Chapter 1

"Nora?" Hayden yelled soon as he stepped out of the portal and into the ravaged apartment.

The sight of the fallen bookshelves, broken glass, and smashed TV sent shivers down the half jinn's spin. His mind started to spin as his eyes bounced around.

"Nora?" Hayden called again, more urgently.

"I'm here," came the small voice of the defiant girl who stood up from behind the kitchen counter.

"What the hell happened?" Hayden marched through the shards of broken glass towards her. "Are you hurt?"

"I...." Nora looked around at her apartment. "I didn't mean to do this."

"What?" Hayden asked in confusion.

"I was just trying to push her away," Nora began to shiver.

"Who?" Hayden asked.

"Nana," Nora pointed to something behind Hayden.

Confused, concerned and frustrated with not being able to pull her into his arms, Hayden looked over his shoulder. His eyes moved over the broken furniture before spotting the hint of an arm under the flipped sofa. Hayden narrowed his eyes and took a step closer. He lifted his hand and flickered his fingers to move the sofa and get a better look.

"Who the hell is this?" He asked, looking at the old woman laying face down on Nora's floor.

"Nana," Nora said from where she stood.

"Who's nana?" Hayden looked over his shoulder.

"Our old neighbor," Nora said. "From when I was like seven or eight."

"What is she doing here?" Hayden moved closer to the woman. "What happened?"

"No, don't go near her!" Nora yelled.

"Is she breathing?" Hayden asked. "We need to get help."

"She tried to stab me."

"What?" Hayden's head spun back around to look at the girl.

"Yeah," Nora nodded.

"What the fuck is happening, Nora?"

"Nana came to see me," Nora swallowed. "She came inside and I was getting her a drink and I turned around and she had a dagger and she was trying to stab me."

Hayden couldn't believe what he was hearing. He looked back at the old woman with gray hair and wrinkly fingers on the floor with a new perspective. Snapping his fingers, he trapped her under a spell before rushing back to Nora standing in the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" He asked, placing both of his hands around her face and pulling her closer. "How did all this happen?"

"I don't know," Nora couldn't take her eyes off of the woman. "I pushed her away and ran towards the door. She pulled my hair and dragged me back into the apartment an-"

"She dragged you back?" Hayden's eyes widened. "Her?"

"She's stronger than she looks!"

"Sorry, sorry," Hayden pulled Nora closer and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "What happened next?"

"I don't know!" Nora stomped her feet in frustration. "I was on the floor and she was standing over me with the dagger. I held out my hands and then....."

"And then?" Hayden urged her to continue.

"There was light," Nora looked up at the half jinn. "I can't explain it. My hands got really hot and there was this blinding light and Nana was flying into the sofa and everything started to break."

Hayden's heart started to beat with worry as Nora's voice cracked. She looked around as if she half expected the furniture to start moving again. Her small hands clutched his shirt tightly, holding onto him as if she was terrified he might leave her alone in the apartment.

"I called you," Nora said, her eyes locked on the women on the floor. "And then I hid in the kitchen."

"Thank you for calling me," Hayden said, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Let's get out of here. I'll call the palace and they can take....nana into custody for questioning. Are you sure you're not hurt?"

Nora shook her head.

"How are your hands?"

Nora pulled back slightly and held up her palms between them.

"They seem fine," she said. "They're still warm."

Hayden lifted his hand and placed it over Nora's. Her skin was warm to the touch as if she was running a fever. The palms of her hands were slightly red, almost like she had been clapping for way too long. Her normally skinny fingers were slightly swollen, their tips a bit purplish. A deep frown formed on Hayden's face as he examined each hand closely.

"What?" Nora asked.

"This is very familiar," Hayden muttered, running his finger down Nora's wrist.

"What is it?"

"Are you feeling dizzy?"

"No," Nora shook her head.

"Tired?"

"Yes," Nora nodded.

"Hungry?"

"Very," Nora lowered her hands. "What is it?"

"I'm not 100% sure," Hayden began slowly. "But these are all common symptoms for when jinn children get their magic."

"What?" Nora's eyes grew. "Please tell me I'm not a jinn."

"No," Hayden shook his head. He reached down and took Nora's hands once more to examine them. "You're definitely not jinn."

