It was well after midnight before two servants unlocked my bedroom door and announced that Prince Ramkat was ready to see me. I had searched the room all over for a secret way out—even through a window. But it was a large tower I was being held in, and no way to go but to meet my death hundreds of feet below. I followed the servants determinedly to the private dining room, where Prince Ramkat acknowledged my presence with a flick of his eyes. He was reading over a letter of some sort. The servants left, shutting the door behind him.

"What is it you wanted to say, princess?" he asked.

"If you don't let Aladdin go, I will make things very hard for you. I will not cooperate in any way. I will be as invaluable to you then as he is now. I told you before, Aladdin has nothing to do with this."

Ramkat laughed. "I told you before. Your friend is Lord Terrowin's prisoner. Is that all you have to ask?"

"What more could I do here? Once my father finds out that I am here, it will officially be war."

Ramkat shrugged. "I know. He will probably find out soon. I plan on sending him this letter stating my terms." He tapped the paper in his hand before folding it up and sealing it with wax.

"So you want to trade me for Sam."

"Dead or alive." He flashed a cruel smile. "By the way—did you know about him? The demon?"

I thought back to the moment Sam picked up the lamp, that night in the desert so long ago. I remembered what I had seen, as I did one hundred times before. And no one had ever believed me.

"Yes," I answered. "I knew."

His eyes flashed angrily. "You conspired with him, then?"

I shook my head vehemently. "I do not know the demon. I only know Sam, my cousin. I don't think even he knew about it-"

"Silence!" Prince Ramkat was seething. "If you know—then so does the sultan! You were hiding this secret all along—all of you! In direct defiance of your one and only ally!"

"My father doesn't know!" I protested. "Stop this now! Let me write to the sultan- I know I can arrange some kind of fair agreement."

Ramkat shook his head. He was visibly furious. "You are a part of this; I understand that now. Guards!"

Two of Ramkat's personal guards entered through the heavy dining room doors. Ramkat ordered them to seize me and take me back up to the tower.

"Listen to me!" I yelled as they took my arms. Prince Ramkat turned his back, but I didn't care. "You have started a terrible war! We are all in danger right now!"

I thought of Aladdin, prisoner somewhere in the citadel. Maybe even underground. Hot tears pooled into my eyes as I screamed at Ramkat, but his men spirited me away forcefully. He was going to send the letter, and there was nothing I could do. I doubt he would allow me another audience. Not that it would matter; surely we would all be dead soon.

Up high in the sun room, Tarana dropped her goblet onto the floor. Wine seeped out and spread over the carpet. The servant's dashed toward it like seared cows, and the councilmen were on their feet, every one of them shouting around the sultan in a panic.

"Father, tell me it's not true!" Tarana yelled. "How could they have gotten Sireen? What are they going to do to her?!"

The sultan leaned upon his knuckles, rocking them back and forth over the jeweled table. A map of the desert lie before him, the distance between the kingdom and the Lost Cities was dotted with stone pawns.

"I hear we are now outnumbered."

"They have twelve thousand men, sir!" The sultan's hand said. "My spies have counted over twice! They are taking in travelers from the crystal caves, too!"

"Father!" Tarana cut in. "You must allow me to ride out there now to negotiate—at least to get Sireen back. I cannot hide beneath the security here anymore—I've watched over Sam for a week now and he's not woken. Please, let me go to the Lost Cities myself!"

The sultan sighed deeply. "Daughter, these men are ready for a war. We have passed the chance of negotiating, and the leaders there know that. And now they have an upper hand."

Tarana shook her head defiantly. "There has to be a way! We need to find out what it is they want!"

A little voice sounded in Tarana's ear. "My lady, there is news from the infirmary. Your cousin has awoken."

She sharply turned her head; it was the physician's young apprentice.

Tarana gasped. "Is it true? So suddenly, Sam is alive?"

The sultan glanced over, a deep crease forming in his brow.

The apprentice nodded hastily. Tarana glanced back at her father. "I've—I've just been told that Sam is alive. Awake."

The room immediately became silent.

Tarana followed the apprentice down from the tower to the infirmary where the curtains were drawn, and the scent of incense choked the air. The wing was silent but for the echoes of their footsteps.

Sam was indeed alive. He was already dressed and appeared unmarked by any of his previous wounds.

Tarana threw her arms around him. "Cousin," she said, "we all thought we had lost you again!"

"Lost me?" He sounded confused.

"Yes," Tarana said sadly. "Do you remember what happened? You were unconscious for days."

Sam furrowed his brow. Tarana peered into his eyes with uncertainty. His eyes weren't the green she remembered them being before. Even as kids, she was jealous of the striking shades of jade rimmed with gold. But now they were just black.

Could it be because he had poisoned himself? Is that possible? Or maybe it was just a shadow?

"I can't remember everything," he said. "Though it feels good to finally be awake."

Sam didn't look like he had been nearly dead for days. His hair was combed back and the color had returned to his lips. Only—why does he look so different?

Tarana took a deep breath. "Sam, when you are ready, my father and his councilmen seek an audience with you. We are under a terrible emergency—though certainly you need more time to heal?"

