Make a Wish

Standing in the throne room, the young princess stares down her husband-to-be, Abdelus. Eyes just as condescending as his father’s, he observes his wife in silence. A strange aura emits from him, the princess can sense it. It’s very subtle, like it’s being hidden.

The young princess glances over at Zassul who stands beside her, well disguised as one of the guards. She wonders to herself if he can sense it too, this ominous aura. It is indeed very unsettling and she wonders to herself just how she got into this mess in the first place. Or perhaps, she has always been surrounded by magic and she just never noticed it.

Ahish’s imperious voice cuts through the silent room, ending the tense staring contest everyone is undergoing amongst each other. “So what do you think?” He asks his son. “This is the woman you will be marrying.” His brows curve in agitation as the young princess responds to his words with an eyeroll. “As you can see, she’s got an attitude on her. She is the most misbehaved woman I have ever met.”

Abdelus does not respond to his father. Instead, he remains silent, continuing the staring contest with the princess. Despite his piercing gaze, she does not back down from him and stands her ground. She can’t tell what he’s thinking, but she can sense the formidable chakra that resonates within him. It may be concealed but it’s enough to convince her to keep on her toes. She won’t give him the slightest indication of fear or hesitation.

Ahish continues to do what he does best, flap his jowls. “She spent some time down in the dungeon but it seems she didn’t learn a thing.”

“Her attitude does not concern me.” Abdelus finally speaks, his deep voice cutting through the thick, dark clouds of tension like lightning. “For now let’s contact her parents and let them know she has settled in. They can stay here until the wedding.” As he speaks, his eyes do not leave the princess for a second.

Ahish crosses his arms as he looks at her. “Yes, I suppose we should do that.” He grumbles his response to his son. An obnoxiously sly smile spreads across his face as he rises from his throne and stares down the princess. “You get your wish, Wench. You’re going to see your parents.”

The princess feels slightly relieved as Ahish exits the room. However, she still has this man to face. His presence is far more imposing than his father’s. She can’t shake the feeling of fear that his radiant, amber eyes strike into her.

“Come with me.” He orders.

The princess finds herself unwilling to move. She crosses her arms and questions him. “May I ask where, Your Majesty?”

“Guards, escort her there.”

Zassul and the other guard take her arms and force her to move. Unable to resist, she watches herself being led back to her sleeping quarters. The guards stand by the entrance while she is trapped inside with Abdelus.

“Are you hungry?” He asks her.

She clicks her tongue in annoyance and responds irritably. “Is there a point to this, Your Majesty? I prefer you not waste my time with pleasantries.”

He crosses his arms and continues. “Do you even know what’s going on between us and your parents? Why they’re pushing so hard for this marriage?”

“I assume to inherit your money.”

“Very good.” He praises her condescendingly, causing her nose to shrivel up like a raisin. “You’re deep in debt with our kingdom. Your parents are struggling to stay in control. Since their power is weakening, they’re becoming vulnerable. So my father offered them a way out. Your hand in marriage. Your kingdom will belong to us but you would still be royalty. It was either that or lose everything and live in poverty as a washed up royal family.”

The young princess feels her heart sink into her chest as she comes to the realisation that she’s paying for her parents’ mistakes.

“You really only have two options, and your parents already chose. They should be here tomorrow morning. Get some sleep. Since you showed no interest in my question before, I won’t feed you tonight.”

She glares at his back as he exits the room. Zassul looks at her before following the other guard. Left alone, she is finally able to lower her guard. A heavy breath escapes from her lips as the pressure weighs down on her.

Digging through her bag of clothes she hasn’t unpacked yet, she pulls out a nightgown and changes. She might as well prepare herself for sleep. There is nothing else she can do for the night.

Purple light flashes before her eyes, engulfing the room. As it disperses, Zassul appears before her. “So, Abdelus and Ahish are busy dealing with Amrita. She’s sealed down there but now they’re trying to bind her with a bracelet so they can use her. Like I’m bound to you by my amulet.” A smile curves across her face. “Sounds like she’s in pain.”

The young princess leans back on her heels uncomfortably. “It looks like that makes you happy.”

He only shrugs. “It’s satisfying to listen to.”

“You’re starting to sound like a demon…”

Zassul is unresponsive but his left brow arches upward, suggesting he didn’t like being compared to one.

