Page 12

Chapter

Twelve

A sudden tingle of electricity danced across Mandy's skin, making the fine hairs on her arms stand up. She'd started to recognize that sensation as a harbinger of Djinn magic. Sure enough, Jacinth materialized in the middle of her living room, her long black hair flowing as if caught in an invisible breeze.

"Oh good, you're both here!" Jacinth's chocolate-brown eyes sparkled with mischief as she surveyed the scene. "I was hoping to catch you together."

Mozart abandoned Mandy to investigate the newcomer, while Bach merely flicked an ear in acknowledgment before returning to his nap.

"Jacinth." Kieran's deep voice carried a note of resignation. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know me too well?" Jacinth grinned, settling gracefully onto Mandy's couch. The flowing silk caftan she wore shimmered with subtle patterns that seemed to shift and change in the afternoon light.

"Hello Jacinth," Mandy said, unable to suppress a smile at the younger Djinn's infectious enthusiasm. There was something about Jacinth that made everything feel lighter, more possible. "Would you like some tea?" Her eyes met Kieran's with a hint of mischief. "If you can manage another glass?"

Something flickered in his silver-blue eyes as he met her teasing gaze. A delicate glass teacup materialized on the table, steam rising from its depths. Jacinth's eyes danced with amusement as she reached for it.

Jacinth's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she sipped her tea. "So, have you decided on your first wish yet?"

Mandy shifted uncomfortably in her recliner, feeling a blush crawl up her cheeks.

"She has spent considerable time detailing precisely why wealth would be problematic," Kieran said, his deep voice carrying a distinct note of sourness. "Including an intriguing comparison of herself to a crime lord."

Heat crept up Mandy's neck as Jacinth's musical laughter filled the room. "A crime lord? You?" Jacinth's chocolate-brown eyes danced with merriment. "Oh, this I must hear!"

"I just meant it would feel wrong," Mandy protested, sinking deeper into her recliner. "Using magic to get that kind of wealth..." She trailed off, grimacing at how ridiculous it sounded when said aloud.

"And travel is apparently equally impossible," Kieran added, his silvery-blue eyes fixed on Mandy with an intensity that made her skin prickle. "Despite solutions being readily available through aforementioned wealth."

"I explained about that!" Mandy felt her cheeks grow warmer. "It's not just about having the money. It's about..." She waved her hand vaguely, trying to encompass all the complicated emotions surrounding her limitations. "It's about accepting what is, instead of constantly wanting what can't be."

Jacinth's expression softened with understanding, but before she could speak, Kieran cut in, his deep voice carrying an edge of frustration. "What cannot be? When you have been offered the means to make it possible?"

Mandy frowned a bit as she considered how to explain. "It's not that there aren't things I could wish for," she said slowly. "There are so many possibilities. But each one comes with complications, consequences to consider. Like ripples in a pond - one small change affects everything around it. My brain starts spinning through all the what-ifs and maybes until I'm completely overwhelmed."

Mandy shifted uncomfortably under their combined stares.

"In my defense, it's only been a week," she pointed out, lifting her chin slightly. "And I haven't just been sitting here dithering. I've been brainstorming."

She brightened, remembering. "Actually, I did make a spreadsheet!"

Kieran and Jacinth exchanged glances, their otherworldly features a study in confusion.

"A... what?" Kieran's deep voice carried genuine bewilderment.

"A spreadsheet," Mandy repeated, then faltered as their blank stares continued. "You know, with columns and rows? For organizing information?" She gestured vaguely with her hands, trying to illustrate. "Like, I have different categories for possible wishes, with pros and cons listed for each option, and potential consequences to consider..."

Her voice trailed off as the two ancient, magical beings simply stared at her.

Jacinth's musical laughter suddenly filled the room. She doubled over, clutching her sides, her long black hair falling forward to curtain her face. "You made a... a spreadsheet... for magic wishes?" she gasped between peals of laughter.

Heat flooded Mandy's cheeks as Jacinth's laughter echoed through her living room. She sank deeper into her recliner, wishing she could disappear into the cushions.