"What's happening to me?" Nora looked down at her hands. "Is it the autura?"

"I'm not sure," Hayden frowned. "We need to go see my parents."

"What about nana?"

"Nana isn't going an-" Hayden lifted his eyes and stilled.

The old woman, who had been laying face down on the floor trapped under a spell, was now suddenly standing on her feet holding a glowing glass dagger.

"Nora," she spoke, her voice raspy and thick with a posh British accent.

Hayden immediately pushed Nora behind himself and summoned his magic. His palms began to glow a radiant blue as his eyes flashed silver.

"Who are you?" He asked the woman.

"I told you," Nora clicked her tongue from behind him. "That's Nana."

"What do you want?" Hayden ignored Nora and continued to stare at the woman.

"I will not answer to a Moor," the woman spat.

"Excuse me?" Hayden narrowed his eyes.

"Step away from the girl."

"Fuck off," Hayden's hands ignited in blue flames, causing Nora to jump back in fright.

"I swear if you hurt her I will not spa-"

"Listen here, Queen Elizabeth," Hayden's eyes flashed like beaming headlights. "Why don't you tell me who the fuck you are and maybe I won't kill you."

"I am a guardian of the Shajara," the woman held up her head.

"Shajara?" Hayden arched his brow. "Like.....a tree?"

The woman did not answer. Her lips were set into a thin line and her hands firmly gripping the glass dagger.

"What do you want, tree guardian?" Hayden asked. "Why are you here?"

"I do not answer to Moors," the old woman said, carefully annunciating each word to make sure it was dripping with venom.

"Okay, that's it," Hayden took a step forward. "I'm running out of patience."

"Hayden, no!" Nora tried to pull him back but it was too late.

Hayden stepped forward and raised his hands, sending out a blast towards the old woman. It would have been enough to send her flying into the remains of the TV stand except for the fact that she blocked the energy blast with her glass dagger. Hayden tilted his head to one side curiously as the dagger began to glow, as if it had absorbed all the energy he had just sent out.

"Get out of my way," the woman said through her teeth.

"No!" Nora yelled as she watched her nana lift her dagger and charge towards Hayden.

Before Hayden could brace himself for the wave of energy that was going to radiate through his body, a blinding ray of light blasted the woman off her feet. He jumped back and whirled around to find Nora standing against the wall with her palms glowing like burning coal.

"That's really hot, Nora," Hayden blinked in shock at what she had just done.

"Oh my god, Nana!" Nora lowered her hands.

"Are you serious?" Hayden asked, baffled. "Nana just tried to stand both of us!"

"She's an old lady!" Nora said, trying to run to the woman to see if she was okay.

"Oh no, you don't," Hayden caught her arm and spun her away.

"Do not touch her!" Nana yelled, jumping to her feet.

"Oh my god!" Hayden groaned. "Die already."

"Nora, listen to me very carefully," Nana locked her eyes with Nora. "We need your help. There are children dying. Innocent children."

"What?" Nora asked in shock.

"Don't listen to her," Hayden pulled her closer. "This is some kind of a trick."

"It's not a trick!" Nana snapped.

"I don't understand any of this," Nora shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"We need to save the Shajara."

"What is that?" Nora asked.

Nana blinked in confusion, "The shajara..."

"Saying the same thing over and over isn't how you define a word," Hayden cut in.

"Your mother swore allegiance to save the shajara," the woman took a small step forward.

"My mother?" Nora asked.

"You're a vestal," Nana said.

"Yes, I am," Nora confirmed. "But I have no idea what you are talking about."

"She....she didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Nora's voice rose.

"Have you been purified?"

"What?" Nora was ready to pull her hair out.

"My goddess," Nana paled. "You have no idea about what's happening do you?"

"No!"

"Listen," Hayden held up a hand to show he meant no harm. "There seems to be some kind of misunderstanding. Why don't we all put the magic away and talk."

Nana looked at the half jinn and then at Nora again. She took in a long deep breath and tucked away her glowing dagger before reaching for the gold ring around her finger. Hayden's eyes narrowed and he immediately stepped in front of Nora once more.

But all the old woman did was spin the ring on her finger and summon a portal. She stared at Nora with lost and hopeless eyes before stepping back and vanishing out of the apartment.  

What do you think all this means? :D