The young princess shifts the topic. “Them being involved with dark magic makes things ten times worse.”

“Yes, but so are you.”

She begins to rub her arm timidly. “Yes, but I never forced you to stay with me. You offered to help me. Honestly, some things you say make me uneasy. But I don’t sense any truly negative energy in your aura. I sense that you have no evil intent towards me.”

“Tell me, what did you sense when you first met Amrita?”

The young princess shudders at the thought. “Her chakra was overwhelming and terrifying. She has a very dark history. With an aura that strong, I can only imagine that she has been alive for a long time, committing atrocities.”

Zassul nods. “You’re right. I’m glad you know that because she might be out of her cell tomorrow.”

“That’s not good at all…”

“Indeed. But she’ll be on a leash. Whatever they use to bind her, she’ll be restricted in what she can do.”

The princess releases another heavy sigh. “I’ve got a long day tomorrow. I think I’m going to go to sleep now. If I can get any.”

“I’ll be here if you need me.” Zassul disappears in his purple light.

The princess lies in her bed, her mind going over all of the horrible scenarios that could happen tomorrow. She knows tomorrow will be dreadful. She is most definitely going to confront her parents about what she learned today. Now that she knows the truth, she will continue this fight for her freedom.

The young princess is awoken by Zassul’s voice. He speaks to her through the amulet, letting her know that her parents have arrived. She looks out her window to see that the sun has risen again. Her mind feels a little clearer but she can tell she barely slept last night. She stares at her feet, deep in thought as she sits on the edge of her bed.

A familiar voice pulls her out of her thoughts. She looks up to see her mother. “How are you doing?” Her mother asks her.

“I think you know…” She responds bitterly.

Malika looks down at her daughter with sad eyes. “Your father is speaking with Ahish and Abdelus. I told him to stay there.”

The young princess wastes no time. She knows it won’t be long until someone demands her to come downstairs. “Mother, I need you to be honest with me. Is it true we’re losing money? And the reason why I have to marry that man is because I’m suffering from your mistakes. Right?”

Her mother clenches tightly onto her chest. “I’m not going to lie, your father and I have done foolish things in the past. I regret it everyday I wake up.”

“But why must I suffer for that!?”

“Listen, there’s no way out. I tried, and I fought hard. Your father did as well. He offered them our kingdom. But the son didn’t just want our kingdom, he wanted you as well.”

The young princess holds her breath as she prepares to ask her next question. “Why did he want my hand in marriage? Is it what I think?” She assumes it all comes down to this mysterious power she seems to possess.

Her mother tilts her head in confusion. “What exactly do you think?”

The young princess breaks eye contact and shakes her head. “No, nevermind.”

It seems her mother really doesn’t know. The young princess can tell there is no magical aura coming from her. And she never sensed any from her father in the past. She comes to the conclusion that her parents really don’t know anything about her. However, she is certain that Abdelus and Ahish do, even if they won’t admit it. Abdelus still has that strange, subtle aura emanating from him. And they have a demon trapped in their dungeon. They know about magic and how to use it.

Malika pulls her daughter out of her deep thoughts. “You should get changed and come out and talk.” She leaves her daughter alone to get ready.

The young princess slowly shakes her head as she digs through her bag of clothes. She will get changed but she won’t go out there, not yet. She needs time to prepare herself first.

Once dressed, she looks outside at the perfect view of the castle garden. The thick floral shrubs and trees are enough to hide her while she clears her thoughts. A wisp of fresh, hot air hits her face as she slides the window open. The rich scent of exotic flowers reminds her of her kingdom.

The hot, middle eastern sun hits her tanned skin as she steps outside. Walking along the garden pathways, she grips tightly onto Zassul’s amulet. She can still sense his presence. He’s close, watching her closely. It’s comforting to know he is there for her. But she is disappointed that there is nothing he can offer besides death and destruction.

The young princess halts in her place. A chill runs down her back as an icy cold presence creeps along the garden path in front of her. Her heart beats at an excruciating rate as her skin stings from the cold sweat that runs along her pores.

The voice of a venomous viper sings along in the wind. “Still having trouble, My Dear?” A tall, slender woman stands before the young princess, eyes as red as blood. Her serpentine eyes pierce into the young princess, causing her to feel paralysed.

