The knowing look on Jacinth's face made Mandy want to hide under her blankets again. "He didn't let go afterward," Jacinth pointed out, her musical voice lilting with amusement.
"Oh for heaven's sake." Mandy clutched her teacup like a shield. "I'm sixty-seven years old!"
"So?" Jacinth shrugged elegantly. "Age means little to the Djinn. We're immortal, remember? Sixty-seven to us is barely an adult."
"He's not just any Djinn though, is he?" Mandy set her cup down with more force than necessary. "He's a prince! An actual royal prince of the Djinn!" She gestured at herself, encompassing her grey hair, rounded figure, and the cane propped against her nightstand. "And I'm just... me. A disabled cat lady who writes romance novels and can barely walk most days. The idea that someone like him would be interested in someone like me is completely preposterous."
Jacinth's dark eyes softened as she regarded Mandy. "You really don't see yourself clearly at all, do you? Your soul shines so brightly - that's what draws people to you. Not just Kieran, but everyone you meet."
Mandy fidgeted with her teacup, uncomfortable with the praise. She'd never been good at accepting compliments, although she was aware it was a fault she strived to overcome.
Taking mercy on her obvious discomfort, Jacinth changed the subject. "So what had you two so deep in conversation? I've rarely seen Kieran that engaged with anyone."
"Oh! I asked him about Qaf," Mandy said, smiling as she remembered the conversation. "It sounds amazing - like something out of a fairy tale, with tents that are bigger on the inside and magical dwellings scattered across a mystical realm. And we talked about Wish Bearers. He explained about Wish Bearers needing special training. That you have to be at least fifty years old to even start learning."
"Oh, stop," Jacinth nudged her with one foot, although she too was grinning. "The Wish Bearers simply maintain occasional contact with them. What matters most is having backup available if we encounter difficulties. Take Kieran for instance. He possesses the capability to... shall we say, modify recollections when required. And occasionally that becomes essential," she admitted with reluctance. "Even the kindest individuals can't always be trusted to maintain confidentiality. Throughout history, we've remained in the realm of myths and legends. That's exactly where we aim to stay."
“But… why?” Mandy asked, perplexed. “It’s not like you can be captured or arrested or anything, or held against your will. After all, you just go poof and vanish into thin air!”
Jacinth's musical laugh held a note of gentle correction. She settled more comfortably beside Mandy on the mattress, crossing her legs beneath her.
"It's not that simple. Think about it - if people knew there really were such things as Djinn, actual wish-granting beings, everyone would be searching for the easy path," Jacinth continued, her dark eyes serious. "Instead of working towardtheir goals or pursuing their dreams through effort, they'd waste their lives dreaming about wishes."
Mandy recognized the truth in those words. How many people would abandon their studies, quit their jobs, or give up on their ambitions if they thought magic could solve all their problems? "Suddenly everyone would be Indiana Jones," she mused aloud.
"It would destroy human initiative," Jacinth agreed, her musical voice carrying a note of sadness. "Their drive. Their self-reliance." She gestured elegantly with one hand. "Rather than putting in the work to achieve something, they'd be out searching every corner of the world, hoping to stumble across a Djinn vessel so magic would fix everything."
Mandy thought about all the people who bought lottery tickets instead of saving money, always hoping for that one big break that would solve all their problems. Multiply that by a thousand, and that's what would happen if people knew Djinn were real.
Oh, this was a real rabbit hole, she realized as yet another possible scenario occurred to her. “Just think of the fights breaking out in an antique store, when two or more people think they’ve found one.”
“Or the bidding at auctions like Christy’s,” Jacinth nodded, her high ponytail swaying. “The seller could claim they got their wishes and now were selling it for the next person to get their wishes.”
"Huh," Mandy said, her lips curving into a smile. "What kind of proof would they need to verify it was actually a Djinn vessel? Unless they witnessed a Djinn emerging from it, they couldn't be certain."
"That would be quite entertaining," Jacinth replied, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I'd even attend one of those sales, just toobserve. I might even list my own Wish vessel for bidding… just to see what would happen!"
Mandy let out a startled breath before dissolving into giggles. "That would be absolutely wild," she agreed.
"Although, there's a more sinister angle to consider," Jacinth said, her expression darkening as she relayed the implications that all Wish Bearers had to be aware of. "Everyone would become suspicious of their neighbors, searching for hints that someone had experienced even the slightest good luck. Whether it was climbing the corporate ladder or hitting the jackpot, folks would start hurling blame and claims of unfair advantages."
Understanding immediately, Mandy’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, my gosh, just think what it would be like in casinos, like in Las Vegas! Or if someone got a promotion over someone else who thought they were entitled to it. Accusations would be flung around, and… well, how do you prove you didnothave a magic Djinn fulfilling your wish?”
“It would make the whole world fall apart,” Jacinth agreed.
Mandy felt compelled to reassure Jacinth. "Well, I definitely wouldn't breathe a word about you and Kieran to anyone - not that I was planning to anyway. But really, I totally understand wanting to tell at least one person about something this mind-blowing. I mean. This amazing, incredible thing that happened. You know what I mean?"
Her heart warmed when Jacinth squeezed her hand gently. "You can always talk to me about it," the other woman offered with a smile.
The gesture made Mandy smile. "That's true, isn't it? And I can already tell you're a wonderful friend."
Looking pensive, Jacinth was silent a moment. “I do hear what you’re saying, though," she said finally. "You know, I can put you in touch with a few people in the local area who do knowabout us. They’re in the same boat as you. They know this big, marvelous secret, and they can’t tell anyone.”
Mandy grinned.“We should have a secret handshake. Or our own passworded online forums.”
A look of intrigue crossed Jacinth's features. "That's actually quite clever, Mandy. You know," she paused, her lips forming a thoughtful line, "I should bring that suggestion to the Djinn Council. Memory alteration isn't something we take lightly - it's exclusively handled by elder Djinn like Kieran. The ones who've been around forever and have absolute trustworthiness. Perhaps if the humans we serve had somewhere secure to discuss their experiences with Djinn, their wishes, and everything else, it might..."
“Relieve some of the pressure?” Mandy offered.
