“My name is Geneva,” she said simply. “And I am a witch.”
“You don’t look like a witch,” I said, the image of Camelia popping into my mind. Camelia was solid and… alive. “You look like a ghost.”
“I suppose I do, don’t I?” She raised a hand in front of her eyes and looked through it, smiling sadly. “I appear this way because my kind turned against me. They cursed me. They created the curse just for me. They named it the ‘genie curse.’” She laughed, although her laugh sounded hollow—defeated. “A play on my name. They thought it was clever.” She reached out to touch the nearest object—a crystal ball of some sort—but her hand passed right through it. She snarled at her hand and let it fall back to her side. “I’m powerless to do anything for myself. I feel like a ghost. That’s all I am—a ghost of who I used to be.”
Questions raced through my mind—mainly if she could get me out of this cave—but demanding her to do something for me hardly seemed like a smart way to begin this relationship. So instead, I started with something else.
“Why did they curse you?” I asked, trying to swallow down the suspicion rising in my throat. Because Camelia had warned me that the objects in this cave were dangerous if not controlled by a witch who knew what she was doing. And if Geneva’s kind had turned against her, I assumed they had a reason.
It was probably why Camelia had warned me against touching the gem.
“Jealousy,” she said, her eyes darkening. “I was the most powerful witch in the world. The others were afraid of my powers. So, what do people do when they’re afraid? Destroy the object of their fear. In their case—me.”
“But they didn’t destroy you,” I said. “You’re here.”
“Barely.” She huffed. “In case you didn’t notice, I’m bound inside that ring on your finger. And my magic no longer belongs to me.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “Who does your magic belong to?”
She stared straight at me, her gaze sharp, and said, “My magic belongs to you.”
Annika
“But I’m not a witch,” I said. “I can’t do magic.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Think for a second about what they named my curse,” she said. “The genie curse. What do you know about genies, Annika?”
“You know my name,” I realized again. “I never told you my name.”
“I’m the most powerful witch in the world.” She straightened. “I have strong psychic abilities. But back to the point—the curse. What do you know about genies?”
“Genies are trapped inside lamps,” I said, and I held the ring out in front of me, everything clicking into place. “Or rings.”
“Yes.” She pressed her fingers together and leaned forward. “Continue.”
“I touched the ring—which I guess could be compared to rubbing a lamp—and you came out of it,” I said. “And you said your magic belongs to me. So does that mean I get three wishes? Like if you were a genie?”
“Worse.” Geneva frowned. “You see, my magic was so strong that the witches couldn’t kill me. So they trapped me in that ring and locked it in this cursed cavern. They never expected anyone to be able to enter and retrieve it. They intended for the ring—and myself—to be lost forever. Because as long as my spirit is connected to the ring, I’m bound to serve its wearer for as long as the ring belongs to them.”
“So you can get me out of this cavern.” I smiled, relieved that for once since being kidnapped last year, things seemed to be working out in my favor. “You can teleport us out of here.”
“I can.” She nodded. “I can take you anywhere in the world.”
Anywhere in the world? My mind raced with the possibilities. That was a huge offer.
The first place that came to mind was the Sanctuary that Jacen had mentioned—the place where humans could go and be free from all supernatural creatures.
But if I went there, what would happen to the ring? To Geneva? Surely she wouldn’t be allowed inside the Sanctuary. And Jacen… he’d risked so much to help me escape. I hadn’t seen him since Camelia and her guards had attacked us in the mountains. I didn’t know if he was okay. He didn’t know if I was okay.
Given all that he’d done for me, I needed to see him again.
And then there was Camelia. As much as I was wary of her, we’d made a blood oath. She’d promised to turn me into a vampire if I gave her the ring.
“What are you thinking, girl?” Geneva asked.
“I thought you were psychic,” I said. “Shouldn’t you know what I’m thinking?”
“It doesn’t work like that,” she said.
“Oh.” I frowned. “Well, I was thinking about a lot of things. Mainly that I’m not sure where I would go. You see, the vampires of the Vale killed my family. And given all that I know of the supernatural world, I could never return to living a normal human life.”
“Do you want me to wipe your memory of the knowledge of the supernatural?” she asked. “Because it’s in my power to do so. And if you wish it, I can—”
“No!” I said sharply. “I don’t want to forget. I won’t be ignorant. I won’t let myself be a victim ever again.”
“Good.” She smiled. “I was hoping you would say that.”
“Also, I made a blood oath with Camelia,” I told her. “She’s the strongest witch of the Vale. She has to follow through with her promise to me.”
“What did you promise her?” Geneva raised an eyebrow. “Because blood oaths are a strong, ancient magic—so strong that even I cannot reverse them.”
“I promised her that I would give her the ring, and she promised that in return she would try her hardest to convince Queen Laila to turn me into a vampire.”
“Those were the exact words?” Geneva asked.
“I think.” I scratched my head, trying to recall the conversation we’d had in the dungeons. I still hadn’t recovered from the vampire blood hangover at that point, so my memories were hazy. “I suppose I don’t remember the exact wording. But it was close.”
