Page 4 of Bound by Wishes (Enchanted Deceptions #1)
I pinched myself hard enough to feel the sting of pain coursing across my cold flesh. The hurt confirmed I wasn’t dead or dreaming, but I couldn’t believe what hovered before my eyes. I was a scientist. No one could ever convince me that mythical things like genies existed, but the striking being before me begged to differ.
My legs wobbled as I forced myself to stand. My mouth gaped open as I ogled the genie. Cloaked in dark smoke, he was unlike anything I had ever seen. With each movement, the air seemed to crackle with a strange energy of the magic that swirled around him. My gaze traced the contours of his corded, muscular arms, which were tightly crossed before him. Each defined muscle seemed to ripple beneath his sun-kissed skin. Despite the anger simmering in his demeanor, his physical presence oozed a raw magnetism that was impossible to ignore.
When he caught me staring, my cheeks heated, and I quickly lifted my gaze to meet his. His piercing dark eyes, set beneath thick, ebony lashes, sparkled with a knowing confidence. Waves of inky hair, cropped short, brushed across his eyebrows, while a shadow of dark-colored stubble accentuated his strong jawline. Since my terrifying encounter with Mathew, I rarely paid attention to a man’s physique. But the one before me threatened to knock me off balance.
He vanished in a poof of smoke, reappearing mere feet before me, and my heart lodged in my throat. His wispy genie tail had vanished, replaced by a pair of strong legs encased in black harem pants, paired with a matching black vest adorned with threads of silver. The genie’s masculine scent wafted through the air, a captivating blend of warm sandalwood, and hints of smoky embers. The aroma had me longing to step closer, but fear forced me back against the cold stone wall.
Even in human form, he towered at least a foot above me, forcing me to look up to meet his harsh stare. I dug my fingertips into the stone, the rough surface biting into my skin.
“Get away from me,” I growled, my voice trembling despite my best efforts.
To my surprise, he eased back, a flicker of something unreadable passing over his features. His brow furrowed, and his jaw tightened ever so slightly, as if trying figure me out.
The distance between us eased my discomfort, and my rapid pulse slowed. “I suppose this is the part where you tell me I have three wishes?” I asked, sarcasm lining my tone.
One side of his lip curled upward in an arrogant lopsided grin, the act causing my stomach to flop like I had swallowed a fish.
“What is your name?” he asked, completely ignoring my question, stalking a little closer. Every muscle in my body tensed as he drew near. He may be a genie, but he was still a male and probably a desperate one, depending on how long he’d been trapped in that lamp.
A cold weight settled in my chest, expanding outward like a thick fog creeping into every corner of my mind. My body instinctively shrank in on itself, shoulders curling inward as if I could make myself smaller. He must have sensed my nervousness because he stopped moving.
“Caleena,” I answered, straightening up, trying to hide the fear that snaked through me when a man came near. “And who are you?”
“Ranen. King of Jalam.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “I think you’ve been down here too long. The king of Jalam is Razoul.”
“My younger brother couldn’t rule a household, let alone a kingdom.” The growl in his voice had my back kissing the wall again.
I scrunched my brows in confusion. “I’m pretty sure Razoul is an only child.”
Ranen's expression shifted, a shadow passing over his features before he spoke again. “I am the rightful heir to the throne. Razoul trapped me down here in that lamp to steal my kingdom.”
“Right,” I responded, easing further away from him and edging closer to the entrance. There was nowhere for me to go, but my body screamed for me to get away from this genie who was talking craziness .
“I’ll prove it to you.” His gritty baritone voice echoed off the cavern walls, making him sound even more intimidating.
“Um, that’s okay. I’ll take your word for it.” My gaze climbed up the slick cave wall, resting on the crack that I had fallen through. “I do get wishes, don't I?” I turned back toward him in desperation. “Because I would sure like to get out of here.”
I could tell by his pinched features he was trying to control his anger but was currently losing the battle. “I’ll get you out of here if you agree to help me get my kingdom back.”
I laughed at his response, barely containing myself before meeting his gaze again. “I’m pretty sure I get wishes regardless. I am an archaeologist, after all. I may not believe in fables and fairy tales, but I certainly know all of the legends and myths surrounding them.”
“An archaeologist, you say?” Something sinister flashed across his face before he continued. “Then I would imagine you would be interested in locating King Thalorian’s mines.”
