Page 28

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

Mandy stared at the empty space where Jacinth had been, still processing the casual display of magic - magic that somehow, unbelievably, she herself would be able to do as well. She turned back to her cooling tea, wrapping her fingers around the delicate porcelain as she tried to ground herself in its familiar warmth.

Suddenly left alone with Kieran again, Mandy found herself, hyperaware of his presence. The comfortable atmosphere from breakfast evaporated, replaced by a crackling tension that made her pulse quicken.

The air between them felt charged, like the moment before a desert storm. Every small movement, every shared glance seemed weighted with meaning. Her pulse quickened whenever their eyes met. It was hard to focus on anything else when his presence filled the space so completely, when the memory of how perfectly she'd fit against him was still so fresh in her mind.

The memory of his kiss flooded back - the way he'd pulled her against him, the passion in his touch, how perfectly she'd fit in his arms. Heat bloomed in her cheeks. She stole a glance at him through her lashes, finding his silver-blue eyes fixed on her with an intensity that made her breath catch.

What did you say to a Djinn prince after he'd kissed you senseless? After he'd saved your life by transforming you into an immortal being? 'Thank you' seemed wildly inadequate, and 'so about that kiss' felt impossibly forward.

The silence stretched between them, charged with awareness. Mandy took another sip of tea, mainly to have something to do besides meet his gaze. The spices danced across her tongue, but she barely tasted them, too conscious of his presence across the table.

She stole another glance at him through her lashes. The morning light caught his long hair, making the shining strands gleam against the deep blue of his robes, and mingling with the silver embroidery. His usual austere expression had gentled, making him even more devastating to look at.

Her heart skipped, then resumed its wild rhythm. She took another sip of cooling tea, trying to calm her racing pulse. He'd kissed her… out of nowhere, he had suddenly kissed her, and what a kiss that had been! She still felt it right down to her toes. But… what did it mean? Should she say something about it?

The brush of his fingers against her arm made her jump slightly. Her eyes flew to his face, catching a flash of heat in his usually cool gaze..

Kieran's lips curved faintly, and amusement gleamed in his eyes. "Are you ready for your first lesson?"

Embarrassment forgotten, Mandy nodded eagerly. Her heart quickened with anticipation rather than nerves this time. After seeing the blue flame dance in her palm, she couldn't wait to learn more about her newfound abilities.

He gestured to her teacup, still full but rapidly cooling. "Think about your perfect cup of tea - the steam rising, the warmth, the ideal temperature for the flavors to bloom. Then simply... push that imagery into the teacup."

Push that into the teacup? She frowned slightly, uncertain how to accomplish that part. Did she need to touch it? Wave her hand? Say magic words?

Kieran's deep chuckle startled Mandy from her intense concentration. She turned her head towards him, to find him watching her with barely concealed amusement.

"Remember your blue flame," he said, moving to stand behind her chair. His presence enveloped her, bringing with it the scent of desert winds and ancient magic. "That same connection exists for all magic."

She forced herself to breathe normally, though his proximity made it difficult. His deep voice so close to her ear sent shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with magic. Her magic stirred restlessly, reaching for his like iron to a lodestone. His hand settled on the back of her chair, and she could have sworn she felt the heat of it through the wood.

Focus. She needed to focus. Mandy thought back to the tiny flame that had danced in her palm. She hadn't actually done anything specific to call it - it had simply appeared when she focused on it, responding to her desire to see it manifest.

Taking a deep breath, she put the glass of tea down on the table, and cupped her hands around it before closing her eyes again. Instead of overthinking the process, she simply pictured her tea at the perfect temperature, steam rising in delicate spirals. She imagined that warmth, willing it into reality just as she had with the flame.

A sudden wave of heat against her fingers made her squeal in surprise. Her eyes flew open to find tendrils of steam rising from her teacup, the liquid inside radiating warmth through the delicate porcelain.

Mandy stared at the steaming teacup, her mouth falling open in delighted shock. The tendrils of vapor curled upward in perfect spirals, exactly as she had imagined.

"Oh my god, I did it!" She clapped her hands together, bouncing slightly in her chair with pure joy. The achievement might seem small - just heating a cup of tea - but she had done it with magic. Real, actual magic.

As she successfully manipulated the magic, something flickered in those ancient eyes - a flash of pride mingled with something deeper that made her breath catch. The usual cool reserve in his expression had softened into something warmer, more intimate. His subtle smile transformed his stern features, and she found herself wondering if he had any idea how devastating that small change in expression could be. Their eyes met and held, the moment stretching between them like honey dripping from a spoon, sweet and heavy with possibility.

The silence hung between them, filled with an unspoken understanding that shifted the air. It was as if the world outside had faded, leaving only the two of them in this intimate exchange.

"You can adjust it further," he said finally, his deep voice carrying a hint of approval that made her cheeks warm. "Make it stronger or weaker, sweeter or less sweet. Simply imagine the taste you desire."

"Really?" Intrigued, Mandy picked up the cup, inhaling the exotic aroma.

"Indeed." His deep voice carried a rougher edge than usual as he watched her delight in her first magical success. He cleared his throat before speaking again, as if trying to regain his typical austere demeanor. "This is one of the first lessons Djinn children learn to control their magic."

Mandy took a careful sip of her magically heated tea, savoring the perfect temperature and enhanced flavors. Her mind still reeled at the fact that she had done this - actually performed magic.

"Once you've mastered temperature control," Kieran said, his deep voice carrying that same teaching tone, "you'll learn to conjure the tea itself from nothing."

She nearly dropped her cup. "Wait, really? I can just... make tea appear?"

