Page 35 of Bound by Wishes (Enchanted Deceptions #1)

T wo weeks flew by with frightening speed, bringing me closer to the day of my wedding. With each passing hour, my nerves grew increasingly frayed. Everything around me was a blur—the flowers, the elaborate spread of food, and the countless other preparations. Each detail was perfected, from the delicate embroidery on the table linens to the flawless arrangement of the centerpieces. My role in this whirlwind was simple: to show up and look stunning. I was a mere spectator in the grand show. I felt both overwhelmed and detached, as if I were watching someone else’s fairy-tale wedding unfold.

Arwa styled my hair and helped me dress as she did every morning. “Aren’t you excited?” she gushed, pinning pieces of my hair into place. “Your wedding is tomorrow!”

I forced a smile, even though it was the last thing I felt like doing. Arwa had finally started to emerge from her shell, becoming more relaxed and friendly around me. I didn’t want to undo all the progress we had made together, so I beamed like a happy bride.

A knock at the door interrupted our conversation, providing a welcome escape from having to lie to Arwa. She hurried to open it, and my stomach churned at the sight of Mozenwrath standing in the doorway.

“We have a few things we need to discuss before the ceremony tomorrow,” he said. “Will you join me in the king’s study?”

Arwa quickly finished the last few details of my outfit before I followed Mozenwrath down the long, winding hallway.

The rich aroma of leather-bound books and polished wood greeted me as I stepped through the doorway. My gaze wandered over the room. I hadn’t been permitted to see the study before. Dark wooden bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient tomes, scrolls, and books that reached up to the high ceiling. My fingers itched to get my hands on some of the books that looked old as time. A large desk sat in the center of the room, cluttered with maps, documents, and a few well-worn quills.

Ranen sat behind the desk in a silky black shirt, his presence as commanding as ever. His eyes softened when he saw me enter. “Sit here,” Ranen said, gesturing to the chair closest to him. I walked slowly to the chair and took a seat.

Mozenwrath babbled on about the ceremony and what was expected of us, but I tuned him out, more absorbed in the study’s details. A massive chandelier hung overhead, its crystals winking at me as it cast a warm, golden glow across the room. Heavy curtains, embroidered with intricate patterns, framed the tall windows, offering a view of the palace gardens.

“…then this afternoon, the physician will complete the princess’s bridal inspection,” Mozenwrath concluded, closing his binder with a snap.

Blood drained from my face, and my eyes widened in disbelief. A bridal inspection? I’d read about such practices in the history of ancient civilizations, where royalty were subject to inspection rituals meant to preserve their so-called honor. But that was a lifetime ago, as was the inspection of the marriage sheets. Ugh, the thought made me sick. I kept forgetting that for the djinns that ruled Jalam, time was different, an unmoving thing. They still lived by the rules of a world long gone.

“Bridal inspection?” I repeated, rising slowly to my feet. “Is that really necessary?”

Ranen watched me for a few more agonizing heartbeats. “I agree,” he finally stated. “Caleena isn’t used to our life here, and we shouldn’t subject her to a protocol that should have been abolished centuries ago.”

A powerful wave of relief washed over me, so overwhelming that my legs gave out, and I sank back into the chair.

Mozenwrath, however, did not seem pleased. His face scrunched in irritation. “Your Majesty,” he beseeched, completely ignoring me. “The council will never allow this marriage if they can’t confirm that she is a pure bride.”

Ranen’s eyes darkened, filling with a shadowed intensity that made the air around us feel heavy, as if time itself dared not move. “Ya amar?” He turned to me. “Are you pure? And before you answer, know that nothing you say will change the outcome of our marriage.”

Mozenwrath sputtered, his shock evident, and I met Ranen’s gaze with a slow, unyielding smile. “Yes,” I answered. “I am.”

Ranen’s gaze latched onto me with a suffocating intensity, as though it could devour me whole. My cheeks burned, heat rushing to my face.

“You have your answer,” Ranen said, turning to Mozenwrath. “The wedding can proceed as planned.” Ranen busied himself with a stack of papers in front of him as if he was done with the conversation.

“But we can’t take her word for it,” Mozenwrath protested.

Ranen rose to his full height, his presence swelling through the room, filling every corner with an undeniable, overwhelming force. “You question the words of my queen? Choose your next words very carefully,” Ranen warned.

“But she’s…” Mozenwrath began.

“Wrong words,” Ranen growled.

I gasped as Mozenwrath shattered, his form crumbling into a thousand tiny shards of black sand that swirled violently in the air. It happened so quickly, I almost missed it. Ranen’s djinn magic was far more powerful than anything I had seen when he was a genie. A chill of fear ran through me.

“Did you just kill your adviser?” I asked with a slight tremble in my voice.

