Three Wishes

by Debra Dunbar

  She was just as frustrated. “Oh, wow, why didn’t I think of that? Let me just run down a few blocks and ask the neighborhood sorcerer to come give us a hand. It’s a lost art, Dar. Magic in today’s world is for children’s parties and charlatans.”

  Dar crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Got a better idea?”

  No, she didn’t. Asta blew a loose strand of hair away from her face. “So the genie completes his service by granting three carefully worded wishes; the sorcerer, assuming we can even find one, immediately banishes him back to Hel, and all is right in the world.”

  It was a good solution—the genie would be released and sent to his infernal home before any damage could be done. The only issue was the appalling lack of skilled sorcerers or mages. Demons were masters at debate and loopholes. Any issue with the wishes or a mispronunciation or badly drawn rune at the banishment and it could all go horribly wrong.

  What a moral dilemma. She didn’t like the thought of executing a demon for being unwillingly summoned and commanded to serve a human, but she could hardly let one blow up half of Chicago. “It’s going to take us a while to find a magic user that we can trust not to botch this. I’m going to ask Carter for the bottle for safekeeping until we locate an appropriate mage.”

  Dar rolled his eyes “That’s not going to work. If you’re insistent on getting the bottle, then nab Carter Phelps, drag him into a back alley, and punch him until he gives it to you. Or break into his hotel room, blow past all the security and steal it. What’s he going to do, call the police? You’ve gotten away with shoplifting dresses for this long; a bottle shouldn’t be beyond your skills.”

  His dig about her less savory sins stung, and Asta began to wonder where the Dar she’d seen in Stanley’s pub had gone. Had she really kissed him? Been ready to have intimate relations with him in a tub?

  “I’m not going to beat him up or steal one of his most valued possessions. I’ll talk to him, explain the situation. He’s a good man; he’ll give me the bottle.”

  “Riiiiight. You’re an angel, and I’m a demon, and his grandmother’s knick-knack that he worships at twice a day contains an angry and violent genie. He’s going to think you’ve snapped from the trauma of your childhood in Rwanda and call in the guys in white jackets to take you away.”

  “I’ll convince him.” That tremor in her voice didn’t sound very confidence inspiring. “He’ll hand over the bottle, and then we just have to find someone skilled enough to safely release the genie. It might take a few decades, but I think eventually we’ll find someone.” What was this ‘we’? She was going to be gone in a few days, handing this over to some other angel.

  She didn’t want to hand this over to another angel. She didn’t want another angel in her town, and she certainly didn’t want another angel working with Dar—or doing other things with Dar.

  The demon raised his eyebrows. “Okay. You’re the boss.”

  Asta sighed and smoothed back her hair, thankful he finally seemed to be going along with her plan. Now she just had to try and convince Carter to give her the bottle and find a decent mage somewhere on this planet. Work. Once more, work was ruining what had turned into one of the best evenings of her life.

  “I had a wonderful time tonight, and I really appreciate your efforts to get me this information. But... umm, I won’t be able to join you in the tub, or... you know.”

  For the sake of Creation, she sounded like a blushing teenager.

  The demon nodded, his expression inscrutable. “Figured. Maybe next time.”

  “Yeah.” Asta felt her heart sink. They both knew that next time would never come. “Yeah. Next time.”

  Chapter 10

  The croissant broke into a buttery shower as she bit into it, the center a sweet mixture of chocolate and almond paste.

  “Tell me more about your village leader—the one who raised you. I’m assuming he’s still alive, and you’ll get to see him when you go back to Rwanda.”

  The pastry turned to dust in her mouth. More lies she’d need to concoct, and the whole time she was struggling with how to get this man to give up an item so precious that he’d carried it to a convention and displayed it in his bedroom.

  “Gabriel is... strict about rules and the letter of the law. Everyone sees him as this unbending, authoritarian, but he can be amazingly kind and patient. I don’t ever thing I’ve seen him laugh, though.” Asta shook her head, comparing the angel with Dar. “He’s more blunt than the other ang—village leaders. You always know how he feels about you or your actions.”

