A machine was beeping steadily, his heart rate slow and thready. The heartbeat of a person with one foot in the grave.
There were nurses in the room with him, monitoring his vitals and checking his charts. One of them was changing the dressing on the bite wound, and I winced at how livid and bloody it still was.
None of them saw me, because I was just a projection. But being able to see Raj allowed me to direct my magic.
I let the power flow through me.
The heart rate monitor started beeping more steadily. The nurses looked up, and the one changing the dressing gasped. The wound was knitting itself together, the angry crimson tracks of infection fading until Raj’s skin was as smooth and unblemished as before.
His eyes fluttered open.
For a moment, he stared at the ceiling. Then he sat up groggily, frowning as one of the nurses cried out for the doctor.
“Ugh, not so loud. My head’s pounding,” he complained. He ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up. “What time is it? I’m starving!”
I grinned as I saw the nurses rush to his bedside. Raj may have been pale and thin, but he was still irresistible. He’d be fine.
As if sensing my thoughts, he looked up. And maybe a little of my magic was still coursing through him, because his gaze fastened directly on me.
“Princess?”
I blew him a kiss, and then I was back with Dhav.
“Your wish is granted, master,” I told him. A slow smile spread across his face.
“Raj is awake?”
“Awake, hungry, surrounded by nurses. He’s fine.”
Dhav exhaled in relief.
“Thank the gods. No, thank you.”
“It was my pleasure, master.”
“Stop calling me master,” he growled. “Let’s go.”
“Should we bury Al Uddin?”
“He can lie there and rot, for all I care.”
He took my arm and we walked to the door, leaving Al Uddin’s withered corpse alone and unmourned in the tower. Dhav took a last look back over his shoulder.
“As long as he was alive, my people were in danger. For a hundred years he schemed and plotted. Now it’s over.”
“Good riddance. He was a dick.”
“The way you outwitted him was extraordinary. You got him to condemn himself. You’re like Scheherazade.”
“Who’s she? A babe, I hope.”
His lips twitched.
“She was indeed a ‘babe’. But she was also fiendishly clever. She was a legendary storyteller, weaving tales of magic and genies and thieves and sailors. And with her words, she changed her fate.”
“Well, this is one story no-one’s going to believe. Let’s go. This place gives me the creeps.”
“Me too. I wish the ground would open up and swallow the whole cursed lot of it.”
He realised what he’d said the moment he said it. I felt the power start to well, and knew I couldn’t stop it. Cracks zigzagged across the stone floor, and the walls shook.
We didn’t have much time.
“Run!” I screamed.
We pelted out of the door as the first bricks started to fall out of the tower. Magic streamed from my body.
And the wish was granted.
Chapter Thirty Three
The tower started to collapse as we ran from it. But the land outside was also shaking. The ground split in front of us, huge tranches shearing away from each other. We had to hurdle the yawning chasms that suddenly appeared at our feet.
Rocks fell all around us, shaken loose by the tremors. One landed just inches from me, and only Dhav’s quick reflexes saved me from being crushed.
I knew I was immortal, but I didn’t want to test it out.
“How far does the wish cover?” Dhav yelled.
“To the obelisk.” I pointed to the narrow path along the treacherous ridge. “If we reach the marker on the other side, we’ll be safe.”
The earthquakes made it hard to keep our footing. The pathway was narrow and shaking violently. Dhav started along the ridge, his back flat against the wall. I followed him, hugging the rockface, my feet slipping with every jolt.
A tremor shook the ground and I was flung over the edge.
In terror I grabbed at Dhav, only to find I was floating again. Dhav stared at me.
“Is that a genie thing?”
I tried not to look at the dizzying drop below me. I didn’t know how I was doing it, but it was a useful trick. I let go of Dhav.
“Dhav, I can’t die, but you can. You have to wish us to safety.”
“No.” Dhav started up the path again, narrowly dodging a falling rock. “I only have one wish left. I’m going to give you your freedom.” He glanced over the side. “When we’re off this damn ridge.”
Tree roots burst out of the ground as the land was torn apart, threatening to trip him up. I looked at the obelisk ahead of us. Beyond it, the land was still and untouched. It wasn’t that far away, but Dhav had to navigate a treacherous path.
Behind us, the tower started sinking. The ground opened up like a hungry mouth, and the blackened column with its solitary corpse slowly slid into it.
I floated next to Dhav as he made his way towards safety. He lost his footing a few times, and my heart thudded in terror every time he was thrown towards the edge. But he was agile and strong, and managed to save himself.
He nearly made it.
I honestly thought he was going to be okay. I even felt a smile start to break out on my face as he reached the obelisk. He only had to take one step further, and he’d be off the ridge.
Behind us, Al Uddin’s land groaned as the tower was finally swallowed up. It gave one last shattering vibration, one last tremor that sent a tsunami of earth travelling along the path. Dhav was flung into the void.
One minute he was clinging to the path, the next he was gone.
I screamed his name, my stomach clenching in terror.
“Dhav! No!”
