Three Wishes

by Debra Dunbar

  “He admits to opening the bottle when he received it from his grandmother’s estate, and I get the feeling he may have wished for something not understanding what he was doing. He’s aware of the consequences now, though. He’ll be careful.”

  “I don’t think so. I had Wyatt check, and there’s a chance he may have made one or two of his wishes already. Once he’s sampled the forbidden fruit, I doubt he’ll hold back.”

  Asta remembered the human’s face last night when she’d asked if he’d made a wish. Dar was probably right about that, but she still had faith that Carter wouldn’t go further down this path. “No. He won’t make any more wishes. I let him know the consequences, and I’m confident he’ll be careful.”

  “So where does that put us?” Dar pressed. “Watching him and this fucking bottle until he croaks? Following the damned thing around for a few millennia until someone is stupid enough to make three wishes?”

  “We’ll find a mage or sorcerer, cleanse the bottle of the genie, then Carter can keep it as a memento.”

  Dar stared at her until she squirmed under his gaze. “And if that takes decades? What if we find a mage and your boyfriend changes his mind? How’s he going to feel about runes and circles and banishment—all the stuff humans feel is black magic?”

  She ignored the boyfriend comment. It was best not to get sidetracked, and ignoring Dar’s jealousy seemed a better route than addressing it.

  “If he changes his mind, then we’ll wait. When Carter dies, we’ll buy the bottle from his heir.” Asta couldn’t meet Dar’s eyes. That was the stupidest plan ever. She was leaving in less than a week, and Aaru wouldn’t assign an enforcer to follow a bottle around the country for the next fifty years or so. Dar was right; she had to come up with another idea—one that wouldn’t destroy whatever was left of her grace but would allow her to resolve this situation before she left for home.

  The demon’s knowing eyes found hers. “Fuck that. And you know it, too. Steal the fucking bottle, kill the human, and find a way to get this mother-fucking genie out of there before we all die of boredom.”

  Asta opened her mouth to protest then saw a human edging up to them—a blond human male whose appearance stirred a faint memory. Wyatt—that human who wasn’t always an idiot and was sometimes useful.

  “Did you see this?” Wyatt thrust a press release at Dar. They both already had copies, but neither had bothered to even look at them.

  “Yeah.” Hmm, maybe Dar had looked at his. “Why give away a million free copies of his expensive software? He’s not making any money doing that, and the more companies that fall to these attacks, the more clients he’s likely to have in the future. I just don’t see the gain here.”

  “Yeah indeed. What a generous guy, huh?”

  Dar smiled. It wasn’t a particularly nice smile. “And once everyone has installed Ouroboros, it will save everyone’s bacon, then cost them an exorbitant fee to continue licensing. Extortion at its finest. This guy should have been a demon.”

  Wyatt nodded. “That would bring him a ton of money. Everyone would be terrified to let their license lapse, knowing they’d be vulnerable. He’d be the richest man in the world—and the most powerful.”

  The demon stared at the press release, and Asta watched emotions flit across his expressive face. “But last night we talked about how this was a flash-in-the-pan. Even if Phelps orchestrated the viruses that led to his success, eventually he’ll fall to a hacker. It’s going to happen. What then? He’ll take the money he’s made and run? Somehow I see him as being in this beyond the financial incentives. He doesn’t want to be the richest man in the world. He wants respect.”

  Asta caught her breath, remembering her conversations with Carter. “He does. His grandparents were notable individuals, and his parents respected experts in their field. He always felt like a dim bulb in comparison. He always felt like everyone considered him stupid—everyone except his grandmother.”

  “So why pull this?” Dar asked. “He’d get admiration and respect, but it would be short-lived. He’s not stupid enough to think this would last forever. What’s his plan?”

  Asta stared down at the press release, her faith in humanity fading away. “Perhaps he intends on making a third wish.”

