“I wonder?”
He struck it against the box then held the small flame to my hand. I pulled my hand back sharply as the sting of the flame touched my hand.
Ow!
“I am sorry,” he said, blowing the match out and throwing it to the floor. He picked up my hand once more and kissed the area that had burned. If only he knew how much more that affected me than the match had.
“Fire hurts you, but not your own. Create a flame again.”
I held my hand out and let a small flame dance in my palm. Genie reached out to it, but before he touched it, he pulled back.
“I feel the heat from you.”
I could feel the heat too, but it had nothing to do with the flame in my hand.
My breathing came fast and hard as the flame died out.
“I’m going to attack you,” Genie said after a while. “I want you to fight back.”
My mouth fell open as I took in what he was asking me to do.
“You want us to fight? Physically fight?”
“I won’t hurt you, Gaia.”
His words were sincere. My heart pounded at them. Why couldn’t he remember wanting me as much as I wanted him?
“I have something to tell you,” he said. “Something I’ve been keeping to myself. I’ve not told a soul until now.”
“What is it?” I asked my voice barely more than a whisper.
His face contorted into something resembling pain. Whatever he was about to tell me was not something that was making him happy. “My magic has been coming back. I didn’t want it, and I didn’t ask for it, but in the past few days, I’ve noticed the sensations returning.”
“This is a good thing!” I said, suddenly feeling a lot more optimistic. “You were the most powerful being in Badalah at one point. You can use your power to stop this.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want that kind of power again. I was a slave to it, Gaia, just as you will be if people find out about your gift. And I use the term gift lightly. Don’t think that being magic makes things easier. It doesn’t. It makes everything much more difficult. Before your father saved me from the lamp, I was at the mercy of other people’s whims. I had no control over what they asked for and had to provide it for them, no matter how materialistic and shallow their requests. I do not want this, but there it is. I can fight your magic with mine. I will not do anything that will really hurt.”
It was a lot of information to get in a short period of time, but one thing did stick out to me.
He’d remembered my father.
“You remember Aladdin again!” I said.
The blank look fell over his features. “Who?”
“Never mind,” I said, feeling despondent. “Let’s get this over with. Attack me, and I’ll fight back.”
At least, I had enough misery to convert into magical energy if things got a little overheated.
Before I’d managed to ready myself, a blast of cold air struck me, sending me skidding backward with the force of it. It had come from Genie. He was fighting fire with air! Didn’t he know how dangerous that was? He left me no time to think about it because his arms were extended to attack again.
I felt my magic ignite in my core as I threw my hands in the air to respond to Genie’s attack.
A quick blast of fire spat from my palm toward the ceiling.
“Focus!” Genie hollered.
Anger rose in me. He didn’t have to yell.
Again, I shot in his direction, missing him completely. Then he shot back with a burst of air. I threw my arms up to protect myself, causing a blazing shield to manifest.
“What the?” I said, completely mesmerized by what I’d created.
“Yes!” He clamored. “That’s exactly right. Allow your instincts to take over.”
It sort of made sense. But no sooner had I allowed myself a moment of victory than he attacked me again, slamming me to the ground with a twisting wind.
My back crashed hard, taking most of the impact, while I fought to keep my head from smashing against the stone.
The wind was knocked out of me, but Genie did not rescind. He prepared for another attack. However, this time I was ready, quickly rolling over until I was out of his path. I jumped to my feet, recognizing my robe was going to be an issue. Still, I needed to not look for excuses.
Without a second thought, I shot back, both palms facing him. A strong stream of fire erupted from me and shot him directly in the chest. For a moment, I panicked, unable to see anything but a huge ball of combustion until I heard his gravelly laughter.
“Very good, Gaia.” The fire whirled around him in a tornado effect then petered out. “That is exactly what is needed. Now that you’ve learned just how powerful your magic can be, you must learn to focus it and wield it in different manners,” he said, dusting off his sleeves. “Fire magic is one of the finest weapons.”
I calmed my breathing, not having realized just how much energy calling upon my magic had taken. Looking up, I caught a smirk on Genie’s face. My lips twitched at the edges, and I found myself laughing.
“Your Highness, that was impressive.” a voice said.
I stopped laughing and turned to the stairs to find both Freya and Jamal watching. How long had they been there?
Where Freya’s eyes were wide with wonder, by contrast, Jamal looked irked by the whole thing.
“Your eyes…” she stuttered, “They are… golden.” Freya’s words were barely a whisper.
“What do you mean?”
Jamal moved in closer, taking my hands in his. “The ring of your eyes is shining brightly,” he said, a smile slowly forming on his lips. “I believe that is your magic.”
Genie interrupted. “Yes. It would seem so.”
Jamal shot him a look, then turned back to me. “I was hoping you’d come for a walk on the terrace with me this evening after dinner.”
I was about to say that I was having too much fun with Genie when Genie spoke for me.
“I think that’s a marvelous idea,” he said. “We have finished here anyway.”
“But we’ve only started!” I protested.
“I’ll find you early tomorrow morning so we may do more training. I’ll fetch you before the sun rises. Be ready.”
