“What about the sorceress?”
“When we find the bottle, we’ll figure out a way to contain her.”
It sounded logical. And she knew with all the magic in his realm, if anyone could find a way, it would be him. Then she remembered his first words.
“Why did it take you so long to find me?” she asked. “What did you mean, ‘without magic’?”
That toe-curling smile warmed his lips again. “I asked my father to let me come back here, to search for the necklace myself. To be with you.”
Her heart leaped, and tears stung her eyes all over again. “You did?” she asked on a whisper.
He nodded. “There’s a catch, though. The longer I stay, the more human I become. My magic will fade until it’s finally gone. I figured I should get used to being human, so I tried looking for you without it. But I didn’t expect to look for you clear across the country. I eventually gave up and used just a little. I needed to find you.”
She could barely believe what she was hearing. “You mean if you stay with me, you’ll eventually lose your immortality?”
“Djinn aren’t immortal. We just live a very long time.”
And he was giving that up for her. Those tears burned hot all over again. “Why would you do that?”
“Do you really have to ask?” He cupped her cheek. “Losing my magic is a much smaller sacrifice than what you were willing to give up for me. I would rather spend one human lifetime with you than a thousand without you. You complete my soul—a part I didn’t even know was missing. I would go through all of Zoraida’s torture again just to end up with you here, right now. Mira…hayaati…I love you.”
Mira’s chest was so tight she could barely breathe. She threw her arms around his neck, held on with everything she had in her. She’d wanted to be desirable. She’d wanted to find a love that would last the ages. She had. It just hadn’t been at all what she’d expected.
“I love you too, Tariq. I—” She couldn’t get the words out. She couldn’t do anything but hold on for the rest of her life.
He chuckled against her neck. “Oh, I’m glad to hear that, because I’m going to need you to teach me all about life in the human world. I think I’ve a lot to learn.”
She eased back. Smiled up at him in the early afternoon light. And knew the wish she’d made weeks ago was the best wish of her life. “You want me to teach you something? Wish for it, djinni.”
His grin warmed the last cold space inside her. “My only wish is for you.”
“Your wish, my command,” she whispered as his lips lowered to hers once more.