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“I thought we were going straight to Las Vegas,” Alec grumbled for what had to be the fifteenth time in the last two hours. He felt like he had the right to complain, given that he was walking in 100 degree heat wearing entirely black clothes. Don’t judge him, he didn’t think he’d be leaving the car before they reached the hotel.
“We’ll get to Vegas,” his sister, Isabelle, said, “I just want to explore a bit, first.”
They’d left New York City almost two weeks ago, and have since driven through several states, stopping wherever and whenever they felt like – that was the point of a road trip, wasn’t it? The only concrete plan they had was to be in Las Vegas for Isabelle’s twenty-first birthday, or, tomorrow.
So if Izzy wanted to walk around the desert with literally nothing interesting around them, she could, they had time.
Still, it was scorching.
“Izzy, this isn’t exploring. It’s asking for death from dehydration,” he countered again.
“We’re not going to die, Alec,” Izzy replied, obviously getting annoyed by her brother’s no-can-do attitude. “Now stop acting like a child, we’re here.”
Sighing rather dramatically, Alec stopped, spreading his arms and gesturing around them. “Isabelle,” he started, using her full name to show how done he was with their exploration, “tell me we did not leave our car parked in the middle of Nowhere, Nevada just to walk for literal hours to get to, what, slightly-to-the-west-of-the-middle-of-Nowhere, Nevada?”
“Well, technically, we did,” she told him, and before he could start throwing a hissy-fit, added, “but it’s supposed to be somewhere around here.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s supposed to be here?”
“Ummm.” Isabelle looked around, her ponytail flapping from side to side as she did so.
“Iz.” Alec glared at her. “Please tell me you know what you’re looking for.”
The puppy eyes he got in return were answer enough.
“Unbelievable!” He exclaimed, kicking the dirt in front of him only to hit his boot on something hard. “Fucking— What?“ Looking down, he noticed a concrete block barely visible in the ground. “What’s that?”
“I think that’s it,” Izzy told him, moving closer to inspect.
They both crouched, pushing away (or, better, clawing at) the dirt with their hands. Soon, they revealed the rest of the concrete which formed a rectangular frame around a metal plate. There seemed to be some sort of handle sticking out of the metal.
“Is that a door?” Alec wondered out loud. Turning to his sister, he asked, “Why exactly are we here, Iz?”
Still moving her hand over the metal, more to have something to do than to actually clean it, she replied, “I heard stories about this part of the desert. Apparently, there’s a secret cave around with all sorts of treasures. I thought it was fake, obviously, because who could even have built anything here? But now… We’re going down, right?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Alec replied. “That’s trespassing.”
“Oh, come on. The door was basically buried. Who knows when the last time someone went in there was.”
He scrunched up his face in disgust. “You’re not really selling it. I mean, there could literally be dead people in there!”
Isabelle rolled her eyes at him. “Okay, I’m going. You can stay here and, what was it, die from dehydration.” With that, she got up to get some leverage as she started pulling at the handle. It wouldn’t budge. “Ummm… Little help, please?”
Alec returned the eye-roll. “Fine. But only because I don’t want to burn out here.”
Izzy mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like vampire, but smiled when he moved beside her to help open the door.
After a few minutes of pulling and grunting and ‘are you sure it’s not a push door?’, a particularly powerful pull resulted in loud creaking and the metal finally moving. The siblings were affronted by cold, stale air coming from the underground.
Turning on his phone’s flashlight and directing it toward the opening, Alec kneeled on the ground.
“Well, there’s no stairs or ladders. And I can kind of make out the bottom,” he said thoughtfully. “It can’t be a long way down. I’m going in,” he decided.
Isabelle looked at him, surprised. “You didn’t even want to go down. Why now?”
“I’m not letting you jump in without knowing what’s in there.”
With that, he tucked his phone into the front pocket of his jeans and carefully swung his legs over the edge. “Wish me luck,” he said, sending a wink Izzy’s way, and jumped in.
