Page 76 of MidKnight
Donaloo burst into laughter. “Don’t be ridiculous! Dragons aresoconspicuous! The evil you seek has lost its name and has no power over fire or flame.”
The wizard wove through us, dismissing our serious conversation with a wave of his hand as he carried Shiter toward Fuzzy. He waved a finger at the two animals. “You two have far to go. You should not be here, no, no no. Say goodbye, goodbye and without a cry.”
He enlarged a ring and put it on Shiter’s paw, then thinned it until it disappeared under the purple-grey fur. He put a black ring on Furry’s claw and did the same. “Twenty-four hours and no more, for you to find what fate has in store.” He patted Fuzzy on the rump and walked to the hall door.
“Wait!” I called. Donaloo turned to look back at me.
“If all these men are half-djinn, can’t they just wish themselves back to human?”
Declan spoke as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “No. Djinn can’t make wishes for themselves.”
I looked at Blue, “I could wish for you!”
Blue gave a sad little tweet and nipped my finger in thanks. At least I assumed it was thanks.
“A wish itself wouldn’t be enough to undo the powerful magic surrounding you,” Donaloo shook his head sadly at little Blue before he continued, “Only a true heart will do.”
“And isn’t there an awful price every time a half-djinn gives out a wish?” Declan asked. “I thought I read somewhere that every wish granted cost a living nightmare. It’s why it’s so hard to get half djinn to give out their wishes.”
I turned to the bluebird for confirmation. Blue gave a single nod of his head.
A wish wouldn’t save him.
My poor little feathered friend. I stroked his belly. It looked like this prince would be stuck as a bird forever.
Chapter Nineteen
Donaloo ruined the contemplative moment by shouting, “Now, to the Mage’s tower! Like the bloom of a flower!” Donaloo disappeared with an “Oop—” that got cut off.
“Sard!” My heart fell. I didn’t think he meant to do that.
We all exchanged a concerned glance.
“I think we need to reconsider whether we’re going to have him help—” Declan’s sentence was cut off as an earthquake shook the castle.
“Shite!” Ryan yelled, coming forward to protect me as furniture toppled over.
When the waves had settled, and the earth stopped undulating, we all shared a look.
Donaloo,Quinn thought.
That sarding wizard better not have just destroyed my castle, I seethed.
We ran, jostling one another. We hurried through the castle toward Cerena’s tower, the menagerie bounding along behind us, guards trailing them. I ignored the stares of the courtiers we passed. They were all shaken by the earthquake anyway.
When we reached the base of the mage’s spire, we could immediately tell what was wrong. The entire tower had turned into a giant mass of vines. Flowering plants had erupted through the stone floor. Bright pink coral honeysuckle, drooping purple wisteria blossoms, orange trumpets, flowers every color of the rainbow bloomed on the tower. In midwinter.
Cerena came down the newly moss-covered steps, her eyes wide. She forgot to hide her limp as she stared in shock at the walls. Her hand pulsed with an orb of fire, that she wielded like a weapon.
One of the orange trumpet flowers suddenly shot off the vine and swallowed the flame in her hand. It glowed, expanding until the flame was a bright ball inside its petals. Then it belched out a puff of smoke and fell to the ground with a sigh.
“What the sard—” Connor whispered next to me. It was a sign of shock that he was cursing in public. Connor never cursed in public. I grabbed his hand.
“Fire eaters,” Declan peered closer at the orange flowers. “Interesting.” Of course, he would find a damned magical flower interesting after everything that happened.
“What in the sard is going on? Who in the sarding hell is this?” Cerena yelled when she saw me.
She jerked her head toward Donaloo, who was following her, a bit of a bewildered grin on his face as his hand traced over some yellow flowers.
