There was a deep grumbling noise in her ear as if he was considering all the information she shared. "Why not simply leave your household? From my understanding, your society does not condemn women from working in trade and living on their own."
Nadira let out a brittle sounding laugh. "Yes, you are right, our society is much more progressive towards women now. However, you are missing one key aspect, which is vital."
"Which is?" he asked curiously.
"We live in California," she answered dryly. "Which is one of the most expensive places to live in the US, especially this part of California. There is no way I could afford rent without working two jobs, which would not give me nearly enough time for my huge load of classes."
Idrak growled in frustration. "Then why not simply make a wish and all your—"
"It is only a twelve-minute drive to the ocean from here," she cut him off with a warning. She had no idea why something as powerful as he claimed to be was fearful of the ocean, but she had no shame in using the threat against him.
Idrak let out a soft dangerous laugh in her head as the stone between her breasts heated. "Nadira, my sweet, when I am free, I want you to run, do you understand me?" he whispered threateningly. "Run as fast as you can. Because when I catch you—I am going to make you apologize at length."
A shiver ran through her. She wasn't sure if it was from fear or something else, she wasn't bold enough to explore.
~*~
Sitting down at her desk in her world history class, Nadira schooled her face as she looked expectantly at the classroom door. Ignoring the other students trickling into the class, her heart tightened when she spotted the top of his head just past the doorway. He was talking to someone just beyond a group of students milling at the entrance. Impatiently, she waited while resisting the urge to tap her pen against the desk in growing agitation. Finally, after a few seconds, the group of students congesting the doorway finally made their way through. For what had to be the millionth time, Nadira furtively watched Jordan Ivers come in and take his seat diagonally from hers and wondered what it would be like to have his sole attention. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, she watched him as he placed his bag on the floor next to him and his phone face down on the desk. What would it feel to have him look at her how she looked at him? What would a kiss from him feel like? What would his touch on her…
"Do you like him?" the familiar voice in her head growled.
Annoyed at the sudden intrusion, Nadira turned her gaze away from Jordan and muttered a reply, thankful she was the only one who sat in the back of the class. "That is none of your concern."
"If not mine, then whose?" he replied sharply.
Refusing to rise to his obvious baiting, she answered coolly. "No one but my own."
"I thought we could tell each other anything," he said quietly. There was an uncharacteristic vulnerability to his voice that immediately toppled all of her defenses.
Feeling guilty, she answered honestly. "Yes, I like him."
The stone at her breasts vibrated and warmed as he let out a growl. "Please tell me what this boy has done to deserve your affection?!"
The scathing undertone to his words was hard to ignore, and she immediately regretted feeling sorry for the creature moments before.
"He is nice," she defended with a hiss as she looked around, making sure no one heard her.
Beats of silence began to stretch between them, and Nadira felt herself grow anxious with each passing second as she waited for his inevitable reply. Looking up, she watched the professor come in and begin the class.
"And how exactly is he nice?" Idrak mocked.
Nadira shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she balanced her pen between her knuckles, letting it seesaw between her fingers. Turning to the page the professor indicated in her book, she took this moment of class-wide rustling and movement to respond back in a low whisper.
"He…he always smiles kindly at me when he comes into class or when he sees me in the hall," she winced at her own words, they sounded weak even to her.
"Is that it?!" Idrak demanded. "Your infatuation is all based on a damn smile?"
Nadira looked around warily as students began raising their hands to discuss the last chapters they read. Propping her head back onto her hand, she covered her mouth slightly with her palm as she whispered a reply. "It is more than that, he's good looking and nice so just mind your business and hush."
She was surprised and grateful the djinn followed her command, relaxing into her desk, she let her attention focus on the professor as he began the next section in their book, the Justinian period.
Highlighting a few sentences in her book, she took out another notebook and closed her textbook as the professor dimmed the lights and readied the projector.
"Is that all this fool is going to say about Theodora?" Idrak's incredulous tone stilled her movements for a moment. "The idiot probably has no idea Hagia Sophia was actually commissioned by Theodora, the real power of Justinian's throne."
Smiling, Nadira found herself half-way listening to what the teacher said, and focused more on Idrak's deep voice as he rambled passionately in her head about the calculative ruthlessness of Empress Theodora. Glancing toward the window, she allowed her imagination to begin to fill with images of a dark-haired young empress ruling a nation. A familiar voice broke through her thoughts, startling her back to reality. Crouching to her left nearly at eye level, Nadira was surprised to see Jordan Ivers directly next to her.
Seeing he had her attention, he gave her an apologetic smile as he slipped into the seat next to her. "I'm sorry, I left my book at home, can I borrow yours real fast to copy the last chapter's questions?"
Practically throwing aside her notebook she had lying on top of her open textbook, she hastily handed him the book.
"Thank you," he said, as he slid into the seat next to her and positioned the book in front of him and began turning the pages.
Nadira, used every ounce of willpower to keep from letting a stupid grin take over her face. Do not make him think you are a psycho, she mentally repeated like a chant. Inhaling, Nadira nearly groaned at the smell of cologne. He smelled just like she always thought he would, the kind of cologne that had pictures of blonde-haired, white boys wearing cardigans while standing on yachts looking dramatically off into the distance. This was almost too close, she thought, sneaking a peek at his dark bicep bulging just under the line of his t-shirt sleeve, it felt as if her heart might beat out of her chest.
Leaning over, Jordan gave her an imploring look. "Can I ask you if you think the professor is going to add this chapter about the Byzantine empire to this next test or on the midterms? Because to be honest, I haven't been paying attention to these last few chapters." Jordan whispered with a laugh.