  It was easy to know when Gabriel was proud or disappointed in her, unlike the head of the Grigori—her current boss. That angel was scary, inscrutable. Sometimes she thought she was doing right, only to find herself facing his considerable anger. Other times, she was sure she’d screwed up and been amazed to receive his praise. At least with Gabriel, she knew where she stood.

  “What was your grandmother like?”

  Carter looked down into his coffee cup. When he raised his eyes, they were dark with sadness. “Encouraging. I couldn’t... I don’t articulate my ideas well, unlike my father and mother. Everyone thought I was slow, or maybe handicapped in some way. Gran never thought that. She’d wait until I managed to get the words out, or help me find a way to express myself. She’s the only one who believed in me.”

  “And look at you now.” Asta gestured to the man. “Owner of a successful company, a renowned expert in data security. She’d be proud to see what you’ve become.”

  A shadow crossed the man’s face, and he looked back into his coffee cup. “I don’t know. I’ve done things she wouldn’t be proud of, taken some shortcuts.”

  Haven’t we all. “The business world is often ruthless. Understandably, we sometimes lose our way. It’s what we do when we find we’ve strayed from the path that matters most.”

  Sheesh, she sounded just like Gabriel. When had that happened?

  “It’s for the greater good. I mean, yes, I’ve certainly benefitted, but the world will benefit, too. I’m trying to make it a safer place for all businesses—big and small. No one should find their company bankrupt because of these thieves.”

  How had this conversation turned into a confessional? It wasn’t her place to judge this man or hand out forgiveness, and even if it was, she had more pressing matters on her plate right now.

  “I remember you said she left you some of her things, and that you always have them with you.” Ugh. Worst transition ever. Could she be any more obvious? “What were they? Your grandfather’s pocket watch or lucky coin? Something like that?”

  He shrugged. “She left me our old pack of playing cards, a picture, and a couple of other things. They’re a reminder of her when I’m far from home.”

  What now? “I’d really like to see them if that offer is still open.” Carter gave her a quizzical look, and Asta realized just how terrible that had sounded. She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested in him, and now she wanted to go to his hotel room to see an old pack of playing cards. It sounded like a really stupid excuse to get—.

  Oh. The angel struggled a bit with the ethics of what she was about to suggest. I’m so going to Hel.

  “I mean... .” she laughed, peeking up at Carter from under her eyelashes like she’d seen a million human women do to various men. “I’ve enjoyed talking with you these last few days, and I know you have work to do, but maybe we could have dinner tonight? Up in your hotel room, where we could be alone and... talk?”

  Yes, definitely going to Hel.

  “But I thought you and Dar...?”

  Her and Dar. Dinner, Karaoke, the little Polish bar, kissing him in the alley. “No, that was strictly business. He’s interested in more, but I’m not.”

  Liar. She was very, very interested in more. Would the demon be angry at her for this date with Carter? Would he be jealous? A shiver of anticipation ran through her. She’d tasted his anger yesterday. What would he be like if he were really furious?
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  Probably very sexy.

  “Eight o’clock then?” She took a napkin with a scribbled address on it from the human, realizing with a guilty start that he’d been speaking while she’d been lost in sinful fantasy.

  She flashed him her most brilliant smile, feeling like a horrible deceiver. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  ***

  “What are these?” Wyatt picked up one of the blue USB sticks, turning it over in his hand.

  “Carter Phelps’s latest security software. Full-blown version, hasn’t even hit the market yet.” Dar let that sink in for a moment. “I broke into the convention center early this morning, fried all the security cameras, and stole the entire lot. I don’t know if he has more stashed away elsewhere, but this should bring a fortune on the black market. Take one.”

  “Thanks. What will this cost me?” Wyatt tossed the blue stick from hand to hand, eyeing Dar with suspicion. Smart human. Demons never do anything without an ulterior motive, and they never give something away for free.

  “I need your help. Phelps has a genie in a bottle in his hotel room, and I’m not sure if he’s unaware of it, or cleverly using the demon to his advantage. Call me cynical, but I’m wondering if his success in the IT security world is due to supernatural help.”