“Well, luckily you have me on your side.” Geneva reached for the crystal nearby, but her hand passed through it again. “Rhatz!” she cursed, turning back to me. “I can’t interact with anything in the mortal world unless you command me to do so.”
“What were you trying to do?” I asked.
“I was going to use the crystal to view the moment when you made the blood oath with this witch Camelia,” she said.
“Okay.” I nodded. “Then I command you to use the crystal to view the moment I made the blood oath with Camelia.”
Geneva reached for the crystal again, and this time, she was able to touch it. She grinned and pulled the crystal onto her lap, her hands hovering above it as she gazed inside.
“Well?” I asked, leaning forward. “What do you see?”
She looked up at me and smiled. “I saw the moment you made the oath with Camelia,” she said. “She promised that if you gave her the sapphire ring, she would tell Queen Laila of your feat and do everything in her power to convince her to turn you into a vampire.”
“If,” I realized. “Not when.”
“Exactly.” Geneva smirked. “You’re under no oath to give my ring to this witch Camelia. In fact, I urge you not to do so. This witch never had your best intentions at heart.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. “She swore that she would do everything in her power to turn me into a vampire.”
“She also told everyone in the palace that you were dead,” Geneva said simply. “Including your vampire prince Jacen.”
“No.” I shook my head, my heart dropping deep into my stomach. “She wouldn’t.”
“She would,” Geneva said.
“Even if she did, he wouldn’t believe it,” I insisted. “Not without seeing a body.”
“Your instincts are correct,” Geneva said. “While you were sedated, Camelia stole a strand of your hair and created a transformation potion. She gave the potion to your friend Tanya—th
e short blonde girl who worked at that bar with you. Once Tanya had taken on your form, Camelia had her killed. She showed the girl in your form as proof of your demise.”
I shook my head, unwilling to so easily accept that Tanya was gone. “That doesn’t make any sense.” I reached for the crystal, but Geneva pulled it away.
“Do not touch that.” She held it out of my reach, her eyes ablaze.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because as long as you wear my ring, it’s my duty to protect you,” she said. “And the dark crystals contain powerful magic that kills non-witches on contact.”
“Oh.” I flexed my fingers, shocked that I’d just been millimeters away from death—and grateful to Geneva for saving me. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me,” she said. “If a wearer of the ring dies on my watch, I’ll be trapped in its depths until the end of time. I will always save its wearer. Anything else would mean condemning myself to an eternity of imprisonment.”
I wanted to point out how selfish that sounded, but I kept my mouth shut. Because she was my only hope—and she was apparently bound to do as I said and keep me alive—so I had to make sure this relationship got off on the right footing.
“Tanya’s truly dead?” I asked instead, my voice cracking.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
I didn’t respond to her empty condolences. Geneva didn’t care about my grief. In fact, I had an instinctive feeling that all Geneva cared about was herself.
Luckily, Geneva’s self was tied to my self. And I wanted revenge. On Camelia, for killing Mike and Tanya. On Laila, for creating this kingdom that treated humans like animals. On all the vampire nobles who followed her blindly, enjoying their lives in the palace while we lived in poverty. And on the vampire guards who had killed my family, along with countless other innocent lives.
And I had the most powerful witch in the world at my disposal to help me do so.
I would not let this opportunity go to waste.
“I should go to Jacen,” I realized, running my hands through my hair. “He’ll help me figure out what to do from here.”
“Are you so sure about him?” Geneva asked with a knowing smile.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “He tried to save my life. He’ll help me. I know he will.”
She placed the crystal down between us, watching me carefully. “When I looked for the moment when you made the blood oath with Camelia, I saw something else as well,” she said. “Something that I think you’ll want to see.”
“Show me,” I told her. “I command it.”
Then she held her hands above the crystal and showed me Jacen’s heartless reaction when he’d learned of my death.
Annika
“No.” I shook my head, blinking away a tear as I watched his reaction for the second time. “He couldn’t have meant it.”
“Vampires are cold, selfish creatures,” Geneva said sharply. “Usually it takes over a century for them to lose touch with their humanity, but others give in more easily.” She gestured toward Jacen, as if referring to him.
I watched the scene once more, searching for a sign that Jacen cared. But I found none. Instead, my heart broke again as I watched him say that he cared nothing for me. That he was bored and I was a toy.
That it likely wouldn’t have been long until he tired of me and drained me dry.
He was so cold and emotionless. So unlike the person I’d believed him to be when we met in the village square.
“There’s still one thing that doesn’t make sense,” I said, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “Why would Camelia make the oath to do everything possible to turn me into a vampire and then go to such measures to make everyone think I was dead?”
“There are many ways around a blood oath.” Geneva pressed the pads of her fingers together, appearing deep in thought. “Camelia never spoke her intentions out loud, and I cannot read her thoughts, but as a fellow witch I can tell you what I might do in her position if she truly wanted you dead.”