A quick glance at Kieran made her wince. His otherworldly features had settled into an expression of such profound offense that she half expected him to turn her into a toad on the spot.

Jacinth must have noticed his expression too. She sprang to her feet with preternatural grace.

"Oh! I just remembered something terribly important!" Jacinth's chocolate-brown eyes dancing with mischief. "I'll have to come back later to hear all about this spreadsheet!"

Before either of them could respond, Jacinth vanished in a dramatic poof of blue flame that left a faint scent of cinnamon in the air.

"Traitor," Mandy mumbled, and sneaked a sideways look at Kieran. Maybe it would help if she showed him. She dislodged Bach from her lap, who suffered the indignity with silence, disappearing into her bedroom in high dudgeo. Rolling her eyes at feline drama, pulled her laptop onto her knees and opened it. Once Excel was up, she turned the laptop so he could see the screen.

"See, I can organize everything into categories - Health, Financial, Personal, that sort of thing. Then I can assign priorities to each potential wish. Right now I'm using High, Medium, and Low, but..." She paused, considering. "Actually, a five-star rating system might work better. That would give me more nuance in the rankings."

Kieran stared at her with unnerving intensity. “A five-star system.”

"Yes." She clicked through her categories, turning the laptop to show him how she'd organized her thoughts. "Like here, under Health - obviously fixing my back and knee would be amazing, but there are so many factors to consider. Do I just wish for perfect health? Or should I be more specific about exactly what gets fixed? And what about future health issues?"

Her earlier embarrassment faded as she explained her system, replaced by the familiar comfort of organizing complex information into manageable chunks.

"And here's the Animal Welfare category," she continued, clicking to a new section. "Things like creating a no-kill shelter network, or finding homes for all the strays. The logistics of implementing something like that properly, making sure it's sustainable..."

Mandy clicked to another tab in her spreadsheet. "I have a column for questions too," she said, scrolling down to the relevant section. For instance..." She paused, choosing her words carefully.

"Just hypothetically," she said, taking a steadying breath, "could a wish grant complete fluency in another language? Speaking, reading, writing, understanding - everything?"

The question had been burning in her mind ever since she'd started compiling her spreadsheet. Her memories of struggling with Arabic grammar during her time in Cairo made her wonder if magic could truly grant such comprehensive knowledge.

When Kieran stayed quiet, she pressed on. "Language has so many layers - idioms, cultural context, regional differences, formality levels..." She waved her hands. "Can magic handle all that?"

Kieran's eyes gleamed with something that might have been amusement. "Certainly. Language acquisition is a fairly simple wish to grant." He tilted his head, studying her with that otherworldly intensity. "Did you have a specific language in mind?"

Mandy couldn't help but chuckle at Kieran's question. "After all my reminiscing about Cairo, do you really need to ask?"

His lips curved in a rare smile that transformed his otherworldly features. "I suppose not. So, specifically the Arabic spoken in Cairo?" Kieran's deep voice carried a note of genuine curiosity.

Mandy wrinkled her nose in thought. "Egyptian colloquial Arabic is completely different from classical Arabic in many ways. When I studied there, I studied both. Modern Standard Arabic - that's the classical form - for reading and writing, and Egyptian colloquial for actually talking to people." She smiled, remembering her early struggles with the two varieties. "Related but distinct. Like... imagine if Italians wrote in Latin, although they speak in Italian."

A strange sound made her look up. Kieran, the normally composed Djinn prince, had made something that sounded suspiciously like a laugh - a short, startled burst of amusement that seemed to surprise him as much as it did her.

"That is... a surprisingly apt comparison," he said, his deep voice carrying traces of that unexpected mirth. His silvery-blue eyes gleamed with appreciation for her analogy.

Mandy felt a small thrill of satisfaction at having provoked such a reaction from the usually reserved Djinn.

"It's true though!" she insisted, encouraged by his response. "The grammar structure, the vocabulary - they're connected but different enough that you basically have to learn two separate but related languages." She gestured enthusiastically as she spoke. "And that's just Egyptian Arabic. Every region has its own dialect. Moroccan Arabic is so different from Egyptian that they might as well be separate languages entirely."

