Page 17

Chapter

Seventeen

Mandy sighed as the last traces of Kieran's healing magic ebbed away. The familiar ache crept back into her joints, starting as a whisper and building to its usual demanding presence. Her back twinged in protest, and she shifted position.

Mozart leaped into her lap, his purring vibrating through her chest as he kneaded her thigh. Bach watched from his perch on the cat tree, his golden eyes half-closed.

"Yes, yes, you two are right," she murmured, scratching Mozart behind his ears. "A nap sounds perfect right now."

The walk to her bedroom seemed longer without Kieran's magic coursing through her, but the memory of strolling freely around the lake warmed her heart even as her joints protested each step. She didn't regret a single moment of their afternoon adventure.

Her bed beckoned invitingly, and she eased herself onto the mattress with practiced care. Mozart immediately claimed his spot by her feet while Bach settled against her hip, both cats purring their approval of her decision to rest.

She pulled the light blanket over herself, grateful for the ceiling fan's gentle breeze. Her body might ache, but her spirit felt lighter than it had in years. The memory of walking hand- in-hand with Kieran, sharing tacos and stories, standing on the grass before the Washington Monument, played behind her closing eyelids as she drifted toward sleep.

Mandy was floating through crystal-clear waters, her hair streaming behind her like seaweed. Schools of tropical fish darted around her - angelfish with flowing fins, parrotfish in electric blue and green, tiny yellow tangs that glowed like underwater sunbeams. The peaceful sensation of weightlessness wrapped around her like a warm blanket.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

The cheerful voice shattered her underwater paradise. Mandy groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. "Go 'way. 'm swimming with fishies."

"Not anymore you're not." Jacinth's musical laugh filled the bedroom. "Come on, I brought you tea."

The enticing aroma of perfectly brewed tea penetrated Mandy's blanket fortress. She peeked out one eye to find Jacinth perched on the end of her bed, holding a steaming cup and wearing an entirely too amused expression.

"That's cheating," Mandy grumbled, but she emerged from her cocoon and fumbled for the bed controls. The head of the bed whirred upward as Mozart protested the disruption of his nap with an indignant meow.

"Here you go." Jacinth passed her the cup, still grinning. "I figured you could use this after your exciting afternoon with Kieran."

Mandy nearly choked on her first sip. "How did you-" She stopped, narrowing her eyes at the Djinn. "You were spying on us, weren't you?"

"I prefer to think of it as… er… friendly interest?" Jacinth's eyes sparkled with mischief as she settled more comfortably at the foot of the bed.

"Spying," Mandy mumbled into her teacup. Jacinth just grinned.

"Well, it didn't start out that way," Jacinth said, her musical voice tinged with amusement. "I'd actually intended to join you both at the lake, but..." She smiled, her dark eyes twinkling. "You two seemed so engrossed in what you were talking about, I didn't want to interrupt."

Heat crept up Mandy's neck as she remembered walking hand-in-hand with Kieran around the lake.

Jacinth's dark eyes sparkled with mischief. "You two looked quite cozy, walking hand in hand around the lake."

Heat flooded Mandy's cheeks. "It wasn't like that! I almost tripped on the path, and he was just... steadying me."

The knowing look on Jacinth's face made Mandy want to hide under her blankets again. "He didn't let go afterward," Jacinth pointed out, her musical voice lilting with amusement.

"Oh for heaven's sake." Mandy clutched her teacup like a shield. "I'm sixty-seven years old!"

"So?" Jacinth shrugged elegantly. "Age means little to the Djinn. We're immortal, remember? Sixty-seven to us is barely an adult."

"He's not just any Djinn though, is he?" Mandy set her cup down with more force than necessary. "He's a prince! An actual royal prince of the Djinn!" She gestured at herself, encompassing her grey hair, rounded figure, and the cane propped against her nightstand. "And I'm just... me. A disabled cat lady who writes romance novels and can barely walk most days. The idea that someone like him would be interested in someone like me is completely preposterous."

Jacinth's dark eyes softened as she regarded Mandy. "You really don't see yourself clearly at all, do you? Your soul shines so brightly - that's what draws people to you. Not just Kieran, but everyone you meet."

Mandy fidgeted with her teacup, uncomfortable with the praise. She'd never been good at accepting compliments, although she was aware it was a fault she strived to overcome.

Taking mercy on her obvious discomfort, Jacinth changed the subject. "So what had you two so deep in conversation? I've rarely seen Kieran that engaged with anyone."

"Oh! I asked him about Qaf," Mandy said, smiling as she remembered the conversation. "It sounds amazing - like something out of a fairy tale, with tents that are bigger on the inside and magical dwellings scattered across a mystical realm. And we talked about Wish Bearers. He explained about Wish Bearers needing special training. That you have to be at least fifty years old to even start learning."

