Spin the Bottle (To Be Deleted)

*15 ~ Cousins*

|HUSAN|

One would think I look suspicious pacing back and forth like this. Especially at a park past midnight. I assume Jamie made it home safely after that unexpected display of her essence. I wouldn't know where to look for her if that's not the case. Regardless, I'm rather stunned. I'm struggling to wrap my head around the fact that my human master is not a human at all.

Jamie is a djinn.

Just like me.

The pieces are definitely falling into place now.

Her file says N/A where her place of origin should be. Details like that are easy to overlook, of course. Then again, I took no real interest in reading her file anyway. I memorized the important stuff and overlooked the rest.

I suppose that explains why she's a foster child. Her parents left her in the Realm of Human. But why? What would be the reason for such an extreme...?

Could the reason be attempted murder... by me?

Princess Zoya?

Is Jamie my baby cousin? If she is, we're the same age now. That's unbelievable! What are the chances of us meeting again this way?

I don't know why I'm so pleased to know that I've prematurely met my cousin. This is not how I planned our meeting to unfold. She has no knowledge of who I am to her or the significance of her situation.

I tried to... kill her. How will she respond to that? Did I seriously fuck up the only familial relationship I sincerely enjoy? Whelp. I can practically kiss my friendship with Jamie — Zoya — goodbye.

I don't even know if it's actually her. Rather than jump to conclusions like Auntie Amani, I'd rather back up my theories with evidence. I should check Jamie's room to see if she made it home safely. I'm sure she's freaking out right now.

Looking around, the coast is clear. No bullies, no joggers, no basketball game. The park is empty from what I can see.

I wish I was in Jamie's bedroom.

My essence clouds around me, swirling for a few seconds. When it fades, I fall victim to witnessing Jamie rubbing her skin and checking herself out in the mirror as if she's never seen herself before.

"Hate to interrupt, but we need to talk," I say.

She flinches when she hears my voice. Fully facing me, her grin is visible and to be honest... I've never seen her so excited before. I'm actually happy for her.

"Husan! Can you believe that I have magical powers? Just call me Jamie Potter from now on. I'm ready to be taken to Hogwarts. I've always seen myself as a Hufflepuff, but I think I could be a Ravenclaw, too. What do you think?"

I chuckle at her Harry Potter reference. "No, I'm a Ravenclaw. You don't plan ahead. Not to mention how emotional you are."

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever. I have magic. That's all that matters."

"That's what I want to talk about. You realize our magic looks similar, right? You, Jamie, have what djinn call essence. It's not magic. It's the inner spirit of our ancient ancestors — a part of our original form."

I can practically see the gears turning in her brain. Perhaps I gave too much information to digest at once. She's a newbie after all.

"Wait a minute. You think I'm a genie?"

"I don't think so. I know so. You're just like me. Do you know what that means?"

"Um, no?"