Tainted: Book Three - Enslaved

13. Conspiracy Theorists

Mira

Shortly after supper, John called with some information they'd dug up on Solomon's djinn, the ones Hubler controlled with his ring. He sent it to Kerry's phone, which he handed to me to read it out to everyone.

A stranger came to the place called Drish and brought evil to its people. None could stand against him, and neither their prayers nor supplications could gain them surcease. At last, their loud wails reached the ears of the king, who sent Benaiah, for he was a warrior as well as a priest, to end the matter in one way or another.

Benaiah obeyed and found the stranger and issued his challenge.

"Let us fight and the defeated will serve the victor."

And the stranger agreed, for a demon's heart ever longs to make war. The two battled for many hours until the stranger at last raised his hands in surrender.

"Mark this day, Benaiah, for you have bested Asmodeus, king of demons." The stranger bent his head, but not his knee. "To honor our bargain, I offer forty slaves to serve you."

Then Asmodeus called forth djinn and bound them to an iron ring he wore on his thumb.

"They bow to the will of the one who wears this ring." Asmodeus handed it to Benaiah. "Any deed you desire, ask of them and they shall see it done, so long as it is within their power to grant it."

So saying, he disappeared in a pillar of dust and ash, and Benaiah hastened to his master and presented the ring.

And Solomon delighted in the gift and called it precious above all things and made it his seal.

"So the djinn were slaves to Asmodeus, then bound to the ring." Gigi made a face. "Bet it sucked being a demon king's slaves. Maybe we could turn them to our side."

"No, but if we get the ring from Hubler, we could barter their freedom for Gemma's, " Rome said.

"Classic tactic," Kerry agreed. "Find what someone wants and lure them in with it."

"Hey, John, while I'm thinking of it, I have a question for you," Jax said. "How did you get Reilly Argaud to leave Tara alone when he was harassing her?"

"Had a little talk with him."

"Duh." Jax rolled his eyes. "What did you say that made him stop so suddenly? He didn't leave Gemma alone after Kerry had a little talk with him, and Kerry's way scarier than you."

"You've never seen me angry," John said. "I reminded him that my mom is an investigative journalist with a major news outlet and asked him if his parents would like the world to find out that their son was a sexual predator."

"Whoa! Did you know that Hubler—"

"No," John interrupted, "but I'd heard a rumor that one of his parents was a politician. I thought maybe like a mayor or something."

"Worked, though." Jax grinned. "Ha! Bet he crapped his pants at the thought of that headline splashed all over the networks and newspapers."

"Anything else to report right now, John?" Kerry was getting impatient.

"No, but Tara's working on a different angle. We'll call if we find more."

After John hung up, Gigi frowned up at me.

"What?" I asked her.

"Where's your ward bracelet?"

"My what?"

She pushed up her sleeve and tapped a gold band around her wrist.

"Oh. That. I pawned it. Why?"