Page 7

Chapter Five

A diamond...there it was again.

His touch turned cold, and I felt the need to recoil. When Adir had asked me about a wishing diamond, it had felt like a myth, but for some reason, this myth was making me feel more uneasy by the second. Or maybe I was just getting dizzy from all the glittering treasure blinding my eyes.

“A single diamond?” I repeated. “In all of this?”

“A diamond ring, to be specific,” he clarified. “It’s unlike any other. I’m nearly confident that the sultan has mixed it in with his hoard, but I need someone with your talents to pick it out of the clutter.”

It hardly felt right referring to piles of treasure as clutter , but I could see what he meant. If you didn’t know much about the value of precious jewels, you could easily spend a lifetime searching this cave for a real diamond.

“Can I get any more information on it?” I asked, my heart hammering as I tried not to think about how difficult this task would undoubtedly prove to be. “Is it gold? Silver? Does it have any other embellishments?”

“You’ll know it when you see it,” he said vaguely, planting a frown on my face. “That’s all I can say. Bring me the ring, and I’ll set you free with as much treasure as you can carry out of here.”

I nibbled the edge of my lip. As much treasure as I could carry…? I could already imagine how much life would change for Kipu and me. I could even buy Jean out of his service contract with the sultan.

“Do we have a deal?” He held out his hand, and I hesitated for a moment.

I don’t want to trust him. But if he makes good on his promise…

I accepted his hand, a spark rippling through my skin as we made contact. His soft squeeze seemed to feed into my veins, giving me the strength I needed to face down the towering piles of treasure. He still looked scary, but he didn’t look at me in a way that left me fearful.

“Good luck,” he said softly, dropping my hand to step back out of the cavern. He closed the door behind me, pausing before sealing it shut. “I’ll be back in no less than twelve hours. I can’t promise you another opportunity afterward.”

Twelve hours ?

It felt like both an eternity and no time at all as he sealed me inside.

The treasure seemed to glow on its own, producing a dim light that must have been spawned by some sort of enchantment in the walls.

Or perhaps there were magic treasures within the cave that all mixed with each other into some sort of brilliant power.

The only magic I had ever witnessed was the occasional snake charmer, but I wasn’t even certain those were real. This was real magic.

I tucked my hair behind my ears, narrowing my eyes on the glittering piles until I could get myself to focus on a singular ring.

Guess I better start somewhere.

My shoes crunched over the jewels like they were nothing more than fallen leaves. I scooped up the first ring I saw, studying it just long enough to realize that the stone was an emerald and not a diamond.

Next.

I tossed it aside, then moved on to the next ring I could find. This one had two diamonds in it, but they didn’t really feel like anything special. Then again, I didn’t know what special was meant to feel like. Was it supposed to glow? Sing? Explode into fireworks?

I started a new pile of only diamond rings to keep track of it. It wasn’t long before another diamond ring joined it, then another, and another.. .

The hours passed in a blur of bling. My vibrant blue eyes reflected in polished sterling, opals, rubies, and so many diamonds.

My stomach growled as I looked longingly at a portrait of a grand feast with a succulent pig, roast duck, and a mound of buttery rolls that I could practically smell through the oil paints.

I started on another pile, this time only looking for rings with a singular stone instead of clusters.

My reflection twinkled in the gems, blinking back at the ambitious girl who was determined not to lose this opportunity.

I combed through tiny caverns in the stone walls, scooping out fistfuls of jewelry.

Every time I came across an extra special looking ring, I slid it on one of my fingers until my entire hand looked like it was made of gold.

My eyes scanned over the jewels, picking out the potential diamonds while dismissing the rest. It felt like a game, but not the type that you wanted to keep playing after an hour had passed and you had a lingering headache.

An ancient bottle of perfume that smelled like candied oranges caught my nose, and I was half-tempted to sip its contents to see if it tasted even half as good as it smelled.

A diamond-encrusted pocket watch caught my eye next, and I picked it up to see if it was still ticking.

I wound it up a few times, and even though nothing happened, it felt reassuring to see the hands on a clock move forward .

My piles grew, and so did my desperation to find something close to what my employer was looking for. There had been dozens of striking diamond rings, but none of them felt like the one he was wishing for.