Sobbing in fear, I peered over the edge. He was hanging ten metres down, swinging from a tiny protrusion. My relief was short-lived.
His feet scrabbled frantically, trying to find some purchase, but there was none. The rockface was smooth and weather-worn. Worse, the act of grabbing the tiny handhold as he plummeted past had dislocated his shoulder.
His face was etched in pain as he tried to hold on with both hands, but it was too much. His damaged arm dropped to his side and hung awkwardly.
I floated down to him.
“Can you climb up?”
“Not with one arm. Can you help me?”
“Yes, but only if you wish it. I can’t do anything without your wish.”
He smiled ruefully, and his fingers slipped a few millimetres.
“Go back to the path.”
“No, I’m not leaving you here.”
“Go back to the path, little thief. I’m going to free you from the ring, and you need to be standing on something more substantial than air when I do.”
“You can’t ask me to do that.” I was frantic. “Wish us home, Dhav. I’ll be fine like this, it’s not so bad, it…”
“And then what? Give the ring to someone else? Trust that they will free you?”
“Raj would …”
“Even Raj might be tempted by the lure of your wishes. I cannot take the chance. And anyway, I made a promise. Get back onto the path.”
“No, I…”
“Samira.” His voice was patient but there was sweat on his face, and his eyes were clouded with pain. “I am going to fall. There is no preventing this.”
As if to underline his words, his fingers slipped another millimetre. My stomach churned with fear.
“Dhav, please...”
“I cannot hold on much longer.”
“I’m not leaving you! Just wish us somewhere safe.”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe. After everything that had happened, I couldn’t believe fate would be so cruel as to take him from me.
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“Samira, please listen to me. You have to go back to Ashfahaan. You have to tell Raj what happened. He’s in charge now. He doesn’t believe he can be a good ruler, but the people love him. You have to help him. Please do this for me.”
His face was taut with pain, but he looked at me steadily. He had accepted his fate, he needed me to accept it as well. I knew he would never use the last wish to save himself at the expense of my freedom.
I both loved him for it, and hated him.
I nodded, tears spilling down my face. Heart breaking, I floated up till I was back on firm ground. I fell to my knees, too stricken to stand.
I couldn’t let him go without telling him how I felt. I’d only just realised what he meant to me. Now I was losing him.
I peered over the edge, sobbing.
“Dhav, I need to tell you something.”
“No time, little thief. I wish you were free and no longer a genie.”
His eyes met mine and he smiled. And then he fell.
In that moment, I changed.
My cells rippled and altered. The iron band around my arm snapped open and fell to the ground. My will was my own again.
As my freedom was restored, my magic shifted. All the unimaginable power that had been coursing through my body faded in an instant, leaving behind only that which had always been mine.
The power of the air.
I flexed my fingers, no longer a genie.
And without a second thought, I jumped.
Chapter Thirty Four
My heart leapt into my mouth as I plummeted like a stone. Whatever genie talent for levitation I had before, it was well and truly gone.
I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, except I couldn’t let Dhav die. Or at least, I amended silently as my fall accelerated, I couldn’t let him die alone.
Dhav was below me, his eyes closed. If I wanted to catch him, I had to defy the laws of physics.
I forced the air behind me to push me down faster. The ground was far below us but we were hurtling towards it fast. And our velocity made any kind of control difficult. I reached towards him but he was too far away.
In desperation I tried to shape a cushion of wind beneath Dhav’s body to slow his descent. I’d never tried to catch anything moving this fast before, but gran’s voice was clear in my head from all those countless lessons.
Size and weight are irrelevant. Wind can tear down trees, tornados can destroy entire cities. Concentrate.
I redoubled my efforts, straining to thicken the air under his plunging form. At the same time, I tried to reduce the wind resistance between us. I knew I was attempting to do something far beyond my experience, probably beyond my capabilities.
I gritted my teeth and dug deep, the blood thundering in my ears. My heart pounded like a jackhammer and I felt like I was running a marathon. I poured my strength into slowing him down.
And little by little, inch by inch, I closed the gap.
With a final push, I reached out and grabbed his shirt. His eyes flew open.
“Samira! What…?”
“Hold on,” I told him.
He wrapped his arms round my waist, wincing from the pain of his dislocated shoulder. I put both hands out, concentrating. Wind churned through my fingers, pushing upwards, fighting back against gravity.
But the ground was coming up too fast, and I was already exhausted.
We were falling horizontally, the full length of my body resting on his. The wind stung my face, my hair flying all around us.
I concentrated furiously, reining in my panic. I’d never tried to overcome so much momentum before. And I’d never had to support the weight of two falling bodies.
I saw the rocks below me. Fear clutched at me as I strove to increase the power from my hands. I was nearly at my limit.
We started to slow, but not fast enough.
I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t save us. I didn’t want to look at the ground. I looked into Dhav’s eyes instead. At least we would be together at the end, I thought. It was better than dying alone.
Maybe Dhav saw the fight leave my eyes. Maybe he sensed my hopelessness. He brought his lips to my ear.
“I trust you, little thief.”
