Hewaited.
Hewatched.
Nothingchanged.
If anything, his tail seemed a little morethick.
This djinn’s powers were apparently less thancompelling.
And little wonder, given the quality of herrhymes.
“Alakazam,”Rolfe repeated under his breath. “Now there is a spell.” He rolled his eyes, then was took such a blow to the shoulder that he nearly fell to his knees. Rolfe staggered to regain his balance and glanced about himself. There was no one behindhim.
The djinn smiled at him with such serenity that he knew she had somehow struck him withoutmoving.
“A completely inexplicable affection,” she reminded him. Any urge Rolfe might have felt to apologize was swept away by her next words. “But quite a nice spell, I think, all thesame.”
“That is all? You intend to do no more?” Rolfe was astonished. “What manner of solution is that? Being a wolf by day is little better than being one all of the time! With all respect, I must say that I had hoped formore!”
The djinn rose to her feet. “I told you that I could not undo the charm,” she said. “In truth, for spontaneous work, I thought it was not at all bad.” She eyed him, as if this situation were all his own fault. “My best work is not performed underduress.”
Rolfe fought to maintain his temper. Half his time as a wolf was better than all thetime.
Maybe she could do better yet, if his manner was sweeter than it had been so far. His charm had brought him good fortune in the past, if not the grace of more than one maiden’s favors. He might do well to spare some of his charisma for thisdjinn.
Mindful that he could easily make his situation worse, Rolfe bowed to the djinn. “You have indeed outdone yourself in aiding me on such shortnotice.”
The djinn eyed him, clearly skeptical of his change of tone, and Rolfe spared her his most winning smile. She thawed a little, though her gaze flicked away. The feminine gesture was familiar and fed Rolfe’s confidence as nothing elsecould.
It was reassuring that djinns and mortal women were not thatdissimilar.
“Make no mistake,madame,”he continued. “I do appreciate your endeavors. Undoubtedly, the shock of this change made me speak in haste.” Rolfe held her gaze when she turned to him, and deliberately let his voice deepen. “I would thank you with all my heart for yourassistance.”
The djinn granted him a smile. “I could try again,” sheoffered.
“You cannot imagine how greatly I would appreciate your efforts,” Rolfe said. Encouraged by her offer, he dared to suggest once more, “Perhaps we could remove the entirecurse?”
“Oh, no.” The djinn dismissed his suggestion without giving it the consideration Rolfe thought it deserved. “It is not the way. You must earn your salvation with the conditions you have been granted. I cannot change that, but I can grant another point in yourfavor.”
“Earn?” His temper flared. “I did nothing to earn thiscurse!”
A tingling sensation halted his protest. Rolfe looked down to find silver fur sprouting all over his flesh. He gasped aloud, but his voice sounded more like a muffledyelp.
He appealed to the djinn, but she onlyshrugged.
She shook a finger beneath Rolfe’s nose, which he was alarmed to see had turned black.“Youopened the bottle,” she explained. “Do you not see? That deed earned youthis.”
“But can you not do something? I beg of you,madame,help me however youcan!”
“Well, perhaps a little more,” the djinn mused, her expressionconsidering.
“Then hurry!Please!”
“I told you that I do not like to bepressured.”
Rolfe was going to interrupt her, but his voice was a bark this time. Panic flooded through him, but the djinn merely closed her eyesagain.
“Though when cursed byday,
