Page 54 of Bound By Wishes

I swung my leg over the saddle, gripping the horn to pull myself up with a grunt. Hassan signaled the camel to stand, and the animal straightened its back legs first. The sudden shift threw me forward, my heart racing as I fought to stay in the saddle. As the camel's front legs followed suit, its body leveled out. I clutched the saddle horn tightly, holding on for dear life as the camel steadied itself beneath me.

“See, it wasn’t that bad.” I smiled at Malik, who still wore a horrified expression on his face.

I bit my lip, struggling to suppress my laughter as Malik awkwardly mounted the camel. Hassan gave the command, and the camel rose. Malik let out a few choice unsavorywords as the camel's back legs straightened, pitching him forward. “I don’t know how I let you talk me into these things,” he seethed, turning to me with a scowl.

“Without me, your life would be dull,” I reminded him, a smile stretching further across my face.

Malik shifted in the saddle. “Dull sounds very peaceful.”

I ignored his fussing, turning to Hassan. “You steer them similarly to a horse, right?” I tried to learn a little about them before coming to Jalam.

“Camels require a bit more patience and constant pressure to steer them,” Hassan answered.

“Thank you, Hassan. I think we’ll be okay,” I said, dismissing him with a sweet smile.

“Speak for yourself,” Malik complained.

Hassan ventured back toward the campsite as I nudged the camel’s sides gently. “Teet teet,” I encouraged, followed by a firm “Hut-hut-hut.” The camel responded with a sudden surge forward, and Malik’s camel mirrored mine.

As we thundered across the desert plains, Malik’s voice cut through the wind. “Your so-called genie better grant me any wish I want after enduring this!” he yelled, the sound of his voice barely audible over the thundering hooves and the cold night wind sweeping across the desert.

Exhaustion tugged at me, and my eyes became heavy. The rhythmic sway of the camel’s long strides deepened my drowsiness, the motion lulling me asleep.

A sudden, horrifying thought jolted me awake. If I fell asleep, could the Nightshade slip into my dreams and find me? The words on the sarcophagus replayed in my mind.A harbinger of nightmares that prowls the realm of dreams, feeding on the darkest fears of those who dare to confront it.What was that supposed to mean? Was there really a realm of dreams?

Great. As if I didn’t already have enough trouble sleeping at night, now the fear of being hunted in my dreams added to my torment. I straightened in the saddle, trying to shake off the creeping dread as the sun peeked over the horizon. My skin warmed as the sun's rays brushed across it, the gentle heat seeping into my tired bones and easing the chill of the night.

“We should be there soon,” Malik assured me, as if noticing my exhaustion.

I smiled at him, adjusting my position and shifting my stiff muscles in the saddle to ease the soreness that had built up from hours of riding.

Soon, the cave appeared, its dark entrance standing out against the brightening sky. A wave of horrifying memories hit me—chaos, screams, and the sight of the other workers swallowed by the darkness. My heart clenched at the thought of so many lives lost, making the cave feel even more terrifying.

I tugged on the camel’s reins, bringing him to a halt. My sleep-deprived, hazy brain couldn’t remember the word Hassan had used to make the camel lower itself to the ground. So, I gave up and carefully slid out of the saddle. My legs felt like spaghetti when they hit the ground, and I leaned on the camel for support as they threatened to buckle. Once life flowed back into my limbs, I led the camel to a nearby post and tied it off. Malik followed suit, tying off his camel and then digging through the pack saddle for the supplies we needed.

I slung a backpack over one shoulder and lit a lantern, the small flame flickering to life as I turned toward the dark entrance of the cave. As I walked by, my gaze snagged on small crosses, similar to the one at the campsite. A lump of emotion formed in my throat as I realized that it was a memorial, placed here in remembrance of me and the others who had lost their lives. I glanced at Malik, touched by his gesture.

Malik shoved past me, obviously still upset with me for the unnecessary grief I caused him. As I followed him inside,the air grew cooler, a welcome relief from the rising heat of the desert.

Debris from the blast and cave-in lay scattered around, while loose sand and sharp rocks crunched beneath my feet with every step. The passageway narrowed, and I had to duck to avoid hitting my head. The silence was unbearable, broken only by the distant howl of wind as it passed through unseen crevices. Despite the coolness, a bead of sweat trickled down my spine as we neared the spot where the others had lost their lives.

Malik stopped, glancing at the deep crevice that cleaved the ground in two. Its jagged edges disappeared into a darkness that seemed to stretch on forever. A knot twisted in my stomach as I peered over the edge and remembered falling through it.

Without a word, Malik and I quickly set to work, fastening off the ropes. He used a hammer to secure the pulley system. The metal groaned as it bit into the stone, echoing through the cave and causing more debris to fall from above. I pulled my thick coat off, tossing it to the ground as I slipped into my harness.

Once we were both strapped in, I glanced at Malik. “You ready?”

“Do I have a choice?” Malik asked, skepticism written across his face. “You know I'm not normally a field person.”

“I’ve got your back,” I assured him as I slowly backed up to the edge of the hole.

I crouched low, feeling with my feet for the lip of the opening. My muscles tensed as I prepared to lower myself. With a final glance at Malik, I descended, shifting my weight carefully, inch by inch, letting the rope slip throughmy hands. The cool, rough surface of the rock brushed against my back as I leaned against the side of the shaft for support. The opening was narrow, barely wide enough for one person at a time, and jagged rocks lined its edges, ready to rip into our flesh with one wrong move.

My feet searched blindly for a foothold, finally finding a small outcropping of rock to brace against. With my heart pounding, I continued to lower myself, the lantern swaying on my hip as we ventured deeper into the darkness.

I heard the unsettling sound of Malik’s foot slipping above. “You okay?” I called out to him. Tiny particles of debris rained down from the ledge, sprinkling against my skin. My grip tightened on the rope, my heart skipping a beat as I waited for his response, praying he’d regained his footing.

“No, I am not,” he snapped. “I’m going to have a heart attack before I reach the bottom.”

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