"Oh, stop," Jacinth nudged her with one foot, although she too was grinning. "The Wish Bearers simply maintain occasional contact with them. What matters most is having backup available if we encounter difficulties. Take Kieran for instance. He possesses the capability to... shall we say, modify recollections when required. And occasionally that becomes essential," she admitted with reluctance. "Even the kindest individuals can't always be trusted to maintain confidentiality. Throughout history, we've remained in the realm of myths and legends. That's exactly where we aim to stay."

“But… why?” Mandy asked, perplexed. “It’s not like you can be captured or arrested or anything, or held against your will. After all, you just go poof and vanish into thin air!”

Jacinth's musical laugh held a note of gentle correction. She settled more comfortably beside Mandy on the mattress, crossing her legs beneath her.

"It's not that simple. Think about it - if people knew there really were such things as Djinn, actual wish-granting beings, everyone would be searching for the easy path," Jacinth continued, her dark eyes serious. "Instead of working toward their goals or pursuing their dreams through effort, they'd waste their lives dreaming about wishes."

Mandy recognized the truth in those words. How many people would abandon their studies, quit their jobs, or give up on their ambitions if they thought magic could solve all their problems? "Suddenly everyone would be Indiana Jones," she mused aloud.

"It would destroy human initiative," Jacinth agreed, her musical voice carrying a note of sadness. "Their drive. Their self-reliance." She gestured elegantly with one hand. "Rather than putting in the work to achieve something, they'd be out searching every corner of the world, hoping to stumble across a Djinn vessel so magic would fix everything."

Mandy thought about all the people who bought lottery tickets instead of saving money, always hoping for that one big break that would solve all their problems. Multiply that by a thousand, and that's what would happen if people knew Djinn were real.

Oh, this was a real rabbit hole, she realized as yet another possible scenario occurred to her. “Just think of the fights breaking out in an antique store, when two or more people think they’ve found one.”

“Or the bidding at auctions like Christy’s,” Jacinth nodded, her high ponytail swaying. “The seller could claim they got their wishes and now were selling it for the next person to get their wishes.”

"Huh," Mandy said, her lips curving into a smile. "What kind of proof would they need to verify it was actually a Djinn vessel? Unless they witnessed a Djinn emerging from it, they couldn't be certain."

"That would be quite entertaining," Jacinth replied, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I'd even attend one of those sales, just to observe. I might even list my own Wish vessel for bidding… just to see what would happen!"

Mandy let out a startled breath before dissolving into giggles. "That would be absolutely wild," she agreed.

"Although, there's a more sinister angle to consider," Jacinth said, her expression darkening as she relayed the implications that all Wish Bearers had to be aware of. "Everyone would become suspicious of their neighbors, searching for hints that someone had experienced even the slightest good luck. Whether it was climbing the corporate ladder or hitting the jackpot, folks would start hurling blame and claims of unfair advantages."

Understanding immediately, Mandy’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my gosh, just think what it would be like in casinos, like in Las Vegas! Or if someone got a promotion over someone else who thought they were entitled to it. Accusations would be flung around, and… well, how do you prove you did not have a magic Djinn fulfilling your wish?”

“It would make the whole world fall apart,” Jacinth agreed.

Mandy felt compelled to reassure Jacinth. "Well, I definitely wouldn't breathe a word about you and Kieran to anyone - not that I was planning to anyway. But really, I totally understand wanting to tell at least one person about something this mind-blowing. I mean. This amazing, incredible thing that happened. You know what I mean?"

Her heart warmed when Jacinth squeezed her hand gently. "You can always talk to me about it," the other woman offered with a smile.

The gesture made Mandy smile. "That's true, isn't it? And I can already tell you're a wonderful friend."

Looking pensive, Jacinth was silent a moment. “I do hear what you’re saying, though," she said finally. "You know, I can put you in touch with a few people in the local area who do know about us. They’re in the same boat as you. They know this big, marvelous secret, and they can’t tell anyone.”

Mandy grinned.“We should have a secret handshake. Or our own passworded online forums.”

A look of intrigue crossed Jacinth's features. "That's actually quite clever, Mandy. You know," she paused, her lips forming a thoughtful line, "I should bring that suggestion to the Djinn Council. Memory alteration isn't something we take lightly - it's exclusively handled by elder Djinn like Kieran. The ones who've been around forever and have absolute trustworthiness. Perhaps if the humans we serve had somewhere secure to discuss their experiences with Djinn, their wishes, and everything else, it might..."

“Relieve some of the pressure?” Mandy offered.

Jacinth nodded in agreement. “Like a steam valve, you mean. Yes.”

A thought suddenly struck Mandy. She thrust her palm up to halt their conversation. "Hold on a second! Earlier you mentioned Christy's, where someone could claim they had a Djinn vessel and were selling it after getting their wishes. I realize we were speaking in theory, but... what's stopping that exact scenario from occurring for real?"

Jacinth made an elegant gesture, sweeping her fingers through the air. "That is not possible," she explained. "After the final wish is fulfilled and completed, all enchantment vanishes from the Wish vessel. The power drains away completely, and the vessel automatically goes back to its rightful Djinn owner, who alone chooses when to release it again for someone new to discover."

