"To find out certain facts. I have to know how far you've gone with Darbar. I have to try to talk to him and find out if you really have made a valid third wish."

Amesh laughed and I swear his laughter was ten times worse than his tears. It was so spooky, so twisted, it sounded like it came from someone already d.a.m.ned. It was that fear, more than any other, that made me hesitate. What if I was about to sacrifice so much for nothing?

Amesh, of course, knew exactly what I was thinking.

"You want to talk to Darbar to see if I'm worth saving," he said.

"I've learned a lot about djinn in the last two weeks. I might be able to reason with him, or I might be able to scare him. My djinn is more powerful than he is."

"Says who?" he demanded.

"Trust me, I know."

"You only know what that d.a.m.n carpet tells you."

"Why curse the carpet? it did nothing to you."

"Nothing? it kidnapped us and flew to an island filled with demons who promised us anything we wanted, when what they were really trying to do was steal our souls. I'm a thrall, Sara; I'm already d.a.m.ned. I'm going to spend the rest of eternity in h.e.l.l, and all because of your carpet!"

"That's not true! Allah's merciful! He wouldn't d.a.m.n anyone to eternal suffering. Especially a guy like you who has a Papi and a sister who love him. And yes, a friend who loves him so much that she's willing to make however many wishes she has to in order to save him." I paused. "All I'm asking is for you to give me time to figure out the best way to fix this mess. Please, Amesh, I'm not asking a lot."

He stared at me for a long time. His eyes had calmed and I was sure I had reached him. We could return to the hotel together, I thought. To the island if need be, and work together to set every thing right.

"I have missed you," he said softly.

"Me too."

But then his right hand spasmed. It flapped without warning against the table like an impaled fish dying aboard the deck of a ship. I only had to hear his frantic breathing to know how awful his pain must be. He cried out to me.

"It does this sometimes! I can't stop it! nothing can stop it!" I tried to hug him. "Amesh!"

He pushed me away with his left hand. "Stay away, Sara.

What you say-i almost believe you. But if you are telling me the truth, then I'm the last person you should help. I'm the last person who deserves it. And if it isn't true . . . well, then it doesn't matter anyway. I'm going to die cursed, but not before I take those others with me."

With that, he ran from the restaurant.

Chapter Sixteen.

Leaving the Hotel, I wandered aimlessly. I did not call for Lova; I did not call for a taxi. Shock Shock was too gentle a word to describe my condition. I felt shattered. Even when Amesh had made his two wishes on the island and fled, I had not felt so devastated. I had returned from the island to save Amesh. I had invoked a strong djinn and brought it back with me for that purpose. Yet I had never stopped to construct a plan on how I was going to free him. I was like a soldier who prepares for battle by buying himself an AK-47. Hey, guys, look at my cool gun. I don't need any training. was too gentle a word to describe my condition. I felt shattered. Even when Amesh had made his two wishes on the island and fled, I had not felt so devastated. I had returned from the island to save Amesh. I had invoked a strong djinn and brought it back with me for that purpose. Yet I had never stopped to construct a plan on how I was going to free him. I was like a soldier who prepares for battle by buying himself an AK-47. Hey, guys, look at my cool gun. I don't need any training.

in my ignorance, I had a.s.sumed that I could frighten Darbar into canceling out the wishes he had granted Amesh. If that failed, I figured I would order Lova to kill Darbar and set Amesh free. But I had never stopped to think that asking a djinn to murder a fellow djinn might cost extra. To be blunt, my whole approach had been barbaric. Terrify Darbar, kill Darbar. In the end Lova was more likely to kill me. Or worse. I was starting to worry about that worse. I worse. It had been easy to fantasize about rescuing Amesh from a distance. Sleeping under Hara and Aleena's roof, I had felt safe. I would swoop back to Istanbul like an avenging angel and vanquish the evil djinn. But now, seeing Amesh up close and the agony he was going through, I had to stop and think: What if that were me?

Plus, I was making all these sacrifices for a guy I had known a few days. I had to ask myself a serious question. Did I owe Amesh my very soul? sure, I was the one who had encouraged the carpet take us where it wanted to go. But it had been his choice to invoke Darbar, not mine. I had begged him to leave the djinn alone and he had ignored me.

What did I owe Amesh? Could such a thing be mea sured?

Did I love him? Could love ever be mea sured? I did have a huge crush on him, but that did not mean I cared for him like his Papi and mira did. In a way, I realized, they should be the ones to save him. His grandfather would do anything for him.

Was it possible to turn Lova over to mr. Demir? Give the man a crash course on the djinn? I wished there were a book on the subject: What to Do and What not to Do When Making Wishes. I What to Do and What not to Do When Making Wishes. I had walked far, giving no thought to what time it was or where I was, when I realized that a black van was following me. I was near the airport on a ser vice road that ran between the big hotels. It was little more than an alley. Although the sun was still bright, the road was deserted and I saw that there was no one around to call to for help. had walked far, giving no thought to what time it was or where I was, when I realized that a black van was following me. I was near the airport on a ser vice road that ran between the big hotels. It was little more than an alley. Although the sun was still bright, the road was deserted and I saw that there was no one around to call to for help.

