“Her?” sheechoed.
“Yes,her.The troublemaker herself.” The woman sighed. “There was a time when I had wondrous dreams for her and what she might become.” She shook her head then smiled at Annelise. She waved a hand at their surroundings. “You must realize that this is herpalace?”
“And that she cursedRolfe.”
“Oh!” The woman’s eyes lit with delight. “You know Rolfe? He is, of course, mortal, but all the same he has a certain charm. Do youagree?”
“Yes.” Annelise felt herself liking this other djinn. “He is myhusband.”
“Truly?” At Annelise’s nod, the djinn spoke eagerly. “Oh, that is fine luck, indeed. I had never imagined be would make such progress in such short order. He looked quite grim at the prospect ofmarriage.”
“What manner of progress do youmean?”
“Progress against the curse, of course, my child!” The djinn shook her head, making the little red balls along the perimeter of her hat sway. “You must know about the curse—after all, you wed the man. Did he not tellyou?”
“Of course,” Annelise acknowledged. If she were prudent, this talkative djinn might tell her more about how to abolish thecurse.
“I hope he mentioned that I—in a markedly fine spell created entirely on impulse, one that amazes me to this day with its adept little rhyme—mitigated the curse set upon him so that he was only burdened to be a wolf by day. And look at you—you are a fine enough looking woman! What fortune that manhas!”
“He has many blessings to count, indeed,” Annelise commented, her tonewry.
The djinn drew herself up taller. “When dealing with our kind, a sharp tongue is markedly less than an asset, though I am surprised to have to remind you of that. Your husband would not find himself in this situation had he been a little less quick to express hisskepticism.”
Annelise was not certain that was true so held hertongue.
“You know, he was less than impressed that I could not remove the curse entirely. How anyone could expect that I truly do not know. I thought I did rather well, under duress.” The djinn grimaced. “It was no pleasure to be cloistered with her all thesecenturies.”
Was this Azima, the mother of the wicked djinn? Or was the confinement in the bottle a common fate for djinns? Annelise did notknow.
“I can imagine it would not be,” she said withsympathy.
The djinn met Annelise’s gaze and smiled. “That is a marked improvement in yourtone.”
Annelise knew an opportunity when she saw it. The djinn was well disposed to both her and Rolfe; Annelise should make the most of a moment that might be a fleetingone.
She smiled, summoning every vestige of charm she possessed. “Dare I hope that you areAzima?”
The djinn’s expression was wary. “I mightbe.”
“And that you might be inclined to aid Rolfeagain?”
“Again?”
“Not that I would show any lack of appreciation for your efforts thus far, but the other djinn has returned and made our situation ratherworse.”
“I can imagine she might.” The djinn appeared to be intrigued, atleast.
“She has added to the curse and I fear for Rolfe’sfuture.”
“Indeed? Tellme.”
Annelise repeated the new curse withcare.
“Powers above and powersbelow,
amend the curse that I madebefore.
My curse may be broken with love’ssacrifice,
