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7. Boshun

One kiss, and I knew this woman was the one I'd crave for a lifetime.

She was my fated mate, but I couldn't tell her. Revealing that could influence her actions and break the one rule I hadn't named.

No falling in love with the genie.

"What's your name?" she asked, her voice breathy.

"You could call me Jinn."

"That sounds genie-like, but is it your real name?" She walked around to stand in front of me, though her gaze didn't meet mine. Was she floundering after our kiss like me?

"No one has ever asked for my real name."

"I don't want to call you the generic word for genie."

"Why not?"

She placed her hand on my forearm, and my muscles twitched. "Because you're a person, not a wish-making machine."

"I'm the grantor of wishes, nothing more and nothing less."

Her chin lifted. "You're already more than that to me." Her chin lifted, and she extended her hand my way. "I'm Jasmine."

If I took her hand, I'd never let it go.

"Please make your wishes quickly and dismiss me." Desperation came through in my voice; I couldn't hold it back. The longer I remained with her, the more I'd fall in love, and I was tortured enough having to live inside the lamp for the rest of my days. Nothing would ever be right in my world if I fell in love with her.

"Since you can't cure my sister, I don't have any wishes for you to grant, not until I'm forced to name them, of course. I'll continue with my original plan. I'll take the lamp to Cordellia this morning and return to the palace for the rest of the weekend events. I need to find a healer named Geradine. I was told she might be able to cure my sister." Taking the lamp from the bed, she started toward the door.

"You can't deliver the lamp to anyone, I'm afraid."

She halted with her fingers on the doorknob, not turning back to face me. "Why not?"

"The lamp—and me—are yours until you use your three wishes. And after that, the lamp will disappear, I assume returning to the treasure room."

"But . . . But . . ." Whirling around, she sputtered, her face cratered with grief. "If I don't deliver the lamp to Cordellia, she'll send me to the ether."

"Impossible."

"I think she can do it."

So Cordellia was a witch, was she? I waved my hand, sending magic to the palace gates. "She can't come near you now. I just made sure of it."

She advanced toward me. "What do you mean?"

"Genies are allowed to make a few magical concessions." Not quite true, but there was no need to tell her I was only supposed to use my magic to grant her wishes. Since I'd never done it, I wasn't exactly sure what might happen if I used magic outside of that. "It wouldn't be fair to make you use one of your wishes to free yourself from the ether."

The tension left her shoulders, though her face remained tight with dismay. "She's going to be mad when I don't bring her the lamp."

"Let her be mad. If she can't get inside the palace, there's nothing she can do but stomp her feet."

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"You're safe for now." I'd make sure of it. "Come. Make a wish, and we'll do away with one of them."

"I already told you there's only one thing I want, something you can't grant."

"Giving up already?" I had to force a sneer into my voice. All I wanted to do was take her in my arms and tell her I'd make her world perfect.

"You know I'm not," she snarled right back at me. Stomping around me, she started pacing back and forth across the room. "My sister has been sick from a mysterious illness for over a year. You can't imagine how horrible this is for her. Her deep, chesty cough keeps her awake at night, and when she eats, she more often than not vomits. She's losing weight, and no matter how many good cuts of meat, how many freshly picked vegetables and fruit I use the last of our coins to buy her, she can barely keep any of it down." Her hands flipped into the air. "I'm never giving up. I won't do so until . . ." Her voice cratered, and she dragged her palms down her cheeks. "She's going to live. I'm not letting her go."

"We rarely have control over another's fate."

"I do," she snarled. "I'm willing her to remain alive. I love her. I can't bear to lose her, but this isn't about me. She's a wonderful person. Kind and sweet to everyone. She deserves to have a full life." Pausing on the plush carpet, she wiped away her tears. "If I could, I'd take her place. So make that my first wish. Make me sick and her better."

"You know I can't do that." I said it dully, softly. It was clear her sister was her world, and the thought made my chest cramp tight. What would it be like to be loved by Jasmine? To have her so devoted to me that she'd do whatever she could to make sure I was happy?

It wasn't going to happen, and I'd be a fool to dream it could.

A genie could never grant wishes to himself.

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