Chapter Tweleve.

I had l eft the d oor propped open . I did no t have to fly in through the ceiling. But as I pulled the door wide, I wondered how much these creatures talked . I t worried m e because the last time, Amesh and I had accidentally given ou t our first names. For all I knew Amesh's djinn was texting hi s boss right now. Yo, Your Majesty, it's your lucky night. A wannabe Kal Yo, Your Majesty, it's your lucky night. A wannabe Kal a a named named Sara Sara 's going to be stopping by your temple tonight. Just keep her talkin 's going to be stopping by your temple tonight. Just keep her talkin g g and and I I guarantee she'll end up wishing for the moon guarantee she'll end up wishing for the moon . T . T he place had an internal alarm . T he candles that stood a t the corners did not light until I stepped inside . T hen once again, t hey shone brightly . T he king djinn was near; I could feel him . he place had an internal alarm . T he candles that stood a t the corners did not light until I stepped inside . T hen once again, t hey shone brightly . T he king djinn was near; I could feel him .

t he central altar waited, unchanged; shaped like a triangle, m ade of silver and gold, covered with red cloth, immaculate . I heard no wind or sound . I t seemed to be a place time coul d not touch . T he hilt rested in the center of the altar. Around its to p was the long green emerald fashioned in the shape of a serpent . I ts mouth hung open; its sharp teeth shone in the candlelight . T he longer I waited, the more my fear would grow. But i t gnawed at me that I still did not know the third rule of th e djinn . T he carpet had hinted that if I searched for the answer, I would find it. What better place to find it than in the boss' s temple?

Last time I had barely scanned the windows. But now I decided to give them a good look .

Hidden in a corner, I found a series of windows with exoti c pictures . T he first showed a human being bowing to a luminou s being, like one of the angels on the carpet . T he man had his hand s folded in prayer. He was about to make a wish . I n the next scene, the man had a woman standing besid e him . I t was like he had asked the djinn for a wife and the djin n had found him one . T hey were both smiling . I n the third scene the man was alone, probably making a second wish . I n the fourth scene, not only did he have a wife, h e had a castle at his back and an a.s.sortment of servants. Again, e veryone was smiling, except for the wife . S he looked worried . S he also looked very pregnant .

i n the fifth scene, the man was handing his infant son t o the djinn . I thought of what the carpet had said about the second wish . I t looked like he had to hand over the baby to pay fo r the castle. b.u.mmer . I n the sixth scene, the man was old, sick, and alone again, m aking what was probably his last wish. For on the sevent h window he was young again, healthy. Yet he was not given a chance to enjoy his youth . I n the final scene, the djinn had a noose around the man's neck and was leading him away to a fiery h.e.l.l . I feared that, after the third wish, the djinn did not merel y own a person's body, but his very soul. He did not become jus t a slave, but a thrall . I stretched out the carpet near the altar and spoke in a whisper .

"T he first wish, the djinn must grant for free . T he secon d wish, you owe the djinn . T he third wish, the djinn owns you." I paused. "Are these the Laws of the Djinn?" t he stars spelled out the worst possible answer .

"Yes," it said .

"Oh, G.o.d," I whispered . I had to act quickly . I had to save Amesh. Picking up th e hilt of the sword, my fingers curled around and slipped unde r the fangs. Or else the teeth moved to meet my fingers, it wa s hard to tell . I nstantly the fangs lengthened and sank into two fingers .

t he bite was excruciating . I reacted like anyone else would: I let go of the hilt and swung it wildly . I tried to pull my finger s free . T his only made matters worse . T he fangs tore my skin . I was no longer the one gripping the artifact . I t was gripping me .

And it wouldn't let go .

Yet not a drop of my blood spilled from the serpent' s mouth. For an instant I thought it had not taken much from me . T hen I realized it was able to absorb the blood and not show it . T error overoad my reason . M y fingers were still bleeding, stil l hurting, but the more I struggled, the worse it got . T aking slow deep breaths, I willed myself to calm down. A p art of me knew that if I did not have a solid grip on the hil t when the djinn appeared, it would be easier for it to control me . I t made sense . T he artifact was the tool it used to reach into ou r dimension . I t didn't matter if the blasted thing was drinking m y blood-i had to hold on to it to show I wasn't afraid .