  “That might explain it.” Wyatt pocketed the USB stick. “He kind of came out of nowhere five years ago and hit it out of the park with his first product. I’m sure the guy is bright, but I’m suspicious that his software is consistently in the right place at the right time.”

  “So the innocent-and-honest routine is a ruse?” Dar frowned. “I can usually spot a con artist, but this guy just strikes me as dim. He might know his way around a computer, but he hardly seems ruthless enough to pull off that kind of success. Maybe there’s a silent partner doing the dirty work for the business?”

  Wyatt pulled the USB stick out and looked closely at it. “Like a demon silent partner? I don’t really like the guy, but he doesn’t seem the type to be working hand-in-hand with a demon.”

  “So let’s say the genie has nothing to do with his success. Do you think Phelps is somehow orchestrating the cyber attacks?”

  “Either that or he’s the luckiest guy in the world. Or he’s got some way of telling the future.” Wyatt shrugged.

  “Nobody is that lucky. I’m betting that Phelps is either the unwitting dupe of this genie, or his idiot routine fooled me and he’s cashing in his wishes for business success.”

  “What kind of demon would have the expertise to rocket a cyber-security firm from nothing to top-of-the-line? Most I’ve met can barely work their smart phones.”

  Dar nodded. “That’s got me stumped too. From the look of the bottle, the genie has been in there at least six-hundred years. That’s making me lean more towards the partners-in-cybercrime angle.”

  Wyatt winced. “Six-hundred years? That’s a long time. If Phelps is cashing in his wishes, I hope he knows what he’s doing or that genie is going to shred him like a pulled-pork sandwich when he gets out.”

  “That’s another problem. I don’t know if Phelps has the means or the know-how to banish the demon once the contract is complete.”

  “Well, doesn’t this sort of thing always involve three wishes? Maybe he’s purposely holding back on one wish so the genie stays in the bottle.”

  Humans, they always underestimated the cunning of a demon. “Then he really is a fool. If he lets one wish slip—say, on a falling star or something—then the genie is out of the bottle, and everyone in the blast radius is going to be pretty much fucked.”

  Wyatt gave Dar a narrow-eyed glance. “You’re a rat. Steal the thing and bury it somewhere. I’m assuming Phelps has to have it in hand to cash in his wishes?”

  Dar raised a shoulder. “Fucked if I know. Personally, I think we’re better off killing Phelps so the contract rebounds to the full three wishes then finding a human we can bribe or threaten to get the genie safely out of the bottle.”

  “Let me guess: the angel you’re sniffing after has a problem with that approach?”

  Yeah, she did. “So here’s the deal: in exchange for the software on the stick, I want you to dissect it and get an idea of what Phelps is planning.”

  Wyatt nodded. “But you figured I was going to do that anyway. So, what’s the other part of the deal?”

  “Dig hard into Carter Phelps’s background. If he’s got three wishes, I need to know what number he’s on.”

  Wyatt pursed his lips, pocketing the stick. “Deal.”

  ***

  “What do you mean he’s planning something?” Asta demanded. “Planning what? It’s a remembrance item from his grandmother. He’s got no idea what it is.”

  “Don’t you find it a little convenient that a guy with no business background builds an internationally known company from scratch that’s worth tens of billions of dollars in less than five years?”

  What was he talking about? “Humans have auspicious moments, and there have been companies in the past with similar stories. Yes, it’s rare, but it happens. Sometimes people win the luck lottery.”

  Dar raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Yeah, if an angel is rigging the lottery. Or in this case, a genie.”

  “Not always. He’s a smart man, and he has a quality product. People recognize that.”

  “Maybe in a Lifetime movie, or a sappy chick-lit romance, but not in real life. I’ve got Wyatt looking into his background.”

  “Wyatt? The ‘idiot’ you introduced me to yesterday?” Asta made little quotation marks with her fingers.