"Indeed." His silver-blue eyes held that spark of amusement again. "Though with children, we start them practicing with plain water or milk first. Less chance of scalding themselves while learning control."

The mental image of tiny Djinn children practicing their magic made Mandy smile. She pictured them concentrating fiercely on cups of water, their little faces scrunched up in determination. Then another thought struck her.

"Is that how Aaliyah created this whole breakfast spread?" She gestured at the remaining dishes on the table. "Just... conjured it all?"

"No, actually. Most Djinn are excellent cooks, and we enjoy preparing meals the traditional way." His lips curved slightly. "Magic can replicate food, but it never quite matches the quality of something made with skill and care."

"It takes far more magical energy to conjure a meal than to simply cook it," Kieran said, his deep voice carrying that teaching tone again. "Though the magic is quite useful for preparation work and cleaning afterward."

Mandy tried to picture Kieran, this ancient and powerful Djinn prince, doing something as mundane as kitchen cleanup. The image of him in his formal robes, waving those elegant hands to make dirty dishes disappear, made her giggle.

"Something amuses you?" One black eyebrow arched upward as his silver-blue eyes met hers.

"Sorry, I just..." She pressed her lips together, trying to contain her mirth. "The thought of you doing kitchen cleanup. It seems so... ordinary."

His lips curved slightly at her continued amusement, softening his stern features. "Even Djinn must eat, Amanda. And someone must clean up afterward."

Mandy's gaze flew to his face, startled by the sound of her name on his lips. He so rarely used it - usually speaking without direct address in that formal way of his. The intimate sound of "Amanda" in his deep voice sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. No one had called her Amanda for… well, ever.

His silver-blue eyes met hers, and something flickered in their depths as if he sensed her reaction, a subtle shift that hinted at a growing warmth in his gaze. Without breaking eye contact, Kieran rose from his seat in one fluid motion, his movements smooth and deliberate.

His hand, slender and elegant, extended toward her, and she remembered how those same fingers had gripped her arms when he kissed her—strong yet gentle. Heat bloomed across her cheeks at the memory. The morning light caught the silver embroidery at his cuffs, making the intricate patterns shimmer against the deep blue fabric. But it was his eyes that held her—those silver-blue depths carrying an intensity that made her pulse quicken, a silent acknowledgment that he, too, felt the charged energy between them

As she placed her hand in his, the contact sent warmth spreading up her arm, igniting a spark of magic that pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. It was as if the world around them faded, revealing an unspoken acknowledgment of something more - a magnetic pull that transcended beyond mere magic, blossoming into something deeper.

"Would you like me to take you to your apartment now?" His voice carried that same gentleness from earlier. "So you can call Sabrina?"

Sabrina! Mandy forced herself to focus on the immediate concern - her daughter would be worried if she didn't check in soon.

Suddenly the ornate breakfast alcove blurred around her, colors and shapes melting together like watercolors in the rain. Her stomach swooped as reality shifted, and suddenly she stood in her familiar living room. The contrast between the magical realm and her modest apartment struck her - gone were the soaring marble arches and intricate tapestries, replaced by her comfortable but ordinary furnishings. Her cats' climbing tree still dominated one corner, and her latest manuscript lay scattered across the coffee table exactly as she'd left it.

Kieran's hand still held hers, his touch anchoring her as she adjusted to the abrupt transition between worlds. The morning sunlight streaming through her windows seemed somehow dimmer than the brilliant light of Qaf, though the desert heat remained just as intense.

Mozart and Bach materialized as well, trotting over to wind around her ankles with happy chirps. She smiled down at them, grateful for their grounding presence in this surreal moment.

His fingers slipped from hers as he stepped back. "Call for me when you're ready, and I will return," he said, his deep voice gentle. "We have much to discuss."

Panic seized Mandy's chest, squeezing her lungs in a grip that felt too familiar. If he left, would all of this vanish like morning mist? Would she wake gasping in that hospital bed, struggling for every breath?

"Wait!" Her hand shot out, grabbing his sleeve before he could disappear. The black fabric felt solid under her fingers, the silver embroidery catching the sunlight. "Are you sure… this is real? That I won't wake up back there once you are gone, in the hospital, fighting for every breath?"

His silver-blue eyes softened as he covered her trembling hand with his. "Look at your palm," he murmured.

Mandy held out her free hand, palm up. At her silent call, a tiny blue flame flickered to life, dancing with the same ethereal beauty she'd witnessed in Qaf. The warmth spread through her fingers, real and undeniable.

"You are Djinn now," Kieran said softly. "This is no dream."

The panic eased its grip on her chest as she watched her flame twirl and spin. She could feel its connection to her core, a part of her being that hadn't existed before but now felt as natural as breathing.

Her heart swelled with gratitude as she looked up at Kieran, his tall form seeming to fill her modest living room with an otherworldly presence. The morning sunlight caught his silver-white hair, making it gleam against the dark blue of his formal robes.

"Thank you," she whispered, meaning it for so much more than just his reassurance. For saving her life, for giving her this incredible gift, for his patience as she struggled to process everything.

His silver-blue eyes darkened as he gazed down at her, that mask of control slipping just enough to reveal a heat that matched the desert beyond his realm. Time seemed to slow as he leaned forward, one hand coming up to cup her cheek. His touch felt impossibly warm against her skin, and she found herself leaning into it without conscious thought. Her breath caught as his lips brushed hers, the contact feather-light yet sending sparks of electricity through her entire body. Their magic surged in response, blue flames flickering at the edges of her vision for just a moment before he pulled away.

Before she could respond, he stepped back, his hand falling away. In a shimmer of blue flames, he vanished, leaving behind only a trace of desert wind and the lingering sensation of his kiss.