like that.
Kal waved his hand again, and the coconuts turned into sparkling gemstones. “Anything else you want to wish for, Samantha?”
She started counting tasks off on her fingers. “A better road surface. New paint on the buildings. Water for the fountain. Trash cans. A working café with outside seating. How about a monorail-type system? Good for the air and less flammable than carpets. Oh, and the fruit trees. That aviary. What else? Where’s Stavros? He’d know.”
Kal grabbed her hand. “Whoa there, Bob Vila. You have to make wishes. I can’t grant off a list.”
“Oh, right. Okay. Here we go.” The I wish es flew out of her mouth, and the long, crumbling staircase at the far end of the street—à la Rome’s Spanish Steps—rebuilt itself, chunks of marble that had broken off onto the steps below flying back into place as if she were watching an earthquake video in reverse.
The dull, gray stone structure ringing the platform at the top became shimmering amethyst quartz that extended from the wall of sand behind it, down the stairs, to the new road. Made of malachite bricks, the new surface slid over the old like spilled milk on hardwood flooring. As the road turned to color, jets of water in the dry fountain that ran the length of the median erupted into gravity-defying patterns. Grass grew so green it was almost emerald, and mosaic tiles bloomed along the sidewalk. All of this slid beneath the frozen citizens in a reverse magician’s trick of yanking the tablecloth out from under the dishes.
The buildings Kal had shored up got a new look, too. Jewels popped into the pockmarks like popcorn, and the balconies lost their rust and gained a white coating. Trumpet vines and enormous honeysuckle grew in place of the dead leaves, and like the brigand of peris she’d seen earlier, hummingbirds darted from behind the buildings to claim the new flowers.
Overhead, sand sifted onto the glass ceiling, proving it really was there, and providing some much needed shade to parts of the city.
Kal brushed his hands to sweep up all the glitter when she stopped to take a breath. “We’re going to have to think about that monorail system, Sam. It’s a good idea, but maybe we should set the rest of the city to rights before we start any additions.”
“Good point. I think we’ve done enough for now. You want to set them all free?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want, Samantha. What do you wish?”
She wished he’d kiss her again—and even if that was inappropriate, it was understandable.
Samantha tucked her curls behind her ears, hiding her face that was probably as red as the rubies over the Nut Shop as she did so. “Um, yes, Kal. I wish you’d let everyone go back the way they were.”
Kal waved his hand and life returned to normal. Well, as normal as this place could be.
Sort of.
A collective sigh happened, but no one moved. They just stood there, blinking. Shock. Surprise. Maybe some awe? That might just be hero worship in Miraj’s eyes.
Kal squeezed her shoulder. “Good job, Samantha. You’ve made them speechless. Let’s hope appreciative, too. But in my experience, they’re about to get very greedy. I’d suggest we head somewhere else until the initial shock wears off.”
Samantha knew all about greedy. Knew all about people wanting things from her. But, here, in this place, she understood it. These people—er, beings—needed something to motivate them, and hopefully, what she and Kal had done would be that impetus. Though human nature—and troll and dwarf and fairy nature, too, presumably—would want to take the easy way out.
She knew all about that, too.
Unfortunately, the shock lasted only a few seconds. Then everyone and their brother began rushing toward Samantha, shouting out their wishes like dragons with fire bolts.
Samantha felt like a translator as she listened to someone’s wish, then parroted it to Kal in her own words. Clothing started to appear in the shops, nice cars
Kal waved his hand again, and the coconuts turned into sparkling gemstones. “Anything else you want to wish for, Samantha?”
She started counting tasks off on her fingers. “A better road surface. New paint on the buildings. Water for the fountain. Trash cans. A working café with outside seating. How about a monorail-type system? Good for the air and less flammable than carpets. Oh, and the fruit trees. That aviary. What else? Where’s Stavros? He’d know.”
Kal grabbed her hand. “Whoa there, Bob Vila. You have to make wishes. I can’t grant off a list.”
“Oh, right. Okay. Here we go.” The I wish es flew out of her mouth, and the long, crumbling staircase at the far end of the street—à la Rome’s Spanish Steps—rebuilt itself, chunks of marble that had broken off onto the steps below flying back into place as if she were watching an earthquake video in reverse.
The dull, gray stone structure ringing the platform at the top became shimmering amethyst quartz that extended from the wall of sand behind it, down the stairs, to the new road. Made of malachite bricks, the new surface slid over the old like spilled milk on hardwood flooring. As the road turned to color, jets of water in the dry fountain that ran the length of the median erupted into gravity-defying patterns. Grass grew so green it was almost emerald, and mosaic tiles bloomed along the sidewalk. All of this slid beneath the frozen citizens in a reverse magician’s trick of yanking the tablecloth out from under the dishes.
The buildings Kal had shored up got a new look, too. Jewels popped into the pockmarks like popcorn, and the balconies lost their rust and gained a white coating. Trumpet vines and enormous honeysuckle grew in place of the dead leaves, and like the brigand of peris she’d seen earlier, hummingbirds darted from behind the buildings to claim the new flowers.
Overhead, sand sifted onto the glass ceiling, proving it really was there, and providing some much needed shade to parts of the city.
Kal brushed his hands to sweep up all the glitter when she stopped to take a breath. “We’re going to have to think about that monorail system, Sam. It’s a good idea, but maybe we should set the rest of the city to rights before we start any additions.”
“Good point. I think we’ve done enough for now. You want to set them all free?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want, Samantha. What do you wish?”
She wished he’d kiss her again—and even if that was inappropriate, it was understandable.
Samantha tucked her curls behind her ears, hiding her face that was probably as red as the rubies over the Nut Shop as she did so. “Um, yes, Kal. I wish you’d let everyone go back the way they were.”
Kal waved his hand and life returned to normal. Well, as normal as this place could be.
Sort of.
A collective sigh happened, but no one moved. They just stood there, blinking. Shock. Surprise. Maybe some awe? That might just be hero worship in Miraj’s eyes.
Kal squeezed her shoulder. “Good job, Samantha. You’ve made them speechless. Let’s hope appreciative, too. But in my experience, they’re about to get very greedy. I’d suggest we head somewhere else until the initial shock wears off.”
Samantha knew all about greedy. Knew all about people wanting things from her. But, here, in this place, she understood it. These people—er, beings—needed something to motivate them, and hopefully, what she and Kal had done would be that impetus. Though human nature—and troll and dwarf and fairy nature, too, presumably—would want to take the easy way out.
She knew all about that, too.
Unfortunately, the shock lasted only a few seconds. Then everyone and their brother began rushing toward Samantha, shouting out their wishes like dragons with fire bolts.
Samantha felt like a translator as she listened to someone’s wish, then parroted it to Kal in her own words. Clothing started to appear in the shops, nice cars
Similar Books