  Dar looked sheepish. “Well, he’s not always an idiot, and he does have his uses. In the meantime, I say we steal the bottle and kill Phelps. Just to be on the safe side.”

  “I can’t kill a human. And neither can you. No one is killing a human.” Asta took a deep breath, squirmed, and looked elsewhere—anywhere but at Dar. Now was the time to come clean with her very questionable approach to getting the bottle. “I asked to have a dinner date with him tonight in his hotel room. He’ll show me the bottle, and I’ll convince him to give it to me.”

  There was a long silence. She sneaked a glance at the demon, but he didn’t appear angry—at least not blustering, sexy angry. Dar stared at her, silver eyes sparking little lights of red. This was bad—very, very bad—and the uncomfortable guilt she’d had the moment she’d proposed the idea to Carter solidified into a hard knot in her chest.

  “You basically propositioned him, you know.” Dar’s voice was cold, his face like chiseled stone. “He’s going to show you a whole lot more than the bottle in his bedroom. Do you plan to take this all the way? You gonna fuck him then run off in the night with his wallet and the bottle like a two-bit prostitute while he sleeps?”

  Asta gasped. Now she was angry on top of feeling guilty. She’d been an idiot, but Dar’s words were like a slap in the face. “No! He’s not like that. This dinner is just for me to look at the bottle, and then I’ll talk him into giving it up.”

  “Oh, he’ll give it up all right.” Dar made a growling noise. “If he so much as unbuttons his fly, I’m going to rip his cock off at the base and shove it down his throat.”

  What was that about? Jealousy was understandable given what happened between them last night, but Dar’s violence seemed a bit over the top.

  “There will be no cause for ripping cocks off, I promise you. I don’t have sex with humans. That would be a terrible violation of their trust. Plus the gross imbalance of power and skills between us... yuck, just yuck.”

  That seemed to calm the demon down a bit. He was still a nine out of ten on the anger scale, but at least he wasn’t on the verge of emasculating any human males.

  “Okay.” Dar’s voice was sharp, the red lights still in his gray eyes. “But if you don’t get him to give you the bottle, I’m stealing it. And I’m killing him. I may just kill him anyway, out of general principle.”

  “No killing. Do you hear me? No killing.”

 
; “Fine.”

  Asta glared at the demon. ‘Fine’ sounded less like he agreed with her mandate and more like he was just pushing the conversation aside for later discussion.

  “And if we can’t find a sorcerer or a human we trust to make the wishes? Then what? We can’t exactly babysit this bottle until the end of time.”

  She drummed her fingers against her leg in thought. “Maybe we can just pitch the whole thing through the gate to Hel and be done with it.”

  The genie was a demon, after all. Maybe the other demons in Hel had some way of getting him out of the bottle that wouldn’t result in worldwide death and destruction. And if it did... well, they were demons; they were better able to handle an enraged genie than the humans were.

  Dar nodded. “You sure you’re not a demon? Fuck, everything I heard about the brutality of angels is true if you’d consider such a thing. Only a human can release the genie. You’d be condemning him to all eternity trapped in a bottle. There are humans in Hel, but they’re slaves, and an elven master would never allow one of his sorcerers to release a genie trapped for centuries. There’d be too much backlash.”

  She hadn’t even considered that. Asta bit her lip, wondering the best action out of a whole list of horrible choices. “We’ll find a magic user. Somehow we’ll find one. I’ll get the bottle from Carter, we’ll find a magic user, and there will be no killing.”

  Dar gave her a cool smile. “Okay, if you say so. But if your date tonight doesn’t go as planned, then it’s time to consider my ideas.”

  ***

  Things were very tense at the Genus Micro booth.

  “I haven’t sensed the genie at all,” Asta whispered. She’d been staking out Phelps’s hotel, figuring if the human activated his final wish, she’d be there to take out the newly released demon. “How are things here?”

  “Well, Carter is ready to tear everyone a new asshole. They can’t find the software giveaways, and your boyfriend is pretty pissed. Makes me wonder what he had planned with those things. Do they have a virus hidden in them? Is he plotting world domination?”