***
“Alec?” Isabelle’s voice rang from somewhere above Alec, who managed to land in a position resembling a crouch.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Come on down, it’s not too high. Just bend your knees before you hit the ground,” he called back, raising his phone once more to inspect his surroundings.
The room – cave? – wasn’t much bigger than the average dorm room, and there were some old-looking books and scrolls in one corner. The rest of the area looked like it had been cleaned out.
Izzy jumped in and stumbled forward a bit, accidentally touching the wall with her hand. She yelped and jumped back.
Alec moved closer. “You okay?”
“Uggh, the wall feels weird,” she told him.
“It’s probably mold,” he reasoned, turning the light toward it nonetheless. “That’s not mold.”
True enough, the surface of the wall seemed to be covered in some sort of dark green slimy substance.
Izzy looked intrigued. “I wonder what that is.” She pushed at it slightly. “It feels like it’s drawing my hand in,” she announced, not pulling her fingers back, instead moving forward still.
“Iz? Maybe you should step back,” Alec warned.
“No, it’s fine. I mean, it can’t go through the wall,” she said with certainty. Soon, though, her entire hand was engulfed in the slime. “Holy—Alec!”
Her brother was wide-eyed next to her. “Can you pull it out? Safely, I mean.”
She looked uncertain for a moment but tried pulling back. Sure enough, her hand came out, completely clean and unhurt.
“Damn it. We should leave,” Alec said. “Like, now.” He shrugged before adding, “I know we’re not going to, but we really should.”
“Yeah. We should,” Izzy agreed before taking his hand and carefully stepping through the slime.
***
Alec held both his breath and his sister’s hand as they stepped into the wall. His eyes were closed and he was getting a bit of a Hansel-and-Gretel-y feeling – two siblings alone, lost, far from home. When he heard Izzy gasp next to him, he opened his eyes and stopped feeling like Hansel. This was more Bilbo Baggins’s territory, because the amount of shiny, golden objects around them could easily match that in Smaug’s lair. Instantly, Alec could see millions of gold coins, piles of jewels, silverware and even what looked like gold bars. The air around them was freezing, but fresh, nothing like it had been in the previous room, or before that, outside. The room itself was dark, but Alec’s phone was still shining brightly, illuminating the space.
“What the—“ he started. “Izzy, where the hell are we?”
“Well,” Isabelle pulled her phone out, “no reception. That’s to be expected underground. As for our location…” She fumbled with the device for a bit. “It says we’re still in Nevada. So just a slimy doorway then, not a magic portal.”
“But… What was that green stuff? It’s not on our clothes or skin. It just…” Alec trailed off and Izzy made a noise that told him she had no idea, either, but didn’t want to dwell on it too much right now, so he let it go. “I guess your story about hidden treasure was true, after all.” He picked up a couple of coins from the ground. “Okay, so, assuming we’re not just passed out from exhaustion in the desert and this is actually happening, what do we do?”
“I don’t know. I mean, the obvious answer would be to take as much of this as we can carry and get rich, right?” Izzy suggested, “Or, y’know, richer. But every treasure movie ever made tells me that that’s an incredibly stupid idea.”
“So, what, we just leave?” Alec inquired.
Izzy bent and grabbed a red gemstone. Observing it closely with adoration in her eyes, she replied, “This might get us killed, but maybe we could take a couple of things?” She took her backpack off and put it on the ground. “Only what we can fit in here,” she offered, already lowering the gem inside.
“Okay. Yeah. That seems reasonable,” Alec agreed.
***
Getting back to their car was a nightmare. Or, technically, a day-mare, since it was the middle of afternoon.
After packing several bigger items from the cave, they added a few handfuls of coins to the backpack and Alec picked it up, giving Izzy his own, lighter one. She’d insisted that she could, in fact, carry the heavy one, but let him have it in the end.