He didn’t give me an opportunity to respond as he walked past us and headed upstairs.
My excitement waned. I wanted him so badly that I’d made the last half hour into something it was not.
I wanted to run after him, to ask him to continue practicing with me, but Jamal still had hold of my hands.
“You were magnificent,” he said, his eyes shining. I’d never felt less so.
“Are you ok, Gaia?” Jamal asked during dinner. “You’ve hardly said a word all evening.”
“Lost in thought,” I replied, picking at my food.
“Freya was just telling us that her grandparents used to teach magic here in Kisbu. Isn’t that fascinating?”
I looked up to see a gleam in Freya’s eyes and a grin on her face.
She’d followed me around, almost like a subservient puppy for days, and I’d barely spoken to her.
“Tell me about them,” I said, smiling back at her.
“Before The Vizier came to work at the palace, magic was abundant in Badalah. My mother told me that the markets used to sell all kinds of things for potions before they became spice markets. Badalah was once almost as magic as Enchantia.”
“It seems so strange. No one here is magic anymore.”
“You are,” Jamal pointed out. He raised his eyebrows and gave me a grin as he speared asparagus onto his fork.
“Isn’t it awful, though?” Freya continued, her black hair bobbing around her ears. I’d never seen her wear it down before. She was usually dressed in uniform, but tonight she’d worn a pretty dress. She was even wearing makeup. “I hate that magic has become a dirty word around here. There must be others in Kisbu who are magic. I know I’ve felt magical vibrations before when I’ve walked through
the streets. Not as much as this,” she gestured around her. “But I know there is magic out there.”
“Did you know I was magic before...?”
“Before you went up in flames in your closet? No. I was shocked, to be honest. People are either magic or not. I’ve never known someone to spontaneously become magic.”
I returned her grin. “Or spontaneously combust, either?”
“Enough talk. Have you finished, Gaia?”
He looked down at my plate, where I’d picked at my food, barely touching it.
“I think so.”
He stood and held his hand out to me. “Come, let’s take that walk on the terrace.”
“Please excuse us, Freya,” I said, taking Jamal’s hand. She gave me a quick nod and then turned back to her food.
The terrace had always been a romantic spot. It was no surprise that my parents danced there every night...or used to. Torches lit the pathways, and the sound of crickets filled the warm air. Fireflies danced around us and somewhere music played.
“Is that a violin?” I asked, looking out over the city. The terrace was raised, and so at parts of it, such as this one afforded an amazing view.
“I hope so. I asked one of the court musicians to play for us.”
I gripped the balustrade and inhaled the jasmine.
“Are you alright, Gaia?” Jamal asked. “You’ve been so distant lately. I wonder if you want me here at all.”
I turned to face him. He was so beautiful in the evening light.
“Of course, I want you here.”
His face brightened, and his eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled. “I hoped you’d say that. I like you, Gaia. I like you a lot.”
He took my hand and gazed into my eyes, then leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the lips. I didn’t move, unsure of what to do. He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, but when he leaned in again to kiss me a second time, I pulled back.
He licked his lips and gave me a small nod. Then he kissed the back of my hand. “Goodnight, Gaia.”
“Goodnight,” I replied weakly as he turned and walked away.
2
25th June
I didn’t sleep much. Thoughts of once again heading out into the streets consumed me, but Badalah wasn’t the place I knew anymore. In only a short week, things had changed. Most people would argue that a princess sneaking out of the palace in the middle of the night was never safe, but for the first time, I felt it wasn’t safe myself. That thought led me to tossing and turning and fretting instead. And above everything else, I couldn’t escape the thoughts of Genie that plagued me nor the kiss from Jamal that still burned on my lips.
The fake fight we’d had in the basement was the only physical thing Genie and I had ever done together. Our bodies hadn’t even touched, and yet our energy had. It was quite the most exciting thing that had ever happened to me, and yet, it was nothing. To him, at least. He was preparing me for war, but my body was distracted by the attraction I’d felt throughout. I wasn’t supposed to feel attracted to him. Empowered maybe. Scared even, but not the burning desire I had felt.
And then there was Jamal. Jamal, who had made it very clear that he liked me. He’d said it right before kissing me as if kissing me wasn’t enough.
I punched my pillow and forced myself to think of something else until sleep finally came.
* * *
Breakfast was a similar affair to the day before, with my mother staring blankly at her food. She didn’t even look up or greet me when I entered. Jamal came in just after I did and took his place at the table.
“I’m glad you came down early today,” he whispered in my ear. “I waited until you showed up so your mother wouldn’t try to seduce me over her scrambled eggs.”
I almost spat my coffee across the table at his words. “Idiot!” I whispered back as good-naturedly as I could. It broke the tension. I’d been so nervous about seeing him after last night, but he seemed jovial enough. He gave me a grin and then said ‘Hi’ to my mother.
She finally looked up and spoke, adopting a soppy expression, which I’d most certainly not seen on her before. “Hi, lover.” She gave him a wink and went back to staring at her plate.