  Dar took a deep breath. “If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then that wish is going to have loopholes big enough to drive a truck through. I don’t know any human with the mental capacity to wish for continued market dominance without screwing it up somehow. Fuck, I don’t even know many demons would attempt that sort of contract. The wording would have to be so precise... even the best human lawyer couldn’t make that happen.”

  “Think he’s already made it?” Trust a human to cut right to the heart of the matter. Asta considered Wyatt’s words then shook her head.

  “Don’t know. I’d be willing to stake my soul on it that as of last night he hadn’t, but who knows what happened after I left. Do you think the genie could have any influence over him?”

  Dar laughed. “Doesn’t matter. If he’s made that third wish, then he’s in for a rude surprise, and we need to be ready to defend the city from a very pissed off genie.”

  Asta cast her awareness out, scanning as far throughout the city as she could. “No. I don’t sense any demon energy beyond Dar. I don’t think Carter made a wish.”

  Wyatt waved the press release packet. “So he’s snapped and turned into a delusional megalomaniac. Look, I know you all think I’m a worthless unevolved idiot, but I’m a human, and I know humans. If he hasn’t made all his wishes yet, he soon will. I’m with Dar—we need to steal the bottle and do something to neutralize the situation. I don’t like the idea of killing anyone, so hopefully you both have some idea on how to get the genie out and back to Hel with minimal damage, otherwise I don’t see this ending well.”

  Asta met Dar’s eyes. “I have an idea,” she said, her heart sinking.

  His gaze never left hers. Wyatt and all the humans streaming around them disappeared, and all she knew was the press of his sprit-self against hers. He waited, saying nothing, and she knew that whatever she proposed, he’d follow her. He might bitch and moan, he might argue strenuously, but he’d follow her. There was more at stake than her grace, and sometimes personal ethics needed to be put aside for the benefit of those who were helpless—those who she’d vowed to protect with her life.

  Moral dilemma be damned. There were some times a preemptive strike was the only option. “We need to steal the bottle. I’m going to kill this demon before he has a chance to get out, and before Carter loses his soul.”

  Dar’s gaze turned soft, and his hand reached out to caress her shoulder down along her arm. “You can’t kill the genie. He’s magically contained. There’s no way you can get to him when he’s inside the bottle, and no way to break the bottle until a human completes the terms of the contract.”

  “I can’t kill him here.” Asta felt a sort of grim determination come over her. “But nothing material can last in Aaru. If you can manage to steal the bottle, I’ll pop off and get permission to gate the bottle to Aaru. Once the bottle disintegrates, we’ll be able to kill the genie.”

  Dar winced. “Ruthless, although I approve. But I thought the Iblis, Ha-Satan, was the only demon allowed in Aaru?”

  Asta took a deep breath, hoping her superiors would go along with this plan, would see the need for these desperate measures. “Sometimes there needs to be an exception to a rule.”

  Chapter 13

  Asta hated to leave Chicago unattended, but this was important. Plus she’d left Dar in charge of the city.

  Yeah. The idea of leaving a demon in charge while she dashed off to an impromptu meeting was a bit like letting a wolf guard the sheep, but somehow she trusted him. Besides, as territorial as demons were, others would think twice before choosing that location. Dar had promised to hold down the fort for her as well as steal the bottle from Carter’s room. Upon her return, she could quickly gate it to Aaru. Proble
m would be solved—as long as she could convince her superiors to go along with the plan.

  “Asta, correct? From Gabriel’s choir, and the youngest among us.”

  The angel walked toward her, effortlessly navigating the huge boulders lining the mountainside. Below them, surf crashed against the cliffs. Asta felt like her heart was doing the same violent motion inside her chest. He knew who she was. He absolutely knew who she was. His question was meant to calm her nerves, but she was confident this angel knew every single one of his staff, down to the lowliest gate guardian. He nearly scared the bodily fluids from her every time they met. Yes, they were all older than her, but this one... he was truly ancient.

