Chapter 9

 

Chapter 9

Be careful with this one (said Dina, bending down to greet the cat). All cats are half jinn, but I think she’s three quartes.

©

 

The air crackled with an energy that was both exciting and unsettling. It was the kind of energy that made Nick's senses hum, a potent blend of magic and desperation. The usual chatter of the patrons, a symphony of whispers, clicks, and the occasional rumble of a troll's belly, had been replaced with a tense silence. He stood behind the bar, his eyes darting across the dimly lit room, searching for the source of the disturbance.

«You feel it too, don't you?» Harry said, his voice a low rumble like the tide rolling in. He leaned against the counter, his emerald green eyes, usually filled with mischievous glee, were narrowed in concern.

Nick nodded, a knot forming in his stomach. «Something's wrong. Big time.»

Leo, the demon, sauntered towards them, his grin a touch too wide, a touch too predatory. «You two feeling edgy? Maybe you're just craving some more of that wine I brought in. It’s quite the stimulant, you know.” He winked, his eyes glinting in the low light.

«Not in the mood, Leo,» Nick said, his voice clipped. He sensed some kind of danger, the same kind that had prompted him to create this haven for creatures like them, a place where they could blend in and escape the ever-watchful eyes of the human world.

«Alright, alright, no need to get all grumpy,» Leo said, raising his hands in mock surrender. «But seriously, what's got you two so on edge? Is it that...»

Before Leo could finish his sentence, a high-pitched shriek echoed through the room. It was a sound that sent a shiver down Nick’s spine, the sound of a creature in desperate need. It was a sound that belonged to Ava, the jinn-cat who had become an unexpected fixture at the bar.

Ava, a creature of shimmering emerald light, with fur that resembled a whirlwind of stardust, was usually a quiet presence, content to curl up on the shelves behind the bar, her ethereal eyes watching the world with an air of ancient wisdom. But tonight, her cries were filled with terror.

Nick didn't need another moment to know something was terribly wrong. He dashed towards the back room, where Ava usually resided, Harry and Leo close behind. They burst through the doorway to find Ava huddled in the corner, her light dimming, her body trembling.

«Ava, what’s wrong?” Nick asked, his voice gentle but firm. 

Ava flinched, her gaze skittering across the room, her fear palpable. She meowed, a sound that was more like a whisper, a sound that held a world of fear and desperation.

«She's in danger,» Harry said, his voice grave. «Someone's trying to capture her.»

«Capture her? But why? She's just a cat,» Leo said, his brow furrowed in confusion.

«She’s not just any cat, Leo,» Harry said, shaking his head. «She’s a jinn-cat, a being of immense power. And someone wants to exploit that power.”

Nick’s heart sank. He knew what Harry was talking about. The jinn were powerful creatures, capable of granting wishes and manipulating the world around them. Ava, with her unique connection to the human world, could be a valuable asset to anyone seeking power.

Ava trembled, whimpering again. Nick knelt beside her, trying to soothe her. «It's okay, Ava. We're here. We'll protect you.»

He gently stroked her back, and to his surprise, Ava leaned into his touch, a small purr rumbling in her chest. 

«She seems to trust you, Nick,» Harry said, his voice softer now. «Maybe she can tell you what's going on.»

Nick looked at Ava, her eyes wide and pleading. «Ava, can you tell us who's trying to hurt you?»

Ava’s ears twitched, her light flickering slightly. Then, she meowed again, a soft, high-pitched sound that seemed to echo through the room, a sound that Nick suddenly recognized.

«Those whispers... they’re coming from the walls,» he whispered, his eyes wide with dawning realization. 

The walls of the bar, usually a comforting blend of rough brick and warm wood, now seemed to pulsate with an unseen energy, a faint humming emanating from their depths. 

«The walls are alive,» Leo said, his eyes wide with disbelief. «The damn walls are alive.»

Nick wasn't sure what to make of it, but he knew it was important. He turned to Ava. «Ava, can you communicate with them? Can you understand them?»

Ava stared at the walls, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resignation. Then, she meowed again, her voice a series of chirps and purrs that seemed to echo the faint humming of the walls.

