Page 13 of Wishes in the Moonlight (Rocky Mountain Wolves #4)

~Amanda~

I stared at the phone in the centre of the table as if the rectangular device could somehow sense my confusion and consternation.

Not knowing Calista very well and not being able to see her facial expressions and body language as we spoke didn’t help matters.

Was she serious that Kalo was dangerous? How dangerous? In what way?

I still had a lot of questions.

Thankfully, Felix started talking again before I had to put any of them into words.

“Most people only know genies from stories or fairy tales, where you get three wishes and the only problem is deciding what those wishes are going to be. In reality, it’s not nearly as simple.”

Pages flipped in the background, a sign that they were researching on the fly to get us as much information as possible.

“Genies do have the power to make wishes come true. They possess real and strong magic. Whatever you ask will happen, but it’s hardly ever straightforward. The consequences of the wish can be worse than the problem you’re trying to get rid of in the first place.”

Savannah gasped from across the table. “Like that story we read in school with the monkey paw?”

“Exactly like that,” Felix agreed while Jasper and I exchanged confused looks.

“We must not have had the same school curriculum,” I said. “What’s the story?”

Savannah leaned forward, her eyes wide. “The details are fuzzy but there was this cursed monkey paw, and when the owner wished for money, his son died, leaving behind an insurance payment. So yeah, the wish came true, but in a horrible way.”

“Fuck,” Jasper muttered as my gut twisted remembering some of Kalo’s earlier answers to my questions.

“When I asked him what would happen if I couldn’t meet his price, he said the work done for me wouldn’t be as permanent as I hoped. Do you think that’s the same thing Savannah is talking about?”

“It definitely sounds like it’s along the same lines,” Calista agreed.

“He might grant your wish for a time, fulfilling the requirements, and undo it when it suits him. It’s better not to get involved with a genie in the first place, but since you already are, we’ll have to think this through carefully. ”

“Wait, why am I already involved? I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

“You summoned him,” Felix explained. “He’s bound to you now unless someone else calls on him.

You’d have to give the necklace away and the new owner would need to summon him to transfer the connection.

Until then, he’ll keep turning up every time you need something, trying to entice you into a deal. ”

“Fuck,” Jasper repeated, and I had to agree. None of this sounded good.

“What if I just wish for him to go away?” It wouldn’t solve my pack security issue, but at least I’d only have that to deal with. What seemed like a major problem just that morning now felt significantly easier than dealing with an underhanded magical being.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Calista said apologetically, her sigh echoing through the line. “I remember hearing about a case where someone tried but the genie returned anyway. Until the third wish is made or ownership is transferred, he belongs to you.”

“So she can wish for him to go away three times,” Savannah suggested, giving me a nod of encouragement. “Right?”

However, even I could see the flaw in that plan. “In order to grant my wish at all, he’ll require his payment, whatever that might be.”

“Do you guys have any information about what kind of payment he wants?” Jasper asked the two people on the phone. “What do genies care about?”

“I’ve never heard of a genie requesting payment,” Felix admitted. “Calista?”

“No, me neither. Although, I’ve never personally talked to anyone who survived an encounter with a genie.”

Foreboding prickled down my spine. “What do you mean ‘survived’?”

“Like I said, there are usually consequences to wishes, and often, the final consequence is the wisher’s life. But don’t worry,” she hastened to add. “We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen to you.”

Her reassurance didn’t make me feel a lot better, and as the full extent of the danger began to sink in, I realized I might not be the only one at risk.

Troy?

I reached out to my mate via mind-link, sending the signal as far as I could since I didn’t know how far he might have gone.

Yes, Alpha? His reply was faint, but within range.

Where are you?

At the mountain lookout with Kalo. Are you alright?

Asking about my well-being seemed ironic considering he was the one in more immediate danger. Bring Kalo back to the pack house as soon as you can but without arousing his suspicion. Whatever you do, don’t agree to anything he might suggest.

Of course not. He sounded almost insulted that I would think he might. Did you get some answers?

Some. We’re still figuring it all out, but he might be dangerous. I don’t want you to be alone with him.

The pause on the other end of our link suggested my words took him by surprise, though I couldn’t be sure exactly why.

We’ll head back as soon as possible. I’ll be careful.

Thank you.

Closing the link, I turned my attention back to the others at the table. They had carried on talking without me, but I interrupted to get my most pressing question asked.

“If I were to restrain him, would he be able to escape from our prison cell?”

“In about half a second,” Felix answered dryly. “He seems solid but his body forms and dissolves at will. A regular cell will do nothing to him.”

“And there’s no way to counteract that?” Jasper asked. “Nothing that weakens his power, like silver weakens us?”

“That’s a good question.” Calista sounded thoughtful as more paper rustled in the background. “Let me do some research and I’ll get back to you, but I’d say to use incarceration as a last resort. Stay on his good side as much as possible until we can formulate a game plan.”

“Is there any reason not to tell him what I know?”

Savannah and Jasper exchanged a look with each other, and I could imagine Felix and Calista doing the same on the other end of the phone, considering the question thoroughly.

“I don’t see why not,” Calista finally answered.

“It might make him more forthcoming about this payment he wants if he’s aware that you understand the situation.

As much as we know about genies, they’re still individuals and he may have his own agenda completely separate from anything that’s been recorded before. ”

“So, I should get to know him,” I summarized.

“I discovered werewolves weren’t so bad when I talked to a few. Maybe Kalo will turn out to be a friend.”

Maybe he would, but I had to prepare for the other alternative as well. “When you’re looking up ways to weaken him, can you also find out how to kill a genie, if it comes to that?”

“We’ll see what we can do,” Felix promised. “Good luck. We’ll be in touch.”

With that, the line went dead, leaving me wiser than before they called but not much clearer on what to do next.