A shimmering red glow formed above the altar. Quickly i t a.s.sumed shape . I t was twice the height of a man, but it was no t human . I t had four arms instead of two, an exaggerated tors o that ballooned outward . T hough it swelled in all directions, th e djinn was not fat nor weak . I ts four legs were short and strong- e lephantine pillars that could support a twenty-foot stone statue .

Despite its extra legs, it stood erect . I nstead of clothes it wa s covered in silver and gold feathers . I ts head was large, round, and bald . I n place of a nose an d m outh was a beak; its sharpness matched the tips of its six-digi t talons . I ts eyes were those of a snake . T he pupils were fiery red, a nd their gaze infinitely cold .

Given these terrible parts, the djinn should have bee n hideous .

Yet it wasn't, not to me. Amesh's remark returned to haun t me . "I t's magnificent," he had uttered when he had first behel d his djinn. Just staring at it made me dizzy . I had to shake mysel f to stay alert . S till, when it wet its yellow beak with a black tongue, it lef t a red drop, which I knew for certain was my blood. But how m y blood was being transferred from the artifact into its mouth wa s a mystery . I t knew who I was . I was royalty. And it was pleased to see me . I t spoke. As before, the words did not emanate from th e djinn alone, but from the walls as well . I glimpsed its thoughts, s ensed it searching for my own . T he creature was telepathic to a degree. At first I felt it wanted my friendship, but then I realize d that was just a projection, a trick . I was simply another client to enslave, another chance fo r it to advance its agenda, whatever that was . I sensed its intelligence, its experience-thick as an ancient book, with endles s bloodstained pages of successful conquests .

"You are a welcome sight," it said. "What are you called?"

I almost answered against my will . I had to struggle to stop . I feared to think my name. Be aggressive, Be aggressive, I I thought. thought. Do not give it Do not give it a a chance to fully enter your mind chance to fully enter your mind . .

"T hank you for making me feel so welcome, King . . ." I le t the words trail off, before adding, " I'm sorry, I seem to hav e forgotten your name. " hank you for making me feel so welcome, King . . ." I le t the words trail off, before adding, " I'm sorry, I seem to hav e forgotten your name. "

" Have you? I am disappointed . I was confident you woul d recognize me. "

"B ut I do, Your majesty . I t's only your name that escape s me. Please refresh my memory." i t shifted to my right, a few feet away from the altar . I wa s not sure why . T he candlelight glittered over its feathered bod y like a lantern over a trea sure . I sensed that above all things, i t wanted to make me a thrall, like the man with the noose aroun d his neck in the final stained gla.s.s window . I worried it was slowly gaining control . M y fingers continued to throb . I t was still drinking my blood. How much coul d it get out of two fingers? I supposed it depended on how lon g we talked . I t licked its beak again, and another red drop appeared at the tip .

Tasty, beautiful girl, I thought I heard it say .

"T his is my home and you are my guest . I t is proper for a guest to introduce herself," the djinn said . I forced a smile. "But surely Your majesty recognizes me?" i t made a disturbing clicking sound with its beak .

"Your taste is familiar . I think I recognize you by on e o f your ancient names." it paused. "You are an ancient, ar e you not?" I chuckled. "Your majesty plays with me. You have taste d my blood and know me. But as an old ally, you know I don' t possess your great power. Please, let me show you the respec t you deserve. Let me bow and address you by your proper name." t hen, playing one of my aces, I said, "Besides, how am I to as k Your majesty for the things I need when you won't share you r full name with me?"

Things . . I I was saying I wanted to make more than one wish . was saying I wanted to make more than one wish .

"Pray tell me what you need . I am sure I can get i t for you. "

"M y majesty loves to jest . S urely you know I must make a formal wish for each item." I paused. "tell me how I shoul d phrase my requests. "

"T ell me your first wish and I will teach you how t o phrase it. "

" You would grant my wish without a formal request?"

