Shimmer (2 page)

The boy was hunched over, his left hand pressed tightly over his right wrist. He had dropped her globe and it had rolled some distance from his feet. She thought about summoning it to her, but decided to wait. No point letting him know that she was a genie. If humans knew as little as she had been led to believe, then he probably didn't even know genies existed.

So she waited. And waited. Such slow reactions! While she waited she looked him over. He was much bigger than her. Almost impressive. But not with the strange, dull clothing he wore. Probably reflected his personality. Or his intelligence. That thought might have made her laugh if she hadn't been so filled with rage. He wore short, black pants that were loose and baggy. They stopped halfway down his legs, allowing his hairy, knobby knees to poke out from underneath. And his scruffy blue T-shirt was stained, loose and boring, too. It was so … plain. Nothing like the glamorous, glittering clothes worn by Genesian men.

Finally the boy straightened, his hand still tightly gripping his right wrist. It probably hurt like mad. That thought cheered her up somewhat. She knew that the process of harnessing was not only painful for the genie. Humans experienced an enormous rush of power at the moment of harnessing, usually entering their bodies through the arm that touched the globe, burning and blistering as it went. The burn eventually healed, fading into a long red welt, but they were scarred for life.

The severity of each human's burn varied, depending on the power of the genie being harnessed. A small, bitter smile tugged at one corner of Kora's mouth. Not only was she a very powerful genie, but because she had fought against the harnessing, this human's burn would be nasty in the extreme.

She lost track of how many long, tedious seconds she waited under the blazing heat of the Earth's sun before the human finally thought to close his mouth. He sucked in a long breath that sounded more like a hiss. Then his piercing blue eyes narrowed before they at last dropped away from hers to look down at the harnessing burn on his arm. He carefully lifted the edge of his hand to peek underneath. It was with some satisfaction that she saw the jolt of pain flash across his features when the hot, dry air came into contact with the raw, blistered skin. Why should she be the only one to suffer?

The fresh pain seemed to bring the boy to his senses. He abruptly let go of his arm and reached down to snatch up her globe, not bothering to check if it had cooled off yet. How dare he touch her globe!

The boy turned to face her, the globe clutched in his hand. His mouth lifted in a slight smile. Or perhaps it was a grimace. ‘Are you okay?' he asked.

Her anger seethed. Okay? She was stuck on this stupid planet, harnessed to a loathsome human boy, while the worst villain in Genesian history was intent on destroying her family, her people and her homeland. As if she could be okay! She could not answer such a stupid question. She stood glaring at him, inwardly struggling to contain her simmering, rumbling, angry power.

The boy waited for her to speak, and when she did not, asked another question. ‘Where did you come from?' But he glanced down at her globe when he spoke, as if he already knew the answer.

‘How dare you question me,' she hissed.

She could see she had taken the boy by surprise. He pulled back a little and studied her face for a moment.

She stood in stony silence. He may be her new master, but she was an empress. She did not explain herself to anybody. And he did not know that he was her master. At least, not yet. And if she had her way, not ever.

His eyes drifted to her long, dark hair that hung in a heavy curtain to her waist. Then they moved down to stare at the clothes she wore, made from the exotic Genesian fabrics that she knew would be shimmering like spun gold under the Earth's sun. They took in the gold chains that swung from around her neck, and the jewels that glowed from each of her fingers. They dropped down to her soft, flowing pants, made from the finest silk, and to her bejewelled toes and brown, bare feet that stood planted in the hot, red dust of this wretched place. His eyes never stopped moving, except for once when they came to rest on the huge amber stone that glinted warmly from her exposed bellybutton.

When he finally lifted his eyes back to meet hers, she saw a new knowledge in them. A small twist of fear wound its way up her spine. Perhaps he wasn't as dimwitted as she had supposed.

His eyes widened in astonishment. ‘Are you a genie?'

The stupid boy slapped his hands on his thighs and let out a great whoop of delight. ‘I can wish for anything? Anything at all?'

