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could see an amazing amount of life beneath her. Blue, green, and yellow tropical fish swam together in a type of choreographed pattern. They came close enough she could almost reach out and touch them. Several dolphins broke the surface of the water off to her left, their clicks and squealing chatter bouncing off the waves toward her. There were other animals too, but she couldn’t put a name to them. They all passed by without a second look at the two humans standing on top of the waves.
    Well, one human and apparently one genie.
    “This is amazing,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
    “It’s a shame more people can’t see what you are seeing. It might inspire them to take better care of things.”
    Words failed her. Viola stood and really looked at Jerod for the first time. His eyes had returned to their original crystal blue. But other than that, he looked normal.
    “How is this possible?”
    “Magic.”
    Hard to argue against that.
    “Do you believe me?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.
    She took one last look at the ocean below, burning the details into her memory.
    When she looked back into his eyes, she smiled.
    “I do.”
    As quickly as they’d arrived, they were back standing in her room. Viola took three steps away from Jerod, needing the air. It took a few minutes but her body stopped shaking once it realized she was back on solid ground. Jerod didn’t move or say anything.
     
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    Finally she thought she was able to speak without crying.
    “Thank you.”
    Jerod frowned. “Thank you for what?”
    “Showing me such an amazing sight. I don’t think I could have imagined anything more beautiful.”
    With his lips pursed, he looked like he was digesting her words. But instead of acknowledging them, he took a step forward, decreasing the distance between them. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. He shook his head and straightened his body.
    “Now that you finally believe me, I think we have the small matter of your wishes.
    So, what will they be?”
    Rarely in her short life had anyone ever offered to give Viola something for nothing.
    While she didn’t doubt Jerod’s powers, she had been around the business world enough to know there was always a price to be paid.
    “So what’s the catch?”
    She crossed her arms across her chest and waited for the other shoe to drop.
    Jerod mimicked her arms, straightening to his full height, which was considerable.
    God, he had to be over six feet.
    “There is no…catch. Everything is as I told you. Three wishes and I’ll be gone.”
    “I call shenanigans. There’s always a catch in the movies. You wish for money and you find a bag full of it only to be arrested for stealing. Or you ask for a cool car and the first time you drive it somewhere it gets stolen. So what’s the catch?” Jerod took another step forward and leaned in until his nose was close to her face.
    Viola breathed in deep and the urge to swoon struck her again. Too much excitement for one day, and not enough rum punch.
    “Very well, there’s a catch.”
    “Ah ha!” she poked him in the chest. His skin was warm and smooth and she pulled her hand back quickly. No sense in upsetting a genie. “So what is it?”
    “While I wield more magic that you can possibly imagine, when I grant your wishes 32

     
    they must result from something of this world.”
    “So if I wish for a million dollars it could be from a bank robbery.” This wasn’t going to end well.
    “Only if I don’t like you,” he said with a grin that made him look devilishly wicked.
    “Oh.”
    “And I do like you, Mistress Viola. So I promise, on my honor as a magical otherworldly being, I will not trick nor harm you when I grant your wishes.” Before she realized what he was doing, Jerod had captured her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He didn’t kiss her immediately, but she felt him breathe in deeply, grazing his nose over her knuckles. Then, he brushed his lips over