"She has that effect on cats too," Mandy observed, watching Mozart's bewildered investigation with amusement. "One minute they're treating her like she's their new best friend, the next they're completely baffled by her."
"Much like the rest of us," Kieran agreed dryly.
But Mandy barely heard him, her mind still caught on Jacinth's questions. What would her life look like, if she had the choice?
Kieran rose from his seat in a dramatic swirl of dark robes that seemed to catch nonexistent shadows. "You have much to consider," he said, his deep voice gentle, holding a hint of humor. "I will return again and you can tell me more of your debates with yourself."
Mandy nodded, still lost in thought over Jacinth's penetrating questions. What did she want from life? The answer felt both tantalizingly close and frustratingly out of reach.
"Thank you," she managed, looking up to meet those otherworldly blue eyes. "For being patient with me. I know I'm probably not what you expected when you were summoned from your vessel."
A slight smile curved his lips. "No," he agreed. "You are not." Before she could decide if that was a compliment or criticism, he vanished in a shimmer of magic that left behind a faint scent of exotic spices.
Mozart immediately pounced on the spot where Kieran had stood, batting at the lingering traces of magic with one paw. Mandy couldn't help but laugh at his antics.
"Well boys," she said, reaching down to scratch Bach's ears, "what do you think? What do I really want?"
Bach jumped down from her lap to wind around her ankles, but offered no suggestions. Mozart just purred and headbuttedher hand, clearly more interested in attention than philosophical discussions about life goals.
Mandy settled back in her recliner, absently stroking Mozart's soft fur as she pondered Jacinth's questions. The pendant warmed against her skin, a gentle reminder of the magic that had unexpectedly entered her carefully ordered life.
Chapter
Thirteen
Mandy sat in her recliner,fingers tracing the delicate patterns of the pendant. The late afternoon sun slanted through her windows, painting golden stripes across her living room carpet. Mozart watched from his perch on the cat tree, his tail twitching with interest, while Bach dozed on the couch.
It had been two days since she'd seen either of the Djinn, and her pulse fluttered with nervous anticipation as she wrapped her fingers around the warm pendant.
"Kieran?" Her voice came out barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again, more firmly. "Kieran."
After a moment's hesitation, she added, "And... Jacinth? If you can hear me too?"
The pendant warmed beneath her touch, its heat spreading through her fingers and up her arm. She wasn't sure if Jacinth would or could respond to the summons, but something told her the younger Djinn would want to be present for whatever came next.
The air in her living room shimmered with that now-familiar trace of magic.
The air shimmered as both Djinn materialized in her living room. Mandy smiled in relief at seeing them - Kieran in hiscustomary blue robes with their silver embroidery, and Jacinth in faded jeans, a cheerful sky blue t-shirt, and sneakers covered in yellow happy faces. Seriously?
"Thank you both for coming," Mandy said, shifting slightly in her recliner to face them better. "Jacinth, I wasn't sure if you'd hear me since it's Kieran's vessel, but I hoped..."
Jacinth's musical laugh interrupted her. The younger Djinn pointed toward Mandy's bookcase where her small collection of crystals caught the late afternoon sun. "See that blue stone there, between the rose quartz and the amethyst? I put it there the other day."
Mandy squinted at her crystal collection. Sure enough, nestled among her familiar stones was a deep blue crystal she didn't remember acquiring. It seemed to pulse with a faint inner light.
"That lets me hear if you say my name," Jacinth explained, her dark eyes twinkling.
"Sneaky," Kieran said, his deep voice carrying an unexpected note of approval.
Jacinth grinned at them both, looking for all the world like a mischievous teenager who'd just gotten away with something clever, rather than a centuries-old magical being. "Well, I couldn't risk missing anything interesting, could I?"
"I thought about what you asked me," Mandy began, not certain where to begin. "Not about the wishes. But about what I'd want to do with my life if I was pain-free." She drew a deep breath, gathering her courage. "Besides writing, I mean."
Kieran's silvery-blue gaze fixed on her with that unnerving intensity, while Jacinth leaned forward slightly, her dark eyes warm with encouragement.
Memories flooded back as recalled younger days - childhood dreams of gliding through crystal waters, the freedom of weightless movement, the joy of exploring mysterious depths.She'd always felt most at peace in the water, even now when her physical limitations made swimming such a challenge.
She couldn't help the soft smile that curved her lips. "I... I'd want to be a live mermaid."