She regarded Kieran, her head tilting, as a new thought came to her. "Come to think of it, how do you speak such excellent English? I don't hear even a trace of an accent that would suggest it isn't your first language."

Kieran's his mouth curved in a faint smile that transformed his austere features.

"All Djinn can speak any language we wish," he replied, his deep voice carrying that familiar note of subtle amusement. "We are magical beings - human languages are a natural part of our abilities."

Envy tinged Mandy's thoughts as she considered Kieran's casual revelation about language abilities. An idea sparked.

"Could I..." She hesitated, then pressed on. "Could I wish for that? To understand all languages?" Her mind raced with possibilities before common sense kicked in. "Well, maybe not all of them. Just the major ones in use today?"

Kieran's blue eyes crinkled at the corners, amusement dancing in their depths. "It could be granted," he said, his deep voice carrying a note of caution. "However, I would not recommend it."

"Why not?" Mandy shifted in her chair, curiosity piqued.

"Think of your mind as a computer," Kieran explained, one elegant hand gesturing to her desk. "Downloading that much information at once would be... overwhelming. The human brain isn't designed to process such vast amounts of linguistic data simultaneously."

Mandy winced

"It would be like trying to run too many programs at once." she said, wincing as she imagined the mental overload. Her tendency toward sensory overwhelm already made crowded places challenging - okay, right. She couldn't imagine trying to process multiple languages at once. "System crash."

"Precisely." Kieran's lips twitched. "Though in this case, the 'system crash' would be rather more uncomfortable for you than it would be for a computer."

"No, no," Mandy said, shaking her head emphatically. "I definitely don't want that kind of mental overload. Just Arabic would be fine. But… but I would definitely like both, the spoken Arabic of Cairo, and the standard, classical Arabic to be able to read and write."

Kieran's blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "And does this particular wish merit five stars in your priority system?"

A grin spread across Mandy's face as she glanced at her spreadsheet. "Yes, actually, it does." She paused, remembering one of her favorite literary quotes. "But like Treebeard said, 'we must not be hasty.'"

"Treebeard?" Kieran's elegant brows drew together in confusion.

Mandy stared at him, her mouth falling open slightly. "Don't tell me you've never seen or read The Lord of the Rings?"

Kieran's austere features settled into an expression of refined disdain. "Ah, that fantasy fiction that took the world by storm in the middle of last century?" He lifted one elegant hand in dismissal. "I think not."

Mandy crossed her arms, unable to suppress her amusement at his dismissive attitude. "Don't knock it if you haven't tried it. You might be surprised."

Kieran's response was to sniff. Like, actually sniff. A proper, haughty, nose-in-the-air sniff that she'd read about countless times in her beloved Regency romances but had never witnessed in real life.

A delighted grin spread across her face as she watched the ancient Djinn prince channel his inner Mr. Darcy, thoroughly enjoying this unexpected glimpse of the powerful being's more... human side. Who knew an ancient magical creature could be such a snob about fantasy literature? An absolutely wicked idea popped into her head.

"You know," she said, trying to keep her voice casual despite her growing amusement, "I should use one of my wishes to make you watch it with me."

Mandy sat up straighter, warming to the idea as possibilities bloomed in her mind.

"We could do it as a marathon!" She gestured enthusiastically toward her entertainment center with it's big-screen television. "I have all three extended editions on DVD. We could make a whole day of it!"

Her mind raced with plans. "I'd make a huge pot of spaghetti beforehand, let it simmer in the crockpot until dinner time." She grinned, hugging herself in delight at the prospect. "And of course we'd need popcorn. Lots of popcorn."

A familiar shimmer of magic filled the air as Jacinth materialized again, her dark eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Did someone say marathon? And popcorn?" Jacinth's musical voice carried a note of excitement as she settled gracefully onto the sofa. "What are we watching?"

"Lord of the Rings," Mandy replied, unable to suppress her grin at Kieran's pained expression.

"Oh, I'm definitely in!" Jacinth clapped her hands together in delight. "When are we doing this?" Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she added, "But make sure you have plenty of Puffs tissues. I cry so hard when Haldir dies."