“Go on,” I said, needing to hear it.
“She could ask Laila to turn you into a vampire, and once the transformation was complete, she could kill you.”
“She wouldn’t.” I gasped.
“She would.” Geneva leaned forward, as if daring me to contradict her. “I saw a lot when I gazed into the crystal. I learned that Camelia is desperate for immortality—she wants to become a vampire. Laila promised she would turn her if she found a witch powerful enough to be her replacement.”
“Which was why she was so intent on finding your ring,” I realized. “And using me to get what she wanted.”
“Exactly,” Geneva said. “Perhaps you’re not as dimwitted as I initially thought.”
“I’m not dimwitted.” I crossed my arms and glared at her. “It’s just… this is a lot to take in at once.”
“For a human, I suppose it would be,” she said, brushing me off the same way all the supernaturals seemed to do. “And I assume you’re going to have many questions. So before we discuss what you want from me, I should explain my limitations.”
“I thought you were the most powerful witch in the world,” I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Surely you have no limitations?”
“Everyone has limitations.” She rolled her eyes. “Even the angels themselves. Now, do you want to hear what mine are, or not?” She studied her nails, as if she had better places to be, and glanced back up at me, waiting.
“Of course I do.” I leaned back against the wall, making myself comfortable. “Go ahead.”
“Thank you.” She cleared her throat, straightening her shoulders. “First of all, I can’t communicate with or bring back the dead,” she started, and my heart dropped at the bomb that I couldn’t bring back my parents, my brother, Mike, or Tanya. “Don’t look so disappointed.” She sneered. “A million people would kill to wear that ring on your finger.”
I twisted the ring, gazing down at it sadly. She might be right, but it didn’t stop me from missing my family and friends.
Still, I got a hold of myself, refocusing on the conversation at hand.
“Is that your only limitation?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “But I don’t have many, so this won’t take much longer.”
I motioned for her to continue.
“Along with not being able to raise the dead, I also can’t kill anyone,” she said. “At least, not with magic.”
“Have you ever killed anyone without magic?” I asked.
“That’s none of your concern.” She waved away my question. “Especially since I can’t interact with the mortal world, and you only have command of my magic. So even if I wanted to kill someone without magic, I wouldn’t be able to do so. I could use my magic to get you in the position to kill someone, but the killing would be on you.”
“Good to know.” I nodded, feeling more and more suspicious of her by the second. With everything she said, I worried that the witches truly did have good reasons for locking her away forever.
But now, she was on my side. I couldn’t let myself forget that, no matter what other crazy things she might say. And she was right that a million people would kill to have possession of this ring.
I wouldn’t let my luck go to waste.
“I can’t manipulate or travel through time,” she continued. “And lastly, I can’t make anyone fall in love. Love potions and spells—as fascinating as they would be—are things of mythology. They don’t exist.”
“I wouldn’t have anyone to use one on, anyway,” I muttered.
“Not even your handsome, silver-eyed prince?” She smirked.
My heart broke at the mere mention of Jacen. “He hates me.” I tried to sound as cold as he’d sounded when he’d said he was toying with me and would eventually kill me, but my voice wavered, giving away how much he’d hurt me.
“Perhaps,” Geneva said. “But men are fickle creatures. Totally untrustworthy, if you ask me.”
<
br /> “Bad experience?” I asked.
“I was the most powerful witch in the world,” she reminded me for the gazillionth time. “Men don’t like women who are stronger than they are. It emasculates them.” She crossed her arms, and I couldn’t help smiling slightly, proud of myself for hitting a nerve in her seemingly icy interior.
But of course, she recovered nearly immediately.
“Now you know my limitations, and you know the truth about those you thought you trusted,” she continued. “So tell me, young mortal… what do you wish for?”
Annika
I pressed my lips together, contemplating her question.
What did I wish for?
My two closest friends were gone. My family was gone. My grandparents had been dead for years, and both of my parents had been only siblings. So I didn’t have any extended family who might want to care for me. And even if I did, I could never go back to living a normal life. Not after everything I now knew existed.
I wrapped my arms around myself, my chest feeling hollow, and it hurt to breathe. Because there was no one left who cared about me. No one left who loved me.
I was alone in the world.
My thoughts wandered to Jacen—to the person I thought he’d been when he was trying to help me escape. During the time we’d been together, I’d actually let myself feel something for him. I’d thought he’d felt something for me, too. But I was being desperate and foolish. Pinning any bit of hope on a person I’d just met. A person who apparently had eventually planned on murdering me.
I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
So what did I want right now?
I wanted revenge.
Revenge on the vampires of the Vale—all of them. They’d ruined my life in every possible way. And not just my life. They’d ruined countless lives. They needed to be stopped. The humans who were trapped in the village needed to be freed.
I wanted to destroy the Vale… but how? It was so carefully guarded, not just by vampires, but by wolves. The vampires never let anyone inside the palace except for their own.
The Vampire Wish: The Complete Series (Dark World) Page 15