  “Yes, Ancient Revered One. Thank you for taking the time from your busy schedule to meet with me and hear my request.” It had been incredibly bold of her to jump straight to the top like this, bypassing the other, more senior enforcers, but the head of the Grigori was the only one among them who served on the Ruling Council.

  “It was no bother at all. I’m always ready to meet with any of my enforcers or guardians.” In spite of his kind smile, Asta got the feeling she was inconveniencing him terribly.

  “Sir, I have a bit of a problem with a demon in my city that leads me to an unusual request.”

  The angel sat on a rock, motioning for her to do the same. “A high-level demon? Do you need me to intervene?”

  Asta sat, taking a moment to compose herself. Every enforcer needed to call this particular angel at some time in their assignment. High-level demons sometimes required an ancient to take them down—especially if they held too much energy for an angel to absorb. Some demons were like giant batteries—batteries that detonated violently when they died. It had taken only a few angels to meet their end in the ensuing explosions for everyone to realize there was no shame in calling in an elder to assist.

  “No, Sir. I mean, this demon might possibly require assistance, but I won’t know until I get him out. He’s in a bottle.”

  The Ancient One laughed, and Asta jumped at the unexpected sound. She’d never heard an expression of amusement from him before—seldom heard it from any of the angels in Aaru.

  “Ah, a trapped genie. He’s going to be furious when he gets out—they always are.”

  His casual attitude was such a relief. “We believe he is bound under contract to grant three wishes and suspect he may have already granted at least one.”

  “We?”

  Asta squirmed. “I am working with a demon who is under immunity as a member of the Iblis’s household. And a human who, although he is supposedly an idiot, has specialized information and skills.”

  The Ancient One’s lips twitched slightly. “Your persuasion abilities have improved significantly over the last few years. Convincing a demon to do your bidding is no small feat.”

  Oh shit—shoot. Oh shoot. “It’s not... he’s not doing my bidding. We came to an agreement on an exchange of... information. I’ve told him that I won’t hesitate to kill him if he violates the terms of his immunity, so rest assured that I haven’t given him any leeway in that regard.”

  The elder angel’s lips twitched again, although his eyes remained stern. “I see. So you and your companions will watch carefully to ensure this genie is banished after his service?”

  “Dar, the demon I’m working with, believes he’s been trapped for over six-hundred years. We have doubts that the human in possession of the bottle has the ability or knowledge to banish him properly after the service is rendered. I’ve warned him against completing the contract by wishing, but... you know how humans are.”

  “Yes, I do. It’s not exactly unusual in these cases for the human in possession to have no knowledge in banishment. Once he completes his wishes, then you can kill the genie as he is released from the bottle.”

  Here came the difficult part. “Sir, I’m concerned about the length of time before he is released and the resources needed to keep appropriate scrutiny on the trapped genie. In addition, what the human may be requesting from the genie could result in great difficulties. The human who has possession is involved in global cyber security. The effects on positive evolution for the human species could be devastating if a wish were to go wrong. I’d like to find a way to neutralize the genie before he completes his contracted service—whether through banishment, some other return to Hel, or, as a last resort, killing him.”

  The smile was clear this time. “Then you’re a better angel than I. Or perhaps you have a sorcerer friend that can release the demon? Otherwise, he’s going to be alive in that bottle until he renders the contracted service.”

  Deep breath. Deep breath. “I’d like to request we transport the demon to Aaru. There, the bottle will eventually degrade and we’d be able to dispatch the demon without any undue damage to the progress of humanity.”

  The Ancient One leaned backward, narrowing his eyes. “Interesting proposal. We’ve never housed a magical item in Aaru to see if its physical nature degrades as other items do. There’s also a good chance the spell would hold, and even without the physical confines of the bottle, the demon would be trapped and shielded.”

  “Sir, I beg of you to consider this. The cost to humanity if the human were to have his third wish granted would be most damaging. The human world runs on computer security, and if that were to be compromised in a catastrophic fashion... .