For a second, Alec worried they might try going through the slimy wall only to be stopped by it. It would’ve been one hell of a security system to make sure nothing gets stolen, after all.
The wall didn’t stop them, though, and when they finally found their way up to the surface (after some impressive explosive strength in Alec’s legs that helped him get out before he pulled his sister up), they were greeted with blinding light and horrible heat.
So now, another hour and a half later, they were back in the car, begging the AC to start working, moving slowly but surely to their final destination.
***
“I can’t believe you got us a room at the Bellagio!” Isabelle exclaimed, “The actual Bellagio! This must’ve cost a fortune!”
Alec shrugged, “I’m allowed to spoil my little sister for her birthday, aren’t I? Besides, you know Mom and Dad made sure my college fund was huge.”
“And then you went and disappointed them by not going to Law school, yeah. So, what, you’re spending the extra money on me?”
“This is as much for me as it is for you. I’ve never been to Vegas before,” he said, moving to admire their view some more. Yes, the room had been expensive, but this was the Bellagio, after all, and they could see the fabled fountains through their windows. “I was thinking we could go for a walk down the Strip since you can’t really do much else until tomorrow nightlife-wise.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Izzy agreed, “but let’s get some rest first. I need a shower and a nap.”
Alec nodded. “A nap is a great idea. I booked this place for an entire week, we’ll probably need a lot of energy.”
“A week?!” Isabelle squealed in excitement.
***
“I’m going to put on something more Vegas-y,” Isabelle announced, gesturing to her current outfit – sweatpants and a T-shirt, before picking up a few items from the wardrobe that she’d unpacked her clothes in earlier and moving to the bathroom.
The siblings had spent most of the afternoon and evening lounging around their room, resting from their trip and waiting for the temperature to drop a bit before they went exploring (not for the first time that day).
Alec’s attention was caught by the items on the table in the corner of the room. The loot, as Izzy chose to call it. Seeing as keeping it in plain sight like this probably wasn’t the best idea, Alec decided to put it away. Grabbing the backpack it had been in, he started packing their treasure, among them, a gold plate and a chalice with matching designs which they’d immediately agreed would be a souvenir for their parents. As the coins once again passed over his hands, he made a mental note to check the value of such items later. He wasn’t greedy, and it’s not like their family wasn’t already well-off, but still. It seemed like one of those collectors-would-pay-millions-for-this kind of things. Finally, only one piece was left – Isabelle’s ruby, the first thing she’d picked up and her personal favorite.
Alec picked up the gem, wiping away a few stray specks of dust from the crimson surface with his thumb. Suddenly, the jewel started heating up and vibrating in his hand. He dropped it in shock and blood-red smoke rose from where it had landed on the floor, reaching up to Alec’s height before swirling like a tornado and finally forming into—into a person? Well, almost a person.
“What the—?”
***
“Hey, Alec, have you seen—“ Isabelle started to ask as she opened the door to the bathroom, only to stop as soon as she saw her brother standing in front of a man. Ghost? A man-ghost.
“Genie, actually,” the man-ghost said, looking at her.
“What?” Alec and Izzy asked at the same time.
“I’m not a ghost, I’m a genie.” Seeing Izzy’s astonished expression, he added, “And yes, before you ask, darling, I can read your mind.”
“Who are you?” Alec inquired.
“I just told you, I’m a genie.”
“That’s what you are. I asked who.” Alec spelled it out for him, “What’s your name?”
“You’re my Master,” the genie replied.
“Excuse me?”
The genie groaned exasperatedly. “You released me from the ruby, I now owe you. You’re supposed to give me orders, not ask questions.” Alec’s expression must have told him that he was still not following so he said, slowly, “Have you ever heard of Aladdin and his lamp? You have three wishes.”
“Oh.” Alec looked over at Izzy who just shrugged as if to say, you brought him here, do what you want. “I wish for you to tell me your name?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
“Telling you.”
