Free Djinn by Laura Catherine Page B

blasting Pyke across the yard with his magical wind powers. "What the hell is going on?"
    "Relax," Pyke said, leaning back in his seat, arms behind his head. "Just enjoy the drive."
    "You're kidding, right?" I replied. I seemed to have found my voice again and I was prepared to use it.
    "Do as he says, darling, or I'll shut you up myself," Mia added, her attention clearly elsewhere as she moved her finger, drawing pictures on the fogged up window.
    "Whoever you are, can't you just let me go? I mean whatever my dad did, I'm sure we could work something out."
    Pyke snickered. "Oh, she's adorable and clueless."
    "How about I knee you again and we'll see how adorable I am?" I replied.
    Pyke turned in his seat ready to lean into the back and grab me. "What did you say?"
    "Pyke!" I didn't even see Will's hand leave the steering wheel but it was on Pyke, fast. He gripped his jacket and pushed him back in the seat. "Just ignore her."
    "Ignore me!" I said. "You can't kidnap a person and not tell them why! I deserve to know why you kidnapped me. What do you want?"
    Will sighed, like it was such a chore to babysit me. "We didn't kidnap you."
    I burst into laughter. "That's funny. You guys are hilarious. What do you call it then? An outing? A play date?"
    "We didn't kidnap you," Will repeated, like I didn't just laugh in his face. He turned to me, taking his eyes off the road to give me his full attention. "Kyra, we were rescuing you. You've been missing for sixteen years."
    I stared blankly at Will. He gave me a look of sympathy and turned back to the road.
    "What happened to waiting until we got back?" Pyke asked, in a superior tone.
    "She had to know," Will replied.
    I couldn't move, couldn't blink. He was lying, obviously, was my first thought. As if I'd been missing for sixteen years. No, they were just trying to get in my head and throw me off.
    "I don't believe you," I said, catching Will's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I don't believe you."
    "It's true," Will said. "That man you've been living with, the one you've been calling Dad. He was the one who kidnapped you."
    "You're lying! I know who my father is!"
    "You shouldn't have told her," Mia said, giving me a sideways glance. "Of course she wouldn't believe us. That Blooder has been filling her head with lies for sixteen years. A few words from you isn't going to change that." She turned to Will. "No matter how charming you may be."
    "Keep it in your pants," Pyke said.
    "Shut up, Pyke," Mia replied and turned back to her drawing on the window. Her finger traced more swirls on the fogged up glass.
    I couldn't understand what their angle was. Why tell me my dad wasn't my dad? Mia was right, I wasn't going to believe it. They must be crazy to think they were rescuing me.
    Everyone was silent as Will drove us to wherever to hell we were going. I had so many questions but I couldn't bring myself to ask them, so I stared out the window for a while thinking about Dad. I wondered if he'd woken up yet to find I was gone. I hoped he was alive.
    Will turned the heater on in the car, and slowly the cabin filled with warm lulling air. I think he did it on purpose, because I could barely keep my eyes open. I tried to fight it, but I was exhausted from all the craziness of the night. My eyelids dropped shut.
     
    * * *
     
    I stood in my front yard, the ground soaked. Puddles splashed like rain was falling, but the sky was clear and red as blood. My house was frozen in a block of ice, like a statue on display. I ran to the giant ice cube and pounded my fists against it, trying to break in. I wanted my photo, the one of Mum and me. I couldn't leave without it.
    "There's no time!" I heard Dad's voice echo through the air, but I couldn't see him. "Get to the car."
    I turned to search for Dad, but the next thing I knew I was sitting in the black car with a young Dad driving. His face was bruised and bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice.
    "Dad?" I leaned over from the back seat to help him, but