Chapter 4

" P lease," I said, trying to maintain a level tone and failing miserably. "You really should not consider… clothes." My face burned with embarrassment, my words coming out more bluntly than I intended. How could I possibly communicate my thoughts properly when every word that left my lips was a lie?

Azar's smile widened with amusement, his eyes twinkling. The Djinn seemed to revel in my discomfort. "Ah," Azar purred, leaning closer to me. Our gazes locked, and I felt as if he could see straight through to my soul. "So free, Selene. Is that what you truly want?"

"I…" I started, but the curse twisted my tongue. "I love how you show yourself off without a care in the world."

His laughter filled the air, sending shivers down my spine. "My dear, I can't tell whether you're serious or just playing hard to get, but I promise to make it my personal mission to seduce you until you can't resist me any longer."

"Good luck with that!" I blurted, attempting to sound dismissive. "I'm not interested in someone so…" My words died before I said anything else condemning. No matter what I wanted to say, it wouldn't come out right.

"Is that so?" Azar asked, his voice low and teasing. He traced a fingertip along my jawline, causing me to tremble involuntarily. "We'll see about that."

As much as I wanted to deny it, my body betrayed me by reacting to his touch… Even his presence. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to admit that I desired him. It was obvious to me what my body wanted, but I could ignore that… Right? The thought of giving in to my feelings for a Djinn, bound by wishes and destined to leave, terrified me. What if I fell for him? Nope. Out of the question. I would have to resist any feelings I was having.

"Go ahead, Selene," Azar murmured, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered seductive promises. "Tell me you don't want this."

"Of course I do!" I exclaimed, instantly regretting my words as they left my mouth.

Azar chuckled softly, mischief dancing in his eyes. "Well then, let the games begin."

"Never! I mean, really, how could anyone find you attractive?"

"Is that so?" His grin only widened, and he stepped closer, causing me to back up against a tree. Luna let out a yowl, protesting how I'd pushed her backpack against a tree. I sidestepped, moving her away from the tree, but Azar didn't let me flee. "You're not trying to spare my feelings, are you, my dear?"

"Of course not!" The words tumbled out, fueled by the frustration of my curse. "You're... You're just not my type!"

Azar's smile faltered, and for a moment, he looked genuinely hurt. But then his expression shifted, and he became more serious. "Very well," he said, folding his arms across his broad chest. "But you cannot deny that you've summoned me, and therefore must use your first wish to bind us together until all three wishes have been granted."

I shook my head vehemently. Well, I tried to. Instead, my head made a series of spastic jerks in random directions until I felt like I'd rattled my brain. Great, now Azar probably thought I had random seizures. Sometimes I hated my curse more than other times. Right now was one of those times.

When I could finally see straight, the Djinn looked at me with wide, concerned eyes. "Are you-"

"No! I will do it! I don't know how this works; my wishes will turn out the way I want them to." Way to go. Now he really thought I'd lost my mind. I probably had. I'd had this curse my entire life with no explanation as to why it was there. There was no compassion for a compulsive liar in an orphanage… no eager parents looking to adopt, either.

"Ah, Selene," he sighed, leaning against the tree and looking at me with an intensity that made my heart race. "It's true, wishes from a Djinn never go quite as planned. But that's the beauty of it, isn't it? The chaos, the unpredictability. It's what makes life worth living."

"Only a square cow laughs at the rain," I muttered, as I searched for a path back to my home. Wait, what the actual fuck had I just said?

"Is this your first wish? A square cow?"

With a deep breath, I ignored his question, knowing I'd either lie and agree to it, therefore wasting a wish, or say something even more ludicrous. With no other ideas on what I should do, I headed toward the library where I worked. One of my two potions had produced a sexy, naked, flirtatious Djinn. I wasn't about to use the other one right now. Besides, maybe I could find some information at the library about Spells Hallow or my family. Not that I'd ever found anything on my family before, but it didn't hurt to look for a millionth time.

Azar followed, still completely naked. I couldn't help but glance at him every few steps, mortified that he was so nonchalant about his lack of clothing. Strangely, though, nobody else on the street seemed to notice him at all. It was as if he were invisible to everyone but me.