“Your wish is my command,” the genie smirked. “My name is Magnus. Two wishes left.”
“Well that was a load of crap,” Isabelle cut in. When she was met with surprised glances from both men, she continued, “You tricked him into using one of his wishes on something trivial!”
“I was not trying to trick him. I was merely explaining the rules,” the genie – Magnus, apparently – defended himself. “If he’d thought it through, he could have used his first wish to make me answer truthfully any and all questions he asked me.” He looked between the siblings, “Alas, your… brother? here seems to like making rash decisions, so he used up a third of his claim over me.”
Izzy seemed to have more to say, but Alec’s snort stopped her. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but rash has never come up before.” He took a few steps back to sit on the bed and Isabelle joined him, both of them looking over Magnus who seemed unmoved by the attention.
They all stayed silent for a minute, the siblings occasionally sending glances each other’s way as if to check if they were really seeing what they thought they were seeing.
Finally, Alec took a deep breath and spoke. “Alright, Magnus. I’m Alec, this is Izzy. Can you explain to us how you’re real?”
“Are you going to make me, Alexander?”
In any other context, if movies were to be believed, the phrase make me would probably lead to an explosion of sexual tension. Now, however, all it did was make Alec roll his eyes at the genie.
“I’m not going to use another wish, if that’s what you mean.”
“I don’t know how to answer your question. Why wouldn’t I be real?”
The siblings shared another look before Alec replied, “Because magic doesn’t exist?” It sounded more like a question than a statement.
“After everything you two have been through today, one would think your minds would have opened.”
Alec seemed surprised by the genie’s response. “What do you know about that?”
The man shrugged. “Isabelle over there is quite an honest woman. Her mind is supplying me with everything I need to know.”
“So you can read my mind, but not Alec’s?” Izzy wondered. “Does that mean he’s dishonest?”
“Somehow, I doubt that. I can’t read his mind because he’s the one who released me,” Magnus admitted. “Now, I’d love to answer your questions, but if I’m not mistaken, you were just on your way out.”
Isabelle nodded, “Yeah, Alec, we should go for that walk.”
“We can’t just leave him here,” Alec said.
“Why not?” Izzy questioned at the same time as Magnus said, “Can’t you?”
“Think about it,” he told his sister, ignoring the man. “Who knows what he can do. I don’t care what fairytales say – genies are evil.”
Magnus looked offended. “Now that’s just rude. I can hear you, you know. And I might be biased, but I hardly think we’re evil. If anything, we’re mischievous.”
“Even worse,” Alec muttered. “Look, Iz, why don’t you go? I’ll stay here with Magnus. If you need anything, call me.”
“Alec—“ she tried, but was met with a look that left no room for argument. “Fine. I’ll see you later, big brother. Behave,” she warned him before waving at Magnus and leaving.”
***
As the door closed behind Isabelle, Alec looked back at the genie, trying to come up with his next move. After all, this was a magical being in front of him, and, as he’d said already, who knew what Magnus was capable of. On second thought, staying alone with him may not have been the best idea.
“A gold coin for your thoughts?” The man said suddenly, still half-standing, half-floating in the red smoke in the corner of the room. “I can’t read them, as you know.”
“I don’t trust you,” Alec replied simply.
Magnus shrugged. “You don’t have to trust me. But until you use up your wishes, I’m bound to you.”
Alec thought about the genie’s words for a moment. “And when I do use my wishes?”
“Then I’ll go back into the ruby and you can do what you want with it. Until someone new strokes it like you did earlier,” the other explained.
Standing up and moving closer, Alec ran a hand through his hair as if it might help him clear his mind. “So, you can’t move at all? You’re stuck in that stone?” When Magnus confirmed, he continued, “That means that the only time you get to see the world is when you’re bound to someone, right?” Another confirmation. “That sucks,” he said honestly. “I mean, that’s no way to live, not being able to—to do anything, really.”