Again, he moved three more feet to my right . I found m y feet locked to the floor . I had to twist my upper body to kee p him squarely in view .

"For a female as beautiful as you, I would do this," h e said .

"You flatter me! But I'm afraid neither of us will get wha t we want if we don't follow the rules." I hardened my tone . "I can't make a wish unless I know your name."

He hesitated. "You may call me trakur." t he name of Amesh's djinn had been Darbar Aloya ta . T rakur could not be his full djinn name .

"T he name trakur does not tell me much about You r majesty. Where you are from, your lineage . I t does not even tel l me the name of your father. "

"M y father is no more. He perished in the great war. "

"A pity. What was his name?"

Again, he moved to the right and leaned close . I smelle d the breath from his beak-an odor of fresh blood .

"He's famous among the djinn. You must know his name. "

"I 'm sure I do . T ell me anyway," I said .

"Why should i?" I played another ace, sighing loudly. "Your majesty, wit h all respect, I tire of this charade . I've come to you for help, bu t how can I trust you'll get what I need when you won't answe r my simplest questions? "

"T ell me what you want, and you shall have it. "

"T ell me your name and I'll tell you what I need!" I shot back . T he djinn moved behind me . S till, my feet remained magically rooted to the floor . I had to twist far to keep it in view .

Finally, however, it seemed to tire of the taunting . I t wanted t o trap me; it wanted me to start making wishes .

"M y father was trakae a.n.a.lova ta," he said .

I smiled. "Of course, a great djinn . T hen you must be . . ." t o sort out the pattern, I had to a.s.sume that he had given m e his first name first . I figured a.n.a.lova a.n.a.lova stayed in the middle, especially since Amesh's djinn's name had ended in stayed in the middle, especially since Amesh's djinn's name had ended in Ta. Ta. "Why, you'r e the great trakur a.n.a.lova ta!" t he djinn nodded . "I am well known in these parts. " "Why, you'r e the great trakur a.n.a.lova ta!" t he djinn nodded . "I am well known in these parts. "

"I apologize, Your majesty . N ever again will I forget suc h a worthy t.i.tle."

He showed impatience. "tell me your name and you r first wish." I continued to smile, although I was getting more and mor e worried about how I was going to free my fingers from the hilt .

"B ut King a.n.a.lova, now that I know who you are, we have s o much else to discuss. Why, I have not even asked about you r wife. How is she?" t rakur drew himself up high . I had to bend my head bac k to follow. Again, he made that sickening sound with his beak, b ut this time a clot of blood spilled out and stained the altar . I f his eyes had been cold before, they were now ice. Crysta l shards from an arctic cave, they looked like they could slic e me open .

"You lie," he said. "You are the one who plays the charades .

You have been interested in my wife from the start . I t is she yo u want, not i." He added in a deadly tone, "You must know th e penalty of lying to a djinn such as me."

"But Your majesty! When did I lie? I was merely tryin g to . . . AHH!"

A burning pain erupted in my right side . I t was so intens e that I feared to lower my eyes and see what was causing it. Bu t then I saw the invisible blade was no longer invisible . T he carpet's warning had come back to me too late .

A silver sword had punched out of the hilt like a switc h blade loaded on a spring . I t had pierced my side, and I wa s bleeding badly. Yet the blood was not going to waste . T he blade' s shiny surface somehow absorbed it by the mouthful .

With the amount of blood I was losing, the knife ha d probably pierced an organ . I f I tried to pull it out, m y wound would change into a red geyser, and I would die i n seconds .

"I want to make my first wish now, trakur a.n.a.lova ta!" I cried .

He stood in front of me and clapped his talons in antic.i.p.ation . I saw then how he had tricked me. He had kept pullin g my attention farther to the side to force my torso closer to th e tip of his hidden blade .

"T ell me what it is and I will grant it for you," he said .

"remove this blade from my side and stop . . ." I stopped; I did not complete the wish because I realized I was making tw o at once .

