The Secret

A Secret Revealed Part 24

And so, the unexpected meeting of Lady Janette and Lord Ivan was unavoidable. You could say it was to be a tale of serendipity, intrigue, and hidden emotions, since their first meeting which was set in the heart of a grand social gathering in the late 18th century. The setting, marked by opulent surroundings, masks the undercurrent of tension that lies beneath their seemingly happy present encounter.

Lady Janette was a woman of grace and beauty, known for her sharp wit and poise, but also for her secret independence and disdain for the typical roles that society expects women to play. She has been a fixture in high society, sought after by many, but few have truly understood her need for adventure. She harbors a quiet longing for something more- an adventure beyond the surface of her now refined world.

Lord Ivan, on the other hand, had been a man of mystery. Handsome and charismatic, yet distant, he has spent years cultivating an air of aloofness, perhaps to protect himself from the turmoil of past losses or to keep hidden the scars of a life full of political intrigue. He is known among the nobility for his impeccable manners and sharp intellect, yet very few truly know the man behind the reputation.

Their meeting is not one planned before hand at first, but rather a coincidental crossing of paths. Lady Janette being advised by Vincent that Lord Ivan and his nephew had come to see her, goes to attend to her guests. She finds him standing by a marble fountain, gazing pensively at the stars above, seemingly lost in thought.

She approaches him, initially with the intent to retreat to a quiet corner so they can speak without disruption, but something in the air shifts when their eyes meet. There's a certain recognition between them—an unspoken understanding, perhaps a shared sense of isolation despite their noble status. Their conversation begins with the usual pleasantries, but it quickly deepens as they both reveal more about their frustrations with society's expectations. Lady Janette, surprised by Lord Ivan's insight into the current world of the Fey, finds herself once again interested in what the Counsel has been doing for the last few centuries in a way she hadn't anticipated.

Lord Ivan, for his part, is intrigued by her honesty and openness to aid him in the occurrences that have been the cause for Herbie to become immortal. As the time progresses, there is a small tension in the conversation, a sense that their paths have crossed for a reason, though neither is willing to fully acknowledge what they believe are the reasons for what is going on with the Counsel. Lady Janette and Lord Ivan find themselves contemplating a future they hadn't dared to imagine before as the return to the drawing room where young Herbie is seating.

As the enter the drawing room Herbie is captivated the pendant that Vincent had given him. Vincent's words still in his head "This will remind you to look beyond appearances, dear boy. Friendship can be found in the most unexpected places...." Herbie had seen and experience things beyond his imagination in the last couple of days, but this pendant resembled what you would normally see in the movies and in art wore by a Djinn- a spirit inhabiting the earth but unseen by humans, capable of assuming various forms and exercising extraordinary powers, beings of smokeless flame by nature, in the same manner in which humans are said to be made of earth. They have always been favorite figures in North African, Egyptian, Syrian, Persian, and Turkish folklore and are at the center of an immense popular literature, appearing notably in The Thousand and One Nights but called a Genie. A djinn is called a "genie" because "genie" is the English adaptation of the Arabic word جن ("djinn") which refers to the same type of supernatural being.

The pendant was a delicate, yet commanding object, suspended from a fine chain of silver. The design was a fusion of what it looked like a mix of organic and metallic elements. The shape was of a crescent moon, The materials were rare and strange, the pendant was made of obsidian and lapis lazuli. These stones have long been associated with ancient magic and the unseen world. It featured reddish orange garnets that glow faintly, reminiscent of embers. The core of the pendant housed a crystal, charmed with a soulstone, glowing softly. It looked like if it was pulsing with an inner light with a glow that fluctuated. The design incorporates intricate floral patterns, which seem to move slightly, as though alive. The patterns were etched with ancient runes —symbols that only those with knowledge of the arcane or the supernatural can read.

Herbies thoughts were of two stories he had read the most famous and enduring story featuring a Djinn (or genie) for him was "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp," one of the tales from One Thousand and One Nights (also known as Arabian Nights) additionally The Fisherman and the Djinn (also from One Thousand and One Nights).

The irrational thoughts that were running through Herbies head right now were the idea of a pendant summoning a Djinn when "destiny calls" it was a captivating concept for him, blending ancient magic, fate, and the supernatural. He had read it and seen it in many stories, objects like a pendant or a lamp serve as the focal point through which the Djinn's power was accessed, often with the understanding that a moment of great importance or fate is required for the Djinn to manifest. So, in Herbie's eyes the pendant could very well summon a Djinn when destiny calls or the pendant could have a deeper connection to an ancient prophecy or a long-forgotten line of royalty, with the Djinn bound to it centuries ago. The bearer of the pendant could be the "chosen one," as Herbie was already chosen to something unexpected so why not be destined to wield its power when the world faces a certain crisis. In this sense, the pendant doesn't just summon a Djinn—it marks the wearer as someone connected to a larger mysterious realm, in this case making Herbie a person whose actions could shape the future of the Fey. But the question is do the Djinn really exist or is a supernatural spirit mentioned in Islamic mythology, often described as an invisible being just like the Christians talk about angels?