Page 6 of Bound By Wishes

As my eyes roved over the black ink on the page, confusion wrinkled my brow. There was no mention of me at all,not a single trace of my existence recorded within the scrolls. I grabbed another scroll, then another, only to find the same unsettling absence of my name. Panic clenched my throat, threatening to suffocate me.

I snatched the genealogy scroll from the shelf, my heart pounding with dread and pent-up anger. As I unrolled the ancient parchment, I scanned the names of my ancestors, searching for the familiar lineage that should have included my own. But there, nestled between my mother and father's names, was only the single name of Razoul.

Shock coursed through me, leaving my legs weak and unsteady. I stumbled backward, collapsing into a nearby chair as the weight of the havoc crashed down on me. Razoul, my own brother, had somehow managed to remove my presence from history, erasing me as if I had never existed at all. How could he know how to do this? He may be a power djinn, but he was young and ignorant and had half the training I had.

My body broke out in a cold sweat. How was I supposed to regain my throne when no one even knew I existed? There had to be a way to undo this curse. I remembered Razoul using some kind of ancient book when he cornered me and cast me into the lamp. If I could find that book, I could possibly undo what he did. But how was I going to find the book when I couldn’t freely move about the palace? Even with my powers, I was bound to be discovered.

All thoughts of my current chaos came to a crashing halt when the golden cuffs encircling my wrists suddenly ignited with a searing heat. The metal radiated a fiery red glow, its burn biting into my skin. An invisible force tugged at me, compelling me toward the woman I abandoned in thecavern. I knew she was the one who had released me from the lamp, but I had not anticipated the magic within the cuffs to bind me to her in such a way.

No matter how hard I fought against the pull of the magic, I was helpless to its powerful force. My body began to turn to smoke, transporting me to her against my will. Within seconds I was back inside the dark cavern. With a quick snap of my fingers, the cavern lit up in a subtle warm glow, the dim light chasing away the shadows.

The woman was still huddled on the ground, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Her body quivered with a tremor, though I couldn't tell whether it was from my presence, her damp clothing, or her dire predicament. The word 'sayyida' lingered on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back, unwilling to label this humble woman as my master in my language.

My gaze raked over her slight frame, noticing her hair had dried since our earlier encounter. It was a frizzy mess of tousled waves that flowed over her shoulders, the color of dark espresso.

As I edged closer to her, she lifted her eyes to meet mine, revealing irises the color of rich dark chocolate with swirls of liquid honey. She pressed her back firmly against the cavern wall, pure fear flickering in her expression.

“What are you?” Her timid voice squeaked, reminding me of a mouse about to be squashed.

I stopped moving, hovering a few feet away from her. Afraid that if I ventured any closer, she would bolt like a wild mare. “A genie, sayyida.”

That pesky word slipped past my lips unbidden, leaving a taste as sour as a batch of spoiled wine on my tongue. Her eyes lit up, and I knew it was too late to recall the word. Likeit or not, the once-feared king of all of Jalam had turned into a mere servant, and the tiny thing before me was my master.

Anger pumped through my veins so loudly that it drummed in my ears at my diminished status. I blinked a few times, trying to think clearly through my rage. She may be my master, but perhaps she was also the answer to getting inside the palace and exacting my revenge on my brother. I just had to figure out how to get her to agree to help me and prevent her from using all three of her wishes. Because once she made her third wish, I would be trapped in the lamp again.

Ipinched myself hard enough to feel the sting of pain coursing across my cold flesh. The hurt confirmed I wasn’t dead or dreaming, but I couldn’t believe what hovered before my eyes. I was a scientist. No one could ever convince me that mythical things like genies existed, but the striking being before me begged to differ.

My legs wobbled as I forced myself to stand. My mouth gaped open as I ogled the genie. Cloaked in dark smoke, he was unlike anything I had ever seen. With each movement, the air seemed to crackle with a strange energy of the magic that swirled around him. My gaze traced the contours of his corded, muscular arms, which were tightly crossed before him. Each defined muscle seemed to ripple beneath his sun-kissed skin. Despite the anger simmering in his demeanor, his physical presence oozed a raw magnetism that was impossible to ignore.

When he caught me staring, my cheeks heated, and Iquickly lifted my gaze to meet his. His piercing dark eyes, set beneath thick, ebony lashes, sparkled with a knowing confidence. Waves of inky hair, cropped short, brushed across his eyebrows, while a shadow of dark-colored stubble accentuated his strong jawline. Since my terrifying encounter with Mathew, I rarely paid attention to a man’s physique. But the one before me threatened to knock me off balance.

He vanished in a poof of smoke, reappearing mere feet before me, and my heart lodged in my throat. His wispy genie tail had vanished, replaced by a pair of strong legs encased in black harem pants, paired with a matching black vest adorned with threads of silver. The genie’s masculine scent wafted through the air, a captivating blend of warm sandalwood, and hints of smoky embers. The aroma had me longing to step closer, but fear forced me back against the cold stone wall.

Even in human form, he towered at least a foot above me, forcing me to look up to meet his harsh stare. I dug my fingertips into the stone, the rough surface biting into my skin.

“Get away from me,” I growled, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.

To my surprise, he eased back, a flicker of something unreadable passing over his features. His brow furrowed, and his jaw tightened ever so slightly, as if trying figure me out.

The distance between us eased my discomfort, and my rapid pulse slowed. “I suppose this is the part where you tell me I have three wishes?” I asked, sarcasm lining my tone.

One side of his lip curled upward in an arrogant lopsidedgrin, the act causing my stomach to flop like I had swallowed a fish.

“What is your name?” he asked, completely ignoring my question, stalking a little closer. Every muscle in my body tensed as he drew near. He may be a genie, but he was still a male and probably a desperate one, depending on how long he’d been trapped in that lamp.

A cold weight settled in my chest, expanding outward like a thick fog creeping into every corner of my mind. My body instinctively shrank in on itself, shoulders curling inward as if I could make myself smaller. He must have sensed my nervousness because he stopped moving.

“Caleena,” I answered, straightening up, trying to hide the fear that snaked through me when a man came near. “And who are you?”

“Ranen. King of Jalam.”

A smile tugged at my lips. “I think you’ve been down here too long. The king of Jalam is Razoul.”

“My younger brother couldn’t rule a household, let alone a kingdom.” The growl in his voice had my back kissing the wall again.

I scrunched my brows in confusion. “I’m pretty sure Razoul is an only child.”

Ranen's expression shifted, a shadow passing over his features before he spoke again. “I am the rightful heir to the throne. Razoul trapped me down here in that lamp to steal my kingdom.”

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