Page 12 of Bound by Wishes (Enchanted Deceptions #1)

S omething warm and rigid pressed against my back, coaxing me from my sleep. I blinked a few times as my vision came into focus. It was still dark out, and streams of moonlight flooded into the room, casting a muted glow.

“Ranen,” I warned, my voice groggy with sleep. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I would stab you. Get out of my bed.” My hand ventured up the mattress and under my pillow until I felt the cold steel of the blade against my skin.

Why in the world I had fallen asleep with a sexy genie sitting on the edge of my bed was beyond me. I didn’t trust him…or did I? I think I was starting to. Which was a frightening thought, but now he had gone too far. Fear mingled with another sensation I wouldn’t name thinking of his body pressed against mine.

A gentle, rhythmic vibration seeped into my skin, and my heart skipped a beat. That wasn't Ranen. Whatever was behind me, it was purring, very loudly. I shifted ever so slightly in the bed, turning my head toward the creature lying beside me. My heart slid to the pit of my stomach when I saw two golden glowing eyes staring at me. The faint gleam of the moonlight revealed glimpses of stripes, orange and black, blending into the shadows of the night. I could feel the weight and power of its muscular form against my backside, and the low, rumbling purr vibrating the bed.

There was a tiger in bed with me!

“Ranen,” I squeaked like a little mouse, my voice strangled by fear.

Nothing.

I watched the beast out of the corner of my eye. It didn’t seem like it was going to eat me, and I assumed purring was a good thing, but one could never be certain. I was too afraid to move. I shouldn’t make any sudden movements around a wild animal, right?

“Ranen?” My tone dripped with desperation. I held my breath when black smoke poured from the spout of the lamp. The tiger growled. Bounding from the bed before it tore the flesh from my bones seemed like a good idea, but I was frozen by the icy grip of fear.

Ranen appeared before me, his dark brows knitted together in confusion and his face pinched with anger, which seemed to be a common expression for him. “Namir?” he said.

The mattress shifted under the cat’s massive weight as it lunged for Ranen. I screamed, expecting the beast to rip him limb from limb. The tiger turned just before reaching Ranen, rubbing its side against Ranen’s thighs. The room was filled with the near-deafening purr again as Ranen reached down and ran his hand across the beautiful stripes.

I slowly rose from the bed, using it as somewhat of a barricade between the tiger and me. “Namir? You know this tiger?”

“He was just a cub the last time I saw him,” Ranen stated, moving his hand slowly over the beast’s fur. “But there’s no mistaking those stripes. The pattern’s grown darker, but it’s definitely him.”

I pressed my fingertips to my temples, trying to ward off the confusion clouding my mind. “Wait. I thought you said you had been trapped in the lamp for five hundred years?” I leaned closer, searching his eyes for answers. “How is this the same tiger?”

Impatience simmered in Ranen’s eyes. “I told you time is different here. In this place, I’ve only been gone for a few years.”

My scientist brain was still having a hard time grasping the possibility of that much of a time difference or the possibility that any of this was real. I stole another glance at the purring cat that was apparently five hundred years old yet still looked healthy and vivacious. The sight was both bewildering and surreal, leaving me questioning everything I thought I knew about time, reality, and the very nature of existence.

The rapid beat of my heart began to slow. Apparently, this five-hundred-year-old tiger was a pet of Ranen's. Perhaps it had grown accustomed to human company, or maybe extreme old age had mellowed its once-fierce spirit. Suddenly, the door to my room slammed open with a thunderous bang, and Ranen vanished so quickly my mind could scarcely keep track of him. Seconds later, I felt the familiar weight of him on my shoulder. Namir crouched low beside me, muscles rippling under his sleek fur. His roar erupted with such force that it nearly shattered my eardrums. Maybe he didn’t like humans as much as I thought, and his ferocious spirit was certainly not mellow.

The guards yelled and drew their swords. “Namir has escaped and is attacking the princess!”

I glanced down at the tiger, who most certainly was not attacking me. As a matter of fact, it looked like he was protecting me.

“Tell them to step out of the room,” Ranen hissed in my ear.

“The tiger is not attacking me, and I suggest if you want to keep your limbs attached to your body that you take a step back,” I said, trying to force authority into my shaky voice. Surprisingly, they did as commanded and stepped back.

Ranen brushed against the soft skin between my ear and shoulder and my flesh broke out in goosebumps. “Now tell them that you will be keeping the tiger in your room,” he instructed.

“What?” I screeched too loudly, and all the guards' eyes shifted from the tiger to me.

“Tell them,” Ranen urged more forcibly, tugging on a strand of my hair.

“I will be keeping the tiger with me.” I glanced down at the beast standing next to me and noticed for the first time the raw, red skin around its neck and the stark outline of his ribs protruding through his fur. My stomach twisted as a pang of sorrow washed over me. The sight ignited fierce anger. “I will not need your assistance anymore. You are dismissed.”

One of the guards stepped forward only for Namir to growl, and he quickly backtracked. “Princess. Namir is dangerous. The king will…”

“I don’t care. If the king has an issue with it, he can address me directly,” I snapped. “Now, leave us and shut the door behind you.”

A hush fell over the room as they slowly reached for the handles and shut the door. Namir’s tense body relaxed when Ranen reappeared before us.

