The Fire Wish by Amber Lough Read Free Book Online Page A

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I BLINKED AND was in the same garden. The sun was eclipsed by the wall opposite from me, and the rays scattered all over the leaves and blossoms. The colors were richer now that there was some shade to contrast. The shadows beneath the bushes bubbled along the tiles, spreading over my feet, but the ground was still warm from the sun.
    “Shahtabi,” I whispered, and I was invisible. Then I bent over and sniffed at one of Janna’s roses. The scent was rich and syrupy, and clung to me after I started walking toward the laboratory. It was empty, which was disappointing. I had wanted to catch a glimpse of the prince again. I had been so rushed before, and I needed more details. At least for Shirin’s sake.
    Since I knew where I was this time, I took more notice of things. The arched doorway that separated the garden from the laboratory wasn’t plain, for example. A series of overlapping triangles and stars worked its way up the border and wrapped over the threshold into the room. Inside, the shelves still contained many books, but this time, I noticed the largestone bowls filled with broken crystals and rocks on the floor between them. And from above, a line of colored orbs hung from wires. One was large and yellow, and the rest were of various sizes, set onto their cords so that they spun around the yellow orb.
    It was time to try out my new mark. I stared at the orbs and pressed the mark between two fingers. Then I waited, holding my breath, hoping to get some sense that it had worked, but there was nothing. Finally, I let go of my hand and looked away.
    The next thing I saw was the selenite sphere the prince had been holding earlier. It lay nestled on a silk pillow, like a prize. Selenite was so ordinary, but in this shape and in the filtered sunlight, it looked completely different. It looked like it hadn’t been carved by human hands, but wished into existence by a very creative jinni.
    I picked it up with both hands. It was small enough that my fingers could just touch, but it was incredibly heavy. When I rolled it around, I saw that a circle had been cut into the side. I stuck my finger in and found that the inside was hollowed out a little. Why would someone hollow it out like that? Were they going to put something in the sphere?
    Quickly, I set it back onto the pillow and sent another image to the Eye. I was wandering toward the other side of the room when the door flung open. The prince strode in, his robe whipping behind him, with his gaze already on the sphere. His face was flushed while he picked up the sphere, tucked it beneath an arm, and turned to go back through the door.
    I froze. My heart was in my throat. I’d been so careless. What if he’d come in a minute earlier and seen his sphere heldup by invisible hands? He would have known in a heartbeat a jinni was in the palace. I would have disappointed the entire Eyes of Iblis Corps on my first official assignment.
    What would have happened if he’d known a jinni had gotten in? Would they have increased the wards? Would they have tried another attack at one of our tunnels? Would it have made any difference?
    Breathing easier now, I remembered that the prince had taken the strange object out of the laboratory. If I didn’t follow, the Corps wouldn’t know what had become of it. Even though I was supposed to stay in the room, I went to the door he’d left open and stepped into the hall.
    Besides, although I didn’t want to admit it, I couldn’t resist following him. He left behind the scent of cinnamon.
    The walls of the hall swept up and up until they touched a ceiling covered in sharply angled blue lines. The lines spread along the ceiling like a maze, crossing each other. I ran my fingers along the tiled wall and caught up with the prince.
    He hadn’t gone far, because another man had stopped him. The man clapped the prince on the back and held him still. The prince nodded once, while a grin spread across the other man’s face. I tiptoed