become the strongest magical being in all of the realms.”
“What happened next?” Mira asked in a quiet
voice.
“She bound me to the Firebrand opal, made me
her slave. Sent me out into the human world to…” He swallowed,
glanced down at the floor because he couldn’t meet Mira’s eyes. Not
this time. “…corrupt souls to fuel her power.”
When Mira didn’t say anything, he resumed
pacing. Okay, so now she knew the truth about the whole wish
fulfillment thing and why he was here with her now. And she hated
him, just as he’d known she would. But that space in his chest
chilled faster than he expected, and what had once been warm and
full of life earlier turned cold as a blackened cinder.
He thanked his luck they were on a boat.
That he was blocking her only escape. That she couldn’t get away,
at least not yet. He needed her to hear the rest, even if she
didn’t want to.
“I’ve been her slave for ten years. I’ve
done what she commanded because I was always looking for a way to
freedom. But just before I met you, I realized there isn’t
one.”
She still didn’t speak, and he still
couldn’t look at her. He just needed to get it all out. “I went on
a hunger strike. I figured starving myself was the easiest way to
end my life and her quest for power. But she manipulated me again.
Somehow, she captured both of my brothers, and she brought them to
me. She’d beaten them. Threatened their lives. They’d been looking
for me. It wasn’t their fault they’d been captured. It was
mine.”
He drew a deep breath, let it out. Finally
stopped pacing and faced her, because she deserved to see his eyes.
“I knew you were different, right from the start, Mira. I knew as
soon as I took you to that island that this time I couldn’t go
through with my task. I couldn’t corrupt your soul for Zoraida.” He
pressed his fingers against his temple. “I know it means nothing to
you, but I’ve been racking my brain, trying to come up with a
solution. Trying to find a way to break the Firebrand opal’s hold
on you. To free you from this nightmare I’ve sucked you into. I
want you to know that I’m not giving up. That no matter what, I’ll
find a way to make sure Zoraida doesn’t get your soul.”
Holy Allah. He’d made his choice. He hadn’t
realized it until the words were out of his mouth, but now he
didn’t want to take them back. He chose her. He loved his brothers,
but he couldn’t condemn one soul just to save another. And even if
Mira hated him for all eternity, that didn’t change anything. She
didn’t deserve this any more than he did. Any more than his
brothers’ did. She didn’t deserve anything but happiness.
He was so caught up in his thoughts, he
didn’t see her push off the couch. Didn’t hear her cross the floor.
Didn’t even know she was next to him until her soft voice said, “I
love you, Tariq.”
His head
came up. His eyes widened. “You… what ?”
A gentle smiled curled her kiss-me mouth. “I
love you.”
Disbelief rushed all through him. “Mira, I’m
a monster. I came here with the intention of—”
“Damning my soul. Yes, I got that.” She
stepped closer, rested her palms against his bare chest. Warmth
seeped from her hands into his body, easing the chill deep inside.
“But you haven’t yet. And you don’t want to. And since you’ve been
gone, I’ve had several days to research and think things through,
and there’s only one thing I know that really matters.”
“What’s that?” he asked before he could
think to stop himself.
She lifted her hand, brushed it against his
cheek. And he leaned into her touch without even realizing he was
doing so. “I made my own wish. I brought you here. I didn’t have to
do that, Tariq, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about anything that
happens to me. It was my choice.”
“Mira—”
She rose on her toes. Wrapped her arms
around his neck. Brought her body flush against his until the chill
was nothing but a
“What happened next?” Mira asked in a quiet
voice.
“She bound me to the Firebrand opal, made me
her slave. Sent me out into the human world to…” He swallowed,
glanced down at the floor because he couldn’t meet Mira’s eyes. Not
this time. “…corrupt souls to fuel her power.”
When Mira didn’t say anything, he resumed
pacing. Okay, so now she knew the truth about the whole wish
fulfillment thing and why he was here with her now. And she hated
him, just as he’d known she would. But that space in his chest
chilled faster than he expected, and what had once been warm and
full of life earlier turned cold as a blackened cinder.
He thanked his luck they were on a boat.
That he was blocking her only escape. That she couldn’t get away,
at least not yet. He needed her to hear the rest, even if she
didn’t want to.
“I’ve been her slave for ten years. I’ve
done what she commanded because I was always looking for a way to
freedom. But just before I met you, I realized there isn’t
one.”
She still didn’t speak, and he still
couldn’t look at her. He just needed to get it all out. “I went on
a hunger strike. I figured starving myself was the easiest way to
end my life and her quest for power. But she manipulated me again.
Somehow, she captured both of my brothers, and she brought them to
me. She’d beaten them. Threatened their lives. They’d been looking
for me. It wasn’t their fault they’d been captured. It was
mine.”
He drew a deep breath, let it out. Finally
stopped pacing and faced her, because she deserved to see his eyes.
“I knew you were different, right from the start, Mira. I knew as
soon as I took you to that island that this time I couldn’t go
through with my task. I couldn’t corrupt your soul for Zoraida.” He
pressed his fingers against his temple. “I know it means nothing to
you, but I’ve been racking my brain, trying to come up with a
solution. Trying to find a way to break the Firebrand opal’s hold
on you. To free you from this nightmare I’ve sucked you into. I
want you to know that I’m not giving up. That no matter what, I’ll
find a way to make sure Zoraida doesn’t get your soul.”
Holy Allah. He’d made his choice. He hadn’t
realized it until the words were out of his mouth, but now he
didn’t want to take them back. He chose her. He loved his brothers,
but he couldn’t condemn one soul just to save another. And even if
Mira hated him for all eternity, that didn’t change anything. She
didn’t deserve this any more than he did. Any more than his
brothers’ did. She didn’t deserve anything but happiness.
He was so caught up in his thoughts, he
didn’t see her push off the couch. Didn’t hear her cross the floor.
Didn’t even know she was next to him until her soft voice said, “I
love you, Tariq.”
His head
came up. His eyes widened. “You… what ?”
A gentle smiled curled her kiss-me mouth. “I
love you.”
Disbelief rushed all through him. “Mira, I’m
a monster. I came here with the intention of—”
“Damning my soul. Yes, I got that.” She
stepped closer, rested her palms against his bare chest. Warmth
seeped from her hands into his body, easing the chill deep inside.
“But you haven’t yet. And you don’t want to. And since you’ve been
gone, I’ve had several days to research and think things through,
and there’s only one thing I know that really matters.”
“What’s that?” he asked before he could
think to stop himself.
She lifted her hand, brushed it against his
cheek. And he leaned into her touch without even realizing he was
doing so. “I made my own wish. I brought you here. I didn’t have to
do that, Tariq, so you shouldn’t feel guilty about anything that
happens to me. It was my choice.”
“Mira—”
She rose on her toes. Wrapped her arms
around his neck. Brought her body flush against his until the chill
was nothing but a
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