Granting Wishes - An Aladdin Retelling (Once Upon a Curse Book 5) Read online

  A Once Upon a Curse Prequel

  By Kaitlyn Davis

  eBook Edition

  Copyright 2019 Kaitlyn Davis M.

  Cover Art: Manipulated by Kaitlyn Davis from an attribution licensed DeviantArt brush by kavaeka, a Shutterstock.com image copyright Microstocker1 titled Arabian interior design, and a Shutterstock.com image copyright Irina Alexandrovna titled Beautiful, young, brunette in a luxurious, purple, long dress.

  Title and Chapter Heading Font: Public Domain Font (Newborough) by Roger White

  The right of Kaitlyn Davis to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the author, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be direct infringement of the author’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  This is a work of fiction and any resemblances between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  All Works by Kaitlyn Davis

  Once Upon a Curse

  Gathering Frost

  Withering Rose

  Chasing Midnight

  Parting Worlds

  Granting Wishes

  The Raven and the Dove

  Midnight Fire

  Ignite

  Simmer

  Blaze

  Scorch

  Burn

  Midnight Ice

  Frost

  Freeze

  Fracture

  Shatter

  A Dance of Dragons

  The Shadow Soul

  The Spirit Heir

  The Phoenix Born

  Leena’s Story – The Novellas

  To my family for their unconditional love,

  my friends for their overwhelming support,

  and my fans for their incredible enthusiasm.

  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Table of Contents

  All Works by Kaitlyn Davis

  Dedication

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  More Once Upon a Curse Books

  About the Author

  I’m falling.

  I’m not entirely sure why or how, only that I am. One second, my fingers had a solid grip on the cliff I’d been climbing. Then the world shook, the air shimmered, my eyes clouded with dust, and the ground fell away. An earthquake—it had to be. I’m a California girl, so I know a quake when I feel one. I don’t remember letting go of the rock, but I must have, and now I’m plummeting toward the ground. I wait for tension to tug at the harness strapped across my midsection, but it never comes. Either the rope broke or the safety carabiners came loose—just my freaking luck. I blink rapidly, clearing my gaze.

  Think, Alanna. Think.

  But there’s nothing I can do to slow my fall. Through the curtain of rock cascading all around me, I catch a glimpse of the sky and stare at that endless speck of blue, holding on to the beauty in its vibrant sapphire hue. I wish I could say I was having some sort of profound out-of-body experience in the last few moments of my life, but in actuality, the only things going through my mind are, I can’t believe I’m going to die a virgin, my mom is going to kill me, and, Oh my gosh, I’m so close to landing my full-twisting double tuck off the uneven bars—this isn’t fair! Moving stuff, right? I wince as I wait for my body to crash against the boulders lining the forest floor below.

  Only it doesn’t.

  The world goes dark, and then water breaks my fall—water I’m positive wasn’t there before. I plunge into a deep pool, spinning head over heels as liquid engulfs me in a cool embrace. Muffled splashes echo beneath the surface. A sinking rock scratches my leg. Then another brushes my arm. Something heavy presses into my stomach, dragging me down—a boulder. If I don’t get out from underneath it, I’ll be pinned. I slide my arms through the water and kick my legs, fighting against gravity’s pull. Propping my feet against the bumpy surface, I shove myself free of the sinking weight. My chest aches from lack of air. I swim, not really sure where I’m going, just hoping my body will know the way. A light catches my eye. I chase it, pumping my limbs as fast as they’ll go, then I’m there.

  As I break the surface, I inhale sharply. My lungs greedily suck in air. At first, each breath sends little needles prickling into my throat, but the burn eventually subsides. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, but as soon as they do, I realize just how fortunate I am to be alive.

  High overhead, the barest blip of blue sky is still visible through a gaping hole. The earthquake that shook me loose must’ve also opened a small tear in the ground, revealing an entrance to this cave hidden deep below. The existence of the lake was just dumb luck. Even still, from the height I was climbing, falling into the water should’ve felt like slamming into concrete, not jumping into my town swimming pool from the high dive. The rocks must’ve hit first, softening my landing. We’d just studied something like it in physics class—a case where a man was flung off a bridge but didn’t die, because his car hit the surface first, shifting the velocity of the water in a downward direction. At least, I think that’s what my teacher said. Something like that, anyway—I don’t usually pay super close attention in physics. Anything with too much math is a hard pass. Gym? Yes. History? Yes. Biology and chem? Heck, yeah.

  But maybe I should’ve paid more attention, because right now, I can’t help but feel as if I should be dead. Might be dead? Am totally dreaming?

  I mean, I should at least be injured.

  But I’m not. Am I?

  I run a quick mental check while I continue to tread water. My legs are fine. My arms are too. My fingers sting, so I can tell they’re a bit raw and scratched up, but it’s nothing major. My brainpower feels a little slower than usual, but I think it’s from sheer disbelief. I’m not concussed. I would know—the first time I tried a front tuck on the balance beam, I hit my head so hard I had to skip practice for a week. My mom took me to the hospital while on the brink of a nervous breakdown. But this? I just fell from what had to be at least a hundred feet, and the worst I’ve got is a few scratches?

