Oops! I Caught a Genie!

Chapter 24

Nobody came to wake me the next morning.

When I woke on my own, I shook my head to clear the remaining grogginess from my brain. My first thought of the day was wondering if Fritz was alright. Second though, was I going to be alright? I knew I was probably out of favor with the binders now. So far they had seemed to blindly trust me, I wondered if they were stupid enough to do so again. After my display yesterday, I don't think even I would have trusted me.

A knock on the door.

“Food.” A man’s gravelly voice said. The door opened a crack and a plate of food that looked like it was from the high school cafeteria slid into the room. Yuck.

I ate it anyway, realizing that this was all I was going to get. At least I had food.

 

I am not sure how long I was in the room, but when Shullat opened the door to lead me back to the training room I was very relieved. It was a slightly claustrophobic room, they all were, ships did not usually have large rooms. I looked down at my hand, it was growing paler and I could see some veins that I hadn't been able to see before. I hadn't seen daylight in at least four days.

My poor mother! She must be worried to bits! All I wanted was to be back home with mom. At this point there was probably some sort of missing persons search out for me, I needed to get out and if I managed to free Fritz we could get out. I just needed to get in to see him again and after my performance last time, that was not likely.

“Nora? Nora!” Shullat’s voice broke through my thoughts and I snapped back to reality. His hand was on my shoulder, he had stopped me from walking directly into the metal wall.

“Huh?” I said, sounding very intelligent.

“You’re distracted.” He said bluntly.

“I’m worried about my friend.” I snapped. Immediately regretting it, even if he was a part of the organization holding (and torturing) my friend and keeping me locked up he was still a person… Right?

“Get through today’s weight training… and I might be able to get you a visit…”

Did I hear that correctly? I ran through the training room door and got out as many weights as I could.

“Now you’re eager!” Shullat commented, “It must be special to you, how’d you find it?”

“Stop calling him it!”

“Sorry, how did you two meet?” He corrected.

“I don't know that it is your business but, I found a watch and I opened it and that is where he was trapped.”

“And then he tricked you into going to Svalbard?”

“Mutual decision.” I told him flatly.

“How did you two hold off our army for so long? I know that you, the other girl and the old djinn weren’t fighting, so how?”
“He’s stronger than he looks.”

I suspected that he was trying to get me to reveal any friends that may have been there and I was not going to give up Mangoo. He was our only hope, really.

Help us Mangoo, you’re our only hope. Now I was starting to sound like Leia.

“Its a shame about your friend.”

“What? Why? Who?”

“The human girl that was taken from near you. She is lost in the frozen mountains without any help. I would bet that she has already died.”

“No! I refuse to believe it. She’s always been resourceful and smart!” And she hopefully has Mangoo I added to myself.

“She’s stuck on a Norwegian archipelago far away from any help. Even if she did get to one of the small settlements, she has no money on her unless you gave her something.”

“Why are you helping these people?” I asked him, trying to change the subject. I had to believe that she would be alright.

“Because someone needs to oppose the Djinn. My parents devoted their lives to it.”

“They’re not evil! Fritz is a jerkhole sometimes but he isn't evil.”

“Maybe you could make him talk then if you two are so close. Prove that he deserves to live.”

I thought for a moment. This was my second chance, probably the only one I would get. I just needed to keep Shullat in a good mood. He may keep his promise from earlier.

“He may talk to me, yeah.”

“Good. Go back to your room, I will call for you when I get time alone with it.”

“His name is Fritz.”

“Room. Now.”

I skittered to my feet and sloppily saluted. Turning to the door I met my escort and walked briskly to the room.

Inside I thought with horror that I was becoming used to this place. This wasn't healthy. How many days had I been in here? I made a mental note to ask Shullat when I saw him again. Burying my face in the cheap pillow, I distracted myself by making coloured spots dance in front of my eyes. Within a few minutes I got bored of that and dozed off.

“Nora!” There was a loud knocking on the door. The voice belonged to Shullat.

I lept out of bed, flying through the air until I remembered that: One, I couldn't fly and two, there was a blanket tangled in my legs. Once I landed gracefully on the floor, I untangled myself and walked with as much dignity as I could muster to the open door where Shullat was chuckling to himself.

“I have gotten permission for us to interrogate the djinn, alone.” He told me.
I had to stop myself from skipping down the hall.

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