Aliah

by RoxAnne Fox

  Chapter 05

  Last Wish

  As Nico’s arms released me, I looked around to see we were just at the edge of the city with the camel tied to a palm nearby. My smile widened and I laughed out as I hugged him.

  “You are amazing, that was amazing!”

  He chuckled and held me to him, pushing aside a piece of hair that loosened from my braid. Remembering I was not hidden, my pulse began to rise. Glancing about us, I looked to see if anyone had spotted me but didn’t see a person about.

  “What has you so frightened, Aliah?”

  “I am an unwed woman with no man to claim me. I can be stoned to death on site if I am discovered.”

  Nico’s grasp tightened around me in a protective way, brining my eyes to his. “No one would dare harm you while I am with you. My power may be limited but my increased strength is not.” To prove his point he stepped away and to a boulder nearby. He gave it a good hard crack with his closed fist and the thing split down the center. As he put those same hands around me, I found it odd something that could break a stone could also be so gentle.

  Nodding to him, I felt safe entering the city and the palace with my face uncovered and my breasts unbound. After untying the camel, I placed the bottle in the satchel on its side, and we entered the city making our way through the evening streets. As we approached the palace, I had to wonder if enough time had passed for my story to sound plausible. When I had thought of a wish, I also knew what I must do to keep Nico safe. Knowing Tryphon couldn’t harm us because of my wish, there was only one thing left to do.

  Staying close to Nico, I was glad to see Piruz was in the stable as we entered the palace walls. Upon seeing me, a knowing smile spread his lips and he waved me over before ducking around the side of the building. By the time Nico and I entered the stable, Piruz was back with Karim.

  “Aliah, this is quite a surprise.” He looked from my exposed face and unbound body beneath my simple clothes to Nico with only his pants and nothing more, lingering a moment, then falling back to me.

  Glancing to Nico, I smiled at Karim and said, “I found some help.” Fishing in the side-bag, I pulled out the bottle. “I came for my reward then we’ll be on our way.”

  “We?” There was a hint of amusement in Karim’s voice and Piruz let out a small laugh as he tied the camel up. “I will take you to get what you came for.”

  “Mind if I join? A woman gaining freedom is something I would love to see.”

  My mouth fell open but Karim just laughed. Piruz was just as nice as he was so closing my stunned mouth, I didn’t say a thing.

  “Prince Tryphon will be rather impressed you were so successful in your search, and much faster than one could have predicted.”

  “Prince Tryphon? He is one of the king’s sons?”

  Karim glanced at Nico as I answered him. “No, Nico, he just calls himself a prince. Just don’t say anything about it.”

  “The king would like to know about that. He’s not one to share. I should know.”

  “Nico.” The one word held a warning but it was too late.

  “You know the king?”

  Nico looked to the man and smiled. “I had at one time, long ago.”

  Trying not to be too concerned the djinni next to me was going to blow my plan out of the water, I wondered if I should have told him first but as Karim just laughed and shook his head, I breathed a sigh of relief. Looking up at Nico, I hoped not sharing was not going to backfire on me. Having someone to trust was going to be difficult to get accustom to.

  Karim announced me as we entered same room I had been in before when I inquired on the poster. Tryphon looked from me to Nico, his eyes not happy about the man by my side, before coming back to the bottle in my hands and me.

  “I can’t believe you did it. And you did not try to take a single other item from the cavern?”

  Nico’s hand found the small of my back and I smiled. “No, your highness. I claimed the bottle and left.”

  “Remarkable, girl. Bring it to me.”

  “I would like my letter and my gold first, please.”

  Tryphon laughed but reached behind him and handed Karim a bag heavy with coin and a roll of paper. “Show her the letter then trade her across.”

  Karim unrolled the letter and showed it to me. There was a stamp from the king and I had to wonder how authentic it was. The letter wasn’t important anymore, not with Nico by my side, but I still needed to keep up the image.

  “You will have to split the gold with your friend there, though I’m not surprised a woman couldn’t handle the job alone.”

  Nico tensed next to me, and I put a hand to his arm. His smile was light and I met his with one of my own before turning my street hardened face to Tryphon. Handing the bottle to Karim, I took the gold and letter then turned to leave.

  “Girl, don’t you want to see why you risked your life?”

  With my back to Tryphon and Nico by my side, I said, “No thank you, your highness, I would like to take my leave now if you wish.”

  He let out a laugh and said, “Oh, I will get my wish girl.”

