Bach ignored her reassurance. His tail lashed once, twice, the only movement in his otherwise statue-still form. In that moment, he reminded her powerfully of the story she'd read as a child by Rudyard Kipling, about Rikki Tikki Tavi, the brave mongoose who protected his family from a deadly cobra. Her gentle, lazy Bach had transformed into a fierce guardian, ready to defend her from this supernatural intruder, and she couldn't help but be charmed.
"Your guardians have returned." Kieran's mouth quirked slightly as he observed the cats. "They display surprising devotion, given how typically self-centered their kind tends to be."
"They're good boys." Mandy smiled down at Bach, then back at Mozart. "I've never seen Bach like this before..."
"Animals are more attuned to such things than humans," Kieran told her. "Their reaction was perfectly natural. Even the other one," and he nodded at Mozart, cuddled in her lap, "is declaring his protection of you, in his own way."
Mandy lifted the pendant, her fingers tracing the warm surface, its golden patterns still dancing beneath her touch. Her heart ached at the thought of giving it up, which seemed silly -she'd only had it for a day. Still, something about the mysterious gift called to her soul.
"If this is yours," she said reluctantly, "I suppose I should give it back." The words felt like thorns in her throat. She began to unfasten the golden chain, her movements slow and hesitant.
Kieran's icy blue gaze tracked her motion, his expression unreadable. "No."
Mandy's hands froze, as she looked at him blankly. "No?"
Kieran didn't respond immediately to her question. Instead, he lifted one hand, waving it in a graceful, flowing gesture.
A small table materialized between them, its dark wood surface inlaid with intricate geometric patterns. Mandy blinked hard, then rubbed her eyes with trembling fingers, certain her eyes were playing tricks on her. Her stomach did a slow flip as the designs appeared to be mother of pearl and what looked like lapis lazuli, a combination she recognized from her time spent in Egypt, catching the lamplight and seeming to dance as she stared. The scent of exotic spices filled her nostrils, so real it made her head spin. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps as she was torn between the urge to reach out and touch the table and the instinct to scramble away from it.
But it was what sat atop the table that made her mouth fall open. A delicate teapot steamed gently, its spout releasing wisps of fragrant vapor that made her mouth water. Two small glasses, with gold-trimmed rims, waited beside it, along with a sugar bowl, and tiny spoons.
Mandy's head swam. This couldn't be real. She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to clear her vision. This must be some sort of delayed reaction to the pain shot at the hospital. Clearly she was hallucinating.
Kieran's lips quirked again, the barest hint of a smile touching the corners of his mouth. "You're not."
"I'm not what?" Mandy's fingers clutched the pendant, its warmth steadying her racing thoughts.
"Hallucinating."
Her heart leaped into her throat, pounding so hard she could feel her pulse in her ears. Was he reading her mind?
Wait. If she was hallucinating, then Kieran was just a delusion, wasn't he? And of course a delusion could read her mind - it would all be happening inside her head anyway. That made perfect sense. Sort of.
Although she had to admit, if this was a hallucination, it was an extraordinarily detailed one. The fragrant steam rising from the teapot carried notes of nutmeg and clove, and other spices she couldn't identify. The intricate patterns in the table's surface caught the light in ways that seemed too complex for her imagination to conjure.
"You now possess a Wish Bearer vessel." The man's… Djinn's… deep voice resonated through her living room. "That means you are entitled to three wishes."
"Three wishes?" Mandy blinked up at him, her mind spinning. "Like in the stories?"
"Yes." Kieran's lips quirked upward. "Just like in the stories."
Another elegant wave of his hand, and amber liquid flowed into both gold-rimmed glasses, steam rising in delicate spirals. He bent to pick one up and brought it to her, extending it with a grace that seemed old-worldly.
Mandy stared at the offered glass as though it might transform into a cobra. Her hand hovered near it, not quite touching. When she finally gathered the courage to touch it, the rim felt solid beneath her fingertip. She waved her palm over the steaming liquid, feeling its warmth against her skin. It certainly seemed real enough.
"It will benefit you more if you drink it," the genie's voice carried a note of dry amusement.
"Djinn," he corrected immediately.
"I know it's Djinn." Mandy lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes twinkling. "I let myself think the word 'genie' on purpose - testing to see if you really could read my thoughts."
Kieran's eyebrows rose slightly. "Clever." The word held a mix of annoyance and reluctant respect.
She finally took the glass from him and lifted it to her lips, inhaling the fragrant steam. The spiced tea's warmth spread through her chest as she took a careful sip.
"You say the word correctly - Djinn - as if you are familiar with it." Kieran's glacial eyes studied her with renewed interest.
Shrugging one shoulder, Mandy aimed for casual despite the intensity of his gaze. "I used to speak Arabic." She traced the rim of her glass with one finger. "Was conversationally fluent, actually, though it's been so long I've forgotten most of it now."
