60. Truth Be Told

{Zayn}

A summer moon appeared over the botanical gardens of the Naim Estate. Zayn and his guest savored the glamor of the enchanting lights that skirted in and around the maze hedges and various fountains. The lights were encased in waxy glass; some were orb-shaped, while others took on more oblong, abstract designs.

As soon as Zayn and Nadine had returned from their date in the city, they retreated to one of the private balconies that overlooked his property. Determined not to make the same mistakes as last time, they chose to sip on sparkling cider over wine.

"Dinner was amazing," Nadine said as she placed her empty champagne flute to the side and snuggled against the cushy lawn sofa. "And it's been years since I've gone to see Cirque du Soleil. That was quite the treat. Thank you."

Zayn finished the rest of his drink. "You're welcome." His voice was low and husky, and although there was no alcohol in his system, he felt tingly and blissful all the same.

Nadine's eyes glinted momentarily as a smirk found its way onto her lips. "So, I have a question. Did you arrange my daughter and your nephew to go off on vacation just so we could have this time alone together?"

Laughter bubbled up inside Zayn's throat. "You truly are Naya's mother."

Nadine joined him in laughter, but then her eyes grew somber. "It's a wonder she took after me at all. We were apart for so long."

They were both silent for some time, but Zayn could tell that she wanted to say more. He put his glass down, drew his legs onto the large cushion, and shifted closer to Nadine. An almost imperceptible sigh came from her as he draped his arms around her shoulders and enfolded them in the plush blanket that rested along the spine of the couch.

"I'm listening," he said. The last time they were together, they had talked about parenthood, but Nadine had never gone beyond her experience after the divorce.

Nadine looked at him with fondness, her fingers drawn into his lovely, dark beard.

"Where do they make men like you, I wonder sometimes. From which secret trove did you emerge?"

They kissed. Together they pulled the blanket around them tighter, like two moths fighting to be encased inside a singular chrysalis.

The taste of Nadine's cider-sweet mouth, the warmth between them, the emotion – it was too much. Zayn needed more. So much more. He heedlessly began to imagine Nadine in a white dress with white hibiscuses in her hair. A honeymoon that lasted weeks and spanned all of the remote, untouched islands across the globe. Then, young children came to mind.

That's not fair to her, Zayn's conscience spat. If Nadine wasn't already forty, then she was very close to it. How dare he assume that she would gladly give him children if they were to get married.

Married? My word, what insanity has come over me?

Despite his ability to rationalize, Zayn lost himself in Nadine, as if he could possibly convey the maelstrom of emotions warring inside him.

"Zayn!" Nadine gasped. Had she felt it too, he wondered.

The magus pulled away from her. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to come off so strong."

Nadine shook her head and cradled his jaw between her palms. "You didn't do anything wrong . . . Zayn, before we left, when I said that I was ready, what I meant was that . . . I'm ready for this. For us to be together. Do you understand?"

This was what Zayn feared. To be attracted to Naya's mother was one thing, but a relationship? It was damn near impossible for magi to maintain meaningful connections with non-magical people. He would have to let Nadine into his world. He would have to tell her everything – including the truth behind his connection to her daughter. He would have to tell her how he taught Uriel how to manipulate a candidate in order to become human.

Zayn sighed. He was going to lose her. He knew it.

"Nadine, my love," he said, already regretting the words he used, even though he wanted her to hear them. "There is a reason why I've been a bachelor for so long. There are things about my life that would . . . scare most people."

"I'm not afraid," Nadine whispered. "I've traveled the world. I've had a chance to see how my art is received by all different types of people from so many walks of life. I've loved. I gave birth. I've been heartbroken. And through all of that, all I've ever wanted was a family. I look at you, I look at my daughter with Uriel, and that's what I see. That's what I want. You're what I want."

Zayn kissed her roughly despite his internal protests. Oh, it was too much. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I have feelings for you, Nadine. I care about you and I want to make you happy." The words had ripped themselves from his mouth before he could choke them back down. There. It was out in the open now. Before he could read Nadine's reaction, he ground out, "But there are things I must tell you before we can go any further."

Nadine's eyes were soft, bright. "Okay. I'm listening."

Zayn opened his mouth.

Zzzzrrrrp.

Zayn paused to wonder why his instruments would be going off at a time like this. Figuring it must be a glitch, he refocused his attention on Nadine. But then the buzzing at his wrist went off again. He checked the device. Not a glitch. Something was wrong.

"Zayn?"

The magus blinked a few times to clear his vision before looking back up at Nadine. He took both of her hands and gently kissed the backs of them.

"Please wait here. There is something that I need to check on."

There was no time to gauge her response. Zayn disentangled himself from Nadine and made his way to the source of the whirring instruments. With the laboratory located three levels under the mansion, the journey to it was not a short one. By the time Zayn made it to the stone-walled, subterranean lab, it was clear that his instruments had gotten very worked up.

The magus did his best to soothe them, encouraging them to give him more definitive data that he could calmly process.

Please don't let this be what I think it is.

Moments later, Zayn was backing away from the array of dials and weights, shaking his head.

"No, no, no."

But the instruments never lied.

A powerful, magical entity had recently landed in Oman. The sensors that Zayn had planted around the airport in Melbourne should have been triggered by now, but nothing alarming had touched down in Australia. It was as if whatever carried this signature had arrived in the very place that Zayn was trying to draw its attention away from.

Having never met the collector before, there was no way to confirm that the entity reading on the instruments was indeed Mr. Bergman. It could have been a coincidence. Powerful sorcerers came to the desert all the time in search of djinn and treasures.

This signature is so strong, though. I've never seen anything like it.

A slow dread came over the magus, congealed into a knot, and lodged itself in an uncomfortable place inside of him. This was not a coincidence. Somehow, the collector had seen through his bluff and plotted a course straight for Uriel and Naya.