***
Magnus was shocked.
Alec sounded genuinely sympathetic. He’d been found by and bound to many people over the centuries that he’d spent in the jewel, but he couldn’t recall any of them sounding so sincere when they talked to him. Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure many of them ever even talked to him – mostly, they were happy to recite their three wishes and be done with it.
The genie smiled a bit mischievously at the memory. There had been some Masters that seemed particularly bad. With those, Magnus always made sure to fulfill their wishes in the most inconvenient ways possible – you want a million dollars? Here it is – in pennies. The biggest house? Here’s the bricks and concrete, build it yourself, you ungrateful bast—
Alexander, though. He was… interesting. Obviously worried about what Magnus could, or would, do to him if he got the chance, although the genie suspected he was more concerned about keeping his sister out of danger – hence sending her away tonight. But he was curious, nonetheless. He wouldn’t be asking these questions if he wasn’t. It made Magnus like him. It helped that the human was easy on the eyes, too. Black hair sticking out all over the place, full lips, perfect for kissing and, well… And don’t even get him started on those eyes.
Years, centuries, eons ago, before he was so cruelly tricked and trapped into the ruby, he’d been known as someone who, in 21st century terms, gets around. Back then, if he’d seen someone like Alexander, he would have been very interested. That’s not to say he wasn’t interested now – he was, but there wasn’t much he could do about it.
He didn’t know how to reply to Alec’s niceness, so the conversation came to a halt. He did promise the human one thing, though, and that was that he would answer any questions he and his sister came up with.
***
The next day was a big deal. From what Magnus understood, 21st birthdays were somewhat of a big deal in this part of the modern world.
Alexander was happy to comply to his sister’s every wish that day, including ordering everything off of the breakfast menu, watching something called a chick flick, although Isabelle said she didn’t like that phrase, and allowing her to put makeup on him before they went out for the night.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own here?” Alec asked the genie for the tenth time that day.
Magnus huffed out. “Yes, Alexander. I’ve spent most of history on my own, I can live through another night.”
Isabelle was working on her hair in the bathroom and yelled through the closed door. “Alec! Can you get my red dress from the wardrobe? Carefully!”
Alec rolled his eyes. Was the warning really necessary? What could even happen in the few steps it would take him to get from the closet to the bathroom?
***
Apparently, a lot.
As Alec took the hanger with the dress out, it caught on the door handle, the thin material making a ripping noise.
“Shit,” Alec half-whispered, looking at Magnus for help, blurting out, “I wish for you to fix it!”
Magnus inclined his head in compliance just as Isabelle opened the door.
“What’s taking you so long?”
She looked down at Alec’s hand and let out a shriek. He was about to open his mouth to apologize when she virtually ran across the room and threw her arms around him. “Best brother ever!”
He looked at the dress, confused, only to see that the red one had been replaced by a silver sequined one with tassels hanging from the bottom. It seemed to be in Izzy’s size and just her style.
***
Isabelle thanked him once more and went back to change, and Alec smiled at Magnus.
“Thank you! You can’t tell Izzy the truth. Ever.”
“Is that another wish?” Magnus teased, and the other rolled his eyes.
“You told me I should be ordering you around, not asking. Well, now I’m asking. Could you, please, not tell her?” Alec pleaded.
So they didn’t tell her.
***
Over the next few days, the trio spent a lot of time together, Alec and Izzy only leaving the room for food and the occasional quick walk to get some fresh air.
Alec insisted that Izzy should spend some time enjoying the possibilities Vegas offered to those of age – he wasn’t much of a party person anyway, so he could keep Magnus company while she was out. She only took him up on that offer once, her reasoning being that they were at the Bellagio – the room was a masterpiece, why would they ever leave it?