  Attempting to leave once more, I heard his grunts and curses behind me. Wanting to leave before he learned he wouldn’t be getting his djinni, only a bottle, I didn’t turn back to see if he was doing what I figured he was, rubbing the hell out of that green glass.

  Just as we were to the door and our freedom in sight, I heard Tryphon let out one last curse before saying the bottle was not right.

  “Guards, seize those two.”

  The two guards on the other side of the door entered and grabbed Nico and me. “What is this? I gave you your bottle.”

  I could see Karim and Piruz to the side, their eyes wide. Karim looked torn, he had been kind to me even said he admired me, but he was under Tryphon’s employ. Same with Piruz. Hoping I hadn’t put the two of them in a bad predicament, I knew at least Nico and I were safe.

  “You gave me a bottle girl, but not the right one.” He threw Nico’s bottle to the ground and instead of breaking as you would expect glass to do when hitting stone, it just clattered and rolled.

  Nico jumped next to me when the green glass hit and Tryphon’s eyes narrowed. He got to his feet in a labored way then ambled over to Nico and me. “You little whelp!” He lifted his hand to hit me but stopped and took a step back.

  His eyes puzzled before falling on Nico. Tryphon began laughing before turning around and walking with a hobble back to his sitting area. “Let’s see how smart you think you are. Guard, smack that whore.”

  Before I registered what he had said the guard holding me let go and hit me across my face harder than I have ever been struck. The blow sent me to my knees and my ears rang from it, but that was nothing compared to the roar of anger which erupted from Nico as he thrashed the guard holding him before attacking the one which hit me.

  As he did Tryphon, ordered Karim and Piruz to grab me before yelling at Nico to stop or I would be killed.

  “Don’t you dare harm her.” Nico’s eyes were fury and the men at his feet should be dead, but the rise and fall of their chests showed he had not killed them.

  “How was that possible?” My eyes were on Nico, ignoring Tryphon’s low laugh.

  Nico looked to me and his eyes turned pained

  “Your wish was for Tryphon to not bring us harm, you did not include any others. I am so very sorry Aliah, I tried to react sooner.”

  Tryphon laughed but I only had eyes for the djinni in front of me. My wish was flawed and there was nothing he could do about it. “I’m sorry Nico.”

  He laughed. “My failed magic brings you harm and you apologize.”

  “So, the girl rubbed the lamp and fell in love with the djinni, how nice. If I didn’t have to kill you to release him from your hold I would enjoy my first wish being to make you fall in love with me.”

  A tremor ran through my body over the thought of being forced to love the pile of human waste that was Tryphon, but knowing he inte
nded to kill me was not much better. Of course, as soon Nico heard his plans he went after the fat, laughing bastard. However, when Nico attempted to strike Tryphon it was as though there was an unseen barrier keeping him from the mad man.

  Nico took a step back and shook his head.

  “You see, djinni. You can not harm me, and though I can’t harm the girl, I can have others do it for me. Karim bring her here.”

  Nico came at the men holding me and tensed up. “No, Nico don’t harm them.”

  Tryphon’s eyes puzzled but so did Nico’s.

  “Why would you stop him, we are required to do as Tryphon says.”

  Looking at each of them, I could see Piruz agreed with Karim’s words but didn’t look happy about it.

  “Why? Does he hold magic on you or just employment?”

  The two looked at each other, and let me go. Tryphon was yelling for more guards and I was apologizing to the three men around me for getting them into the predicament we were in. As the room filled with even more men, the four of us moved away but it was too late.

  The mob rushed us and though Nico had the strength of at least ten of them, and Karim and Piruz were capable fighters in their own rights, there was nothing we could do. My knives were wrenched from my hands almost as soon as I procured them, Karim making a joke about searching all women and scruffy boys next time, and though it was funny, the fact the three humans of our small group were taken down by sheer numbers wasn’t funny at all.

  We knelt, Karim and Piruz bloodied, and me with a sword to my throat, as Tryphon yelled at Nico to stop his onslaught. As soon as he saw me, he halted, tossing the man in his arms to the side with little effort. His eyes swam and I had to think it was for the fact our heroic, yet short lived, effort was lost. As Tryphon walked up to the three of us, saying Karim and Piruz would be executed for their treason, he loomed over me with a sick smile on his face.

  “Any last words girl.”

  “What if I use my last wish?” Nico’s brow rose behind him, only he and I knew I had more than one wish left. If my last minute plan worked, I would only need one more.

