I woke to the sounds of hooting and hollering and stomping feet and whistling. It was like a stadium full of spectators at a football game. I kept my eyes closed, trying to figure out what was happening without giving away the fact that I was aware. "Laeddin, so nice of you to come." My heart raced and my mouth went dry. Laeddin was here. Sharra said he would come, and he did."Release Jasmine now, Sharra," Laeddin said. "Of course, genie. I will. Just as soon as you give me what I want." "And what is that?" "Your power, of course," Sharra said matter-of-factly. The room went wild again."Why would you want it? You have great power already. I can feel it." Laeddin whispered. "Awwww, did you hear that?" Sharra glanced around at the Akuma who laughed and jeered. She went on, "While that may be true, I don't have enough. With your powers I'll be unstoppable." Laeddin had incredible power. I knew that. And so much more. As quickly as it came, the fuzziness in my brain cleared up. A
Five days ago I made my second wish. It was that Sharra would use her magical dagger on herself instead of Laeddin. She had to obey and Laeddin and I escaped her lair. That's the thing about the genie's magic, it's more powerful than the most powerful vampire ever and that's why Sharra wanted it. We returned to my home in the human realm and hoped she was dead. It didn't take long to know that hope was in vain. My wish didn't even destroy the Akuma. The days continued getting darker. Akuma kept coming. On top of that was something else. A pestilence had fallen over all realms. To most creatures, they appeared to be nothing more than large grasshoppers, but with my eyes - original vampire eyes - I saw the truth.Not only were the bugs eating their way through all the world's crops, they were eating their way through all creatures as well. When bitten, regardless of gender or species, they became Akuma. Sharra's lackeys. The chayot got involved and tried to smite the pestil
The creature stood so the top of his head nearly reached the ceiling. He opened his eyes. They were the same color as the flower petals. "Who dares awaken me from my slumber?"Strapped to his back were two swords. He was covered from head to toe in a uniform that reminded me of a ninja. The only part of him showing was his eyes. Even his head was covered in a thick black hood. Remembering my upbringing, I cleared my throat. "Good sir, my name is Jasmine." I gave him a small curtsey. If my mom could see me now, I thought. "I've come to claim the piece of crown you guard," I went on.His eyes started to glow. "That is not possible, Jasmine. If you try to take it, I'll be forced to destroy you." Crap! I glanced back at Laeddin. He shook his head, took hold of my hand, and we were suddenly back at my house. "Why?" I pulled out of his grasp. "What if he moves it? Or worse, actually destroys it?""He won't. He can't," Laeddin said, shaking his head. "Are you sure?" I was so angry I wa
"You didn't let me kill the genie and now you're going to suffer more than you believed possible. Even at this very moment Ariel is dying or dead. See?" Pictures of dozens of Akuma attacking Ariel in a strange city appeared and I watched while they ripped her apart."Noooooo!" I screamed and sat up, opening my eyes. I was in my room. Sweat dampened the sheets. I climbed out of bed and went to the window. How could I find out if what Sharra had shown me was the truth? Without my wings and my magic I couldn't just return to my land. A shadow crawled across the yard and I jumped back, frightened. "Laeddin," I whispered and waited, my mind unable to let go of what I'd seen happening to Ariel. It wasn't Laeddin, but Gatsby. The cat suddenly appeared outside my window. His yellow eyes stared through the glass. "Let me in, vampire," he said, lifting his paw and patting at the window. It was odd the cat could talk, even weirder that he seemed to know so much, but beyond that, he was adorab
So high up, the stars were bright and beautiful, and amazing. A coil of sadness snuck its way around my heart. Even though I tried to push it away, the truth was I missed my wings, missed them more than I ever believed possible. Like my pinky fingers, they seemed like nothing more than a small addition, one I could live without, maybe even do better without, but that wasn't the case. My wings weren't just a small addition. They were a part of me. Without them I didn't feel whole. "How long will it take us to get there?" I shouted against the wind, knowing he was flying us to Mizu.A deep rumble filled his throat. "No need to yell, vampire." "Sorry," I hollered again.Without warning, Abernathy dove. We were over an ocean and I realized we travelled a great distance in a very short amount of time. The dragon picked up speed and we went faster and faster. "What are you doing?" I asked, suddenly terrified, bracing myself against the impending collision with the water."Hold on tigh
We scanned the burning city of Mizu for survivors. If only there was a way to change them back."They've all been turned, but I know how to help them," Ariel shouted, seeming to read my mind. I faced Ariel, pushing several pieces of hair out of my face. "You do?" "Yes," she said, her blue eyes glistened with determination. "We need to get to my office. Head north, Abernathy. Go that way!""No, we must leave, Ariel. Once Sharra has turned a creature into an Akuma, there is no going back. The soul has been burned out of them, leaving only a shell. At this point they are nothing more than Sharra's puppets. They do her bidding without conscience, remorse, or understanding." "That can't be true. I have a spell that can reverse even the most - " Ariel started, but Abernathy cut her off. "I cannot allow you to remain here a moment longer," he growled, sending a stream of fire into the bubble protecting Mizu. The fire wasn't like the normal red and orange flames. It was gold, black, and bl
"Ar - Grandmother, let me help you inside." Now was as good a time as any to start calling her what she was. I helped her to her feet. My mom shared many stories with me about the sad woman in my arms. She'd made Ariel out to be tough. A fighter. After what Sharra had done to her city, she seemed tiny, not strong at all. "Mizu," Ariel said between sobs. "All of my people." "I know. I'm sorry." I helped her up the back stairs. She leaned heavily into me and I practically carried her inside and up to my room. "Lie down." She did as I said, crawling across my bed and resting her head against the pillow. I took a blanket from the bottom of the bed and covered her.Ariel was filthy. Black ash lined her face and clothes. She smelled like smoke. She appeared so insignificant. But she was more than that. She was my grandmother. My mom's mom. I would do anything for her."I'm just going to rest for a minute." She closed her eyes. Her shoulders relaxed and I knew exhaustion overtook her. "Ta
As soon as I hit the fresh air, I physically felt better, which made me feel worse. "Hey, Jack. How's it going?" Troy stepped from the shadow of the tree in our front yard. He wore a plain black tee shirt and a dark pair of jeans. His sandy blond hair seemed to have grown longer since the dance. At the memory of our last time together I cringed. He'd said that more creatures like me was a bad idea. He thought me a monster and he was right. "What do you want, Troy?" I bit the words out. "Nothing. Hey," he said, taking my arms. "Talk to me about what's wrong." "Get away from me, dragon boy." I pulled from his grasp. "Dragon boy? Ouch." He took me by the wrist and held it up. Blood shone in the moonlight. No doubt he could smell it too. I heard his heart pick up speed and watched his eyes grow big. I pulled away. "That's right, Troy. I'm a monster. You were right. Stay away from me." My fangs extended and I growled. I could've run. I was fast, but there was a part of me desperate fo