The day before they were supposed to head back to New York found them in a position much like the one they’d spent most of the week in: The Lightwood siblings were sitting on Alec’s bed, asking Magnus questions about his many previous Masters and all the different eras he’d seen. In return, they told him about their world, about their lives and family. At first, they weren’t sure why he wanted them to talk when he could read Isabelle’s mind and learn everything he wanted to know. He explained to them that there was a difference between stealing someone’s thoughts and memories and hearing them – human memory was a tricky thing; humans forget a lot of what they experience, and retelling those experiences sometimes makes them remember little details that might have gotten lost otherwise.
“Is there a way for you to unbind yourself from the gem?” Isabelle asked suddenly, surprising him.
After a moment’s thought, he replied, “I could, technically, if someone wished it. That’s how I ended trapped inside it in the first place.” At their surprised looks, he went on, “Do you know the story of the Fisherman and the Jinni, or genie, as it is anglicized? From One Thousand and One Nights?”
When the siblings said they didn’t, Magnus told them the basics. “In the story, a fisherman casts his net into the sea and pulls out a copper jar, or bottle in some translations. As he uncaps it, a jinni pops out, telling the fisherman he would kill him, but the man could choose how he died. Ultimately, though, the man tricks him back into the bottle and closes it, entrapping him once more. Later they come to an agreement and he releases the jinni again, everyone lives happily ever after, blah blah blah.” He notices Alec grinning at the retelling, and returns the smile before continuing. “Every story is at least partially based on the truth. What this story doesn’t tell you is that the fisherman wasn’t alone. His son was there.” Isabelle’s eyes widen as she starts to realize where he was going with this. “The final agreement that promised the fisherman great fortunes came at a price. The genie was mad from having been trapped for centuries so he made the man believe he couldn’t just release him – instead, someone had to take his place. So the man wished for his son to take the genie’s place. And he did.”
Magnus stopped talking, thinking he’d already shared more than ever before. Surely, Alexander and Isabelle wouldn’t be interested in anything else.
He was surprised once again.
“I’m so sorry, Magnus,” Alec said, and Izzy added, “You didn’t deserve that.”
The genie shrugged in a what can you do? gesture.
“I’m confused,” Isabelle said then, “what happened to the bottle?”
“Good question. It turns out that the genie wasn’t trapped in it, but rather in something that was inside. A ruby was stuck in it. That ruby,” Magnus gestured to the floor below him. “Over the years, I’ve travelled far and wide, and the jar was lost, but the gem survived.”
“And your powers? Are they tied to it?” Alec inquired.
Magnus nodded. “They’re part of the ruby, yes. Without them, I’m human.”
“So if I wished for you to leave it now… Would you die instantly? If you’ve been in there for centuries and suddenly went back to being mortal, what would happen?”
“That’s a risk I’d be willing to take,” Magnus admitted.
“Magnus?”
“Yes, Alexander?”
“I wish—“
“Wait!” Izzy interrupted. “Not that I’m not all for it, I mean, I definitely feel more comfortable with you than I did a couple of days ago,” she told Magnus, “but shouldn’t we think this through? You have two more wishes, Alec, you can use one more before releasing him.” Alec and Magnus exchanged a glance that had her worried. “Oh no, what did you do?”
***
Interestingly enough, Isabelle wasn’t mad about the whole dress incident. Apparently, she liked the new outfit much more than the one she had planned. She was angry with Alec, though, for not telling her, and with Magnus for being just like him, I can’t believe you two, you’re perfect for each other!
Of course, she didn’t miss the slight blush that showed on her brother’s face when she said it, nor the glace the men shared. She couldn’t help but chuckle; trust Alec to fall for a genie, of all things. Still, she had to wonder if that might just be it – Alec rarely fell for anyone, and never this quickly. She’d talked to Magnus quite a lot over these past few days and he seemed, well, not-evil, but could it be that the genie had somehow enchanted Alec? That would explain Alec’s readiness to try to set him free without even thinking about it.
The two were talking about something, Izzy didn’t try and understand what as she observed them some more.
