So sorry it's a bit late! In an attempt to try and make up for it being late, I'm dedicating this chapter to all of this story's fans! Thanks guys!

Chapter Eight

Vera took a deep breath after she finished rambling off everything she knew about Amias, the jinni. Halsten hadn't said a word during her rant, but he did look a bit upset.

"So that's everything you know?' he asked after she had finally caught her breath.

She nodded and replied, "I'm sure the book Papa gave me could tell us more about it though. I'm thinking we need to figure something out soon, there's no telling how long that thing will keep Kareem alive."

"Thing?" he asked, his mouth pulling down into a sneer.

"Well, I told you I don't really know that much about it," she said, not understanding his sudden hostility.

Halsten stood up rather abruptly, making Vera jump in surprise. The temperature in the room dropped significantly and she knew what that meant.

"Halsten! Amias is here in the room with us! The temperature has just dropped, like I told you it does when he is around."

Her eyes searched the room and she backed slowly toward the door, motioning for Halsten to do the same. When he made no move to do as she instructed, Vera tried tugging on his sleeve. She stopped scanning the room long enough to look up at his face and what she saw made her step back in shock and fear. Rage seemed to ooze from him like pitch black tar and his eyes blazed with a ruby glow.

"Foolish, spiteful, irritating, little girl," Amias's voice mocked from Halsten's mouth. "Did you really think I would let you tell everyone my secret?"

"A-amias? What have you done to Halsten? What have you done to Kareem?!"

Her voice had started out stuttering and unsure, but turned to hysterical shrieking by the end. Amias shoved her back against the door as her voice began to echo through the house. She was just about to scream for her father when his – or rather, Halsten's - hand clamped down over her mouth. She tried to wriggle away from him but the more she moved, the more it felt as if a crushing weight was pinning her against the wall. Eventually she struggled with the effort to even breathe.

"I ought to kill you for this betrayal," Amias told her. "I've killed for less – much less."

Vera's heart began hammering out an erratic beat against her ribcage as her fear of the jinni increased with each word.

"It amazes me that I haven't killed you yet. If you were anyone else, I would have. But you..." he trailed off, looking at her with a puzzled expression. "What is it about you that has me so enthralled?"

Vera tried shaking her head, but only managed to move it about a centimeter to the left. She wasn't sure exactly what she was trying to convey, but she wanted to be rid of him as soon as possible.

"Now, now, don't try to interrupt. That's rude."

He moved away and began pacing back and forth in front of her, pausing every few seconds to eye her with the same look of confusion as earlier. Suddenly his eyes narrowed on her and his hand clamped down hard on her throat.

"I've decided to give you two options," he stated in a calm, even tone, as if moments ago he hadn't threatened her death. "You can forget this night ever happened and never betray me again, or you can keep on trying to expose me and watch all of your friends die bloody, horrifying deaths. Which will it be?"

The invisible weight on her chest lifted slightly, enough for her to draw her first deep breath since the whole ordeal began. Her first instinct was to scream, but Vera knew if she tried Amias would probably hurt or even kill her, so instead she forced herself to calm down and try to come up with a solution to her predicament.

Just as she was about to answer him, the red ring faded slightly from around Halsten's irises. It was brief, just a tiny flickering of the glow around his pupil, but Vera had a feeling it was important. Watching carefully, Vera noticed a change in Halsten's overall demeanor. Where before Amias had full control over Halsten's body, now it looked as if his hands were shaking and there was a tic in his jaw that hadn't been there before.

"Halsten?" she whispered, keeping her voice low in an attempt to be soothing. "Can you hear me?"

Her eyes widened as Halsten's whole body seemed to tremble and sweat began forming on his brow.

"Run," Halsten's voice rasped.

When she only stared at him and made no move to get away, he glared at her and managed to shout through clenched teeth, "Vera! Run!"

She hesitated, torn about leaving him behind, but eventually realized there was no way she could help him until she knew more about the jinni possessing him. Racing up the stairs, she grabbed her satchel and as many books on jinn as she could find. Just as she finished packing everything into her bag her father appeared in the doorway.

