The familiar zing of magic filled the air moments before Kieran materialized near the balcony door. His ice-blue eyesstudied her, his brow furrowing slightly. "Is something wrong? Was the outcome not what you wished for?"
"No! I mean - yes! - I mean..." Mandy took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. "The pain is gone. Completely gone. I can't even begin to tell you what that means to me."
Kieran nodded, but something in his expression suggested he was waiting for more.
"I..." Mandy's fingers twisted together nervously. "I haven't actually gotten up yet. Or looked at myself. I'm afraid to." The confession tumbled out in a rush. "I know it's silly. The pain is gone - that alone is more than I ever dreamed possible. But I can't seem to make myself move from this spot to see… um… to see the rest of me."
"Wallah, woman!" Kieran's exasperated tone made Mandy smile despite her nervousness. The familiar Arabic expression transported her back to Cairo's bustling streets, where she'd heard it countless times from frustrated shopkeepers and taxi drivers.
He waved his hand with an elegant flourish, and an ornate cheval mirror materialized beside him. Its carved wooden frame gleamed in the late afternoon light streaming through the balcony doors.
"Come here and look at yourself," Kieran commanded, his deep voice brooking no argument. "You cannot sit there forever."
Mandy's legs trembled slightly as she stood, though not from pain or weakness - just pure nerves. The caftan's silky fabric swirled around her as she moved, and something about the way it draped made her pause. The material clung differently, following the lines of a body she didn't quite recognize as her own.
She approached the mirror with small, hesitant steps, almost tempted to squeeze her eyes shut. But the faint smile curvingKieran's lips, his steady gaze gave her courage, and she forced herself to look.
Her breath caught in her throat. The face looking back at her was familiar yet transformed - still bearing her years of experience but somehow... lighter. As if decades of pain had lifted from her features, smoothing lines she hadn't even realized were etched by constant discomfort.
But her shape... Mandy's hands flew to her waist, confirming what her eyes could hardly believe. Her body had returned to its younger form, slender and graceful as it had been in her late teens. Her thick hair, shining and full, cascaded past her shoulders in the abundant waves she remembered from her youth. While it was the original deep mahogany color of her youth, silver strands at her temples spoke of gracious aging.
Mandy stared at her reflection, her mind struggling to reconcile the impossible transformation before her. She was still herself - but as if decades of chronic pain hadn't taken its toll.
"It worked," Mandy whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kieran remained silent, his tall form motionless as he observed her reaction. His presence filled the room with that peculiar energy she'd come to associate with Djinn magic, though he made no move to speak or interrupt her moment of discovery.
Her hand trembled slightly as she reached out to touch the mirror's cool surface. The movement felt different - lighter, easier, completely free of the joint stiffness she'd lived with for so long. Her fingers traced her reflection, following the graceful lines of a body she remembered from decades past.
She'd believed in the magic. How could she not, after everything she'd witnessed? The pendant's constant warmth, Kieran's dramatic appearances, Jacinth's playful revelations about the magical world. She'd known, intellectually, that this transformation was possible.
And yet... she hadn't truly believed. Not really. Not in her heart of hearts. Some part of her had remained skeptical, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the dream to shatter.
But now, faced with undeniable proof in the mirror before her, that last thread of doubt dissolved. This was real. The magic was real. The transformation was real.
Mandy's gaze shifted from her reflection to Kieran's tall form, still standing motionless near the balcony doors. His ice-blue eyes met hers in the mirror, his expression unreadable as always. Emotion welled up inside her, threatening to overflow.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Then louder, stronger, "Thank you."
Before she could second-guess herself, Mandy spun around and launched herself at him. Her arms wrapped around his waist as tears spilled down her cheeks. She pressed her face against his chest, the fabric of his black shirt soft against her skin.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she repeated over and over, the words muffled against his chest. His body felt solid and real beneath her hands, grounding her in this impossible moment as grateful tears soaked into his shirt.
She could feel the subtle thrum of distinctive energy that marked him as Other, as something ancient and powerful beyond her comprehension. Yet in this moment, he felt wonderfully, reassuringly present and real - not some distant, mythical being, but simply the person who had given her back her life, her freedom, her future.
Mandy felt his arms come around her, strong and secure. The subtle thrum of magic emanating from him wrapped her in a cocoon of safety and warmth. For a moment, she felt utterly protected - as if nothing in the world could harm her while she stood within the circle of his embrace.
She breathed in his unique scent - ancient books and desert wind, with an underlying hint of something otherworldly she couldn't quite identify.
Reality crashed back suddenly. She was hugging a Djinn prince. An ancient, powerful being who sat on the Djinn Council. Who was she to throw herself at him like some emotional teenager?
Mandy stepped back quickly, her cheeks burning. The caftan's silky fabric swirled around her legs as she retreated, unable to meet his ice-blue gaze. "I'm so sorry," she stammered. "I shouldn't have-"
"You are welcome," Kieran said simply, his deep voice carrying a warmth she'd rarely heard before. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth as he regarded her flustered state.
Mandy turned back to the mirror, studying her reflection more carefully now that the initial shock had passed. Her fingers traced the delicate lines radiating from the outer corners of her eyes, and her face broke into a delighted smile.
"My laugh lines!" she exclaimed, leaning closer to the mirror. "You kept my laugh lines!"