  I can’t believe it.

  A laugh slips through my lips as I shake my head. Relief rushes through me like a warm, bubbling river of champagne. I’m allowed a parental-approved glass every New Year’s Eve, and I feel as though I’ve just chugged an entire bottle. I’m high on adrenaline, drunk on life, and naturally intoxicated from surviving my brush with death.

  I mean, I’m stuck in a secret underground cave with no way out. But things could be worse—way worse. I could be dead, or broken into pieces, or paralyzed. Yet, here I am—alive and kicking, literally.

  Leaning back, I spread my arms wide and float for a moment as I take in the rest of my surroundings. The longer I spend in the dark, the more my vision adjusts to the shadows. A cavern looms overhead, arching like a dome, with my miraculous little hole at its apex. T
he water around me glistens, catching the small bit of light slipping inside the cave and twinkling like an unpolluted wilderness sky. The walls shimmer as though slick and wet. Pointed shadows stretch like claws, hinting at invisible stalactites overhead.

  How in the world am I going to get out of this one?

  I could try climbing, but the ceiling angle looks too steep for me to manage, especially if the walls are wet with humidity. I could try screaming, though the whole damsel-in-distress thing has never sat too well with me. Nah, I think the best plan is to sit and wait for help. Someone’s bound to come find me. Right? I was climbing with an instructor when I fell—he must’ve made it to the top before the earthquake, because I wasn’t too far behind—and the two other kids in my spring-break group went before me. It’s Yosemite National Park—they must have emergency responders. I’m sure someone will come rappelling through that hole in no time. With a little patience, I’ll be fine. Though, truth be told, patience has never been my strong suit.

  My stomach, of course, chooses this moment to groan in protest.

  I roll my eyes.

  The half-eaten protein bar in my pocket is probably a soggy mess right now, along with my brand-new cell phone.

  Ugh.

  My parents are going to murder me.

  No, first they’ll be thrilled that I’m alive. Then my mom will do that relieved sort of yell where she’s furious with me because she never wanted me to come to this freaking (only, she didn’t say freaking) camp in the first place, but then she’ll start crying and hugging me. Then my dad will get in on it. Maybe my older brother, Mason, too. Annoying as he and his football bros can be, I know he’s a softie at heart. And then they’ll say, Why didn’t you call for help? I’ll shrug and try to put an innocent smile on my face as I say, My phone broke while I was falling to my death. But my dad will only hear that first part. You broke your phone? Again? I can’t keep paying a thousand dollars for your irresponsibility. I’ll be all, Remember that part where you’re just so happy I’m alive? And you love me? Then he’ll huff and arch his brow.

  Sigh.

  What were my mom’s last words as the bus drove away? Be careful, Alanna. Please. This whole climbing thing, I know you love it and you’ve been saving up for this camp, but it’s dangerous. Please just promise me you’ll be safe.

  Damn. I hate it when she’s right.

  Maybe this cave isn’t so bad after all.

  I return my gaze to the dark dome overhead as my stomach grumbles again. I’ve probably already used up my miracle allowance for the day—heck, maybe for life—but if there’s any sliver of luck left in my repertoire my power bar will still be edible. Now I just need to find a place to sit, dry off, and eat. With a mental shrug, I roll over in the water, prepared to explore. Scanning the darkness, I search for any type of shore to swim toward.

  And that’s when I see him.

  A hazy outline in the dark, no more than a shadow if not for the two bright eyes catching the light—the two eyes that are clearly turned in my direction, watching me.

  A jolt of fear shoots down my spine, but I swallow my scream. Now is not the time. And I’m being an idiot. It’s got to be someone from my climbing group. Who the heck else could it be?

  “James?” I call out. That was the name of the instructor, right? I stop swimming and start treading water as I wait for a response. All my internal stranger-danger alarms are blaring. “Is that you?”

  There’s no response.

  I swallow the clog in my throat and try again. What were the other two people’s names? Megan… Megan and… Today was our first day of climbing, and I’m terrible with names. But, come on! We’d only arrived at Yosemite yesterday night, so I hadn’t even known these people for twenty-four hours. Then it comes to me—Charlie! “Megan? Charlie? Is that you? Did you guys fall too?”

  Those eyes keep staring, but the shadow man doesn’t speak.

  My heart pounds in my chest. I’m not huge on scary movies, but I’ve seen a few, and before I can stop it, I remember this stupid movie Mace made me watch with him a few weeks ago, when I told him about my camp. It’s about these kids who go hiking in a cave, and these evil little goblin monsters hunt them down one by one. Oh, man, there was this one scene where I literally just screamed out loud. My freaking brother laughed, of course. But a shiver raises the hairs at the back of my neck just thinking about it.

  I squint, trying to decipher a face within the shadows.

  It’s useless.

  “Do you speak English?” I try instead.

  Nothing.

  “Hablas español?” I pull out some of my sophomore-level Spanish.

  Nada.

