschen approached the pair.

“Her! Jeschen’s back. They are defenseless. We have to get to them.” Hazel lost all the calm she had allowed herself to feel.

Gaelyn nodded. “Except the black mist. Do you see it?”

“Yes. Of course. Jeschen stepped out of it.” Hazel leaned in closer. “It’s still hanging at the edge. The mist.”

But Gaelyn shook her head. “The mist is something else. I agree we need to get there.” She reached a hand toward Hazel. “Do you want to order Silkkie to send us?”

Hazel sighed. “I am not the right Master for her.”

Gaelyn cleared her throat. “You can do it. But be careful with the wording. Jinn can bend words to fit what they want. I believe she wants to help, but she also wants to get to her family.”

“Well, that’s annoying. You’ll have to help me word this. What?” Hazel frowned at the way Gaelyn shook her head vigorously.

“As I said, this is complicated. Verbal tricks. If she bests you three times, the contract is negated, but that leaves the smallest of gaps before she goes back to her commitment to me. In the time between one Master and another, anyone could capture her.”

“Perfect! You help me! We must get to Cl’rnce. Fast.” Hazel looked at Silkkie and then at Gaelyn. “We could run to Cl’rnce and not use Silkkie.”

“Agreed. What room are they in?” Gaelyn bent over the ball as the picture faded.

Hazel bit her lips to keep from screaming anything. “I think it was the kitchen,” she said. “That was where they were before. Oh, let’s go!”

“What about the Dr’gon’s Fang?” Silkkie said, her words serious. “No matter what happens, you don’t want to leave that just lying around.” She pointed to the rotating hovering orb. “I can’t swear to the allegiance of your prisoners.”

Hazel gripped the Fang harder. “Right. Gaelyn, will you carry Silkkie?”

Silkkie purred as Gaelyn held her close. “Glad to. Silkkie will you go into your ball?” She waved her pointer finger around the ball. “I’ll gladly cast a protective spell around it. To keep you from harm.” She lowered her face to an inch from Silkkie.

The little cat nodded.

Hazel tucked the Dr’gon’s Fang in her pouch. “What about the spinning ball? Do we want it with us?”

Gaelyn squinted at it. “It contains part of the Jinn army that attacked my citizens. Dangerous if they are controlled by someone else although I don’t think these are. But perhaps better to have them with us. I can put them in a more manageable form. But what?” She stared at the ceiling of the lofty chamber. “Of course.”