I waited to see the advisors' reactions, but they remained silent. What could they say? Jamal and Freya had done a lot more than any of them had over the past weeks. Not that I could blame them. I recognized the dazed look in their eyes. They probably didn’t know who they were, let alone what their jobs were.
Jamal spoke. “We are in the middle of something unlike anything we have seen before. I might have no royal blood running through my veins, but I have something that the majority of the people of Badalah do not. I have immunity to the magic that is polluting the atmosphere. How many of you have experienced disorientation these past weeks? How many of you have forgotten things you shouldn’t? How many of you have found yourself talking to people who know you, but you have forgotten them?”
Around the table, the advisors began to raise their hands. First one or two, then all of them.
“This is a magical force that is sweeping through Badalah. It is the source of all our problems. Three weeks ago, Badalah was a flourishing kingdom with few problems. You might not remember, but there was a Sultan as well as the Sultana. My aim isn’t to get us back to the state Badalah once was. I believe only Sultan Aladdin and Sultana Jawahir can do that. I am but a farmer and businessman, but I do plan to do my best to keep Badalah going through this mess until a time when both Aladdin and Jawahir recover from this magical madness. I need to know you will help with that to the best of your abilities. We are all on the same side. The fight is ours, not against ourselves, but against the person who brought this magic among us. The former Sultan’s Vizier. The same one who tried to bring down the kingdom all those years ago.”
Around the table, I heard the sharp intake of breath. Not all of them remembered The Vizier, but it was clear some of them did.
I had half a mind to get up and applaud Jamal’s speech, but he was talking again. I listened as he spoke, marveling at how he held his audience captive by his words. His plan was simple. Start a publicity campaign to recruit people of magic to help us run the Kingdom.
I listened in awe as he set out a timeline of when he wanted everything done by. The advisors listened, and even more, they wrote down everything he said.
When the meeting was over, I waited until the advisors had left the room before speaking to him.
“You were magnificent!” I said. Next to him, Freya beamed with pride.
“It was Freya’s idea,” he said, glancing her way. I caught his smile as he looked at her.
“People around here have been fearful of magic for too long,” she said. “But we can only fight magic if we have it. I don’t know if anyone in Badalah has magic in the way you do, but there must be people like Jamal and I that are immune to what is going on. We need to build an army of people who remember the city, remember the kingdom, and remember how things used to be.”
“We just need to convince people to come forward. Magic has been a taboo subject in Badalah for as long as I can remember. We might not get as many people as we would like.” Jamal added.
“What are you going to do with all these people when you recruit them?”
Jamal took a deep breath and looked at Freya, who nodded her encouragement.
“We thought we’d send them out to the other towns and cities of Badalah and recruit more. The more people we have that remember the way things used to be, the more chance we have of getting it back that way.”
I lowered my head, guilt weighing heavily on my shoulders. “I’m sorry. I should be doing more. I should have done more.”
“No!” Freya said. “We purposely didn’t come to you with this because you were doing the one thing only you could. We know this magic is something to do with you, and we think that only you can stop it. We can keep things going, but you are the only person that can end this. You need to figure out how to solve this while we do what we can here.”
“But I don’t know how. I know it’s something to do with me, and it’s something to do with The Vizier, but I don’t know what. I think it’s actually bigger than that too.”
“Bigger than The Vizier?” Freya’s eyes widened as though she could think of nothing worse than The Vizier.
I walked around the table, pushing in chairs. “A woman killed the midwife who was at my birth, not The Vizier. It’s too much of a coincidence that she was murdered as this all started.”
Jamal clicked his teeth. “But you don’t know who the woman is. It could be anyone.”
“I know,” I admitted. “I need Genie’s help to figure it all out, but his memory comes and goes like everyone else’s. I need someone with his mind to help me figure out what’s going on.”
Jamal didn’t even flinch when I mentioned Genie’s name. I took it to be a good sign.
“I don’t know how to help you get his mind back. If we could do that, we wouldn’t be in this problem in the first place.”
“Actually, I think there might be a way. I’ve been reading up on The Forge. They make potions there. There might be a potion for memory loss.”
“Even magical memory loss?” Jamal asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, but there is only one way to find out. I’m going to The Forge.”
7
7th July
A hard rapping on my door woke me from my slumber. Asher squawked as the knocking intensified, hammering persistently.
“What is it?” I replied, wiping the sleep from my eyes with the back of my fist as I pulled myself out of bed. I opened the door to find Jamal standing there, his eyes full of panic.
“Get dressed,” he ordered, “We need you.”
“What’s the matter?” I asked, fear already churning in my stomach. Sparks began to fly from my skin, taking us both by surprise. I ignited my hand and let the magical fire burn to rid myself of the buildup of magical energy brought on by the sudden panic.
Jamal’s eyes traveled to my hand, and I had to snap the fingers of my other hand to get his attention back. “Jamal. What is happening?”
