Page 41 of Enslaved By Magic

Chapter 16

(Luke)

“Yes, Master,” she said, almost snarling the word as she visibly struggled against his order not to call him that and finally forced the word out by sheer will. “I’m only a slave. It’s not like you have to keep your promise to me. Keep me around, use me, or sell the bottle on like all the rest.” Her shoulders were hunched and her back stiff as she pointedly avoiding turning around.

He reached out, stroking one hand down her long hair. The light caress was more for him than her. He needed to touch her. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. I put it off for too long, love, but I always intended to keep my word.”

“Of course, you did, Ma—” She couldn’t get the forbidden word out that time and was forced to change it to his name, “Luke. Of course, but then why haven’t you? I gave you so many suggestions, but no, it’s always ‘later’ or ‘maybe tomorrow’, but never now!” Her accusation stabbed at him painfully.

She wasn’t wrong.

"Don’t you understand, Amari?" he said. His voice was soft and as broken as her own. "I love you. I want to make the third wish and free you, but I’ve been scared that once I do…" he trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken. If he said the words, maybe they would come true, though he was afraid his actions had already guaranteed they would anyway.

“Scared of what?” she demanded. Her hands curled into fists, and she finally turned back to glare at him. Her dark eyes flashed with anger through the sheen of tears. “Do you still believe I’m an evil genie who is going to take revenge on you? After all this time you still don’t trust me?”

He could hear the hurt under the furious words, and he winced and shook his head hurriedly. “No! Of course, I trust you! You’ve proven—everything you said has come true. I’m sorry I ever doubted you in the beginning,” he said, assuring her with complete sincerity of his belief.

“Then what are you so afraid of?” she demanded. It was obvious that she was trying, making every effort to stay calm despite the nearly overwhelming emotions that were affecting both of them.

She had a right to know, but he struggled to get the words out. He couldn’t keep hiding it from her, obviously, but as often as he’d berated himself for his weakness, he still hadn’t been able to get past it. His father, the sick jerk whose name was never spoken of in his family, had taken what he wanted and destroyed his mother’s life doing that. Luke wanted to believe he was better. He’d always tried so hard to be better than that man, but the fact that he’d kept Amari here for his own needs made him doubt that he was.

He’d spoken to his uncle about it, hadn’t admitted it in so many words, but had made it clear that he was deliberately holding back from making the last wish and freeing the woman he loved to finally make her own choices. His uncle hadn’t been harsh, not as harsh as Luke felt he deserved anyway, but it was clear he didn’t approve, and he’d pushed Luke to be honest with her. Now he wished he had been before it had come to this.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself as he forced the confession into some semblance of coherency. He forced himself to meet Amari’s glare as he finally admitted the truth that had been holding him back for weeks.

“I’m afraid you’ll leave. I—I know it’s selfish. I know it makes me just like the others who only cared about themselves, and I’m sorry. I just—I think about my life without you and I—can’t imagine you not in it. I think about you leaving me and I freeze,” he said, letting the words rush out.

He cut them off when his throat went dry and the words began to rasp, swallowing to clear it before continuing, “Every time I try to make the wish, I realize I’m a few words away from you walking out of my life and…” He stopped there, taking a gulping breath as he fought to get himself under control.

She wasn’t the only one with tears in her eyes, but she wasn’t the one who had broken their trust. That was all on him.

“You didn’t make your wish because you were afraid I would leave you?” she repeated. The anger on her face had been replaced with confusion.

“Yeah, look, Amari, I love you, and I believe you love me too—I do. It’s just that you’ve been a slave for a long time, and I figured once you were free, you’d want to walk away from any reminders, and I wouldn’t blame you. I honestly wouldn’t. You’ve been through so fucking much already, and I should never have put my stupid selfish—” He wasn’t sure what he was going to say next, but it didn’t matter because she cut him off.

“You’re an idiot!” she snapped.

“I—what?” It was Luke’s turn to be confused. He was trying to apologize and do the right thing and that only seemed to be making her angrier.

“Yes, I love you. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved, but you’re an idiot,” she said, repeating the words slowly as though he were a child who needed special help comprehending. The fist that lashed out, swinging perilously near his face seemed to indicate that she’d lost control of her anger and only the rules prevented her from decking him a good one.

He jumped back anyway, startled by the sudden violence. “What the hell, Amari?” he asked. His thick eyebrows drew together in the middle as he fixed a stern look on her. This wasn’t what he’d expected after his heartfelt confession, and even though he knew he was the one in the wrong on this, he couldn’t help feeling a little put out over her reaction.

“Ooooh, you’re so lucky the bottle protects you,” she said, words coming out in an angry hiss. “I thought you were different, but you think ordering me to have free will and not call you Master is the same as treating me like a free woman? I have news for you, Luke—It’s. Not. The. Same. Treating me like I was free would have meant asking me what I had planned for after the third wish. It would have meant asking me if I wanted to stay!”

His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously as he swallowed, thinking about that and had to admit it was true. He’d tried to give her as much freedom as he could, but in the end, he’d completely left her out of the big decisions, just like she was his property. He sighed and one hand went up to brush back the heavy, dark hair off his forehead. “You’re right. You’re totally right, and I’m sorry,” he said. How many times was he going to make stupid mistakes like this?

“Yeah, me too,” she said. She pushed past him and dropped into a kitchen chair heavily, like all the energy had been sucked out of her. “Will you make your wish now?” she asked.

He hesitated and then nodded, “Yeah. I will.” But still he wasn’t quite ready to say the words. “Amari, I—what are your plans for after? Do you want to stay here, with me?” he asked.

The blank expression on her face revealed nothing. “It’s too late,” she said.

His heart sank like a stone and all the air rushed out of his body. He staggered back a step, bracing his hips against the kitchen counter to keep from sinking to the floor. “Oh,” he said. And who could he blame but himself? He’d done this. He’d ruined everything and hurt the woman he loved in the process. Of course she didn’t want to be with him now. “Of course, I understand,” he said. He could hear how monotone and dull his words were, but his body just felt too cold and empty to even try to pretend to be okay.

She snorted loud enough to catch his attention, and when he looked at her, she said, “I meant it was too late to ask me now. You should have done it before, now you’ll have to make the wish and see what happens when I have my freedom back,” she said, only clarifying when she realized he’d assumed the worst. He was pretty sure she’d done that on purpose. She liked to phrase things ambiguously like a trap and only correct his assumption afterward. It had given him a reason to punish her in a playful way more than once, but he couldn’t deny he deserved it this time.

His eyes met hers, looking for hope in what he saw there—but she was good at keeping secrets, his Amari, and he really couldn’t tell her intentions. He needed her to stay but he wouldn’t blame her if she left him. All he could do now was make the third and final wish.

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