Page 55 of Bound By Wishes

“Take your time,” I coaxed him, trying to keep my voice steady. “You can’t fall. We’re using each other's bodies as a counterweight.”

“That’s so comforting,” he mocked, but I heard the sound of his boots against the rocky wall as he lowered himself further down, so I kept going.

My breath caught when my next step met nothing but air. “Uh-oh,” I murmured as I reached the end of the crevice. I peered into the void below, seeing nothing but calm water.

Malik continued to lower himself until he was side by side with me. “What? Why did you stop?” he asked, his voice tight with concern.

“We’ve reached the end,” I said, nodding downward. Malik’s gaze followed the direction of my head, and his eyeswidened. The cavern beneath us was bathed in a faint, eerie glow, the light shimmering on the walls and illuminating the crystal-clear water below.

“I don’t think we have enough rope,” Malik warned.

I glanced down again, convinced he was right. “Let’s just keep going down until we run out,” I suggested.

With a final check, we continued our descent, our feet leaving the rock and sending us dangling in the air like two spiders swaying on a web. We lowered ourselves slowly, the rope slipping through our hands as the length dwindled.

Once we were out of rope, Malik turned to me, his body brushing against mine as we hung suspended in the air. “Now what?” he asked, his brows puckering together.

We were still more than twenty feet above the water. The dim light from our lanterns flickered, sending glimmering reflections across the smooth water as I studied the distance.

I reached down, carefully pulling a sharp blade from its sheath hidden in my boot. The blade gleamed, catching the faint light as I held it before us.

“What do you think you’re going to do with that?” Malik asked as he went deathly still.

“We need a way down,” I explained, reaching up to grasp both of our ropes in one hand. With the other, I pressed the dagger against them, preparing to cut through the fibers.

“Don’t you dare,” Malik threatened. “If you cut that rope, I’m gonna—”

Before Malik finished his sentence, I sliced through the rope. Malik’s curse was cut short as we plummeted toward the water below. The shockingly cold water swallowed mein a chilling embrace that took my breath away. I fought my way back to the surface.

“Have you lost your mind?” Malik shouted, water spewing across my face as he surfaced beside me. “How are we going to get back out without the rope?”

I started swimming to the rocky ledge. “There’s a genie down here, remember?”

Malik paddled alongside me, his hands gripping the rocky edge as he pulled himself out of the water. With a huff of frustration, he reached down and grasped my arm, pulling me up and onto the solid ground beside him.

A shiver ran down my spine as the dripping wet clothes clung to my body. We both shrugged out of our climbing harnesses, the metal of the pulleys clanging as they hit the ground.

Malik turned to me, his eyes wide with anger, as water streamed down his face. “I followed you down here because you’re my best friend, but now you’re gambling with my life,” he warned, leaning in, inches from my face. “Do you truly expect me to believe there’s a genie down here?” He scoffed. “You’ve trapped us down here. We’re going to die in this hole.” His words echoed off the cavern walls.

I reached up and patted his cheek. “Have a little faith,” I said with a reassuring smile.

The thought had crossed my mind that Ranen might not be down here. He had warned me the first time we met that wishes were tricky things. I tried to remember my exact words, but there was no telling what I’d wished with Razoul turning Ranen to a pile of black sand and the creepy Nightshade leering at me. If I’d made a mistake, if Ranen wasn’there, I just condemned myself and my friend to a slow, agonizing death.

Fear and uncertainty churned in the pit of my stomach as I made my way deeper into the cavern. Malik followed behind me in silence, his wet footsteps making soft, plopping sounds that echoed through the cavern. The tension between us stretched into an uneasy quietness.

When I turned the corner, the tautness coiled between my shoulder blades eased, and a wave of relief washed over me at the sight of the familiar stone podium with Ranen’s lamp perched on top. Its eerie beauty seemed to beckon me, drawing me closer. Hope fluttered in my chest as I made my way toward it.

“There’s really a lamp down here,” Malik mumbled from behind.

I ignored him and reached out, my fingertips gliding over the intricately carved black metal of the lamp. The cool surface was smooth and comforting.

Black smoke poured from the spout, filling the small space with its swirling tendrils. Despite the thickening haze, I smiled as Ranen’s familiar presence wrapped around me like a comforting cocoon. The smoke twisted, and with each passing moment, my anticipation grew.

He manifested before me, looking every bit the handsome, rakish rogue I remembered. His form materialized from the swirling smoke with a magnetic grace, and his dark eyes, gleaming with charm, met mine.

“Hello, sayyida.” His deep, velvety tone washed over me.

Ranen lowered himself to my level, his face just inches from mine. I reached up to brush my hand across his jaw, but his gaze snared on the dripping wet bandanna tiedaround my palm. With agonizing slowness, he gripped my wrist, pulled me closer, and untied the bandage. He tossed the bandanna aside, his focus now solely on my wound.

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