Before he had a chance to answer, a group of guards ran past us. I watched as they raced down the corridor and out of view.
“People are being recruited,” he said, almost absentmindedly.
“I know. That was the plan, right?”
“Not by us,” Jamal said, taking my hand in his as the other one flamed. “By The Vizier.”
I felt weak, and the flame went out. “The Vizier? What do you mean he’s recruiting people? He wants people of magic too?”
Jamal shook his head. “Get dressed and meet me in the entrance hall. I need to get the guards out. I’ll see you in ten minutes.”
With that, he took off down the hallway after the guards. I rushed to my wardrobe and threw on some pants and a shirt before running down to the entrance hall.
Freya stood by the open door as Jamal issued orders, sending the guards out to different parts of town.
“Anyone want to explain to me what is going on?” I asked as the last of the guards sprinted out of the door.
“He’s after the lamp,” Freya said, shutting the main doors. “The Vizier. He’s looking for the lamp. He wants Genie.”
My heart leapt into my throat at the thought of it. He’d tried and failed to get the lamp before. Getting it now would be disastrous. I was Genie’s master because I was the first person to see him when he turned back into his magical self. I’d lose that right if someone rubbed the lamp.
I turned, ready to race to Genie, but Jamal grabbed my arm.
“You can’t help him by being with him. We need to come up with a way to stop The Vizier from getting the lamp. I’ve got almost all the guards out looking for him, but so far there have been no sightings.”
“Then how do you know?”
“We got word this morning that someone had been approached in a bar in one of the seedier parts of town. He was asked to go into the desert and into a secret cave to get a lamp.”
“My father found the lamp in a secret cave. He didn’t throw it back there.”
“Gaia. The l
amp is magic. Just because your father didn’t go back to the cave himself, doesn’t mean the lamp didn’t return there. Without Genie living in it, it is free to return.”
“You speak as though it’s a sentient being. It’s a lamp.”
Freya walked over and placed her hand on my arm. “It’s a magic lamp. You might have magic, but you don’t know much about it. I’ve read the history of the lamp. It was a myth even eighteen years ago. No one really believed it was anything other than a story, but The Vizier did. That’s why he spent his life searching for it. Your father freeing Genie would have stopped The Vizier from using Genie’s magic to become all-powerful if you hadn’t have stopped him first. I believe that the lamp is back in the cave where your father found it. Just like back then, The Vizier is recruiting people to go and find it.”
“I need to free Genie!” I said, breaking away from both of them. “It’s the only way.”
I ran from them, my head spinning. I couldn’t let The Vizier become Genie’s master. There was no telling what havoc it would wreak, and if I lost my chance to free Genie, he would never get that chance again.
I ran into his room to find him drinking coffee at his desk. He stood when I barged in.
“Gaia, Whatever is the matter?” He pulled me into his arms as I began to shake.
“I need to free you. The Vizier is recruiting people to find the lamp.”
Genie sucked in a breath and held me at arm’s length. “The Vizier is here? In Kisbu? You’re sure?”
“I think so,” I answered, tears streaming down my face. “No one has seen him exactly, but someone saw a man trying to get people to go into the desert to find the lamp. It must be The Vizier. Who else could it be?”
The genie licked his lips and drummed his fingers on my arms, making his chains rattle.
“If The Vizier really is in town, then freeing me is the last thing you should do. I have powers now. They are limited without wishes, but I have them. Let me keep you safe, then if you do need to make that last wish, you can use it.”
“No!” I cried out, frustration bubbling in my veins. “If he finds that lamp, it will be dangerous for us all. I won’t have the last wish anymore. He’ll have all the wishes, and he will use them against us.”
Genie began to pace up and down the room. “He won’t find it!”
“How could you possibly know that?” I cried out. “He found it before. He knows it’s in the secret cave, and he knows where that cave is. Don’t underestimate him. It is because of him you have these chains binding your wrists together. He is powerful enough to make you turn back into a genie.”
Genie shook his head sadly. “And so if you use your last wish and make me a human, what is to stop him turning me into a genie again?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the truth was horrifying. The Vizier was already powerful enough to make Genie a genie again. It didn’t matter how many times I wished for him to be free. As long as The Vizier was alive, Genie would always be a slave.
“Then, we have to find the lamp before The Vizier does!”
“You don’t even know where the cave is, Gaia. Even if you did, do you really think you’d be able to get the lamp out? Your father was incredibly lucky to survive. I can’t put you in that danger.”
I screamed in frustration. There was nothing I could do, and it was killing me. Genie held his hands up to my face and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. The chains hung down between us. I’d never felt more resentful of them as I did now. He lifted them and put his arms over my head then pulled me into a kiss. His lips were wet and tasted of salt, my own tears. With each new tear that fell, he kissed it away.
“We really can’t stop this, huh?” I whispered.
“We can stop it, and we will. I just don’t know how. We defeated The Vizier before, we’ll do it again.”
“I defeated him before,” I reminded him, “but I don’t know how. How can the birth of someone destroy someone else?”