  “I will wish for you to be in my harem once you are done and I claim the lamp, but if that is what you want then by all means, use your last wish. Be warned, girl, if you try to trick me Azad will have your head.”

  The man with the sword to my neck nodded and I swallowed hoping my next wish was better thought out than my last.

  Looking to Nico I said, “I wish you were free of your lamp.”

  His smile was brighter than any I had ever seen. “As you wish, master.”

  Tryphon let out a scream and the man with the sword to my neck raised it to do as ordered but they were not as fast as a djinni free of his entrapment. As I watched him tear through everything with an unseen force, Tryphon’s protection but a memory with Nico’s power unleashed, he incapacitated, frightened off, or killed everyone but Karim, Piruz and myself.

  Standing to greet Nico, the room around him cleared of all the carnage through some kind of magical means and it was as though Tryphon was but a memory. He took me in his arms and I closed my eyes as my now freed djinni held me.

  “That was the most spectacular thing I had ever seen. The power of a djinni is great indeed.” Karim surprised me.

  “You knew of the djinn?” It surprised me he had heard of the tale of Nico and his siblings, or at least Nico.

  He nodded. “There were tales from men employed by the king. I had always thought they were just that, tales, I had never thought what they said was true. With the Arabian forces advancing throughout the kingdom, I’m betting the king is cursing himself for using up his wishes so fast.”

  Nico only nodded and none of us asked on what he wished for, I didn’t care and the other men either didn’t as well or knew through the stories they had heard.

  “So what are we to do now? Soon the king will know of Tryphon’s demise.” Piruz had a good point.

  “You men are free to do as you wish, his gold room is open for the taking. As for Aliah and me, we shall be leaving this city, never to return.”

  “Could you do one thing for me, though?” The three of them looked at me, a question in each of their eyes.

  Karim nodded and asked what my request was.

  “Please take the gold Tryphon was going to give me to Abdul Rashad who owns the small tavern behind the market.”

  “Was this man important to you?” Karim’s smile was soft.

  Nico held me close as I smiled back. “If it weren’t for him turning a blind eye to me stealing food from his drunken patrons, I would have died from starvation for sure. Tell him it is from the dirty boy you knew wasn’t one.”

  Karim smiled. “We’ll be sure he gets a substantial reward and a warning of the towns soon fall, with Tryphon gone.”

  Piruz looked to him and nodded. “Good luck you two.”

  The two men turned and headed for a side door I was guessing went towards the gold room.

  Before they left Nico said, “You two have a good life together.”

  There was a pause in their steps but Karim only thanked us and was on his way with Piruz. Nico’s comment of men who love other men and what Karim had said about me being brave pieced together. It seemed I had an answer as to why the two of them were so kind to me and not in a way that indicated they wanted something.

  When they were gone, I said, “How did you know they enjoyed each other in that way?”

  Nico looked down at me. “I’m from a different time then you. The way they looked at each other was obvious to someone who was around men allowed to live as they wish.” He laughed and I had to assume he was more observant than I, but for an ancient magical being from another time, that wasn’t too surprising.

  “Is there anything you wish to take from this place before we are on our way?”

  Looking up at him, I smiled. “You know, even if that temple I found you in held real gold and gems such as the ones here, I still wouldn’t have needed them. You were right, the only treasure there was you. I have all that I need right here,” I said as I laced my fingers through his.

  His lips met mine and this time the kiss was anything but chaste. Opening to him I let his tongue slide between my lips and had a moment to worry I would be too inexperienced for a being such as himself. He explored the inside of my mouth and I tried to mimic his motions, but as soon as he moaned a deep throaty sound, my legs trembled in an unexpected way and he broke from the kiss with a light chuckle.

  “You taste of innocence. How old are you Aliah?”

  My cheeks warmed. “Twenty-four rainy seasons have passed since my birth.”

  His hand was light on my cheek. “A twenty-four year old virgin who is kinder than she knows she is.” My cheeks warmed even more over his words. “You are no longer my master but you have enslaved my heart, Aliah.”

  Heat traveled lower this time, warming an area I had never felt kindled before. This time when he pressed his lips to mine and our tongues danced together, it was I who moaned into him as that heat spread and did strange things to my body.

  “Aliah, I have a place where we can go and be together. Just the two of us,” he said to my lips and pulled me tight to him just before the room around us dissolved the way the treasure room had before.