“How did you sneak up so suddenly?” The young princess asks her. With an aura like that, she would have been able to sense this monster in her bedroom. She would have never dared step foot into this garden.

Amrita giggles, sharps fangs sticking out from her lips. “Did I scare you, Darling?”

The young princess finds her courage. “Weren’t you being sealed into obedience by Ahish and Abdelus?”

Amrita confidently plays with her pale blonde hair. “They tried and failed. I deceived them so I could come find you. I find you to be quite alluring.”

The young princess silently glares at her. A typical demon, disguised as an attractive human in order to seduce and kill their prey–a Si’lat.

“Come now, don’t look at me like that. Do I look like I want to hurt you?”

“You’re not fooling me.”

Before anymore can be said, purple light engulfs the area and Zassul appears beside the young princess’ side. Amrita rolls her eyes unhappily at the sight of him.

Zassul crosses his arms in disgust as he looks down at her. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Amrita snobily responds.

Zassul speaks to the young princess, keeping his eyes locked on Amrita. “I need to speak with you, privately.”

From his tone, the young princess knows it is nothing good. “What is it…?” She asks him hesitantly.

Amrita hums in response to something she notices in the sky. “Now that’s an interesting scent.”

“_____, right now.” Zassul persists. “Something bad is going to happen.”

Before the young princess can question any further, the soothing wind of the garden seems to cease around them. Dark energy fills the air, making it almost impossible for the young princess to breathe. Black clouds begin to fill the sky, swallowing up the sun and turning their surroundings into a pitch black abyss.

The young princess can barely see anything but the silhouettes of Zassul and Amrita that are connected to their glowing eyes. She begins to shiver as a heavy, ice cold wind stirs up the garden. Its touch makes her feel weak as it sucks the heat out of her.

“This is demon chakra…” She whispers in terror.

“Yes.” Zassul responds. “And there’s a lot of it. There’s not just one but several demons coming to this castle.”

The young princess takes a step back, the chill of the wind immediately causing her to buckle under her own weight. Zassul catches her and scoops her up in his arms. Purple light surrounds the dark atmosphere and the young princess feels her body being warped away.

Light returns as Zassul sets her down inside of his bottle. Warmth returns to the young princess’ body and she finds her strength again.

“What is going on?” She asks him. She begins to grow more panicked as he does not respond. He just stares in a random direction. “Don’t leave me in silence, damn it!”

He grabs her and pulls her behind him as red light engulfs the bottle. Amrita appears before them as it disperses.

“Why did you follow me?” He hisses. “Get out of my bottle.”

Amrita rolls her eyes and responds apathetically. “Oh, shove it, you stupid donkey. I’ll be where I please.”

“Why are you still here? Why don’t you join your comrades who are raiding the kingdom?”

“Don’t compare me with them. I’m more interested in your little human friend here.”

Zassul shifts his weight to further put himself between the young princess and Amrita. “Why?”

“You should know. I’m here for the same reason you are.”

The young princess cuts into the conversation. “What is going on!?” She demands a response from Zassul.

“Come on, Zassy. Out with it.” Amrita condescendingly provokes him.

Zassul’s purple eyes glow brighter as he glares at her. “Do not call me that.”

The young princess begins to plead angrily. “Zassul, please! Tell me what is going on!”

He finally responds but keeps his attention on Amrita. “Demons are gathering and getting ready to attack this world. They’re all rallying under one man. Iblīs.”

Amrita’s brow arches, revealing a sense of shock within her calm expression. “Why is he gathering an army?” She asks.

“Word got around that I escaped my seal.”

“So he’s searching for this girl in hopes that she can free him from his?”

“Correct.”

“This sounds like a very serious issue. All the more reason I should stick around. Like it or not, I’m powerful. And you, a single djinn, cannot protect this girl on your own.”

The young princess listens in silence, completely speechless. The normal life she once lived has twisted into some supernatural horror novel. She continues to try and convince herself that it is not real. Everything she has seen used to just be stories and now she’s standing before the very creatures that were proven to not exist.

Zassul seems to notice her distraught state. He places a hand on her shoulder and looks down at her. “It’s going to be alright.”

“But how?” She places a hand over her mouth as her eyes burn with tears. “What’s going to happen if this monster is hunting me? How do we evade him?”

“I’ve evaded Iblīs many times. I’m not too worried about slipping under his nose.”

