The thought of Aisha trying to kiss him made my heart burn. I hadn’t considered myself the jealous type, so I was surprised by how strongly my emotions had tugged at me. It was just further confirmation how much Ben had come to mean to me.
Aisha.
I wasn’t sure if that jinni had been telling the truth about it being better for Ben to be alone while she imparted visions to him, but I’d thought that it was better not to risk being there. I didn’t feel afraid, because Ben had already wished for my safety while staying here. And besides, it was just an hour or two.
I just hoped that Aisha wouldn’t try anything else now she had Ben alone. He hated her guts, but I didn’t trust anything about that jinni. Ben and I still weren’t fully aware of what powers they possessed. I didn’t know just how far they stretched over influencing a person.
Still, I comforted myself, it was only a couple of hours.
I prayed that during this time, Benjamin would finally find the answers he’d been looking for. Even though we still had no idea how we would get him free from this bond he’d formed with the jinn, at least he could get rid of his bloodlust.
Ever since I met him I’d watched him drink human blood—heck, I’d even witnessed him slaughter humans and drink from their throats. I had been amply acquainted with the idea of supernaturals using humans for food—but absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the feeling of eating human myself. Human bone at that. I shivered. I still hadn’t recovered from it.
The cooing of a bird interrupted my thoughts. I looked toward the ornamental cage near the side of the bed, my eyes fixing on the same white dove I’d seen in here earlier. I wasn’t sure whether it was male or female, but it was clear that it was miserable. It kept beating its wings against the sides of the cage, as if trying to get out. I lifted myself off the bed and moved toward it, peering through the bars. Poor thing. I’d always thought that keeping birds as pets was cruel.
Its feet clinging to the edges of the cage, it continued to flap. I stuck a finger through the bars. I wasn’t even sure why I did it. I wanted to just comfort it in some way, and I figured that touch would be the best way to do that. I was surprised when it didn’t shy away as I stroked its head. Rather, it seemed to draw comfort from me.
“There, there,” I said softly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
There were lots of birds in the spacious gardens outside who were allowed to fly around freely. It didn’t seem fair that this beautiful dove should be trapped in here.
I scanned the room, as if a jinni might read my thoughts and appear to scold me.
Then I set my focus on the cage. I eyed it over, trying to figure out if there was any way to open it. Unfortunately, the door was locked. There was a tiny keyhole. Leaving the cage, I looked around the room for a key. I looked on the mantelpiece, on shelves, inside drawers, in the closet… but didn’t find anything. Walking back to the cage, I gripped its door and pulled. It didn’t seem to be very steady at all, and I was strong. It wouldn’t take much for me to just force it open.
It seemed that the dove was just being kept as an ornament in this spare room. I couldn’t believe Nuriya would be too furious if I let it free in the gardens. Besides, even if she got mad, Ben could just wish for her to forgive me…
As quietly as I could, I pried open the door and reached inside the cage. I was afraid that the dove might immediately try to fly out of reach. So before it could escape, I closed my hands around it, trying to tuck back its wings gently and stop it from flapping so much. To my surprise, it became strangely calm as I touched it. It didn’t put up any fight as I folded back its wings. I lifted it out of the cage and, sitting back down on the bed, placed it on my lap and began to stroke it. As I looked at it more closely, it appeared that this was a female.
I stroked her for about a minute, even though she seemed calm enough, because I wanted her to get used to me before I carried her out of the room. Then, standing up from the bed, I wrapped her in the folds of my dress before stepping out into the corridor. I moved through the apartment, hoping that I wouldn’t bump into anyone. It was quiet, and I couldn’t sense anyone nearby, but jinn had the ability to show up when they were least expected. I made it to the front door without passing anyone, the dove still sitting calmly in my hands as I kept her covered. I opened the front door as quietly as I could and then stepped outside onto the veranda. I moved to the edge of it and looked down toward the sprawling gardens. Flocks of birds flew from tree to tree, chirping. Looking all around me to check that nobody was watching, I lifted the fabric of my dress and removed my hands from her wings, allowing her to fly free.
“Go on,” I whispered.
I’d expected her to immediately spread her wings and go shooting toward freedom in the gardens. But she did nothing of the sort. If anything, her feet tightened around my forefinger, as though she was afraid to fly.
Looking anxiously around again to check that nobody was coming our way, I tried to give her a little nudge with my other hand.
“Go on,” I whispered. “Go make some friends.”
Still, she remained clinging to me. I tried to unclasp her feet from my finger, but as I did, she just shuffled along and instead clasped them around my thumb.
What is it with this bird?
Either she had really taken a liking to me, or she had been raised her whole life in that cage and freedom scared her. Perhaps she needed me to take her down to the gardens, let her walk around on the grass a bit, get used to the surroundings before she would feel more comfortable about flying free.