Page 25 of Bound by Wishes (Enchanted Deceptions #1)

A hint of mischief danced in Caleena’s eyes as she stared down at my hand. Slowly, she placed her hand in mine, and I closed my fingers around hers. The thought of never letting her go again crossed my mind. The warmth of her touch seeped into my cold bones, stirring something deep within me, making me feel alive again.

I had only been in the lamp for a few days this time instead of years, but it felt like an eternity. The darkness was suffocating, and I couldn't shake the malevolent voices that whispered constantly. They urged me to lose control, to surrender to the chaos swirling inside of me.

The thought of Caleena out there with the Nightshade was the only thing that held me together, the fragile thread that kept me from breaking entirely. I clung to the memory of her, using it to anchor myself in the overpowering darkness. The way her honey-swirled eyes sparkled when she laughed, the soft curve of her smile, and the warmth of her touch—they were the only lights in the void that guided me back to sanity.

I ushered her onto the rug, wrapping an arm around her as she nestled closer to my side. The warmth of her body against mine was a comfort I hadn’t realized I needed until that moment.

“Don’t worry about me.” Caleena’s friend sneered as he stepped onto the rug. “I’ll just make myself comfortable in the back.”

He sat down a few feet away from us, crossing his arms with a huff. Despite his grumbling, there was a glint of curiosity in his eyes as he took in the magical rug beneath us. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of letting a stranger in on our family secrets, but if Caleena cared for him, I would grant him some leeway. For her sake, I would tolerate his presence, for now.

As the rug lifted off the ground, I felt her slight tremor of excitement, or perhaps it was nervousness, but either way, I tightened my hold on her. The sensation of her so close, trusting me, filled me with a protective instinct I’d never felt before. I warned myself against her forbidden touch. She wasn’t the one for me, especially after discovering she was a direct descendant of our enemy. And yet, something about her nearness soothed the beast in me that prowled just beneath the surface. Every instinct I had screamed to keep my distance, but the pull toward her was undeniable.

“How exactly are we getting out of here?” Malik asked from behind me.

My magic began to pool around us, encompassing us in hazy black smoke. “Like this,” I answered him with a smirk .

In a matter of seconds, we were outside the cave, suspended in the blistering afternoon heat. The rocky cave below us shimmered in the harsh sunlight, with the baked earth radiating waves of heat that blurred the horizon.

“Oh, the camels,” Caleena exclaimed, pulling my attention to the beasts below. “Can you take care of them, Ranen?”

I shook my head; she never ceased to amaze me. We were facing the nearly impossible task of retrieving King Thalorian’s scepter, and she was worried about a few mangy camels. Her compassion was baffling, and yet the purity of her heart made her even more endearing.

“I’ll take care of them, sayyida,” I assured her.

Caleena’s gaze fixed on the scenery below as it rushed by, but mine remained on her. The hot wind played with her dark hair, whipping her braid and pulling loose strands free from its binding.

Caleena caught my scrutinizing gaze, and a faint blush warmed her cheeks.

“Tell me about the Nightshade,” she said, as if trying to distract me.

Dread crept through me as I chose my words carefully. “A djinn’s power lies in poisoning its prey, forcing them to hallucinate their worst nightmares until they die of fear.” Caleena’s eyes widened, a reaction I’d expected, knowing the night terrors that already haunted her.

“The Nightshade,” I continued, my voice dropping lower, “is the ruler of all djinns, wielding endless power. Unlike other djinns, it can move freely through the realm of dreams, twisting nightmares and feeding on a victim’s deepest fears until their very life dwindles away.” I hesitated when Caleena bit her lower lip. “It controls dreams, reshaping reality in a person’s mind and creating horrors tailored to each soul, until even the strongest fall.”

“You shouldn’t have asked, Cal,” Malik said from behind us. “We would’ve all been better off without knowing that.”

“Who is she?” Caleena pressed, determination set in her dark eyes.

Words tangled on my tongue. I couldn’t lie to her, but thankfully, what slipped out was the truth. “No one of any importance. Not anymore.”

Caleena eyed me suspiciously. “And this scepter will stop her?”

“It’s the only thing I know of that can,” I replied, threading just enough truth into my words to sidestep the genie’s curse and the cuffs biting into my wrists.

Caleena was as sharp as she was beautiful, and I was treading on shaky ground with each question she asked.

“Do I get three more wishes now that I’ve freed you from your lamp all over again?” she asked, finally changing the subject.

“No,” I replied, sitting up straighter and meeting her gaze with a serious expression. “You sent me into the lamp with your second wish, and now that you’ve freed me, you’re left with only one wish. After your third wish, I’ll be bound to the lamp once more, awaiting the release of my next master.”

Her gaze wandered back over the landscape below, a thoughtful frown creasing her brow. “I’m not sure I like the idea of you having another sayyida,” she said, angling her body toward me, her eyes searching my face for an answer she wouldn’ t find.

I shrugged. “I don’t make the rules, I’m just forced to follow them.”

Malik leaned forward, poking his head between the two of us. “So let me make sure I understand everything.” He paused, his brows knitting together. “We have to get into King Thalorian’s fabled booby-trapped mines, defeat a mummified Nightshade creature that can kill us with our own nightmares, and we have to do all of this without using a single wish from the genie we just risked our lives to free?”

“That would be a good summarization, yes,” Caleena confirmed.