Kieran's silvery-blue eyes darted between the two women with growing horror as they began enthusiastically planning the movie marathon. The ancient Djinn prince looked like he'd rather face an army of demons than sit through twelve hours of hobbits and elves.

Kieran's offended gaze fixed on Jacinth with an accusing glare. "You have watched this... this fantasy fiction?" His deep voice dripped with outrage, as if discovering she'd committed some terrible transgression against Djinn-kind.

"Well, of course! Haven't you?" Her dark eyes widened as she took in his disdainful expression, genuine disbelief written across her delicate features. "Wait, how can you not have watched it? Or at least read the books when they came out? That was what, seventy years ago?"

Mandy bit her lip to keep from laughing as she watched the exchange. The contrast between Kieran's refined horror and Jacinth's enthusiasm was better than any comedy she could have scripted. She settled back into her chair, thoroughly enjoying this unexpected entertainment. It struck her as delightfully absurd that an ancient Djinn prince who'd probably witnessed the building of the pyramids was turning up his nose at hobbits and elves.

"I do not. Read. Fantasy." Kieran's voice dripped with disdain, his silvery-blue eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "I have existed for millennia. I have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, the birth of religions, the evolution of human civilization. Why would I waste my time on made-up stories about fictional creatures?"

"You sound like a stuffy old geezer," Jacinth muttered under her breath.

"WHAT?" Kieran's thunderous voice echoed through the small living room, making Mozart, who had reclaimed his spot on the arm of the recliner, leap down and dart under the couch.

Jacinth caught Mandy's eye, gave her an exaggerated wink, and vanished in a shimmer of magic, leaving Mandy alone with an irritated Djinn prince.

Kieran pinched the bridge of his nose between two elegant fingers, his eyes closing as he drew a long, deep breath.

"Sometimes," he said, his deep voice carrying a note of weariness, "I feel incredibly old."

Mandy couldn't help herself. The words tumbled out before she could stop them. "Well, to be fair, you did say you've been around for several millennia. That does kind of make you incredibly old."

Kieran's head snapped up, his hand dropping away from his face. Those silvery-blue eyes fixed on her with an arctic chill that made her wonder if she should join Mozart under the couch.

"Thank you," he said, his deep voice dripping with frost. "That was very helpful."

Mandy gave him a saucy wink. "You're welcome." She paused. "Though I have to say, your attitude towards fantasy fiction seems a little... inconsistent."

"How so?" Kieran's deep voice carried a dangerous edge.

Was it wrong that she was starting to really enjoy when he went all frost lord on her?

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a Djinn who appeared in my living room offering to grant three wishes?" Her lips twitched as she fought back a smile. "That's like, literally, the definition of fantasy fiction right there."

The frost in Kieran's expression melted into something else entirely - an arrested look that transformed his austere features. He stared at her for a long moment, those ancient eyes widening slightly as her words sank in.

"I..." He paused, and Mandy watched with fascination as the mighty Djinn prince actually struggled for words. Finally, his shoulders relaxed infinitesimally. "You make an excellent point."

A shimmer of magic announced Jacinth's return yet again. This time, however, her usual playful demeanor was gone, her expression somber.

The younger Djinn's posture was erect, her movements deliberate as she turned to face Kieran. Gone was the teasing friend who'd joked about movie marathons moments ago. In her place stood a being of ancient power, addressing an elder with the gravity such status demanded. Her dark eyes met Kieran's silvery-blue ones in a silent exchange that crackled with unspoken meaning. She inclined her head slightly, a gesture that somehow managed to convey both respect and determination.

"May I, Amri ?" Jacinth's musical voice carried none of its usual lightness.

Mandy searched her memories, the Arabic from so long ago. Amr … that was 'prince.' So, Amri was 'my Prince.'

Kieran studied her for a long moment, his austere features unreadable. Finally, he gave a single, regal nod.

"I have been thinking," the younger Djinn said, turning to Mandy. "About the wishes. The spreadsheet. You're making this far more complicated than it needs to be, and overlooking the real issue."