A second black van turned onto the alley in front of me. I was boxed in. Opening my cell, I dialed 911. No one answered. Of course, I was in turkey; 911 was not a universal number for help. What was the istanbul number? I had never thought to look it up. The vans were closing in; they slowed as they came near. Side doors were opening. The carpet! the carpet could fly for over an hour during the day. As men wearing black ski masks leaped from the vans, I pulled it out and tried to feel for a ley line.

But eight men were approaching. My heart was pounding too hard to feel anything but fear. Except for their dark masks, they were dressed in white. Two pulled out knives. But it was a man without a knife who took the lead. He stepped forward.

"We don't want to hurt you," he said. "We just want the carpet."

"Go to h.e.l.l!" I swore, hugging it to my chest. The power built into the carpet flowed through me. My arms and legs felt energized. I felt strong. The leader's partner waved his knife and spoke in a deadly tone. "What if we poke out your eyes? You can wear gla.s.s eyes the rest of your life. I'm sure your boyfriends will love the poor blind girl." I thought of Lova. I could call for the djinn; she would hear my call. I could order her to slay the men and, because they were only human, she would charge me just one wish. But I hated to waste a wish on this slime.

Plus, I continued to feel a buildup of power in my limbs. It was odd but the feeling was familiar. Were Kalas stronger than normal people?

"You underestimate the power of what I hold," I said. "It's given me amazing strength. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't back off." the man who had threatened me lunged forward with his knife. My right foot instinctively shot out. I kicked the knife out of his hand-it went flying. He raised an arm to strike. I kicked again, at his left kneecap, and felt the raw power of the blow.

His knee did not merely bend; it cracked. The man screamed and fell to the ground. The others glanced at each other. Even with their ski masks, I could see the fear in their eyes. This skinny white chick was behaving more like spidergirl than a spoiled American babe. The second man with a knife lunged. I kicked him in the groin, and he fell to the ground, moaning. I spoke firmly. "Leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. Okay?" the leader turned toward a van. He signaled.

A sparkling green light filled the interior of the van. Then it expanded outward, in my direction, and a wave of dizziness swept over me. My arms and legs were suddenly heavy, and I felt sick to my stomach. The green light condensed into a narrow beam and struck my chest. It was like being hit by lightning. I lost the carpet. I lost the ability to stand. Hitting the asphalt, lying on my side, I was gripped by a brief seizure. I must have blacked out for a moment.

When I came to, the leader was peering down at me with the carpet in his hands. "Where are Bora and Hasad?" he demanded. "Where did he take them?"

"Beats me," I whispered. The man I had kneed in the groin kicked me in the side. I heard a rib crack. He had knocked the wind out of me. Gasping to fill my lungs, I saw the leader try to hold his partner back.

"We know you know Amesh," he said. "tell us where he took them."

He was probably referring to two of the guys who had attacked Amesh. Chances were Darbar had them. It was a wicked thought to imagine anyone in the clutches of an angry djinn.

"The thing that took them isn't human," I mumbled. The leader spoke with his partners in turkish. Then the guy who had kicked my side wound up his black boot and smashed my head. Everything went dark.

When I came to I was in pain. My whole body ached, even places that had not been struck. It was curious how heavily armed the gang had been, when you considered it was just there to steal a carpet from a girl. They obviously knew the value and power of the carpet.

But who were they? And what was that green light?

One thing was for sure. Amesh and I had not discovered the carpet without at least one other person noticing. But was that an absolute fact? I had come under attack only after returning from the island. When we had first found the carpet, we had been given plenty of time to learn how to use it. No one had followed us to the island; of that I was certain.

Amesh had to be the cause of my new popularity. The guys had been anxious to find him. There was no doubt either he or Darbar had kidnapped their partners. The way Amesh was running all over istanbul and selling gems, I was surprised they hadn't been able to find him.

maybe the gang's first priority had been to get the carpet.

But how did they even know about it? I forced myself to sit up and take stock of my damage. The kick to my right side had definitely broken a rib. It hurt to move, even to take a breath. My hair was sticky with dried blood, and I felt a lump the size of an egg forming at the base of my skull. The sun was still up but the sky was darkening. I estimated I had been unconscious an hour. I sat cross-legged and closed my eyes, let my mind calm down the way the carpet had taught me on the island. I took ten slow breaths- gently, with my sore ribs. Then I imagined a pillar of white light pouring into my head from above. Don't ask me how this worked; I don't know. It was a form of meditation the carpet had taught me. But within minutes a healing sensation began to seep through my body. It also cleared my mind, and I mentally reached for the carpet. But I felt something was wrong. The carpet heard me, I was sure, but it was blocked. Its captors had probably figured that I was capable of calling to it and locked it in a vault or a chest. I could call for hours and get nowhere. I saw no choice. I had to call on Lova and make a wish. d.a.m.n.