"Would you like to tell me what is going on here? I heard shouting and now you've just come barreling up the stairs like an uncivilized caveman!"

Vera stood frozen, trying to figure out what to say. He hadn't believed her before, so he certainly wouldn't now, but she couldn't just leave him in the house with Amias!

Thinking on her feet, she said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm ill. You were right, Papa. I need to see a physician."

He blinked several times before motioning toward her packed bag and asked, "In the middle of the night?"

"Yes," she nodded. "As soon as possible. And you should definitely come with me. I don't know that I can trust myself to go alone. I'm seeing things – hallucinations."

Those words seemed to jolt him into action and he started walking briskly back in the direction of his bedroom.

"Yes, of course. I will just get my coat and we will fetch Halsten and be off," he told her.

"No!" she shouted.

He gave her a worried look and she softened her tone.

"I just meant that we shouldn't wait. That's all. We need to leave immediately!"

He shook his head and replied, "We can't just leave without telling him, Vera. Do you have any idea how worried he would be?'

"But I did tell him," she lied. "I told him before I came upstairs that I was planning on seeing a doctor as soon as possible."

Her father sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair, making it stand straight up. For a moment Vera wanted to laugh, but then she remembered how dire their current situation was.

"Fine," her father finally relented. "But we will leave him a note, just in case."

"That's fantastic!" she cried in relief. "I'll write it. You hurry and get ready!"

Without waiting for his answer, Vera raced off toward her room and snatched up some paper and ink. She spent several minutes staring at the blank paper before she could think of what to write. Eventually she decided to be as truthful as possible.

Halsten,

I'm so very sorry for leaving you behind with that monster. If there had been anything at all I could have done to help you I would have done it. I am taking Papa away from here for a while to keep him safe. While we are gone I will find a way to save you and get rid of that jinn for good, I swear.

Vera

She took a deep breath and folded the letter. Placing it on her bed in plain sight, she hoped it would be Halsten who read it and not Amias. Her father met her in the hallway and she held her breath as they made their way toward the front door. She felt a mixture of guilt and hope as she prayed that Halsten was still fighting with Amias so that they could get away safely.

Just as her father turned the doorknob a strangled groan came from the direction of the sitting room and Vera winced.

"What was that? Halsten?" her father called out, moving away from the door despite Vera's attempts to shove him back in that direction.

He moved her to the side and made his way toward the sound. Vera placed her hand on the hilt of the knife Halsten had once given her for protection, but knew she would never use it. There was no way she could ever harm Halsten or her father, even if the creature possessing them tried to hurt her.

"Halsten!?" her father called out from the sitting room. "Vera, get in here!"

She took a deep breath and inched toward the room. Once she got close enough, she peeked around the corner and saw Halsten lying on the rug seemingly lifeless.

"Is he alright, Papa?" she whispered.

"Of course he's not alright! He's lying in the floor barely breathing! Did he seem unwell when you left the room earlier?"

Unsure of how to answer, Vera only shrugged.

"Well, it seems we have two reasons to see the physician tonight. Stay here, Vera. And watch him," he ordered, giving her a look that she knew meant not to argue.

But she had to; her life could depend on it after all.

"Papa, I'm not feeling well enough to watch him!" she began. "Why can't we load him up in the buggy?"

Her father gave her that same stern look and said, "Because we don't know what's wrong with him. If we lift him it could do more damage. Just wait here and I will return with the physician."

He shook his head when she started to argue again. "No, Vera! We aren't arguing about this anymore!"

She flinched when she heard the front door slam behind him. It was very rare that her father ever shouted, especially at her. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Perhaps then Halsten wouldn't be possessed and her father wouldn't think she was crazy.

A noise came from Halsten and she jumped in fright. She wondered if he had managed to throw Amias out of his body, or if the jinn was still in there fighting with him. Moving quietly and carefully, Vera made her way back toward the front door just in case Halsten woke up and wasn't himself - literally.

Reaching for the doorknob was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.

...

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There should be another on up after Christmas holidays. If you have a minute, I would appreciate it if you could vote! Thanks for reading.