- Chapter 5 -
"How dare you!" Were the first words that sprang from Jasmine's lips. Nothing else could come to mind to keep Mozenrath from seeing how distraught she really was. Even while she kept the flame of fire and anger swirling tightly together in her eyes as she bore them into him, she felt the world around her blur and spin. She needed to sit down, she needed to think, she needed to forget. Everything was replaying inside her head, the pictures we permanently stained and burned into her memory, never to be erased or omitted. Everything that Mozenrath had said was true, it was all falling into place piece by agonizing piece. What could've been done, the openings that had risen, the words she could've spoken; they were all there. Tears scorched her eyes and guilt stung her throat as she fought desperately to block the tears from falling. She couldn't show weakness now, not to him, not to anyone.
"You are nothing but a jackal." Her voice forced through her clenched teeth, her breath low and covered with denial for what she began to believe as her own fault. "A jackal," She continued and took a bold step closer to him, the burning sensation inside her gut whispered murderous thoughts into her mind and wove and taunted until she wasn't sure how long she could possibly restrain herself. "You are just a scavenger. You travel the deserts and pray on the vulnerable, the lost, and the weak."
"Oh my heart is just breaking." He retorted and walked away from her, turning his back and strolling near a shelf of books. "Please, spare me the propaganda."
Jasmine continued on as if he had said nothing at all. "You are nothing but what you destroy, the very lives you have ended are nothing but a mirror image of the pain you will find when your time comes. When the world will turn the tables . . . everything you have earned through cheated ways and sins will fall through your grasp like sand. You deserve nothing but to feel the same wrath you have brought upon others, only intensified until you truly understand the meaning of Hell."
"I'm warning you Princess, you're treading on dangerous ground and are pushing me further and further with each word you speak. Remember, you're trespassing on my Kingdom and I don't tolerate that very well. I will not be berated in my own home." Mozenrath let his gauntlet glow a steady emerald to illustrate his point before letting it simmer and cool.
Jasmine ignored the warning and blocked out any traces of fear she felt welling. "Your Kingdom? How did you acquire that? By building it with your bare hands? By leading a faithful army to overcome a kingdom and claim it in Allah's name? By actually earning it? No, you murdered the one who taught you, in cold blood, you slain him. And to this day, you believed that you are an all powerful sorcerer, magical and with it, and can somehow achieve immortality. You are a jackal."
The blast came so powerful and quick, Jasmine had no time to react but to brace the pain as it shot through her body and convulsed her to the floor. Gripping her head as it throbbed in time with her pounding heart, Jasmine took a deep breath and steadied herself before rising.
"I suppose you think you're brave? Coming here and trying to face me down. What makes you think you actually have a chance? I am powerful, I am magical and will rule the Seven Deserts. And when I do, you shall cower before me." He smiled despite the gleam from Jasmine and the feral glint in her eye.
"You are nothing."
"But what are you, exactly? This from the 'Princess' who let her fiancee die in her place. How very brave you are." He said with mirth outlining his words. He was finding this all so amusing and entertaining, Jasmine felt the power inside her build up so strongly she suddenly felt she could have broken him in two with a simple twist of her wrist.
"I see what you're doing Mozenrath, and it won't work. Nothing you could say would hurt me." She assured, setting a stiff upper lip and even though she was shorter than he, she managed to look down her nose to him.
"Princess, I think I can." He said with a chuckle. "How do you feel . . . knowing he's dead and you're not? That he gave up his life for yours? That day, Aladdin proved what you really mean to him, he died for you. And what do you do? You refuse to admit that you are responsible for his death. You claim, "love," Princess, where is it now?"
Jasmine fell speechless. His words had woven around her, slid into her head and distorted everything she was thinking and feeling. It was true. Everything was true. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead and a chill ran down her spine. Her heart began to race as words she had yet to speak jumbled in her mouth. "I loved Aladdin with all my heart, I still do. No one can ever change how I feel about that and no one will make me wallow in self pity for what happened. If I could turn back time, I would. I would trade my life for his in an instant." Her words were painful as each bubbled up through her cracking voice.