"Lova, come to me," I said aloud. She appeared instantly, standing above like a shadow in the failing light. "You are hurt," she said.

"i was attacked. They took the carpet." I paused. "Do you know who they are?"

"I cannot retrieve the carpet for you unless you wish for its retrieval."

"That would be my first wish with you."

"Yes."

"I have already made a wish with your mate."

"I know."

"But wishes with different djinn do not overlap. If you retrieve the carpet for me, I still owe you nothing."

"That is correct." Lova paused. "But are you sure you don't desire something other than the carpet?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Your friend, who is with Darbar. It is a boy, is it not? You want his love back. You want him to love you like he did before he met Darbar." I felt a flash of anger. "You're not to bring him up unless I mention him first. Do you understand?"

Lova smiled faintly. "Yes."

"Sit Lova." she sat. "I also want to know who attacked me."

"I would have to question them to get their names. Since they cannot see or hear me, that would be difficult. I have told you, I'm not familiar with your realm. I would probably have to kidnap them and torture them to get them to talk. That would require a second wish."

I pulled out my cell and set it to take pictures.

"Can you hold physical objects?" I asked.

"If I focus on them."

"Well, focus hard and take this cell phone. Point it at each person in the house or the warehouse or wherever it is that the carpet's being kept. Then push this green b.u.t.ton. It'll automatically make a record of their faces."

"That should cost you a second wish," Lova replied. I hardened my tone. "Don't think that just because I just got beat up, you can take advantage of me. Push me and I push back harder. If you don't agree to get the carpet now and take the pictures, then you won't get a single wish out of me. understand?"

"Yes." Lova paused. "What's your name?"

"You don't need my name."

"To get a wish from me, you must order it using your name."

Amesh had told Darbar his first name before making his first wish.

But Lova's mate had not needed my first name to stop my bleeding. I pointed that fact out to her. She nodded as if she had expected the question.

"My mate has experience fulfilling human wishes. I do not. I require your name to sharpen my focus, so that your wish, and only your wish, enters my mind and is fulfilled."

"Are you saying that you might pick up a stray wish from someone in the area and accidentally fulfill it?" I found that hard to believe.

"Yes. There are many humans in this city. Every few seconds they desire something. As a djinn, I feel their desires. I am constantly having to block them."

"I'll tell you my first name; that's all."

"I need your complete name."

"Then I guess you're out of luck."

Lova considered. "Your first name will be sufficient."

"Sara," I said.

"And the meaning of the name?"

"I don't know the meaning."

"I must know the meaning."

"Most human names have no meaning. They're just names." I added, "Besides, I think you're trying to manipulate me. I suggest you stop."

Lova hesitated. "You are the master."

"I suspect the carpet is being held in a vault or some kind of box. If it's made of steel, do you have the power to break through it?"

"Yes."

"What if you accidentally damage the carpet?"

"The Carpet of Ka cannot be physically damaged." it had been a trick question to see how much the djinn knew.

she knew a lot about my carpet.

"All right. Let's begin. Get as many pictures as you can of the people in the immediate area-before you bust into where the carpet is being held."

"understood." Lova tucked the cell phone in her silver belt.

"Trakur a.n.a.lova La," I said in a firm voice. "It's my wish, the wish of your master, Sara, that you retrieve my magic carpet, which is known as the Carpet of Ka. Locate it, free it, and bring it back to me. This is my wish, trakur a.n.a.lova La." I paused.

"Agreed?"

"Yes."

"Go. Do not return without it," I said. The fiery red deep in her eyes flared. Lova stood and walked north, down the alley. She had only gone a few steps when she vanished. Naturally, I had forgotten to tell her something. I did not feel like hanging out in an alley. Sure, she might be back in a few minutes, but she might be gone for hours. I decided to find a more comfortable place to recover. The men had not stolen my pack. As a result, I still had cash, credit cards, and my pa.s.sport. I did not want to return to my father's hotel beat-up. The blood in my hair had to go. But I did not want to check into a new hotel using a credit card or my real name. My father would be able to track me in minutes.

And in istanbul, hotels wanted to see pa.s.sports before accepting foreign guests. It was a dilemma, but I wondered if maybe a little smooth talking couldn't save the day.

Walking proved difficult. My right side was on fire. It was interesting how the jerk had kicked me in exactly the same spot where Lova's mate had stabbed me. I was dizzy. Sitting in the alley, I had not noticed how bad my head was. But now that I was standing, I feared that final kick had given me a concussion. The lump was ma.s.sive. The tear in my scalp, below the b.u.mp, wouldn't stop bleeding. What if I needed st.i.tches?