“Ugh, don’t even mention King Thalorian’s mines. That’s the reason I find myself in your lovely company.” I scoffed, continuing to pick my way around the narrowing ledge that surrounded the deep pool in the center of the cavern.
I was determined to get out of here, preferably without this crazy being’s help. Ranen’s legs disintegrated into smoke as he glided beside me, hovering above the water.
“I can take you to King Thalorian’s mines. Only my late father and I knew of its true location.” He baited me, dangling my dream before my face .
My foot slipped, but I caught myself before tumbling back into the cold water. “Or…I could simply wish for it and you would be forced to take me there.” I lifted my pert little nose in the air, daring him to prove me wrong.
“Wishes are a tricky thing. You have to word them just right to make sure you do not get more or less than what you bargained for. According to you, you already used up two wishes. One to get out of here and the other to find King Thalorian’s mines.” He paused, the act forcing me to stop and meet his glare. “But you have failed to wish for the lives of the other survivors trapped down here, not to mention the lives of thousands that will be lost if my brother remains king.”
Ranen played on the sympathy cords of my heart, and it worked like a charm. “Survivors?” I asked, glancing around.
“Two,” he clarified.
My gaze met his. “What did you mean when you said thousands of lives would be lost if your brother remained king?”
I hated the way his eyes sparkled when I asked that question, almost as if he knew he had won. “My brother is a tyrant, and he is determined to turn the Canaari people into his thralls. Their lives don’t matter to him.”
My stomach tightened like someone was squeezing it. “That’s horrible,” I said, easing further away, my boots slipping on the damp rock. “And I’m very sorry for them, but it sounds to me like you need an army, not an archaeologist.” I steadied my footing before I took another step. “What do you possibly think I can do?”
He glided closer to me. “I need someone to infiltrate the palace and find the book he used to turn me into this abomination.”
“Right.” I nearly cackled out loud. “I can’t just waltz into the palace.”
He rewarded me with a harsh glare. “According to the scrolls, the council is forcing my brother to take a wife. He is of age now, and the gates will be opened to welcome in the marriage candidates…” His eyes scoured up and down my body with a dangerous gleam.
“Whoa! Have you lost your mind?” I gasped. “I am no marriage candidate.” A coldness seeped through my bones at his suggestion. “Besides, I thought only a princess could marry the king, and I am certainly no princess.”
“That is painfully obvious,” he grumbled, which ignited my anger. “But I can make you one.”
“My head hurts,” I murmured, losing my focus. My foot slipped beneath me, and I readied myself for the water’s cold embrace as I tumbled forward. Instead, I was lifted into the air, dangling a mere few feet in front of Ranen. My heart pounded as I floated through the air.
"Make one wish, little sayyida," his voice echoed through the cavern, filling me with dread. "I will get you and your friends out of here, lead you to King Thalorian’s mines, and together, we shall save the Canaari people." The offer hung in the air, right along with me.
I hesitated, the absurdity of it all making my temples pound. Yet, despite the unease, something about it excited me—the prospect of delving into new cultures, of immersing myself in the unknown. The chance to discover ancient secrets, to learn from the past in a way that felt far more meaningful than the daily grind of being nothing more than an assistant with a shovel. It was the possibility of true purpose, of making my mark in a field I had worked so hard to be part of.
I closed my eyes, letting the preposterous idea fester. “This is crazy.”
“The world is a crazy place, why not join in the madness?” he cooed, easing closer to me. “All I ask of you is to try. Help me save my people.” His voice softened to the purr of a predator.
“Fine,” I huffed, desperately wanting all of this to be over. “Just get me out here.”
“I believe the words you are looking for are I wish ,” he said, hovering closer.
I scrutinized him, refusing to trust a single word that tumbled from his perfect lips. “You said wishes are tricky. How do I know you’ll do all those things if all I say is I wish to get out of here?”
A dangerous smirk played on his lips. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
My muscles tightened, cautioning me against striking bargains with mythical beings. I shoved down the rising dread, refusing to heed the voice that whispered warnings in the recesses of my mind. I inhaled deeply. “I wish for you to get me and my crew out of this cavern.”
An evil grin, stretching unnaturally wide like the Cheshire Cat, crept across his face. His inky smoke rose around me, threatening to suffocate me. Dread coiled in the pit of my stomach, forcing me to realize that I had made a grave mistake. Perishing in this underground cavern was a fate preferable to the unknown evil that now leered at me.