up and fastened the closure, then buttoned the shirt. Back in the guest room he made similar adjustments to a pair of socks and some old boots.
His tasks complete, he continued back down the hallway to the kitchen. The smells as he came closer were extremely appetizing. It smelled of fresh seafood, cream and the yeasty punch of fresh bread. He drew his power and energy from the fire that burned inside of his spirit, and did not need to eat. But that did not mean he couldn’t. From time to time he had been allowed to indulge in human foods.
As Raj entered the kitchen, his eyes were drawn to a calendar tacked to the refrigerator. The numbers stopped him in his tracks. More time had passed than he’d anticipated. It had been almost eighty years since he was dropped into the sea. The new millennium had come and gone. His last master was long dead, whether successful or not in his conquests.
His mistress was hovering over a pot, stirring gently with a long wooden spoon. On the counter beside her were rolls cooling on a wire rack. She had tamed the windblown strands of her red hair by pulling it up into a knot at the back of her head, although a stubborn piece had slipped out and curled along her jaw as she worked.
" I am dressed, as requested."
" Did the clothes fit oka—" She turned and stopped when she saw him. She looked him over from head to toe, the constant frown of concern on her face stubbornly remaining. "I guess so. I didn’t realize the last keeper was such a big man. He didn’t look like it."
" I was able to make adjustments."
She absorbed his statement and turned back to the pot without responding. "Dinner is almost ready if you’d like to sit at the table."
" Are you in need of assistance?"
" No. Thank you. It’s done."
Raj sat patiently waiting for her at the table until she came to him with two steaming bowls of soup. She s et those down and then returned with a platter of bread and a pitcher of tea.
He followed her lead, eating quietly. The food was delicious. He’d never had anything like it before. The soup had some sort of shellfish in it with potatoes and cream. "What is this called?" he asked.
" Clam chowder. Haven’t you eaten it before?"
" No. I don’t eat very often, though."
" Is there someone I need to call for you, uh… Rajan ?" she asked, ignoring his answer. "I’m sure your people are worried sick about you."
Raj s et his spoon down in the half-empty bowl. "Please call me Raj. And no, I have no people to worry about me."
" I made a call to the coast guard while you were in the shower. They haven’t had any reports of ships in distress or men overboard."
" I am glad for that. The seas are dangerous for sailors."
" I meant you. If your boat didn’t sink and you didn’t fall overboard, how did you wash up on my beach? Naked."
His mistress was very confusing. She did not seem to understand him at all. "I am here because you summoned me, Mistress."
" Please stop calling me that."
Raj frowned. "What would you prefer I call you?"
" Valerie."
" Very well, Valerie. You bade me here, and I answered."
She looked down at her soup and pushed it away as though her appetite w as lost. "I’m pretty sure I didn’t do that, Raj."
" You did. Where is the necklace?"
Valerie looked startled. Her gaze went briefly to her coat on the wall. She did not realize he knew about the necklace. "What necklace?" she said.
" The gold and sapphire amulet you found on the beach. You may not realize it, but when you touched it, you called me here, to this place. I was not on a ship or floating in the ocean. I was trapped inside the stone."
She reached out and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead with a concerned shake of her head. "I need to call Benny and see if he can come get you tonight. You must’ve hit your head pretty badly. You need to see a doctor."
" I do not need a doctor, Valerie. I am well and strong. I cannot get ill as I am an all-powerful djinn. I am here to
His tasks complete, he continued back down the hallway to the kitchen. The smells as he came closer were extremely appetizing. It smelled of fresh seafood, cream and the yeasty punch of fresh bread. He drew his power and energy from the fire that burned inside of his spirit, and did not need to eat. But that did not mean he couldn’t. From time to time he had been allowed to indulge in human foods.
As Raj entered the kitchen, his eyes were drawn to a calendar tacked to the refrigerator. The numbers stopped him in his tracks. More time had passed than he’d anticipated. It had been almost eighty years since he was dropped into the sea. The new millennium had come and gone. His last master was long dead, whether successful or not in his conquests.
His mistress was hovering over a pot, stirring gently with a long wooden spoon. On the counter beside her were rolls cooling on a wire rack. She had tamed the windblown strands of her red hair by pulling it up into a knot at the back of her head, although a stubborn piece had slipped out and curled along her jaw as she worked.
" I am dressed, as requested."
" Did the clothes fit oka—" She turned and stopped when she saw him. She looked him over from head to toe, the constant frown of concern on her face stubbornly remaining. "I guess so. I didn’t realize the last keeper was such a big man. He didn’t look like it."
" I was able to make adjustments."
She absorbed his statement and turned back to the pot without responding. "Dinner is almost ready if you’d like to sit at the table."
" Are you in need of assistance?"
" No. Thank you. It’s done."
Raj sat patiently waiting for her at the table until she came to him with two steaming bowls of soup. She s et those down and then returned with a platter of bread and a pitcher of tea.
He followed her lead, eating quietly. The food was delicious. He’d never had anything like it before. The soup had some sort of shellfish in it with potatoes and cream. "What is this called?" he asked.
" Clam chowder. Haven’t you eaten it before?"
" No. I don’t eat very often, though."
" Is there someone I need to call for you, uh… Rajan ?" she asked, ignoring his answer. "I’m sure your people are worried sick about you."
Raj s et his spoon down in the half-empty bowl. "Please call me Raj. And no, I have no people to worry about me."
" I made a call to the coast guard while you were in the shower. They haven’t had any reports of ships in distress or men overboard."
" I am glad for that. The seas are dangerous for sailors."
" I meant you. If your boat didn’t sink and you didn’t fall overboard, how did you wash up on my beach? Naked."
His mistress was very confusing. She did not seem to understand him at all. "I am here because you summoned me, Mistress."
" Please stop calling me that."
Raj frowned. "What would you prefer I call you?"
" Valerie."
" Very well, Valerie. You bade me here, and I answered."
She looked down at her soup and pushed it away as though her appetite w as lost. "I’m pretty sure I didn’t do that, Raj."
" You did. Where is the necklace?"
Valerie looked startled. Her gaze went briefly to her coat on the wall. She did not realize he knew about the necklace. "What necklace?" she said.
" The gold and sapphire amulet you found on the beach. You may not realize it, but when you touched it, you called me here, to this place. I was not on a ship or floating in the ocean. I was trapped inside the stone."
She reached out and pressed the back of her hand against his forehead with a concerned shake of her head. "I need to call Benny and see if he can come get you tonight. You must’ve hit your head pretty badly. You need to see a doctor."
" I do not need a doctor, Valerie. I am well and strong. I cannot get ill as I am an all-powerful djinn. I am here to
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