And I knew I couldn’t give up.
I hurled the last of my strength into my power. I fought to find the sweet spot, the point of balance that would overcome gravity and halt our descent. And maybe it was my imagination, but the wind howling past us seemed to ease.
I started to pant, my muscles straining with the exertion. Only adrenaline was keeping me going now. I made one last herculean effort, and my hair dropped to my shoulders.
I nearly sobbed in relief as finally, miraculously, we stopped.
We hung in mid-air, my power compensating for the pull of the earth. I gathered my strength, looking at the terrain below us. Too damn close for comfort.
Cautiously, I turned us upright, wrapping my legs round Dhav to keep him from falling. It was easier to manoeuvre now that I no longer had velocity to overcome, but he was still a heavier weight than I was used to and my control was fragile.
“Are we flying?” he asked.
“More like falling, just very, very slowly. Try not to think about it.”
“I’m finding it hard to think of anything right now.”
He gazed at me frankly. I realised how intimately we were entwined, my legs practically around his hips, and the heat rose in my cheeks.
“Sorry, I can’t hold you otherwise.”
“I’m not complaining.”
His hands tightened round my waist.
“Don’t make me lose concentration,” I warned him. “I need to bring us down safely.”
“So kissing you is out of the question?”
“Definitely. Unless you don’t mind dying.”
“In your arms?” He nuzzled my ear and we dipped alarmingly. “That is my idea of heaven.”
“Dhav…”
“I apologise, little thief. I will behave. Although…” his eyes glittered deliciously, “I cannot promise that will be the case when we have our feet on the ground.”
A thrill shivered through my body, and I had to force myself to focus. I reduced the supporting energy of my air, and we started to descend.
I controlled our speed, aware my reserves were nearly out. The ground crept closer. I started to shake with exhaustion.
“Samira, are you okay?”
Dhav’s voice was taut with concern but I couldn’t answer. I was concentrating too hard.
Sweat dripped from my brow. I’d never tried to go beyond my limits before. I felt thin and stretched, as delicate as tissue paper. Tears squeezed from the corner of my eyes.
The last of my power ran out when we were still ten metres up. Gravity suddenly kicked in and we dropped like stones.
Dhav hit the ground and rolled, crying out in pain as his shoulder was jarred. I landed awkwardly, my ankle twisting beneath me.
I lay on my back, trying not to throw up. The ridge we’d fallen from was so far above us, I couldn’t even see it.
Dhav came and sat next to me, cradling his arm.
“You need to work on your landings,” he observed. I reached out and slapped him. “Ow!”
“Shit, sorry.” I dragged myself up, so tired I wanted to sleep for a week. “Let me see.”
“The shoulder’s come out of the joint.”
“Can I help?”
He shook his head. Getting to his feet, he went to the rockface and without hesitation, rammed the front of his shoulder into it.
There was a sickening ‘pop’ and he swore loudly. But when he straightened up, his arm was back where it should be.
“They teach you that at Sandhurst?” I asked.
“Eton. It was a surprisingly violent place.” He held out his hand. “Can you walk?”
I tested my ankle gingerly, hissing in pain.
“I don’t think it’s broken, but it’s badly sprained.”
“Definitely
not a genie anymore.”
“Nope. Immortality revoked.”
“Your hair is still long though. Not everything has reversed.”
I hadn’t thought of that. I ran my fingers through my locks, and realised it was even longer than before. Genie length.
I quickly examined the rest of me. The rebirth I’d experienced seemed permanent. None of the old childhood scars which had vanished during my transformation had come back. Nor had the wounds inflicted on me by Al Uddin reappeared.
I was a clean slate.
I pulled up my T-shirt, squinting. Even my old appendectomy scar was gone.
“Cool. Wonder if my appendix is back too? Shit. Does that mean I’ll need it taken out again?”
“I think there are more important things to worry about.”
“True. So what now?”
“Well, the good news is the fall has shaved a day off our journey home. The bad news is, I’m going to have to carry you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I can hobble. Or you can go on ahead and…”
“No.” His voice was firm. “We stick together. Besides, you’re exhausted.”
He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He scooped me up in his arms, ignoring my protests. I tried to make it easier by linking my arms around his neck.
The next few hours were tortuous. We stopped for frequent rests, and my ankle improved enough for me to limp short distances. But eventually Dhav would tire of the achingly slow pace, and gather me up again. His shoulder must have been painful, but he never complained.
The sun began dipping towards the horizon by the time we were approaching the lower foothills.
“Do you want to rest?” I asked.
We were both grimy, sweaty and exhausted. But I was glad when he shook his head.
“We’re not far now. I think we can make it back to the village by nightfall.”
“Let me walk for a bit. You don’t have to carry me all the way.”
“You saved my life. Twice. It’s the least I can do. And then we will have to talk about a proper reward.”
“You’ve already promised me sapphires, remember?” I said airily. “That’s all I really want, you know.”
“Is it? Are you sure?”
“Maybe diamonds? And my own jet would be nice.”
Mark of the Djinn: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Romance Page 20