Kora shrugged. ‘You cannot wish to harm or change any human.'

She wondered if he was really even listening to her. His eyes were glazed and he was alternating between shaking his head in apparent disbelief and letting out great whooping sounds.

‘There's really no limit?' The words tumbled out of his mouth fast. ‘I can wish for as much stuff as I want?'

She took a deep, slow breath and nodded. She really hated humans.

‘Okay,' he said. ‘I wish for … a motorbike. A Honda XR650.'

Her magic stirred and the heavy gold bands that glowed on her wrists and ankles tightened. It was an uncomfortable sensation, as if she wasn't in complete control of her own power. Her magic seemed to flood her body the moment he said ‘I wish', but then just flowed directionless until she took control of it. Not that a motorbike required much magic.

She waved her arm and a huge motorbike appeared before them. The relief was instant. The heavy bands remained, but loosened their grip, and she rubbed absently at her wrists.

The boy gaped at the huge bike. ‘I can't believe it. You really are a genie!' He stepped forward to run his hand lovingly across the engine. ‘It's a four stroke. Air cooled.'

She rolled her eyes. Not only was he human, but he was a human boy.

He swung a leg over the seat and gripped the handlebars. Then turned his head and grinned at her. ‘I wish for the keys.'

A quick tightening of her bands and the keys materialised in the ignition. He revved the engine and the bike rocked on the spot like a restless horse at the starting gate. The bike seemed big and heavy, even for a boy his size. Maybe he would fall off and kill himself. She sniggered. That would unharness her.

She thought he might have said something but she could not hear him over the racket the bike was making. With a look of determination he kicked out the stand and leaned forward over the bike. A twist of his hands and he had roared off in a cloud of dust across the barren land.

Within seconds she felt the tug on her wrists and ankles. He was building up speed and the invisible bond between them tightened painfully. The bands dug deep into her flesh and the next thing she knew, she was being dragged along the hot, hard ground after him, forcing her to use her magic to protect herself.

The boy didn't get very far on his bike before there was an almighty thud and they came to a sliding stop. She looked up to see him lying on the ground clutching the burn on his arm. The bike was on its side, engine still running and sending up angry clouds of dust.

They were still too far apart. Her wrists and ankles were torturously painful. The boy was looking at her. He staggered to his feet and lumbered toward her. The relief was bliss.

He slumped down on the dirt next to her. He carefully lifted his hand from the blistering welt on his arm as if he wanted to be sure the pain wasn't about to come to life again.

‘So what on earth was that?'

‘Whilst I am your genie we cannot be more than a hundred metres apart.'

‘You mean you have to be hanging around all the time?' His expression was horrified. ‘What if I want some privacy?'

‘Then you can wish to unharness me.'

‘Unharness you?' His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘Like, set you free?'

A small flicker of hope fluttered in her belly at the word ‘free'. ‘That is correct.' She could see his slow mind working.

‘But then you wouldn't be my genie any more?'

‘It is for you to decide,' she said, looking pointedly at his arm. ‘How much do you value your privacy?'

He frowned. ‘But if I unharness you, does that mean I won't get any more wishes?'

Freedom was so close she could taste it. ‘Wish for all you want now,' she tempted him. ‘As many wishes as you like.' How much could a human want, anyway? ‘And then you could unharness me and be on your way. Alone!'

She waited. She could see the idea appealed to him as his stupid human mind sifted through all the pathetic things that he could wish for. But then he shook his head. ‘No. I think I'll see how having a genie goes for a while.'

Anger and disappointment coursed through her. ‘Then you had better get used to having me around.' She arched her eyebrows at him. ‘All the time!'

She saw a flash of doubt cross his face and he rubbed his chin. ‘So, you will stay my genie until I wish for you not to be?'

‘Or until you die.' She smiled sweetly and glanced at the bike. ‘Whichever happens to come first.'

He jerked his head in the direction of the bike. ‘Can you do something about that noise?'

