Page 1 of Bound By Wishes

Fear cascaded down my spine along with beads of sweat as I stepped off the boat. The gangplank swayed beneath my feet, intensifying the queasiness in my stomach. Once I reached solid ground, I noticed a battered sign hanging on a small building declaring this to be the Port of Jalam. Bullet holes pockmarked the wall and sign. I’d known what I was getting myself into, but seeing the evidence of violence firsthand rattled me more than I’d expected.

“It’s about time you showed up.”

I closed my eyes, counting to ten before turning to face Mathew. I’d dreaded this reunion for years. I’d turned down every other job he’d approached me with, regardless of how empty my pockets were. But this time, I didn’t have a choice. The museum had ordered me to go, making it clear that if I refused, I could kiss future job opportunities goodbye. Mathew had uncovered petroglyphs and couldn’t findanyone to read them, so he'd demanded the museum send me. They’d complied. If there was any chance he’d actually found the legendary mines of King Thalorian, they wanted their name attached to it. So, my choices were to go or lose my job. I wouldn’t allow my repulsion of Mathew to take my job, so here I was.

I had clawed my way up in a field dominated by men, where even getting my degree was a struggle. Yet despite everything I’d achieved, the museum treated me like a glorified secretary. No matter how many artifacts I uncovered or degrees I earned, they saw me as someone to organize files and fetch coffee. I should be grateful they were finally giving me this opportunity. But the fear that swelled within my chest at the thought of dealing with Mathew again made it hard to feel gratitude.

I collected my emotions before they burst from me, plastered on my best fake smile, and turned to greet him. My heart soared into my throat when I realized how close he had stalked while I gathered my fleeting courage.

Mathew reached up to touch my face. “You look lovely. Why is it you’ve refused to work with me for three years? Are you avoiding me?”

I slapped his hand away, the contact of our skin sending a fresh wave of nausea through my already seasick stomach. Bile burned the back of my throat as I silently prayed that I’d spew my sparse lunch all over his polished shoes. “Yes,” I hissed through clenched teeth.

Mathew’s smile deepened as he leaned in closer. “Come now,” he coaxed. “Don’t be like that. You really shouldn’t hold grudges.” His tone was teasing, but the glint in his eyes suggested he knew exactly why I was avoiding him.

“There you are! I was starting to get worried.” My best friend’s voice was like a beacon in this never-ending nightmare known as Mathew.

Mathew stepped back as Malik not-so-subtly shoved his way between Mathew and me.

“I’ll speak to you later,” Mathew promised as he headed toward the parked vehicle at the entrance of the port. Once he was out of sight, the tension gathering between my shoulder blades uncoiled.

Malik looped a lazy arm across my shoulders, pulling me close to his side. “You want me to bust him again?”

At his words, I straightened, squaring my shoulders. “I hope that won't be necessary.” I forced a smile I hoped was convincing.

“Well, if he tries anything again, I’ll snap him like a twig,” Malik assured me as he took my bag.

The air was scorching and dry, with temperatures soaring under the relentless midday sun as we made our way through the port. I wiped the perspiration from my brow as the sun's fiery rays danced across the sand, creating mirages in the distance. Malik led me to a Ford Model A that looked worse for wear. The once-shiny paint had faded under the harsh sun, and chips of it flaked off with every gust of wind. The tires were cracked and worn, and seemed like they might crumble to pieces beneath us if we dared to get in. Malik shrugged innocently when he caught my horrified expression, as if to say this was the best we could hope for out here.

A baggage boy rushed up behind us and roughly threw my worn canvas bag into the trunk.

“Please be careful with that!” I gasped as I rushed forward, gripping the bag tightly to my chest.

“You still have that awful thing?” Mathew groaned from the driver’s seat, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “Just chuck it. I have all new supplies being delivered to the dig site.”

“This was my father’s,” I said, barely above a whisper. “Not that sentiment could ever mean anything to you.”

Malik’s dark eyes glistened with concern as he pushed the small of my back and ushered me into the backseat of the car, blessedly putting as much distance between Mathew and me as possible.

I was grateful for Malik and his big-brother protective nature. Ever since I’d started working at the museum, he had been my best friend, always looking out for me. If it hadn’t been for him, that late night in the museum when Mathew had cornered me could have turned out much worse.

Dread coiled tightly in my chest at the memory of that horrid night. I was accustomed to the disrespect of male staff, enduring their relentless catcalls and whistles, but what Mathew had done was unspeakable. He’d tried to force himself on me, and he might have succeeded if Malik hadn’t intervened.

Familiar panic clawed at my throat, making it difficult to breathe in the already stuffy car. Even though Mathew hadn’t succeeded in his assault, the damage was done. Fear had become my constant companion, and every time I closed my eyes at night, I relived the attack in my nightmares.

I had reported him to my boss, but wealth like Mathew’sbought silence. He had everyone in his back pocket, leaving me in constant terror that he might attack me again and no one would care.

I should have walked away the moment the museum dismissed my word in favor of Mathew’s, but the harsh reality was, it was the only institution that had given me a chance. That opportunity had come largely because of my father’s tenure there before his death. So I stayed, despite the humiliation and fear. Mathew had already stolen my peace of mind. I refused to let him steal my dreams too.

Mathew rambled on about his exploits, emphasizing how much I’d missed out on by refusing to work with him, but I tuned him out. He didn’t seem like he noticed anyway. The scenery distracted me from my mounting panic. I loved traveling, but unfortunately, after being hired by the museum, my world had shrunk to the size of a small office with no windows. I breathed in the heavenly smell of the date palms and frankincense trees while being mesmerized by the swirling golden sand as it formed ever-shifting dunes. A thrill shot through me at the thought of what awaited us beneath those years of shifting sands—nearly a thousand years of history, to be exact. The mines of King Thalorian had been lost for over ten centuries, an entire piece of history wiped from existence.

“I believe we have found the entrance to King Thalorian’s mines.” Mathew’s voice drew me back in, and I angled my head toward him, never daring to meet his smug gaze. “We just can’t get in it, and your friend here”—Mathew shoved an accusing finger in Malik’s direction—“won’t let me blast it.”

A smile crept across my face. Malik was one of the bestconservators I had ever seen, restoring ancient pieces to nearly new condition. I had no doubt in my mind that he pitched a fit at the mere mention of blasting a relic.

“What do you know of King Thalorian, Cali?” Mathew asked, his gaze finding mine in the rearview mirror.

Disgust bubbled up inside of me. Cali was a demeaning nickname Mathew had bestowed upon me when we first met, and now I loathed it even more. It was like nails on the chalkboard of my mind.

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