“Think again, Zassul.” Amrita cuts in. “You’re stealthy by yourself. But try sneaking around with a human. It won’t be so easy. All humans have a distinct scent in their blood that makes them easy to pick out. And this girl’s chakra makes her presence even stronger.”

The young princess can hear a soft sigh come from Zassul. She begins to lose her faith in him. How is a single djinn going to stand up to the ruler of Jahannam?

“Come now, Zassul.” Amrita begins to speak with more urgency as she slowly loses her patience. “You need my help. You can’t do this alone.”

Zassul’s jaw tenses up as he grits his teeth behind closed lips. “Fine.” He grumbles in response.

“What?” The young princess responds in disbelief. “After everything you told me about her and now you’re accepting her help!? The king of all demons is sending an army after me! What if she’s on his side!?”

“That hurts my feelings.” Amrita apathetically responds.

“I don’t like it either but I know her, you don’t.” Zassul tries to explain himself to the young princess. “She’s like me. She’s never followed under Iblīs’ rule. That’s why we’re both in the Human World. We’re hiding from him.”

The young princess is still hesitant. Everything she can sense by just looking at Amrita makes it impossible to want to work with her. “You told me that she was extremely dangerous and to stay away from her!”

“She is dangerous and you should stay away from her. But we don’t have a choice. She’s right. I’m not strong enough to protect you from a demon army. Either we like it or not, she can help us. You know how immense her chakra is. You should have a pretty good idea of how well she can fight.”

The young princess opens her mouth for one final protest but then falls silent. Her eyes fall onto Amrita who silently listens to them bicker.

“We don’t have time to argue.” Zassul turns his back to Amrita and directly faces the young princess. “You have to make a choice. Do you want to fall into the Devil’s hands or do you want to be free?”

The heavy weight of pressure weighs against her shoulders. She takes one final glance back at Amrita before she gives in. “Alright. What’s the plan?”

“We need to get you out of here. Especially out of this area.”

“Wait but what about my parents?”

“Why do you care about them? They’ve been causing you nothing but pain ever since I’ve met you.”

His words make her blood boil. “Zassul! They’re my parents! Just because I’m angry at them doesn’t mean that I don’t love them!”

“We can’t go back for them.”

Amrita speaks up again. “Zassul, humans are strongly attached to their birth-givers. I don’t think you’re going to be able to convince her to abandon them.”

Zassul shakes his head. “I’m not going back for your parents.”

The young princess clenches her fists. “Well, I’m not going anywhere with you unless my parents come too! I’m not asking you, I’m telling you! I’m the one with the amulet, am I not!?”

Zassul’s expression darkens as he stares down at the young princess. “Make a wish…” He quietly tells her.

“Hold a moment, ______.” Amrita interrupts them before any more can be done. “This isn’t wise. We can’t go back. The best option for all of us is to take you to Ethereal. She can help you.”

Zassul turns around to face Amrita again. “That means taking her to the Demon World. She’ll be in even more danger there than here in the Human World.”

“So you suggest that she stays in your bottle forever?” Zassul responds with a scowl. Amrita clicks her tongue and shrugs. “I didn’t think so.”

“I’ll be honest with you,” Zassul tells the young princess. “Taking you to Ethereal is a better idea than going back to try to rescue your parents. Amrita and I could both go and try to get your parents but there’s a whole demon army out there. We most definitely won’t return. Ethereal is the only one who can help you. She could help you save your parents as well. She is a very powerful spirit.”

The young princess can’t help but imagine all of the horrible things that could happen to them while she is gone. “But what will happen to my parents during the time we go and try to find her!?”

“He’s very good at hiding it but Abdelus possesses very dark magic.” Amrita explains to her. “I don’t know what he is but if your parents are allied with Saraia then they’ll be under his protection. The demons will be wary of going near him. This is our only option. Ethereal will be the only one who can truly help you.”

“Ethereal is going to be very hard to get to.” Zassul tells Amrita. “Finding her won’t be easy.”

“Perhaps, but I have a lead from a couple of years ago. It’s worth trying.”

The young princess’ heart sinks within her chest as she thinks of her parents. She needs to make the best decision for them. No matter what, she can’t have them killed. She knows the decision she has to make, even though she feels it isn’t the right one. “Alright…” She looks up at Zassul. “Take me to Ethereal.”