"The real issue being?" Mandy asked, a little confused. "What real issue?"

Jacinth's dark eyes held Mandy's with an intensity that made her want to squirm in her chair. "The real issue is - what life would you want, if you were free of the pain? Not what you think you should want, or what seems practical, or what others might expect. What would you want to do with your life, moving forward? What would your life look like if you could have it?"

The question hit Mandy like a physical blow. She'd spent so many years carefully not thinking about exactly that - what she truly wanted. It had been easier, safer, to focus on what was possible within her limitations. To adapt and adjust and make the best of things. But now, faced with Jacinth's direct question, she found herself struggling to even imagine it. The possibility felt too big, too overwhelming. Her throat tightened as she tried to form words.

"I..." Mandy's voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I don't know. I've spent so long trying not to want things that weren't possible. Training myself to be content with what remained in reach."

As if sensing her distress, Bach jumped into her lap, his warm weight grounding her as her mind spun with possibilities she'd locked away years ago. Mozart appeared on the arm of her chair, reaching out to pat her cheek with one gentle paw.

"It's been years since I let myself really think about what I'd want if I could have anything. The idea of actually having choices again... it's terrifying."

Kieran asks, his voice unwontedly gentle. "Mandy, what is the first thing you think of?"

"I..." Mandy paused, trying to organize her thoughts. "I want to write, of course. That's always been..."

"No." Jacinth's interruption was gentle but firm. "You already write, you don't need wishes for that. That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking what you want to do with your life. What you want out of it. What would make you happy, fulfilled."

Mandy felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as the full weight of Jacinth's questions sank in. She'd spent so many years carefully arranging her life around what she couldn't do that she'd almost forgotten how to dream about what she could do.

"Once you figure that out," Jacinth continued, her voice softening, "the rest will be simple. The wishes will become clear because they'll be steps toward what you truly want, not just band-aids for what you think you need."

Jacinth patted Mandy's hand, then after a glance at Kieran, vanished again in her signature shimmer of magic. Mandy blinked, still processing the younger Djinn's profound questions that had cut straight to her core.

"She continues to amaze me," Kieran said, his deep voice thoughtful. "One moment she acts like a giggly teenager excited about movie marathons, the next she demonstrates wisdom that rivals our most ancient scholars."

Mozart chose that moment to jump down from the recliner, apparently investigating the lingering traces of Djinn magic where Jacinth had stood. He sniffed the air carefully, his whiskers twitching, before letting out a confused chirp.

"She has that effect on cats too," Mandy observed, watching Mozart's bewildered investigation with amusement. "One minute they're treating her like she's their new best friend, the next they're completely baffled by her."

"Much like the rest of us," Kieran agreed dryly.

But Mandy barely heard him, her mind still caught on Jacinth's questions. What would her life look like, if she had the choice?

Kieran rose from his seat in a dramatic swirl of dark robes that seemed to catch nonexistent shadows. "You have much to consider," he said, his deep voice gentle, holding a hint of humor. "I will return again and you can tell me more of your debates with yourself."

Mandy nodded, still lost in thought over Jacinth's penetrating questions. What did she want from life? The answer felt both tantalizingly close and frustratingly out of reach.

"Thank you," she managed, looking up to meet those otherworldly blue eyes. "For being patient with me. I know I'm probably not what you expected when you were summoned from your vessel."

A slight smile curved his lips. "No," he agreed. "You are not." Before she could decide if that was a compliment or criticism, he vanished in a shimmer of magic that left behind a faint scent of exotic spices.

Mozart immediately pounced on the spot where Kieran had stood, batting at the lingering traces of magic with one paw. Mandy couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"Well boys," she said, reaching down to scratch Bach's ears, "what do you think? What do I really want?"

Bach jumped down from her lap to wind around her ankles, but offered no suggestions. Mozart just purred and headbutted her hand, clearly more interested in attention than philosophical discussions about life goals.

Mandy settled back in her recliner, absently stroking Mozart's soft fur as she pondered Jacinth's questions. The pendant warmed against her skin, a gentle reminder of the magic that had unexpectedly entered her carefully ordered life.