This time, I really did lose my coffee.
“See!” Jamal whispered with a shrug.
Freya walked in and gave a small curtsey. She was dressed in her usual palace uniform with her hair tied back. Behind her, strode the Palace’s chief guard. He came to a stop, stomped his foot, and saluted. The blank stare left my mother.
“Your Majesty, I’ve been tasked to let you know that the gates to the city have been breached. The people of Badalah are demanding an audience with you.”
“No!” I said loudly. The guard didn’t flinch, but my mother’s eyes widened at my outburst.
“Gaia! That is no way to speak to our staff.”
“I’m sorry, Mother, but you aren’t well. The people are angry. I’m scared for your safety.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I am the Sultana. The people have a right to request an audience with me. I had planned for this yesterday. I hoped they would give me some time, but as they didn’t...”
She stood up, trailing off her sentence, and swished her dress out behind her.
“Then, please take the guards with you.”
The irony was not lost on me that our roles had reversed. It was usually her telling me to take guards into Kisbu.
She gave me a smile before turning to the chief guard. “Assemble a dozen guards and have a messenger head out into the town and deliver word that I will come out and visit with the people. There is a platform in the central district reserved for theatre and announcements. I’ll be there when the hour is up.”
The guard saluted again, then turned purposefully and left the room.
“I should get ready,” my mother announced and glided out of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Freya said once my mother had left. “I knew this was coming. I saw them coming in when I was on the way back to the palace from visiting my mother. I’d hoped to get here in time to warn you.”
“How bad is it?” Jamal asked.
Freya screwed her face up. “Not good. There are a lot of people. The town is overrun with farmers and country folk.”
I ran to the window and pulled back the curtain slightly. Hundreds of people stood outside, some shouting angrily, some waving pitchforks. As I watched, I felt Jamal come up behind me and put his arm around my waist. I knew he was doing it to comfort me, but my body tensed under his touch. Outside, a messenger ran out and blew a horn, quieting the crowd. I couldn’t hear what he said to them, but I assumed he was directing them to the stage in town that my mother had mentioned since they soon began to drift away.
“I can’t let her go alone,” I said, turning around. I found myself eye to eye with Jamal, still in the confines of his arms. He gave me a small smile, making his beautiful eyes crinkle up slightly at the corner. He lifted a hand and moved a lock of my hair behind my ear. It was such an intimate move.
“I’ll go along too. I have a feeling she’ll need all the help she can get.”
I knew he was trying to make me feel better.
“Thank you,” I said, pushing him slightly to get out of his grip. I didn’t see the look of disappointment in his eyes, but I knew it was there.
Less than ten minutes later, Jamal, Freya, my mother, myself, and the guards were heading through town. On formal occasions, my parents used a palanquin or a carriage to move through the streets. Now, however, we walked, surrounded by much more than the requested dozen guards.
In the town square, Freya led us toward the back of the stage through a walkway reserved for actors. It meant we could get to the stage itself without having to push through the angry crowd.
“Excuse me, good sir,” Freya said, leaning into a middle-aged man standing square in front of the steps to the back of the platform.
She whispered something into his ear and no sooner had she fin
ished speaking, than he was looking over Freya’s shoulder toward my mother. He looked around and signaled another man who joined us.
“Sultana Jawahir. What an honor to meet you.” The arriving man said. “Thank you for coming here. I am the curator of the stage. My name is Malik.” He gave a small bow and raised the hat from his head.
My mother stepped forward with conviction. “Thank you, Malik. I’m here to speak to everyone. Would you kindly get their attention so I may address the crowds?”
“Of course,” the man replied, motioning to the other to get everyone’s attention. He then took the stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention.” He paused, waiting for the onlookers to focus quietly on him. “We have the honor to welcome our leader, Sultana Jawahir. Please, I ask that we all give her respect, and engage accordingly.”
Murmurings spread across the people as my mother took the stage alongside Malik. The angry rumbles I’d heard among them had subsided a little. Maybe they genuinely wanted to hear what she had to say. I watched on from the back of the stage.
Jamal took my hand in his. It was so natural that we could have been dating, but we weren’t...or were we? I’d never been on a date in my life. I had no clue what we were doing. I certainly had no clue as to how I felt about what we were doing. I hazarded a quick glance his way. He was watching my mother with something I could only describe as pride. He caught me looking and gave my hand a quick squeeze.
“My loyal subjects,” my mother began. “I come to you today in hopes of gathering a better understanding of what is happening among Badalah’s communities that would have you traveling here. Please, speak one by one, so I may hear you and address each as best as possible.”
She spoke with such eloquence, yet there was an authority in her voice that could not be mistaken. She was the Sultana, ruler of Badalah, and one of the most powerful individuals throughout the land. This was the woman I knew as my mother, not the dazed woman who winked at Jamal over breakfast. The ebbs and flows of this strange magical condition were more heartbreaking than if I’d lost her for good. It was at times like this that I remembered exactly who she was and, at the same time, had the crushing fear that she’d drift back into what she was becoming.
Gaia: Daughter of Aladdin Page 11