"Heal from what?" he returned with a peculiar laugh. "I've never felt more alive."

Back in the sun room, Sam returned to cheers and clapping. His broad smile shone like never before. Tarana thought to herself, surely that is my cousin?

The sultan bowed, and so did his counsel. Sam was greeted by all, until finally everyone was seated at the large table, Tarana at her father's left, and Sam at his right.

"They have Sireen," the sultan spoke. "And so now we march. They will not know we are coming; no one but the people in this very room has heard of these plans." He looked to Sam. "And are you sure you are ready to ride tonight?"

Sam nodded, his dark eyes averted.

The sultan switched his gaze to Tarana. "And you will fortify the domestic troops. In Sireen's absence, it is more important than ever that you show your face to the people, for you will be taking my seat one day. It is a lot to ask of a father."

Tarana's gut clenched. "I wanted to ride out to the Lost Cities to negotiate. I am afraid they may hurt Sireen."

"If we take them by surprise," Sam suddenly remarked, "then our spies can easily get into the citadel. They will be waiting for just the right moment. We needn't endanger two princesses in this operation."

"Well spoken," said the sultan. "Let's not forget, our queen still lay dying. Her word would be to protect you, Tarana. And so I have promised her."

Tarana clenched her teeth together to prevent an argument. Even though she was next to sit upon the throne, her ideas never seemed to matter to her father. And now he was handing off all of the power to Sam.

Tarana glanced again at her cousin. She had watched over him for the past week, sure he was dead. Whatever happened with him and Sireen, it had changed him. And for the first time in a long time she realized she had been terribly wrong about something.

Sam stood, his eyes scanning the counsel with confidence. "I will leave at once. My horse can get me to the camp in one hour's time. Then I will lead the men at full speed towards the Lost Cities. Two thousand men more will not make a difference to us; it is a sure victory."

Tarana jumped to her feet. "You are creating a mess that will last well into my rule! If you only allow me to go by myself, maybe I can make things right. We don't even know what they want yet!"

A flash of anger passed over Sam's face. Tarana gazed at him incredulously as his features realigned themselves calmly.

"And it doesn't matter what they want," he said tightly. "Because they have initiated this." He bowed his head to the sultan, and strode from the room.

Tarana watched his exit with clenched fists.

I awoke to the strange darkness; not of my own devices, though. There had been a noise. Something or someone had summoned me awake.

The prison cell was barred and bare. An opening in the wooden door allowed only enough space for a tray of food to be slid through. Stone walls, stone floor. There was a chill.

Could I really be below ground level?

I guessed that I was in the dungeons of the citadel. And then I remembered that something had woke me. I peered around, but I was alone.

Where is Sireen?

I called out through the barred window in the door. My voice echoed down the crooked, empty hallway and went unanswered.

"Aladdin!"

I spun around in the prison cell, my back now to the door. "Who's there?"

"It's me," said the voice. And a shadow upon the floor suddenly caught my attention. It was a spider, black as dust, and as large as the size of my hand. "I am appearing to you as this creature for your own safety. It's me, Genius."

Genius' voice had undeniably come from the spider poised before me, fresh from the shadows where I had slept. I stared at in disbelief. "Genie? Is it really you?"

The spider seemed to nod. "The lamp is close," he said. "You must find it. The Necromancer can see you as long as he has the lamp. That's how you ended up here."

I knelt down before the spider, examining it. "Genius. Do you know where Sireen is?"

The spider nodded again. "She is in the tower as their hostage. Lord Terrowin has persuaded Prince Ramkat into a war. But for now, I believe Sireen is okay."

"I don't know what to do," I said.

"Well then I will tell you what to do," Genius snapped. "You're going to get out of here and find the lamp. And then you're going to make sure it is in a safe place, somewhere that no one can find it. Or just make your wishes. My brother has awoken. I can feel it. He is looking for the lamp now. And when he finds it…" the genie's voice faded here.

I leaned forward, my stomach tightening. "Tell me what he plans to do with it."

There was a prolonged silence. "I think it is really me he is after. He knows the same as I, that if he destroys the lamp with me inside, he will be unbound by the lamp's power. If he destroys it, he is a free soul. It appears that I would be the only thing standing in his way of this."

I could feel the hair rise on the back of my neck. "This war is because of your brother. All of this is." I almost laughed. How did I not realize that before? Genius was the only one who had the answers to this enigma. And now it seemed far past the point of no return.

"If we make our two wishes fast, and you are set free," I said, "what would that mean for your brother?"

The spider stared blankly up at me.

Beyond the door and down the dungeon corridor I thought, for just a moment, I had heard something move.

I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Genius, if I can get out of here and find the carpet, I think I can rescue Sireen from the tower without wasting a wish."

"You need to get to the lamp first," the spider insisted. "I will show you the way. As I said, my brother is coming now. There will be an attack. Going to the tower would be too risky."

"I am not leaving here without Sireen," I declared.

"Ah, yes," said the spider with a sigh, "I keep forgetting about you mortals, and love. But just know that someone will die. They always do."