No, not an enchantment. If it were, Magnus wouldn’t be acting so… so smitten.
***
If Magnus had to explain how he was currently feeling in one word, it would be smitten. He’d never thought he’d say it, let alone feel it, but that was what Alexander was doing to him.
And it was ridiculous, really. The human was a twenty-something college student, and the genie had multiple empires, wars and ends of the world under his belt.
Yet, there was something there. It might be the way the light made Alec’s hazel eyes shine ever so brightly, or how a silly joke from Isabelle could result in a smile so wide it had to hurt. It might be the intelligence shown when they talked about important historical events that Magnus had witnessed, or the compassion provided when the conversation inevitably turned to so many horrible moments throughout Magnus’s lifetime. It might be all of it, or none of it. It might be so much more.
For what it was worth, though, Magnus felt that he wasn’t the only one feeling it.
***
All too soon, Alec and Izzy’s final day in Vegas came around.
The sibling woke up early, ready to finish packing before leaving their room, only to find their suitcases already packed.
The genie greeted them from his place in the corner. They’d learned early on that Magnus didn’t sleep. Or move. Or do much other than float, really. It felt weird at first, having someone watch you sleep. Watch you, period.
“Did you—“
“Yes, dear Isabelle, I packed your stuff. Your outfit for the day is in the bathroom,” Magnus said.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Isabelle assured him. “But seeing as you did…” She trailed off and moved to bathroom.
“Really, you didn’t have to,” Alec said. “Thank you.”
Magnus smiled. “You’re very welcome, Alexander. Are you ready to go home?”
There was a sort of finality to his tone. A few days prior, he’d hoped that Alec would use his last wish to release him, but that conversation had gone in a different direction and they had yet to return to the subject. The genie didn’t want to be the one to breach it, though.
“No,” Alec responded. “I don’t—I don’t know how to do this, Magnus.”
“Do what?”
“Leave you,” the other said. Confusion must have shown on Magnus’s face, as Alec continued, “I didn’t trust you at first. I mean, how could I? You appeared out of thin air!” He chuckled. “And you were—you are quite magical. Like, literally magical. But then we started talking and you… you’re you. And I’m, well, me.” Alec shook his head, trying to come up with words that made sense. “What I’m trying to say is that I like you. I like the way you call me and Izzy too modern when we say things you don’t understand. I like how immersed you get when talking about your past. I like how, despite that red fog around you, you seem to be giving off some kind of blueish glow that makes you look angelic. I like how you’ve been here for a week, and as much as we seem to be, well, friends, you never seem to ask anything of us. You never asked me to release you, and you could have, anyone else would have.”
“I like you too, Alexander,” Magnus said, because that’s all he could say for a moment. Then he went for broke. “I don’t want you to make another wish and trap me back into that thing. I don’t want you to leave me here. I don’t want you to leave me at all.”
Alec’s eyes widened like that was not what he expected to hear. He moved closer to Magnus, standing only a step away now.
Neither one of them noticed Isabelle opening the door. She saw the intense eye contact between the two and moved to the far side of the room as if to give them privacy. Of course, she could still hear them.
“Do you want to come with me?” Alec asked, smiling.
“You know I do.”
“Will you?”
“You have one more wish left,” the genie reminded him.
“I wish for you to leave that ruby and come with me,” Alec requested, offering the other a hand.
The smoke around Magnus’s body started to swirl, engulfing him completely in red. Alec stayed unmoving, and Izzy watched from the other side of the room, seemingly ready to rush in and pull her brother away if the smoke came too close.
The whirlwind was shimmering now, moving faster and faster, becoming thinner and thinner to reveal Magnus once again. The red fog dispersed into the air, the ruby left on the floor, and there the gen—well, human, now, was, standing next to Alec, looking up at him now that he wasn’t floating above the ground anymore.
Magnus accepted the hand still in front of him and, intertwining their fingers, smiled. “Your wish is my command.”