«She’s talking to them,» Harry said, his voice a hushed awe. «And they’re responding. But they're not friendly.»

The walls seemed to grow darker, their energy shifting, becoming more menacing. A sense of dread washed over Nick, a feeling that they were being watched, judged, and perhaps even hunted.

«What do they want?» Nick asked, his voice tight with anxiety.

Ava’s light pulsed, her eyes filled with fear, and then, she turned to Nick, her gaze focused on him, and meowed again, her voice clearer this time.

«They want me. They want my power. They want to control me.”

Nick felt a surge of anger. He wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt Ava, not after she had found refuge in their bar, a sanctuary from the dangers of the world. 

«No,” he said, his voice firm. «We won’t let them take you, Ava. We’ll protect you.”

He looked at Harry and Leo, their faces etched with concern. «We need to find a way to stop them, to break their hold on these walls.”

«We need to find their weakness,” Harry said, his eyes narrowed in thought.

«And we need to do it fast,» Leo added, his tone sharp. «They're getting stronger.»

The walls hummed louder, their energy growing more volatile. The bar felt suffocating, the atmosphere heavy with dread.

«Ava, can you tell us anything else? Anything about their weakness?» Nick asked, his voice desperate.

Ava’s light pulsed again, and then, she meowed once more, her voice a series of soft, melodic sounds that echoed the humming of the walls.

«They’re afraid of music,» Harry said, his eyes wide with understanding. «Music from the human world, especially the kind that is sung with pure heart and genuine emotion.”

Nick thought about it. It made sense. The walls seemed to be alive, but they were just a prison for some creatures, dark ones, that had been trapped in this bar for centuries, perhaps even millennia. And ancient creatures, they had learned, often had strange and unexpected weaknesses.

«Let's give them a concert,» Leo said, a grin spreading across his face. Nick nodded, a glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. «We're going to save you, Ava. And we're going to do it with music.»

He shouted Alfie’s name and a short explanation for the zombie, who ran in and grabbed a battered guitar from behind the bar, a guitar that had witnessed countless nights of revelry and heartache, and strummed a chord, the sound echoing through the room, cutting through the humming of the walls.

 Leo, with a manic glint in his eyes, grabbed a pair of drumsticks and began to pound on the bar, the rhythm echoing through the bar, a challenge to the humming walls.

Harry sang, his voice filled with both defiance and hope, a song of courage and resilience, a song that resonated deep within the walls. He sang of the joy of life, the warmth of friendship, the magic of the world. And as he sang, Ava's light began to grow brighter, her fear diminishing.

The walls hummed louder, a desperate attempt to silence the music, to drown out the light that was filling the room, but the music grew stronger, filling the room with an energy that was both defiant and uplifting.

As the music reached its crescendo, the walls pulsed with a final, desperate surge of energy, and then, they fell silent.

The air cleared, the tension lifting, replaced by a sense of relief and triumph. Ava, her light radiating brightly, leaped from her hiding place, meowing softly, a sound that held gratitude and affection.

«We did it, Nick,” Harry said, his voice full of admiration. «You saved her. And you saved us.”

Nick smiled, his heart full. He had created a sanctuary, a haven where creatures like Ava could find solace and protection. And in doing so, he had found a purpose, a reason to fight against the darkness, to protect the light.

As the night wore on, Ava, no longer a creature of fear, joined them in the bar, her light warming the room, her purrs filling the air with a sense of peace. She was no longer just a jinn-cat, she was a part of their family, a part of their sanctuary, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there was always hope, always a reason to fight, always a reason to believe in the magic of the world.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows, Nick sat at the bar, Ava curled up on his lap, her purrs a soothing melody. He looked at the walls, now quiet and still, and he knew they would never truly be silent, that they held secrets and stories, whispers of the past, echoes of the future. But he also knew that they would be safe, protected by the music, by the light, by the love that filled their haven, their sanctuary, their home. And he knew that Ava would be safe, protected by their friendship, by their belief in her magic, by their belief in the power of hope.