Mandy felt a spark of mischief ignite inside her, chasing away some of the overwhelming strangeness of the situation. Her natural sense of humor, which had been buried under pain and confusion, finally resurfaced. A grin spread across her face as understanding dawned, lighting up her green eyes with a spark of mischievous delight. Her writer's brain whirred into action, conjuring up the scene in Aladdin's cave with the big blue genie.
"Oh, right!" She straightened in her chair, causing Bach to readjust his position with an annoyed complaint. "Like in Aladdin - there are specific rules about wishes." Her green eyes sparkled with renewed energy as she ticked off points on her fingers. "No wishing for more wishes, no bringing anyone back from the dead, and no making someone fall in love with me."
Kieran released a long-suffering sigh that seemed to carry the weight of centuries. But Mandy caught the slight crinkle at the corners of his eyes, the barely-there quirk of his lips that betrayed his amusement despite his stern demeanor.
"Yes," he confirmed, his deep voice carrying a hint of dry humor beneath its deep resonance. "Those kinds of rules."
A chill ran down Mandy's spine as another story about wishes surfaced from the depths of her memory.
"Wait." Her voice quavered. "There was this story…The Monkey's Paw…"
The words barely left her mouth before vivid images from that horrifying story flooded her mind - the grieving parents, themysterious knocking at the door, the implications of what waited on the other side. That story had given her nightmares for weeks after reading it in Mrs. Peterson's sophomore English class.
Kieran's shoulders slumped. His elegant fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose as he released a long-suffering sigh that seemed to carry the weight of centuries.
"Not this again," he muttered, his deep voice carrying notes of exasperation. "I hear of this story from many of our Wish Bearers. Do you have any idea how many humans bring up that wretched story when offered wishes? It's become quite tedious."
Mandy shuddered. “Well, it was a horrific story, you can’t blame anyone who’s ever read it for being afraid. I mean, I had nightmares about it! I can’t even imagine why they forced it onto a whole generation in the name of classical literature. Poe was bad enough!”
She needed to hear his reassurance, the memories of that story still sending shivers down her spine. "So my wishes won't come true in some horrible, twisted way that destroys everything I care about?"
"No." Kieran's voice held absolute certainty. "Djinn Wish magic does not work that way. Wish Bearers are not malevolent tricksters seeking to twist words into weapons."
"However..." His deep voice trailed off as he seemed to choose his next words with great care. "While the Wish magic does not operate in such a manner, there are indeed cursed objects that function much like that fictional monkey's paw." His pale eyes held a warning. "Ancient artifacts twisted by dark magic and malevolent intent. But these have nothing to do with the Djinn or the Wish magic."
Mandy swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. She took another sip of the spiced tea, letting its warmth - and, it was still warm, she noted - chase away the chill that had crept into her bones at his words. The idea that such things actually existed- cursed objects that could destroy lives with twisted wishes - made her skin crawl.
"So there really are things out there that..." She couldn't quite finish the thought, her writer's imagination conjuring far too many horrifying possibilities.
"Yes." Kieran's voice was gentle now, perhaps sensing her distress. "But the pendant you wear is nothing like those dark artifacts. It is a vessel of pure Wish magic, meant to help, not harm."
The pendant pulsed warmly against her skin, as if confirming his words. Mandy released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her tension easing.
The delicate glass grew warmer in Mandy's hands, and she watched, fascinated, as the tea filled to the gold-rimmed edge without spilling a drop.
A small laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it. "Is tea the answer to everything?"
Kieran's expression gentled as he regarded her over his own glass. "This afternoon has been a shock to you. The sweet tea will help settle your nerves."
Mandy took another sip, letting the warm liquid coat her tongue. The sweetness bloomed across her taste buds, rich and comforting. "Is that why you put in so much sugar? Because even in Egypt, they didn't put this much sugar in."
"Indeed." His deep voice carried a note of approval. "Sugar helps ground the spirit when reality has been... shifted."
The way he said it made perfect sense to Mandy. Her reality had certainly been shifted - turned completely upside down, if she was being honest. Yet somehow, sitting here sharing impossibly refilling glasses of sweet tea with a Djinn felt almost... normal.
She took another appreciative sip, grateful for both the sweetness and the simple familiarity of the ritual, even if the tea had appeared by magic.
"I'm sorry," she told him, her voice smaller than she intended. "I'm kind of struggling here. With all of this." She gestured vaguely at the magical table, the endless tea, and Kieran's otherworldly presence that filled her small living room. "It's a lot to take in."
The transformation of Kieran's stern features caught her completely off guard. A genuine smile spread across his face, softening the sharp angles and lighting up those silvery-blue eyes. The change was remarkable - like watching a marble statue come to life.
"That's not uncommon," he reassured her, his deep voice gentler than before. The resonant quality remained, but the earlier edge of authority had mellowed into something almost... kind.
He set his delicate glass down on the inlaid table with precise movements. The silver embroidery on his midnight blue robes caught the light as he moved to settle himself in the oversized armchair across from her. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and suddenly appeared far more approachable despite his imposing presence.
Mozart chose that moment to slink out from behind the sofa, creeping closer to investigate this strange visitor who had commandeered his favorite chair. The cat's green eyes remained fixed on Kieran, whiskers twitching with feline curiosity.
Without shifting her gaze from Kieran, Mandy wiggled her fingers at Mozart. He leaped onto the back of her recliner with fluid grace. He arranged himself along the top like a furry orange headrest, and proceeded to purr like a motorboat while Bach stayed anchored in her lap, nudging her hand for pets.