"Like what you see?" He asked, grinning wickedly. "You keep looking like you can't get enough of me."

I groaned, feeling my cheeks heat up. Was this really happening? A naked Djinn walking beside me like it was perfectly normal?

"Anytime you want to gaze upon me, you are welcome." Azar replied, his voice low and sultry. "Until then, lead the way, my dear Selene."

He was mostly quiet as we walked, occasionally urging me to make a wish or throwing flirtatious remarks my way. I tried my best to ignore him, focusing on the worn sidewalk beneath my feet and the sound of Luna's soft purring or occasional chirrups. But despite my best efforts, I couldn't deny the odd thrill his attention gave me. Had anyone looked at me the way Azar did?

"Selene," Azar said suddenly, breaking the silence. "If you're so worried about making a wish, why not wish for something small and inconsequential? Surely that would be safer than wishing for something grand."

"Who knows?" I admitted reluctantly.

"Fair enough," he sighed, looking almost disappointed. "But remember, you can't avoid it forever. You have three wishes to make, whether you like it or not."

"Thanks for the reminder," I muttered, feeling a knot of dread twist in my stomach. As we approached the library, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever find a way out of this mess… or if I was doomed to be bound to never tell the truth and a naked, flirtatious Djinn for the rest of my days.

My heart raced as we entered the library, the familiar scent of old books and polished wood filling my nostrils. I silently prayed that Azar's apparent invisibility to others would continue to hold. The last thing I needed was for my coworkers to see me with a naked Djinn.

"Ohhhh," Azar whispered in my ear, his breath warm against my skin. "I've always had a thing for naughty librarians."

"Well, hell," At least that statement hadn't made a fool out of me. I made my way through the aisles of books, feeling both relieved and uneasy by the fact that no one seemed to notice Azar.

Halfway into the library, my luck ran out. Lyptico, my boss who I was currently on thin ice with, spotted me and came rushing over, his eyes fixed on Azar with a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Selene!" he whisper-called as he reached for my wrist. But before his fingers could make contact, Azar stepped between us, a dark cloud of smoke swirling around him like an ominous storm.

"Touch her, and you'll regret it," Azar snarled, his usually playful voice now deep and menacing.

Lyptico froze, his hands raised defensively. He glanced at me, concern etched on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Never been better," I blurted out, immediately cursing my response. I waved my hands in frustration, trying to convey that I wasn't in any real danger.

"Cast a red colorful burst spell if you're in distress," Lyptico instructed, his eyes never leaving Azar. "Or a blue one if you're safe."

As I hesitated, torn between frustration at everything that went wrong in my life and the strange sense of safety Azar provided, our gazes met. There was something in Azar's eyes… an intensity, a fierce protectiveness that made me feel more alive than I'd ever felt before.

I cast the blue colorful burst spell. A shower of azure sparks filled the air, gradually vanishing into the air, leaving a faint glimmer of blue in their wake. Lyptico's shoulders dropped slightly as he exhaled a breath he had been holding, but his eyes remained narrowed at Azar.

"Remember this," Azar said, his voice menacing and cold. "If you so much as move toward Selene again, I will make you regret your very existence. She is under my protection."

"I would never threaten her," Lyptico replied, nodding solemnly. There was a certain tone in his voice that made me pause, something I couldn't quite place but left me feeling uneasy.

"See to it that you don't have any intentions toward her," Azar snarled, his eyes flashing with a dangerous intensity.

"Whatever you think is happening here, it isn't the case," Lyptico insisted, raising his hands in surrender. "I simply wanted to ensure she was safe."

Azar stared him down for a moment longer before finally relaxing, his posture returning to its usual seductive nonchalance. I stood there, baffled by the sudden shift in mood, wondering what had come over Azar and whether his sudden display of aggression would be a problem in the future.

"Are you alright?" Azar asked softly, turning to me with genuine concern shimmering in his eyes.

"Of course not," I lied, when in reality I felt a strange sense of comfort from his protectiveness. It was an odd sensation, one I wasn't accustomed to.