“Would you like to tell me why I just told the guards I would be keeping a tiger in my room?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Namir will keep you safe if ever I am not around,” he answered with a wave of his hand. One corner of the massive room turned into a tiger oasis, complete with an extravagantly woven bed, a small crystal-clear water pool, and mounds of fresh meat.

The poor, starved tiger rushed toward the food, tearing into the flesh ferociously. I watched him for a while. The image of him tearing into me like that plagued my mind. The whole idea of a tiger staying in my room didn’t sit well with me, but at least it would receive better care under my authority. Oh, my fickle heart was going to get me eaten.

My gaze shifted to Ranen. "Why did you name him 'Tiger' in your language? You couldn’t come up with a name?" I asked.

“Giving something a name implies that it’s important to you. As king, I don’t have the luxury of caring,” he replied, his gaze colliding with mine. His shoulders tensed, but his eyes held a shadow of something almost like regret, a hint of sorrow he quickly masked. “And I never will.”

My chest squeezed with sorrow at his words. He must be a very lonely man. Ugh, stupid heart. Stop falling victim to every sob story you hear. That’s exactly why you’re in this situation.

We stood in silence, watching the tiger as it settled down after its meal, its fierce eyes now calm and content. I headed back to my bed and climbed beneath the sheets. I was exhausted, having gotten very little sleep between my bad dream and a tiger climbing into bed with me. I still had a few hours before the sun came up, and I hoped to get a little rest.

Someone banging on my door shattered that hope. The boom echoed through the room. I threw the sheets over my head. “Go away!” I grumbled.

When I heard the handle turn and the door swing open, I shoved the covers away, only to see the king standing in the doorframe. I sat up slowly as Namir rose from his bed, a low warning growl vibrating from his chest.

Razoul’s gaze flicked to Namir. “I see what the guards were telling me is true.” He shifted back to me, and I pulled the covers higher up my chest. “This beast is not a pet. It is very dangerous, princess.” He stalked closer to the bed, his presence threatening and intense. The tension in the room thickened as Namir eased forward, his movements fluid and predatory. In one swift motion, Namir jumped into bed with me, his powerful body landing with a gentle thud. He laid down beside me, his sharp gaze fixed on Razoul. Razoul stopped in his tracks. Maybe Ranen was right that having Namir in my room was a good thing. He was certainly keeping the king at bay. “He goes back to his cage.” Razoul growled, his gaze never leaving Namir.

I sat up straighter, daring to run my hand along Namir’s smooth fur. “No.”

The king’s gaze snapped to mine, his body language screaming with anger. “You dare to say no to me?” Razoul growled.

I swallowed the rising panic that crept up my throat. “I don’t think granting me this small request is beyond you. I have, after all, traveled very far from home to be here, and I am all alone.” I hoped my expression portrayed a sweet vulnerability instead of nagging impatience. “Besides, the poor beast hasn’t been well taken care of.” Try as I might, I couldn’t keep the anger from slipping into my tone.

“Who set this up for you?” Changing the subject, Razoul motioned toward the corner of the room Ranen created for the tiger.

“The servants, of course,” I lied, hoping I sounded convincing. My eyes ventured around the room, wondering where Ranen had disappeared to. He certainly wasn’t on my shoulder at the moment.

Razoul’s regard shifted back to me, a sly grin pulling at his lips. “Of course.” Suspicion crept into his demeanor, and my mind grappled with something else clever to say to alleviate his suspicion.

“What’s his name?” I blurted out, motioning to Namir. That was clever, right? Because technically I shouldn’t know his name.

“Namir,” Razoul answered.

A servant burst into my room, throwing himself at Razoul’s feet. “Great king!” he stammered. Namir growled, rising to his feet, and my heart stumbled in my chest. “A thousand pardons for the intrusion, but the dig site has collapsed, and many men are trapped within.”

Dig site? The archaeologist in me perked up at the words.

“Your tongue wags too much for its own good,” Razoul’s voice was dangerously calm. “Remind me later to have it removed.” The man whose face was still planted on the floor trembled. Anger pumped through my veins, hot and unyielding. I had no doubt in my mind that tongue-cutting was something that Razoul did all the time to the poor Canaari. Razoul turned back toward me, his dark eyes pure steel. “The beast may stay with you for the time being, but if it eats you in your sleep, I will not be held responsible.” Razoul turned, stepping on the servant’s hand as he marched out of my room.

The servant never made a peep as he scrambled to his feet and rushed to follow Razoul, closing the door behind him.

Ranen reappeared beside me, staring at the door like it was going to answer his questions.

I fell back into my pillows. “Well, start packing. I blew it! I told the king ‘no.’ He’s probably going to behead me.” I groaned. Namir started purring again, the steady vibration shaking the bed.

Ranen finally tore his gaze from the door and met my eyes, the fire of anger dimming slightly as he saw the weariness in my own. “I think you impressed him.”

“You can’t be serious.” I scoffed.

“I underestimated you, sayyida,” Ranen said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Asking the king for the tiger’s name was clever, much more than I would have credited you for.”

I ignored his barb. I was too exhausted to argue with him. The sun was rising, and its rays were starting to filter through the sheer curtains, brightening up the room.

“What did that servant mean when he said dig site?” I asked, feeling the first rays of sunlight warming my face.

Ranen glanced down at me, and I saw a chasm in his eyes, as vast and empty as the depths of the sea. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

For the first time since encountering this genie, an excited smile crept across my face.