  “Asta, by the time the Ruling Council managed to put it on the agenda, the human will be long dead. There is simply no time for this sort of thing, and the odds are, your request would be denied in the end anyway. The angelic host resists allowing the Iblis in Aaru in spite of her lawful right to be there; they’ll never grant passage to another demon, even if the argument in favor is a sound one.”

  There had to be a way around this. Angelic law always had loopholes; it was just a matter of finding one in time. “If the bottle was found in Aaru, transported there by unknown means, what would happen?”

  The Ancient One sighed. “You would spend the next two millennia in rehabilitation, that’s what would happen. Or worse, find yourself a Fallen without halo or wings. There is little tolerance for unlawful behavior in Aaru at this time. They would trace it back to you, and the penalty would be severe.”

  Asta shuddered. Fallen. It wasn’t just that she’d lose her wings and halo, but she’d be under the black wing of the Iblis—a part of Ha-Satan’s household. Was the potential damage to humanity worth the loss of her eternal salvation?

  The elder ancient put a hand on her shoulder, his spirit-self a reassuring warmth against hers. “Little One, you have been an exemplary enforcer. You’ve served the Grigori admirably this last century and are due to return to the comforts of Aaru in a few short days. Don’t risk your future over the folly of one human. Return to your post and monitor the situation. I’ll send another enforcer to assist in your transition tomorrow.”

  “No!” Asta caught her breath, appalled at her disrespect. Chicago was her city. The thought of another enforcer there, now or ever, filled her with barely contained fury. “Please, sir. Allow me to see this situation out, even if it extends my service.”

  The angel’s black eyes bored into hers. “Humans unexpectedly die with appalling regularity, and their possessions pass on to others. It could be centuries before a human dares enforce the genie’s contract. Perhaps you should reconsider your offer.”

  To give up Aaru for another century or maybe more—why was that idea so appealing? Why did she immediately think of spending that time with Dar, trying new foods, singing in bars, doing other things? That one week of sin stretched out for an undetermined length of time.

  “Sir, this is very important to me.”

  He patted her shoulder, smiling gently. “I’m going to wait to either approve or deny your service extension. In the meantime, I’m counting on you to ensure this genie is taken care of in an appropriate manner.”

  Asta’s heart sank. How was she going to be able to ‘take care’ of the genie now that her
one idea had been shot down? Time to have a little brainstorming session with Dar and that idiot human.

  “Thank you for your time, Most Revered Ancient One.”

  “You’re welcome. And, Asta?” His black eyes were no longer gentle as they met hers. “Your manifested form is very convincing—and very dangerous. Be careful when you flirt with sin, and remember that demons always lie.”

  Her breath lodged in her throat. Did he know? Those dark eyes always seemed to strip her bare, revealing all her secrets. “I will, Sir. I will.”

  Chapter 14

  What are we going to do with this thing if Asta doesn’t come through? Sam knows a sorcerer. Maybe she can call in a favor.”

  Dar peeked around the corner of the sub shop and eyed the front of the hotel. Cameras, cameras everywhere. What a fucking pain in the ass. “She doesn’t have any favors to call in.” It was a little embarrassing for the titular head of Hel to be so in debt to a human. Hopefully his sister could get on a more even footing before word spread and other demons saw her reliance upon human sorcery as a weakness to be exploited.

  “How about that Gareth guy? She’s gotten a lot of stuff from him in the past. I’ll bet he’s powerful enough to take care of this situation.”

  Gareth was months behind on work, and there was the logistical issue of him being in Hel and very unwilling to cross the gates. “Not going to happen. Aaru is our best bet.”

  Wyatt kicked at a loose piece of pavement also frowning at the double revolving doors of the hotel from their hiding spot in the alley. “I’m thinking we made a lousy bet. What’s our backup plan?”

  There was none, at least none that an angel would agree to. “Add it to our décor until we find a human to fulfill the contract in a benign manner? I don’t fucking know. Step one is getting in this asshole’s hotel room.”