Malik fell back onto his knees. “Fabulous!”

I watched Caleena as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, only for the wind to tug it free once more. “You said you knew where King Thalorian’s mines are. Does that mean you’ve been inside?” she asked, trying to tuck the flyaway behind her ear again. “Surely, you must know how to enter without getting us killed.”

“I’ve never been inside,” I confessed, avoiding her gaze. “King Thalorian made sure that no magical being could ever enter his domain.”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” Malik huffed.

“We’ll be fine,” Caleena assured Malik. “I hope.”

Caleena trembled, and something about her vulnerability stirred an urge in me to pull her close, to shield her from everything lurking beyond our control.

“We’re here,” I announced in a somber tone as the mines finally came into view. Caleena straightened, and her eyes widened with awe.

“I don’t see anything,” she said, turning to me.

“You will,” I assured her .

An ancient curse cloaked the entrance, shrouding it for centuries. Only those who knew where to look could see through the enchantment that hid it from the world. And luckily, I did.

Heat and magic rose from the smoldering desert floor, distorting the view and giving the impression that the mines were a mirage instead of reality as we neared. Once close enough, they rose dramatically from the dry desert ground, an imposing fortress of ancient stone carved directly into the side of a rocky mountain. The grand doorway below had weathered over centuries, its once intricate carvings now eroded and the stone scorched by the relentless sun.

I gently guided the carpet, allowing it to settle on the shifting sands in front of the entrance. The grains crunched softly as we touched down, and everyone stepped off.

Caleena cautiously approached the entrance, running her fingers over the ancient stone door. She meticulously studied its weathered surface and the faint carvings that hinted at the secrets within.

Caleena turned back toward me. "It says only the blood of a direct descendant shall awaken the sleeping stone and grant passage to the heart of the king's legacy.” She’d deciphered the symbols. My gaze collided with hers. It was a warning as much as it was a key.

Something within me cracked, a tiny fissure weaving its way through my resolve. This was everything I had ever wanted, and yet was I willing to sacrifice Caleena to get it? The thought of sending her into the mines without me by her side twisted uncomfortably in my gut, gnawing at the man I thought I was .

Caleena bent down, reaching into the top of her boot to retrieve a small knife. The blade gleamed in the harsh desert sunlight as she stood. She drew the knife closer to her hand, the edge hovering just above her skin.

“Just a drop will suffice,” I said, stepping toward her. The memory of the deep cut that Razoul inflicted flashed through my mind. I gently placed my hand on hers to guide the blade, ensuring that she only pricked one of her fingers.

With a quick jab, Caleena punctured her skin, and a bead of blood welled up on the tip of her finger. She stepped forward, glancing back at Malik and me, then smeared the blood across the cursed stone door. Just like the tomb before, the rocky surface drank in her blood, the crimson droplet vanishing into the tiny pores as if it had never been there at all.

The stone responded with a deep rumble, the olden magic within stirring from its deep slumber. Caleena stepped back as the mountain itself began to tremble. The door moaned and groaned, the sound echoing through the desert as sand and debris rained down from above. With a slow, grinding motion, the massive doors began to open, revealing the dark, yawning entrance to King Thalorian’s mines. The air was thick with the scent of ancient stone and dust.

I gripped Caleena’s arm, pulling her to me as the ground shook beneath us, holding her close until the tremors stopped. Reluctantly, I let her go, snapping my hand through the air with a flick of magic. The carpet on the sandy ground stirred to life, and I urged it closer.

“Nothing inside is as it appears,” I warned. “This medallion, etched in the thread, is all that I recall from the ancient scrolls.” I paused, meeting her gaze. “That’s all I know about the scepter. The rest is a mystery.”

Caleena’s gaze lingered on the scepter, her eyes tracing the intricate design of the cobra coiled around it. “What does the snake have to do with the scepter?” she asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I reached toward the rug and a puff of black smoke erupted from beneath it, engulfing the carpet. In moments, the fabric disintegrated into black sand. It fell to the ground in a swirling, ashy cloud, leaving nothing behind but a faint, lingering scent of magic.

Caleena inhaled deeply, her eyes steady as she turned to Malik. “Are you ready?”

Malik let out a scoff. “Sure,” he replied, “why not?”

Caleena stepped confidently toward the dark opening. “Let’s go,” she urged. “The sooner we get in and out, the sooner we can put an end to the Nightshade. We don’t have time to waste.”

I gripped Caleena’s elbow, and she froze, her eyes widening with surprise as she glanced back at me. I spun her around until she was facing me. “Be careful, sayyida,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not fond of the idea of you going in there without me.” With a flick of my hand, a torch materialized from thin air. I handed it to Caleena, the fire illuminating her face. “Take this.”

She accepted the torch, then gently tugged her elbow from my grasp. “I’ll be fine,” she promised. With a final reassuring glance, she walked into the cave, the darkness quickly swallowing her and erasing her from my sight.

Malik started after her, but I stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “You watch out for her,” I growled, locking eyes with him. I was placing something far too precious in the hands of a man I’d just met.

Malik ducked around me. “I’ll always have her back,” he said sharply. “It’s you I don’t trust.” With that, he strode into the cave, disappearing into the shadows.

I took a deep breath and made myself comfortable, leaning against a fluffy cloud of my magic as I waited for their return. “As you shouldn’t.”