She scowled suddenly, her pretty face looking fierce, and her eyes flashed with remembered outrage. "I know someone who went through this - his Sahib schemed to keep his vessel and transfer it to her sibling in exchange for an extra wish. The plan was for the sister to then hand it off to another family member."

Mandy drew in a sharp breath, appalled. "That's horrible! And talk about ingratitude! I mean... they already got three wishes! And pure greed made her grasp for extra ones. That's just… just… it's despicable."

“She was malevolent.” Jacinth declared, apparently still furiously indignant over the incident. “We had to get Kieran to remove her memories of the Djinn - there’s no saying what damage she might have done. But thankfully, situations like that are pretty rare."

Mandy couldn't suppress the yawn that crept up on her, trying to hide it behind her hand. The afternoon's adventures and emotional conversations had caught up with her.

Jacinth's dark eyes sparkled with understanding. "And that's my cue to leave." She rose gracefully from the bed, her movements fluid as smoke. "Get some rest. You've had quite an eventful day."

"Thank you for coming by," Mandy said, stifling another yawn. "And for the tea. It was perfect."

"Of course it was perfect." Jacinth's musical laugh filled the room. "I'm a Djinn - we don't do imperfect tea."

Mozart stretched and repositioned himself against Mandy's legs while Bach watched from his perch on the pillow, both cats seemingly unfazed by Jacinth's imminent departure.

"Sleep well," Jacinth said softly. Her form began to dissolve into wisps of smoke that sparkled like stardust before vanishing completely.

Mandy settled back against her pillows. A feeling of well-being pervaded her, making her wonderfully relaxed. It should have lulled her straight to sleep, but her mind refused to quiet.

Images from the day kept cycling through her thoughts - Kieran's strong hand holding hers as they walked around Reid Park, the way his blue eyes had softened as they talked. The magnificent textiles at Uncommon Threads. The majestic statue of Lincoln, the towering National Monument, shining white against the blue summer sky.

"Just sleep," she groaned, pulling the light blanket higher. But her brain had other ideas, spinning through possibilities and consequences like a hamster on a wheel.

Mozart's purring intensified as if trying to soothe her racing thoughts. She scratched behind his ears, grateful for his steady presence. "At least you two don't have to worry about life-changing decisions," she told her cats. Bach responded with a quiet chirp, completely unconcerned with her dilemma.

Mandy groaned and pressed her face into the pillow. Sleep felt impossibly far away despite her physical exhaustion. The wishes loomed in her mind, demanding attention even as her mind begged for rest.

A restore point . Kieran's words echoed in her mind, carrying implications she hadn't considered in the rush of excitement about being pain-free.

What if... what if, that reset point wasn't just to when she began to experience the stenosis, but even earlier, when her body was younger and lithe with slender curves? Doubt assailed her, along with guilt. She wasn't being greedy, was she? And yet... Kieran had said a restore point was a restore point, hadn't he?

The incredible benefit of having ADHD, Mandy reflected, was its superpower - the ability to hyperfocus on solutions. And that mental engine was revving up right now, firing on all cylinders. So, let's assume, she told herself, that she was going to do this. That the wish would fix her body. What issues did she need to address?

First, and obviously, she'd need to explain her transformation. She couldn't just appear one day, thinner and walking without her cane - she'd have to vanish first. The solution hit her: she'd tell everyone she had finally agreed to the VA doctors' long-recommended back surgery. Though the operation was quick, living alone meant she'd need extended inpatient care for PT and rehab - the perfect cover story.

She pondered potential locations for a three- or four-week stay. Maybe she could find an Airbnb... especially if she could find one with a swimming pool.

Then panic set in as another practical consideration surfaced. Clothes. Her current wardrobe wouldn't fit if she dropped nearly a hundred pounds. The idea of shopping for an entire new wardrobe felt presumptuous, like she might jinx the whole thing by getting ahead of herself.

"No," she murmured, scratching behind Mozart's ears as he resettled. "Better to wait until after the... um... after it happens."

But that brought to mind another, fabulous aspect to consider. Oh, my god! Mandy hugged herself ecstatically. Finally, she could fit into those beautiful garments purchased during her college days in Egypt. The flowing galabiyyas from the bazaars would fit her once more. Not that she'd venture outside in such elaborate pieces, but around the house - what a treat that would be, to finally be able to wear them again after four decades!

Okay, maybe she was letting her imagination run wild. Still, she couldn't help wondering what her initial steps would be after returning to her home. What would she do differently, now that she'd been given this fresh start?

Immediately panic began to set in again, and she cut that line of thinking short as hyperventilation threatened. Okay, so she wasn’t quite ready to start thinking about that just yet. That was okay. She'd focus on the short-term objectives she'd already mapped out and handle everything else gradually. That approach made complete sense!

An enormous yawn erupted from somewhere deep inside, stretching her jaw to its limits, and exhaustion suddenly washed over her. She shifted position, nestling her face against the plush cushion, and drifted off into slumber, her dreams filled with images of magical tents and shimmering textiles.