Three Wishes: Cairo (25 page)

Ameerah was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness. For some reason, she continued to fight the unseen force holding her above the well. She knew instinctively that if she could free herself, she would certainly plummet to her death, but that didn’t matter. In her mind, death was preferable to being forced to do anything by the evil wizard. She’d rather not give him the satisfaction. So she continued to struggle until she heard a strangely familiar voice.

“Alchemy!” Khayri yelled. He and the others had entered the room and were taking up positions surrounding the well.

“Well, isn't this just lovely? You've all come to bid Ameerah a fond farewell. “

“Enna?” said Aladdin. “What are you doing?” Then he noticed a strange mark on her hand in the shape of a half moon.

“It's not Enna, my son. It's the traitorous wizard we've spoken of many times,” said Khayri.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?” Aladdin started toward Enna, but Khayri held him back.

“I assure you she’s quite fine. We’re downright cozy in here. But if you’d like, I could stab this body in the heart right now and end this little one’s life.” Alchemy smiled.

“I can see why absolutely no one likes you,” said Aladdin.

Khayri’s eyes were still frozen on Ameerah. “Hello my love. You are as beautiful as I always remembered.”

Though Ameerah was in obvious distress, her eyes filled with tears and radiated love that could never be weakened or exterminated. She didn’t see a strange creature, a glowing entity or a genie. She simply saw the man she’d loved since she was a child. When their eyes met, she instantly stopped struggling and accepted her situation. No matter what happened from this point on, she knew that Khayri was alive and somehow, that made everything else seem small in comparison.

Eventually Khayri broke eye contact with her and approached Alchemy. “Alchemy, your fight is with no one here but me. Let the others go and we'll work out our differences together. Perhaps we can both walk away from this with satisfaction.”

“My dear Prince, I have no desire to negotiate a settlement with you or your friends. We've gone too far down that road. In fact, none of this has ever been about you. I mean to take this world and rule it. I’ll take your woman's life because frankly, I've always wanted to; and I
can
. You say Egypt is the heart of the universe. I say fine, I'll erase it.” A wave of his hand and immediately winds began to stir outside the Sphinx. Within a few moments, a full blown maelstrom had descended on the city.

“A sandstorm!” yelled Rorgue. “We’d better get out there and help!”

Khayri took charge. “Rorgue, Atiene, run and help anyone you can! I've got this handled.”

“I'm glad you're so confident, my Prince,” sneered Alchemy.

“You've forgotten one important point,” said Aladdin over the din of the wind punishing the thick sandstone walls of the lion.

“And what might that be?” said Alchemy.

“I brought a genie to a wizard fight,” he smiled.

Khayri stepped in front of Aladdin and stared directly at Alchemy. “You will move Ameerah to safety. Killing someone of her integrity would surely anger your superiors, Alchemy.”

“I have no reason to spare her, my Prince.” But no sooner had he said that then Ameerah was flung to the corner of the room, where she rolled and came up standing.

“What?” said the startled Alchemy. “But I didn’t…”

“It’s Enna!” said Aladdin. “She’s fighting for control of her body. KEEP FIGHTING PRINCESS!”

The pained face of Enna showed the intense conflict that both inhabitants were inflicting on one another. Her body froze as two controlling, yet separate consciousnesses locked in battle for control. For a brief instant, favor tipped back to Alchemy and he spoke, “Alas, I must again alter my plan.”

With that, Enna’s body leaped over the railing and plunged headlong into the depths of the well. Aladdin sprinted to the edge, and dove without hesitation, after her.

“Genie, don't let us die!” he commanded as he disappeared from sight.

“As you wish,” the Genie said dutifully.

An eerie light filled the room with a sudden flash as Khayri returned to his human form and rushed to Ameerah's side.

“Are you okay?” He cupped her face in his hands.

“I am now,” she said.

“I knew you wouldn't stop searching,” he said.

“You can count on me,” she answered, with tears in her eyes.

“Now that we have a history.” he repeated loyally as his voice caught in his throat.

The first real embrace in forty years erased every bad thing that had ever happened to them. The years melted away as Ameerah returned to the only real place that had ever made her feel happy.

But then their embrace was interrupted by a loud whining sound that cut through the noise of the storm and directly into the brains of Ameerah and Khayri. Both immediately grabbed their ears and shouted to communicate.

“IS IT THE STORM?” Ameerah screamed.

“HOW CAN IT BE?” he answered. But then the sickening reality of the situation cleared his head.

“It's the lamp,” he said mostly to himself, as a look of acceptance filled his face.

And with that, Khayri disappeared and the whining ceased instantly.

Ameerah screamed, “NO!” Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to breathe. Her lungs and throat ached from the trauma that she’d suffered at Alchemy’s hand. But the physical pain was no match for the mental anguish she’d suffered at having Khayri dangled before her and then ripped away. The massive sandstorm continued punishing her adopted home. She felt helpless to aid Rorgue and Atiene who were currently out in that storm and she also worried about the young couple who had plunged to almost certain death down the well. She felt guilty at being secure in the Sphinx behind massive walls of stone while the people of Cairo were fighting for their very lives. Alchemy had again taken the most important people in her life away from her. She was physically beaten and bruised, exhausted mentally from her recent battle, yet a small flicker of joy burned in her heart.

Khayri was alive!

“Aladdin?” Enna coughed.

“Enna, are you okay?”

“Whatever was inside me has fled. I'm fine. What happened?”

Aladdin smiled, but checked her hand anyway. The half moon mark had disappeared. He then nodded and continued, “I remember falling forever and then being swept down a river in complete darkness.”

“We must have fallen a thousand cubits. We could not have possibly survived that fall or the river,” she said, still trying to catch her breath and expel the water from her throat.

“The Genie,” he said. “I used my final wish to save us. That means he’s gone.” Aladdin stared at the floor. He was disappointed that he hadn’t been able to grant Khayri his final wish.

“Wish?” she questioned?

“It's a long story and it appears we'll have plenty of time to talk about it.”

They were in some sort of a glowing green cavern. They could still hear the water they’d just crawled from and atmosphere here was damp and cold. They both stared into the blackness. A tiny pinpoint of green light appeared to flicker far off in the distance.

“Let's head toward that light,” said Aladdin as they headed into the strange cavern and into their next adventure.

Thanks for reading Three Wishes Book One: Cairo. I hope you enjoyed it.

Reading to my son at bedtime was one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, now that he’s 18, he’s less inclined to ask. But I wanted to create something that I would have loved to read to him. One of my biggest pet peeves with this world is that, thanks to television and movies, kids grow up way too fast. We need more genies, wishes and magic lamps.

Three Wishes Book Two: Atlantis will be released in early 2016.

Thanks again.