The word wish stayed trapped in my mind as I thought back to Adir and his quest for the wishing diamond. If it was anywhere, it would be in here... But even with all the time in the world, I wasn’t certain it could ever be found.

I looked back toward the broken pocket watch, wondering if that was the shadowy man’s plan all along. He was giving me all the time he wouldn’t sacrifice himself to find the treasure.

“I wish I could find the ring already,” I whispered to myself.

My head was continuing to ache from the lack of food and proper sleep.

I needed to find the ring before I had another dizzy spell.

Collapsing into a pile of jagged gold garbage was far from appealing.

“Then maybe...I could wish for some better ideas.”

I sat down on a yellowed, rolled carpet that reminded my hungry stomach of a roasted corn cob.

Dust puffed everywhere, making me sneeze like wild and smelling nothing like buttery corn.

When I finally managed to clear my nose and rub my eyes open, I found my gaze settling on another unique treasure .

“Is that a lamp?” My voice echoed uncomfortably loudly in the cave. I slid off the carpet, unfurling it a tad as I steadied myself on a pile of pearls.

A rusty copper lamp with a curved spout and singe marks around the lid stood out like a pig in a horse show among all the priceless trinkets.

I bent down to pick up the old lamp, my fingers tingling when I touched the cool surface.

It was nice to see something so worn in the midst of the rich cavern; it made me feel a little more like I belonged as well.

“What are you doing in a place like this?” I admired the charming lamp among the dim glow of the golden dust and cracked scepters.

It was heavier than I expected. When it was new, it had probably been worth a week’s wages for the average salesman.

The dented surface showed years of use, but the frame was still in good enough shape to light another night.

I turned it around to admire the engravings on the side, but the caked-on dust made it impossible to see.

I rubbed my palm against the side, smearing off the filth, but also causing something to rattle inside.

“Huh?” I shook it again like a child trying to guess the contents of a birthday present.

It sounded metallic.

I lifted off the lid. The tangy scent of old metal and rust caught my attention first, then a puff of dust that threatened to make me sneeze again assaulted my senses. I continued to investigate the rattling noise, my eyes widening as I noticed something glittering in the bottom of the lamp.

A ring.

It was a simple gold band with no embellishments or detailed settings.

A pea-sized diamond was set in the center, with a stone so brilliant it almost radiated blue.

I reached inside, my slender hand barely fitting through the tight opening.

Once my fingers latched around the ring, the woozy feeling in my head kicked back up, like I wasn’t stable enough to hold something even as small as a diamond ring.

Or maybe something as powerful as one...

I placed the ring in my palm, my heart hammering as I nibbled the edge of my lip, afraid to utter even a sound in its presence. Could this really be it? It certainly felt special, but it wasn’t radiating any fireworks yet...

“Uh, hello?” I spoke to the ring, and to my relief, it didn’t start speaking back.

I shook off all the other rings I’d collected and slid on my newest find.

It fit perfectly onto my ring finger, almost as if it had been waiting to be placed there all along.

I stared down at the diamond, taking a deep breath before performing another test. “Wishing Diamond?” I gulped, my tongue tightening around the word wish.

What would I even wish for? A way out? A million gold coins? A sign that it was even real?

“I wish...” I thought for another second, and time felt like it was standing still. I didn’t need anything big, just proof that it was what I was looking for. My attention flicked to my flowy blue skirts, and an idea came to me. “I wish I were a princess, like the ones in the palace.”

My eyes squeezed shut and my fingers curled into a tight fist as I waited for magic to shoot out of the ring. Nothing happened, not even a warm feeling in my finger or a buzz in my heart. The only thing I felt was an even worse headache from tensing every muscle in my body.

I looked down at my dress again, not seeing anything different that would indicate a real sign of royalty. I probably looked just as ridiculous as I felt.

And then the vault door moved.

I froze, my heart leaping into my throat as three guards pushed open the door and stormed inside. I gasped, clutching the lamp to my chest as I wondered if I had just summoned my own royal army.

Did it work? Am I a princess?

“Thief!” the first guard shouted. “You’re under arrest!”

I dropped the lamp.

Nope. Definitely not what I wished for.