The morning breeze rustled through the garden outside, carrying that impossibly sweet jasmine scent. Dinen's massive form lounged in a patch of sunlight near the arched windows, blue flames flickering lazily along his spotted coat. Everything seemed suddenly to have frozen as time stopped for a few beats of her heart.
Her mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to form words.
"Excuse me, what?"
Jacinth's warm hand closed over Mandy's on the table, her touch gentle but grounding. "You were dying, Mandy. The COVID had destroyed your lungs beyond repair."
The truth of those words resonated through Mandy's body. She remembered the struggle for each breath, the feeling of drowning in her own fluids, the bone-deep exhaustion as her body fought a losing battle.
"The world needs your warmth," Kieran said, his deep voice unusually soft. "Your caring, your compassion." His silver-blue eyes held hers steadily. "You could be a Wish Bearer, if you wished to take on that role later."
"You mean…" Mandy's head spun. "I'm a Djinn? Like you? B-but how? And… I mean. My daughter… my writing?"
"You can continue your human life exactly as you planned," Kieran assured her. "Write your books, swim in your mermaid tail, live as you always have." He gestured elegantly with one hand. "We Djinn can look as young or old as we wish, and you can appear to age appropriately. When the time comes to leave the mortal realm behind, Qaf will be waiting."
The kindness in his voice, so different from his usual stern demeanor, made her throat tight with unexpected emotion.
Turning her attention inward, Mandy tried to sense any differences in herself. That overwhelming feeling of well-being remained - her body felt light and energized in a way she'd never experienced before. But aside from that, she felt... normal. Just herself.
"I don't feel any different," she said hesitantly. "I mean, I feel amazing, but not... magical?"
Kieran's lips curved slightly. "Hold out your hand."
Mandy extended her right hand, palm up, watching as Kieran held his own hand out beside hers. Her breath caught as a small blue flame flickered to life in his palm, dancing and swaying like a living thing.
Before she could comment, an answering flame appeared in her own palm. The warmth surprised her - not hot or burning, but pleasant, like holding a cup of perfectly heated tea. Her flame moved with a life of its own, swaying toward Kieran's as if drawn by an invisible force.
The two flames stretched toward each other, their edges blending in an intricate dance of blue light. Mandy watched, mesmerized, as they twirled together before separating again, each returning to its original palm. She glanced up to find Kieran watching her rather than the flames, something deep and unguarded in his silver-blue eyes that made time seem to slow around them. The moment stretched between them until Jacinth quietly cleared her throat, and Kieran's usual mask of calm settled back into place.
"Oh," she breathed, staring at the small blue flame dancing in her palm, still mesmerized by its gentle warmth and fluid movements. The sight seemed impossible, yet there it was - tangible proof of her transformation.
"To extinguish it, simply decide you want it put away," Kieran said, his deep voice pulling her attention from the mystical fire.
Blinking, Mandy focused on the flame. Put it away? She pictured the fire disappearing, willing it to vanish. To her amazement, the blue flame winked out instantly, leaving her palm empty and unmarked.
"Can I call it back whenever I want?" She flexed her fingers, searching for any lingering sensation of warmth.
"Yes, to a limited extent. I have banked most of your fire for now," Kieran explained, his silver-blue eyes intent on her face. "What you have access to is a small portion - enough to experiment with and learn to control."
"You'll need to master your magic before you have full access," he continued. "Starting with the basics of calling and dismissing your fire at will."
"Especially important before you return to the mortal realm," Jacinth added, her musical voice carrying a note of seriousness that caught Mandy's attention. "We can't have your magic accidentally flaring up while you're at the grocery store or during a book signing."
The image of blue flames suddenly appearing while she was checking out at Safeway made Mandy shudder. "Yes, that would definitely be bad."
Suddenly Jacinth's words hit her.
"Wait." She stared at Kieran and Jacinth, her mind struggling to process this new realization. "The mortal realm? I'm… I'm immortal?"
Jacinth's face lit up with that brilliant smile that seemed to fill any room with joy. She nodded enthusiastically, dark eyes sparkling.
Kieran's response was more subdued - a slight inclination of his head, but his silver-blue eyes held warmth as they met hers.
His voice in the hospital echoed in her memory -I do return your love- words she'd thought were fever dreams. Her heart stuttered as she realized they had been real. This powerful,ancient being hadn't just saved her life - he'd chosen to share his immortality with her, transforming her very essence because he couldn't bear to lose her. The enormity of that gift, that choice, left her breathless.
Not just healed, not just restored to health, but fundamentally transformed. She would never age, never grow frail, never face another ending. Centuries would pass like seasons, millennia like years. The concept stretched before her like an endless horizon, too vast to fully comprehend.
She set her cup carefully down before her. "I think I need more tea."