"You wish me to remove the blade and stop th e bleeding?"

"T hat's not my wish," I gasped. "You did not hear m e say that. "

" Your wish then . S peak it aloud! "

"T rakur a.n.a.lova ta, I wish for you to heal this wound."

He shook his head . "I mpossible . T he blade has impale d your side. You will continue to bleed until it is removed. "

"I 'll handle that. You just fulfill my wish. "

"I t is a deep wound . I t may take time to heal. "

" You're to heal it as fast as you can!" t rakur considered. "What is your name? "

"N one of your d.a.m.n business. "

" Without your name, I cannot grant your wish." I dropped to my knees on the hard marble floor, swea t dripping into my eyes . S till, I kept my gaze focused on him .

"You lie. You lie because you think I lied to you-and that yo u are free to do what you wish. But that is not true because yo u have failed to catch me in a lie. You are a djinn, and you mus t obey the Laws of the Djinn, trakur a.n.a.lova ta. Fulfill my wis h immediately!"

With that, I yanked the blade from my side . T he pain was so great that I almost blacked out .

Amazingly, the hilt released my fingers. u nfortunately, blood gushed from my side . T rakur went very still. He closed his wicked eyes . I notice d the blood that only seconds ago had been swelling inside hi s beak had stopped. His mouth went dry. When I looked down, I saw that my blood was no longer pouring out . T he pain in m y side lessened but did not stop altogether . T rakur opened his eyes. "Your first wish has been granted .

What is your second wish?" I set the artifact back on the altar . T he blade had disappeared .

"T here will be no second wish. Carpet, come to me, p lease." t he carpet flew to where I knelt . I t took all of my strengt h to turn so that when I let go and fell, I landed on my back o n the carpet . I couldn't reach for the ta.s.sels . I t was okay; the carpet wa s an old friend . I t would obey my commands and ask for nothin g in return . T rakur appeared surprised by how quickly it responde d to my orders .

"T ake me out of here," I gasped, and felt myself risin g upward. We moved fast, toward the ceiling . T he carpet was in a hurry, and so was i . T he djinn screamed beneath me, and I fel t a wave of air as trakur tried with all of his talons to knock m e down. But either he was too far below or else he was not dee p enough in our dimension to harm me .

As we cleared the roof and the stars became visible, I blacked out .

When I came to I was in my room, lying on the bed . T h e house was asleep . T he majority of my pain was gone but I stil l w ould have appreciated a modern hospital with doctors an d nurses and an iV drip loaded with morphine .

At least I had the carpet, my dear Carpet of Ka . I t lay nea r me, on the floor . T he window was open and the stars shone o n its starry center .

"I thought I was so clever," I mumbled. "But h e tricked me. "

" You tricked him as well," the carpet replied .

"For all the good it did. "

" You learned his name. "

"I had to ask him for a wish! if I ask for another, I'll be i n his debt. "

" Perhaps one day you will be forced to ask. He is a ver y powerful djinn. Life is in the blood, and he feeds his powe r with blood . T hat is why he is the ruler of the djinn on thi s island." I sighed . "I went there hoping to get his wife's nam e so I could invoke her into the pot I'm making . N ow tha t hope's gone. "

"I s it?" I tried to sit up . "I sn't it? "

"T he Ta Ta at the end of the name is the same as your at the end of the name is the same as your mister mister . .

Otherwise, when a female djinn marries, she takes on the nam e of the husband." I had to laugh, although it hurt my side . Otherwise, when a female djinn marries, she takes on the nam e of the husband." I had to laugh, although it hurt my side .

"What is the word for mrs.?" I asked .

"La. "

"S o his wife's name is trakur a.n.a.lova La? "

" Yes. "

" Why didn't you tell me that in the first place? "

"I wanted to surprise you." I fell back on the bed, exhausted. "Cool," I said .

Chapter Thirteen.

t He CArPet HAD essentiALLY ordere d me to remain on the island and complete an introductory cours e on the djinn and the dangerous rules that surrounded them .