Ranen sank back into his seat, his expression cold. “Unfortunately not. He’s a djinn, as is the council, but he’ll think twice before challenging your word again. ”

For some reason, that didn’t sit well with me. “I thought you said only your family were djinns?” I rose from my seat.

“They are my family, in one way or another,” Ranen replied with a distant tone.

Great. More djinns to put up with. I turned to leave the room but stopped in the doorframe. “Thank you,” I said, smiling at him. “For not making me go through that awful bridal inspection.”

Ranen finally looked up from his parchment, his gaze hardening. “No one will touch you without your consent. Not while I’m here.”

A warm, tingling sensation spread through my limbs as I made my way back to my room. Ranen would never truly know what his words meant to me. He made me feel special, protected in a way I hadn’t thought possible. It was everything I had longed for, and yet, beneath that warmth, my stomach twisted as if a swarm of bats were flitting through it. I still wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with a man’s touch, even though by this time tomorrow, he would be my husband.

I spent the rest of the day locked in my room, battling waves of panic that threatened to overtake me. Every bride feared their wedding and the night that followed, but for me, it wasn’t just about gaining a husband. It was about inheriting an entire kingdom, one that would be looking to me, depending on me. It all felt so suffocating. And intimacy… Intimacy scared me more than I cared to admit. I wasn’t afraid of Mathew anymore, but the memory of his cruel treatment lingered, haunting me in ways I couldn’t shake .

Arwa eased the bedroom door open and poked her head in. “The king has invited you to dinner,” she announced.

“Not tonight,” I answered with a weary smile. “I’m not hungry.”

She looked as though she was about to argue, but instead, she simply closed the door without another word. I stepped onto the balcony, grateful for the cool breeze that kissed my skin. The night air was a welcome relief to the heat of the day. I gazed up at the stars, their soft glow twinkling against the deep velvet of the sky. The silence was suffocating, and my worries grew louder without the day’s distractions to drown them out.

A swirl of dark magic glimmered in the air, rivaling the stars. From the shadows, Ranen materialized, his form emerging from smoke. He leaned against one of the columns, his posture casual yet imposing, the soft moonlight catching the sharp angles of his face. My pulse raced, his mere presence igniting something deep within me.

“Are you going to come looking for me every time I turn down a dinner invitation?” I asked, half joking to lighten my melancholy mood.

“Yes,” he answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Your fear concerns me. And even though I know I should give you some space to process it, I couldn’t stay away.”

"What do you know of my fears?" I asked, turning away to lean against the cool stone of the balcony. "I thought you stopped being in tune with my feelings once the genie curse was broken."

I didn’t hear him approach, but I felt the heat of his presence before he even touched me, the warmth seeping through the sheer fabric of my dress as he drew closer .

"I will always be in tune with you, ya amar," he whispered, leaning in closer, his breath ghosting the shell of my ear. "Your fear and your happiness…they do things to me, unspeakable things, things I can't explain."

A rush of goosebumps prickled across my skin, and I shivered at the intimacy of his words.

“May I touch you?” he asked, his voice a low rumble like distant thunder.

I nodded once, unable to trust myself to speak, the weight of my emotions choking the words before they could leave my lips.

He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me gently but firmly against his chest. The warmth of his body enveloped me. His scent, rich and intoxicating, surrounded me, and for a moment, my worries ceased to exist.

“I know you’re afraid, ya amar, and you have every right to be after what that man did to you.” A tremor worked its way up my spine, and I stiffened. “I will never force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. All I ask is that you let me try to undo some of the damage he caused…to heal the parts of you he broke.”

I turned in his arms, my gaze locking with his. His arms tightened around my waist, drawing me closer. Anger twisted his features, his jaw clenching tightly, while his eyes darkened to a stormy shade. His magic crackled around him, swirling in angry tendrils, as if his wrath was manifesting in the space between us.

“Promise me you won’t hurt him,” I pleaded, reading the murderous rage in his eyes. “It’s over, and he can’t hurt me anymore.”

Ranen’s posture stiffened as if every muscle in his body was honed on me. “It’s not over,” he growled. “Not until he pays penance for the pain he caused you.”

“I don’t need his atonement or anything from him,” I stated firmly. “Promise me,” I said again.

Ranen’s eyes softened, and the magic coursing through the air faded. “I promise neither I nor my men will lay a hand on him.”

“Good. Now get out of here.” I playfully pushed on his chest. “It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

“Bad luck?” he chuckled. “I’m a djinn, such things don’t apply to me.” He pulled me back into his arms. “And I’d risk a thousand curses just to steal a few moments with you.”

It was a good thing he was holding me because if he wasn’t, I might have melted right then and there. He leaned down, his lips barely brushing against mine, a tantalizing whisper of a touch that sent a shiver through me. He released me, and I instantly missed his warmth.

“Go to bed, ya amar,” Ranen’s voice rumbled softly, a comforting purr that seemed to echo through the night. “You have a big day tomorrow.”