With a brief wave of her wrist the bike disappeared. The sudden silence was unsettling. She felt his eyes on her in silent contemplation. Would the thought of having her around all the time be enough to make him unharness her after just a few wishes? Could she make life so awful for him that he would hate having her around? How she yearned for her freedom.

‘So how does it work?' His words broke into her thoughts. ‘Do you come and live at my house?'

She sighed. Of course no human was going to give up a genie easily.

‘I will live in my own home.' She met his blank look. ‘The one you stole.'

‘Of course,' he said, touching the pocket that held her globe. ‘You live in the rock that fell out of the sky.'

Using magic, Kora lifted her globe out of his pocket. It travelled through the air to land safely in the palm of her hand.

‘Not a rock.' She waved her free hand across it and the camouflage dropped away, revealing the most exquisitely beautiful golden vessel. ‘A globe.'

‘That's amazing.' He looked up. ‘But I thought genies lived in oil lamps? Or bottles?'

Kora waved her hand again, and the beautiful globe turned into an old-fashioned oil lamp, its ancient silver battered and tarnished. ‘Our globes can appear however we want them to.'

He shook his head in amazement.

‘So do I just call out “genie” when I want you?'

‘My name is Kora.' The thought of him summoning her for every stupid whim irritated her and she used her most condescending voice. ‘But you may call me Empress.'

‘Well, Empress,' he sniggered, imitating her tone of voice. ‘My name is David. But you may call me Master.'

She stiffened at the word ‘master'. Getting to her feet she looked down her regal nose at him. ‘Some advice, Master,' she said. ‘Be very, very, careful what you wish for.'

She allowed her words to hang ominously in the air between them, and then, in a perfect golden mist, slowly shimmered into the haven of her globe.

Kora sank gratefully into her favourite seat and curled her toes into the luxurious carpet. Glittering threads of silver and gold were woven through the silk fabrics that lined the walls and covered the cushions in her globe. They sparkled in the soft light that glowed from the hundreds of tiny coloured lamps that floated in the air above her.

She sipped at the icy fruit drink that appeared in her hand. ‘This Earth climate is dreadful,' she told Amurru. ‘Humans do not seem to have any control over the weather!'

‘Mmm,' replied Amurru absently. He sat in the small seat that had been specially designed to support his winged back, his eyes on the human boy.

Kora looked back out at the boy. She liked the place that David had chosen for her globe. It was perched on a small shelf on the opposite side of the room from his bed, sandwiched between a silver football trophy and a photograph showing a much younger David beside an older man in an army uniform.

From this vantage point she could look down on the boy, and she could keep an eye on what he was doing almost anywhere in the room. At the moment he was stretched out on his bed surrounded by new gadgets. His face was all concentration as he jabbed away at a games console.

‘He is lazy and boring,' said Kora. ‘All he wants are stupid toys.' Lying next to David on his bed was a pile of new games for the console, and an iPod, its unused earphones dangling down onto the floor. Balanced precariously on his chest was an iPhone that flashed and jiggled with stupid messages from his friends that made him smirk. On the beige carpet by his bed sat a new laptop computer, still in its box, and on the far wall, amongst a tangle of posters of motorbikes and rock bands, hung an enormous, new TV. ‘And he is greedy.'

Amurru nodded. ‘It is true that he has much to learn.' His yellow eyes were shrewd. ‘But it is early days, Empress.'

Kora screwed her face up. Her iced drink vanished and was replaced by a glass bowl piled high with wild red berries. ‘He is a human, Amurru. I doubt he can learn anything.' She popped one of the berries into her mouth.

‘Perhaps you are right, Empress.' Amurru sighed, the air rattling out of his lungs in a gust of wheezy breath. ‘But he may surprise you, yet.'

She doubted that anything the boy could do would surprise her. Hadn't he already proven he was every bit as dumb as the humans in all the old stories? All those stupid wishes he had made since they had arrived at his house! She looked back at him. He must have grown bored with the game he'd been playing. He had dropped it onto the bed beside him and was now lying back against his pillows with his hands behind his head listening to his iPod. And he was looking straight at her.