The Genie's Curse 43 Go Along Without Me

"One thing at a time Tsuru, as much as you want to take revenge. You've got a few mental issues to deal with first, we've got the tickets to Arabia, and you've got a date with historical places. After that, and only after that, will we deal with Keir, remember your health is more important. Last time that fell apart everything did, you don't want that again do you." Allon was being the voice of reason in the situation, giving her that knowing glance and ushering her to take it slow, "So if you want any of that I suggest getting back in Keme's good side."

Tsuru clasped a hand over her mouth. Surely if she spoke to him he'd forgive her, "Where is he now?"

"Well, I left him in the living room." Allon said seeing her look at the door with determination, "Go speak to him then."

Just as he said she got up and marched to the door, opening it and walking through the hall to reach Keme, yet her ears filled with the sound of a car engine. It sounded so close she picked up her pace only to find the living room empty.

"Keme?" Her voice called out as her eyes searched around, puzzling together the car she heard and his disappearance. Far too late to see him leave when she walked outside, "Is he really that angry?" She questioned lowering her eyes to the phone she had kept in her pocket, "Allon!"

Moving back to her room she had also begun dialing Keme's number and holding it up to her ear like she'd been taught, "Answer me." She mentally spoke to herself finding Allon right I front of her with a questioning glance.

Allon lifted his shoulders in question as she mouthed the words, "He's gone."

Hearing a voice on the phone Tsuru spoke, "h.e.l.lo, Keme come back we need to talk... h.e.l.lo?"

Allon took the phone from her and heard it go to voice mail. Hanging up, he nearly threw the phone aside, "Go to your room I'll find the way to contact him."

"I'm not going-"

"Go to your room, I'll go get you when I've talked to him." Allon's eyes s.h.i.+fted back to the phone beginning to type as we walked past her repeating once more, "Go to your room, Tsuru."

Tsuru didn't really have a say and walked back to her room as Allon texted Keme to come back, or at least answer his calls. Man, it was like a couple texting one another but without the other's reply. Grabbing his own phone and calling him thankful for hearing him answer, "Keme!"

"h.e.l.lo, Allon, what she says, to go suck it?"

"No, in fact, she's going to Arabia, even started looking for you." Allon tried explaining, hearing Keme's h.o.a.rded voice.

"Oh goodie she's back in a good mood, I give it two weeks before she's moody again. No, I'm giving her too much credit, one week tops."

Allon pulled at his black hair rolling his eyes. "So what if she does. Weren't you going to stick by her side?"

The silence was heard on the other end for a while until finally, he spoke up, "I'll send you the tickets to Arabia... but I'm not going, maybe I'll go a few days after you two... I just... I just don't know..."

"Give it thought, I can't handle her alone." Allon looked toward the hall as if expecting Tsuru to be there. Hearing Keme laughing at the other end.

"You sound to be handling her fine, sure don't smash her head into anything again. Do that and you'll be a knight in s.h.i.+ning armor for her." Hanging up on him after that not waiting for any type of response.

Keme's words twisted in his mind, him a night in s.h.i.+ning armor? A ridiculous set of words he chooses to phrase it. Shaking these thoughts away he looked back down at his phone, seeing instructions from Keme over getting the tickets and making sure they left in time. And the slightest reminder that he wouldn't join them at the end.

He didn't know what to be more worried about, Tsuru's reaction to knowing they'd go alone. Or the dreading realization that Keme wouldn't be showing up at all. Well, it wasn't sure that he wouldn't but he didn't seem like he'd change his mind that easily. More to his dismay he'd be the one dealing with all of Tsuru's needs.

"What he say?" Her head poked by the hall and looked at him. Her eyes lingering in him a second too long and pa.s.sing to the door, "Is he coming back?"

How to phrase it for her, how to put it out in words, simple and quick?

"He's busy, you and I will be going to Arabia on our own."

Tsuru didn't question the subject as her eyes glued to him, that gaze a.n.a.lyzing his words. She could already see something was out of place, things were not going as planned. Yet she kept to herself, refusing to deal with anything else this day and walking back to her room.

Pulling her hair back to tie it up in a bun and get it out of her way as she packed. The thought of knowing Keme wouldn't go with them, it felt like back at the beginning when it was just her and Allon. The memories of even before then when even Evira was with them... all feels so long ago.