Page 29 of Jasmine's Enchanted Genie

“She’s just a simple village girl,” Cardia said. “She doesn’t belong in the palace.”

“Lady Bains has an invitation.” I drew myself up stiffly. “Do you?” I nodded to the guards; grateful I’d picked the disguise of one of the king’s personal attendants. “Escort this woman from the grounds. She’s not welcome here.”

They grabbed onto her, and sparks flickered in her eyes. But spying the crowd gathering behind the guards, many of them pointing and whispering and a few of them lifting their hands to deploy magic, she must’ve reconsidered blasting me to bits with her magic. If we were alone, she wouldn’t hesitate.

Growling, she ripped her arm from the guards’ grasp and shoved through them, rushing down the castle driveway.

Jasmine sagged against my back.

“Are you all right, Lady Bains?” I asked as most of the guards and the crowd dispersed now that the drama was over.

Biting down on her lower lip, she nodded.

“Why don’t I escort you to your room where you can lie down?” I asked, since a few guards still lingered.

“Thank you. That’s quite kind of you.”

Still magicked in my disguise, I led her inside and to her room. But once I’d locked the door, leaned against it, and was about to remove my disguise, Cardia appeared beside the bed.

“Ah, the lamp. The lamp!” Her finger stabbed toward Jasmine. “How dare you think you can keep it for yourself?” She lifted it off the blankets, cackling as she held it overhead.

A pop and she’d disappeared from the room.

“She took the lamp.” Her face creased with desperation, Jasmine rushed over and wrapped her arms around me. “I promise I’m not letting you go. She can try to drag you away from me, but it won’t work.” She looked up at me, and the tears on her face were enough to make me drop to my knees.

I returned to my own form and took her hands. “You, my precious one, are everything to me. But she can’t take me away.” Not yet, that is.

“I stole the lamp and now she’s taken it from me.”

“I haven’t granted all your wishes.”

“Ah. You’ll stay with me until I have.”

“Exactly.” I rose to my feet and kissed her, loving how she moaned and pressed herself against me.

I was going to do all I could to claim her for all time. Was there a way I could do it?

Lifting my head, I gave her a reassuring smile. “Watch.” I took her hand and brought her over to the bed.

A hum rang out, and the lamp reappeared where Jasmine had left it.

I swept my hand toward it. “Until you’ve used all your wishes, no one can claim the lamp.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears, but she stiffened her spine. “We still have two days together, right?”

“We do.” If only I could offer her more time, but wishes weren’t for genies. We existed only to please others.

“Can you show me your world?” she asked.

I jerked backward. “What world?”

“Where you live when you’re not under someone’s thumb.”

No one had ever asked me for that.

If I was doing as I should, I’d ask her if this was her second wish, but I didn’t want her to use them. I wanted to make this time with her last forever, even though I knew that was impossible.

Nothing lasted forever. Soon, she’d ask for her final wish, I’d grant it, and the hourglass of time would start flowing once more. If I was lucky, my lamp would return to the treasure room where Cardia couldn’t grab it.

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