  “Sprechen sei Englisch?” I try weakly. I don’t really speak German, like at all, but I heard this somewhere and it’s at least a start.

  The ghostly figure remains mute.

  A frustrated breath slips through my lips. It’s nothing compared to the heavy thumping of my heart, which has decided to act like a caged animal, beating totally out of control. I lick my lips, scanning my brain for any other foreign phrase I can pull out of thin air. The only thing I can think of is voulez vous coucher avec moi, which seems wildly inappropriate at the moment. Damn you, Moulin Rouge—now that was a great movie.

  Why am I thinking about movies?

  Focus. There’s a strange man watching me, who is possibly not human and probably a goblin preparing to eat me alive… Ugh—I’m going to kill Mace when I get home for forcing me to watch that movie.

  The snap of fingers echoes across the cavern, drawing my attention.

  Suddenly, a light blinks on, casting out the shadows.

  The first thing I think is—whoa, he’s hot. He’s got bright blue eyes and swoopy black hair. He’s a little tall and lanky, maybe, but way better than the creature from the deep I’d been imagining. His stare is fierce and a frown purses his lips, but I’m not sure why.

  The second thing I think is—wait, that’s not a flashlight. A bright golden orb floats in the air, like a star brought down to earth. It hovers in the space between us, pulsing with an inner glow as though alive. Then it moves. I blink, not quite believing what I’m seeing. A drone—it’s got to be some sort of hiking drone…right?

  Before I can spare another second to inspect the light closer, the water around me surges, yanking me forward. A giant wave crests, carrying me across a lake that was perfectly still a moment before. I try to fight with my arms and feet, but the current is too strong, like a riptide tugging me out to sea. Only I’m not being pulled into the ocean—I’m being pulled toward him.

  My body washes up on a pebbly shore. I roll once, then come to a stop on my back. I try to jump to my feet, but before I can, he’s there. Fingers press against my forehead, so hot they burn. I freeze. No, I don’t. My body freezes even as my mind spins. They’ve become disconnected. I will my hands to move or my legs to kick, but they don’t listen. I’m stuck, trapped while an unfamiliar sensation whirls my thoughts, mixing and rearranging them, as though my brain is a deck of cards that has just been shuffled through. When I meet the eyes staring down at me, they’re no longer blue, but flashing with a rainbow of colors. And they’re blank, as if staring into a world I can’t see.

  The stranger snatches his fingers back. His irises return to a vibrant cerulean before he takes me in, more tender this time, as though he’s had a change of heart.

  I scurry back, jump to my feet, and lift my fists before my face. I’m not big, but I’m scrappy. A lifetime of practicing gymnastics paired with my after-school job at the rock wall means I’ve got more muscle than my size might indicate. Most importantly, I never back down without a fight.

  “Who the hell are you?” I’m not big on cursing, but hey—can you blame me right now?

  The stranger smiles. At first, just the corners of his lips lift, but as I narrow my eyes, his grin widens, spreading across his entire face. There’s something mystified about his expression—mystified and excited. I don’t get it
.

  “Who are you?” He speaks slowly, as though testing the words for the first time. It puts me on edge.

  “I asked you first.”

  He inclines his head. “I’m Erick.”

  “Erick?” I repeat, scanning him again. I hadn’t expected something so…normal. If I were just going by his face, I’d guess he was two or three years older than me, around my brother’s age maybe. But the rest of him looks ancient. Black leather pants hug his thighs, but not like “sexy rock star” leather, more like “someone had a little too much fun at the flea market” leather. A big billowy shirt falls around his shoulders, white and a little dirty. It’s partly covered by a velvet-looking vest in bright, saturated blue, the same color as his eyes. Around the collar and the buttons there’s golden embroidery. It kind of looks as if a renaissance fair threw up on him, and I have no idea why anyone would be wearing anything like that to hike a national park. My leggings, tank top, and sports bra look comical next to his getup.

  I drop my fists as the anxiety coursing through me lessens. The longer I look at him, the more confident I feel. If it came down to a fight, I could totally take him.

  He steps closer and tilts his head, eying me expectantly, as though we’re two people meeting at the mall instead of two people from what I can only describe as two different centuries stuck underground in a cave. “And your name?”

  “Alanna,” I murmur as I cautiously extend my hand.

  He takes it and we shake. “Nice to meet you, Lady Alanna. Welcome to my home.”

  “Home…?”

  I trail off as he extends his arm to the side, motioning deeper into the cave. A dozen more golden orbs spark to life, stealing my breath along with the darkness. A field of wildflowers extends as far as I can see, disappearing into the shadows at the outer edges of the glow. This far underground, their existence is impossible. And yet, a rainbow stretches across the floor, glistening like a sea of jewels as the dewdrops on the petals reflect the light. I step deeper into the cavern. The lure to see more is overwhelming. My feet sink into the wet shore with each step, until I reach a patch of grass, moist but solid. The stranger, Erick, doesn’t try to stop me as I march up to the flowers and kneel to cup a blossom in my palm. I rub a petal between my fingers, and it’s real—slightly waxy and smooth, not made of silk.