Evie's eyes fluttered open. The cold, hard floor of the basement pressed against her back. For a few disoriented seconds, she just lay there, breathing in the musty scent of old books and damp wood. Then it hit her—she wasn't alone.
Something was watching her.
She sat up with a groan, expecting the sharp pain from before, but—nothing. The ache was gone, the unbearable weight pressing down on her chest had lifted. She felt... almost invigorated. Stronger, even. Her gaze flickered across the dimly lit basement, landing on the figure sitting cross-legged across from her.
Still very much naked.
He stared at her, his dark eyes unwavering, filled with something different this time. Before, they had been cold, empty pools of black, but now... there was a flicker of something else. Curiosity? Amusement?
"The bond is complete," he said, his voice deep and smooth, like the crackle of a distant fire. "You should feel better now."
Evie swallowed, forcing her brain to catch up. Right. The bond. Whatever that meant.
She pushed herself up, brushing dust from her clothes. "We're going upstairs. And you're going to tell me everything—what you are, what this 'bond' bullshit is, and what it means for me."
He didn't respond. Just continued watching her like she was an insect under a magnifying glass.
Evie turned toward the stairs but froze mid-step. "No, wait. Never mind. You—" she pointed at him, heat crawling up her neck. "You stay here. I need to get you some clothes before someone looks through the store window and has a heart attack because of your... uh..." She gestured vaguely at his body, refusing to let her gaze wander lower than his face.
Rohmir tilted his head slightly, studying her as though she were some odd, fascinating specimen.
"Does my nakedness affect you?" His tone was almost teasing, but there was a glimmer of genuine curiosity in it. "I could choose another form if you prefer."
Evie crossed her arms, trying to ignore the heat blooming in her cheeks. "Your form is fine. I just need to get you some clothes."
She turned and practically fled up the stairs.
---
The thrift store two doors down was a godsend.
Evie darted through the racks, grabbing the first pair of jeans that looked like they might fit him, along with a cardigan and—after a full minute of internal debate—boxers. She barely held back a groan at the thought of him wearing them. Or worse, the thought of him not wearing them.
The cashier gave her a knowing smirk, but thankfully, she didn't ask questions.
By the time she returned to the bookstore, Rohmir was still exactly where she left him. He took the clothes without a word and dressed quickly.
Evie had expected the secondhand outfit to dampen his... unsettling appeal.
It did not.
If anything, he looked even more dangerous now, the snug fit of the jeans emphasizing long, powerful legs, the cardigan draping over his broad shoulders in a way that made him seem almost human. Almost.
"Now," she said, dragging her thoughts back to reality, "tell me everything."
They sat upstairs in the main room of the bookstore, surrounded by shelves stacked with well-loved paperbacks. Rohmir stood near the window, gazing out at the street below like he was seeing the world for the first time.
Finally, he turned to her.
"As you summoned me, you already know my name is Rohmir." His voice was softer now, measured. "Many cultures have names for my kind—djinn, genie, daemon. Whatever they feel is appropriate." He gestured vaguely. "I am here, bound by the rules of the book. You spoke my name, and so I am yours. Until the bond breaks."
Evie frowned. "And what does that mean, exactly? You're my... servant?"
He inclined his head slightly.
"You just tell me what you want," he said.
Evie crossed her arms. "What if I don't want anything?"
Rohmir's expression darkened. "Humans always want something." There was almost a sneer in his voice.
She hesitated, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She did want things. Money. Security. A way to keep the bookstore she loved from being swallowed by debt. But she wasn't about to trust a demon—djinn, whatever—to hand her a quick fix.
"How do I break the bond?" she asked instead.
Rohmir's dark eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Is that what you truly want?"
Evie nodded.
"There will need to be a sacrifice Evie," he said.
Her breath hitched at the way he said her name. Like he was tasting it.
But before she could respond, a knock echoed through the store.
Evie turned toward the glass door and found herself face to face with Mrs. Dunst, the sweet old lady who had been a loyal customer since before Evie had taken over the shop.
"Oh no," she muttered. "That's Mrs. Dunst. She loves books, but please—don't freak her out. Just pretend you're my friend or something. And, for the love of God, no genie talk."
Rohmir raised a single eyebrow, but he said nothing as Evie stood and unlocked the door.
"Mrs. Dunst! Good morning!" she greeted, forcing a bright smile.
The old woman beamed back at her. "Morning, dear! I finished that book you recommended—absolutely lovely. I was hoping you might have another suggestion?"
Then she spotted Rohmir.
Her eyes widened, and for a split second, Evie worried she might actually have that heart attack.
"Oh," Mrs. Dunst said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You have company."
Evie laughed, a little too quickly. "Oh! Yes, uh—Mrs. Dunst, this is my friend Rohmir. He's visiting from out of town."
Mrs. Dunst gave Rohmir an appreciative once-over and then turned back to Evie with a mischievous smile.
"Well," she said. "Your friend is very handsome."
Evie felt her face catch fire.
Rohmir, for his part, simply tilted his head again, as if puzzled by the exchange.
Desperate for a distraction, Evie steered Mrs. Dunst toward the bookshelves, helping her pick out her next read. It took nearly ten minutes, but eventually, she ushered the woman back out the door with four new books and a cheery wave.
When she turned back to Rohmir, she found him watching her with that same unreadable expression.
"You care about this place," he observed.
Evie shrugged. "Of course I do."
"You could have sent her away," he continued. "But you didn't. You listened. You helped her."
She frowned. "Well... yeah. That's my job."
His gaze remained steady. "Even if you cannot afford to keep this place?"
Evie swallowed.
She hadn't told him about that.
"I love this store," she admitted. "I love the people in this town. If I can make them happy, even for a little while, then it's worth it."
For the first time since she'd summoned him, Rohmir looked... unsettled.
"Breaking the bond," she prompted.
His jaw tightened. "Do you really not want anything?"
She shook her head. "Not if it means hurting someone else."
He hesitated.
"I can give you money," he said at last. "Power. Anything you desire."
She met his gaze. "And what does it take from you?"
His lips parted slightly, as if startled by the question.
"It doesn't matter," he murmured. "My job is to serve."
Evie suddenly felt exhausted. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this.
She exhaled slowly. "I'm closing the shop for today. I need to think." She hesitated. "I guess that means you'll have to come home with me?"
Rohmir said nothing.
But deep in his chest, something stirred.
A memory—distant, fragile, of lifetimes ago.
Of what it had once meant to be human.