Genie pulled the chains back over my head and went back to his desk where there was a huge stack of books, most of which were open.
“I don’t know,” he said, running his hands through his hair. “It takes a lot to stump me, but there are so many unknowns. The Vizier is more powerful now than he was before. I don’t think he’d be able to turn me back into a Genie with only his own power. He must have someone helping him.”
“A woman!” I said, perching on the edge of the desk. “The woman that killed the midwife. But we don’t know who she is.”
“No, we don’t. Then there is the puzzle of how you defeated The Vizier. You and your siblings. We don’t even know how many you have.”
We had so many puzzle pieces that didn’t fit together. “Can’t you remember where the cave was? You lived there. Surely you could take us to the cave, and we could retrieve the lamp ourselves?”
Genie closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands. “I barely remember what I had for breakfast anymore. You are asking me to remember things, but my memory is gone. I don’t know.” He slammed his fist down on the table and shouted. “I don’t know.”
“I can’t do this,” I said, turning around and leaving his room. When I was outside, I leaned against his door and burst into tears.
Everything was hopeless. If Genie couldn’t save us all, who could? Jamal and Freya were trying, but the odds against them were insurmountable. Even if they did find some people with latent magic and they were able to convince them to come to the palace, then what? Genie was once the most powerful person in the whole kingdom. I probably was the most powerful person in the kingdom now, but none of that helped me in my current situation. If The Vizier got the lamp, we were all doomed.
I wiped my eyes on the back of my hands and tried to pull myself together. If only Genie remembered everything, I was sure that he’d be able to figure all this out. He was a genius. He was just lost like the rest of us.
If he wasn’t going to let me wish him free, I was going to free him another way. I strode down the corridor to my own room and quickly packed a bag of clothes.
“Where are you going?” Freya asked after walking into my room and catching me in the act.
I ignored her question. “I know you are not my maid anymore, but would you please run to the kitchen and ask them to pack me some food. I’ve not eaten today, and I’m starving.”
She stood, her feet wide and her arms crossed. “Not unless you tell me where you are going. You are going to the desert, aren’t you? You think you can find the lamp.”
I pulled my bag over my shoulder and approached her. “Freya. I’m not going anywhere unsafe. I’m not going to the desert.”
“So where then?”
“I told you already. I’m going to The Forge.”
Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to go so soon. And for a potion? Surely they can’t make enough for a whole kingdom?”
If it wasn’t so serious, I would have laughed. “No. For Genie. He will figure all this out. You know how intelligent he is. He just needs to remember.”
She nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. I can’t let you go alone, though. It’s not safe.”
“Genie’s coming with me,” I lied. I’d never lied to her before, but she and Jamal were busy enough without having to babysit me. Hopefully, by the time Freya realized that Genie was bound to the palace, I’d already be gone.
As Freya went to the kitchens, I went to say goodbye to my mother. She was sitting up in bed, staring at the wall opposite her. She didn’t even acknowledge my presence as I kissed her cheek.
“I’m going to find a memory potion!” I whispered to her. “I’ll bring some back for you and for father too.”
She murmured an incoherent reply, almost breaking my heart in the process.
Freya caught up with me by the staff entrance. “When will you be home?” she asked tears in her eyes. I pulled her into a hug. “I’m not going to be gone long. I’ll find the elixir and come straight home.”<
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She nodded as she handed over the food. “I got enough for you and Genie.”
“He’s just outside,” I lied. “I trust you and Jamal to keep the kingdom running. You two are doing a better job than I ever could.”
She snorted a laugh between the tears. “I don’t know about that. We are just doing our duty.”
“When this is all over, I’ll make sure the pair of you are recognized for your efforts.”
“We need this to all be over first,” Freya reminded me.
I gave her one last hug and slipped out of the door.
I hated that I was running away. Neither Genie nor Jamal knew that I was going. My plan was to get the first airship out, find the elixir, and come straight back. If things went to plan, I’d be two days, max.
I kept to the shadows as I ran through the backstreets to the Urbis Express station. I’d already checked the timetable. There was one due to leave for The Forge within the hour. I’d brought enough money with me to use the royal cabin if I had to, but I hoped there was enough space for me to travel in the main cabin.
I barely noticed the shadow that crossed my path, but the sudden thickness of the air squeezed my lungs. My whole body began to tingle with magical energy. I’d felt it once before in Kisbu, and it had turned out to be nothing.
I stood, darting my head around, quickly searching for the source of the magic. I already knew who it was. I could feel him, feel the malevolent force his magic generated, but it was only when he stepped out of the shadows that I stopped. The whole world suddenly seemed darker as though the sun had gone behind a cloud, and the ambient noises of the busy Kisbu streets had silenced. A chill invaded the air.
“What do you want?” I shouted out to The Vizier as he walked slowly to the middle of the alley about fifty feet from where I was standing.
Gaia: Daughter of Aladdin Page 25