"Really now?" Mozenrath's brow lifted and he massaged his chin. "Do you mean what you say?" He asked doubtfully, skeptic of her answer. His eyes began to churn as he stared into her own blurred ones.
"Of course I do!" Jasmine's hands shook in the balled fists she held them in. The fact that he was questioning her words made the tears fall back and clear her eyes. Adrenaline racing, she felt a sudden rush through her.
"Perhaps, something can be arranged." Mozenrath smiled benevolently as the anger drastically drained from Jasmine's face and paled her completely. The reddened glow from her cheeks was replaced by a pasty color while her eyes dulled slightly then cleared suddenly.
"What?" Her voice was the barest of whispers as she placed a hand over her thudding heart. Each time it took a beat, it pushed a little sliver of hope out that she was too confused and awestruck to stomp out. Something in his voice was not only warning her, but telling her a hidden message she had yet to decode.
"Jasmine . . . what did you really come here for? Hoping to achieve a revenge? An absolution? Accomplishing a burning need inside you to see to it I died?" He paused. "All because of him? A street rat? Do you even know what that word means?"
"That doesn't matter, it never did. If you're trying to bruise me or dig down, you're fighting a losing battle. I have nothing to take and nothing to give."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Princess. Fact is, I can. I can see it in your eyes, the way you look away whenever I mention his name, whenever you blame me for what happened. I hate to break it to you, Jasmine, he wasn't the first person I've killed. You shouldn't place yourself to believe I went out of my way to kill him, because I didn't. He was special or my intended target. I wanted to kill you." The detachment and pure coldness echoed his own voice and made him seem more unreal than ever. The sheer simplicity as he talked about murder made her insides quiver.
"You have the chance. Why don't you?"
"Because it's easier to watch you suffer. One of you had to die, I really wasn't picky that day. Actually, I would have liked more of a battle out of him, but its always rewarding to see the trash cleaned off my land." Mozenrath crossed his arms over his chest and squared himself. "That's what I wanted and it's what I got. The truth and irony is, I was aiming to kill you so Agrabah would be without an heir and thereby be easier to dominate, but without Aladdin, I surely don't believe their will be any coronations being scheduled anytime soon." He paused. "So, this leads me to my proposition."
"You're insane. If you think in your right mind that I would make a deal with you, you've got another thing coming!"
"Hear me out first, before you make such rash decisions." Tucking his tongue into his cheek, Mozenrath tsked. "My, you're timing sure has been off lately, hasn't it? First you act too slowly and then too quickly. I thought they taught you better than that, Princess." Mozenrath strolled over to his desk and leaned against it before sighing. "Here's the deal." He blinked long and hard, considered his options and realized it was the only and possible way. "If you were to step down from your place, from your title as a Princess and lose your royal command and status for good, I would give you something I wouldn't offer any other time."
"Why would I do that? Why would I open Agrabah to your malevolency?"
"Such questions. I'm beginning to think you don't trust me." Mozenrath smiled slightly before circling around her slowly, Jasmine eyeing him the entire time. What was his game? "Step down, and I will make a deal with you."
Jasmine scoffed and nearly felt laughter bubble in the base of her throat. "You really are insane. Nothing on heaven or earth could make me do that."
"Are you so sure?"
Jasmine froze.
With the snap of his fingers, a violet haze blinded the room and Mozenrath's smile deepened. Jasmine brought down her arms which had shielded her eyes and gazed around for what had created the light. Then, she felt as if she had stopped breathing and an iron vice had cranked slowly around her heart, pressing and squeezing until a simple breath became a painful task. No words could come, sentences jumbled in her throat and her stomach fluttered like mad.
Aladdin.
He was bound and gagged, lying helplessly on the floor. His face was bruised, his eyes were swollen and his clothes were ripped. Severely beaten, Jasmine finally let the tears fall from her eyes as she slowly approached him. Afraid it was a mirage, a devil trick of Mozenrath, she didn't let hope or happiness sink through yet; but allowed a shimmer of faith. Bending down, she slowly brought her hand to his face and felt the sob vibrate her throat as she felt his warm cheeks. His hair was matted by sweat and blood from cuts and gashes on his forehead, his eyes were hollowed and dark from lack of sleep or food and his neck was red and dry, as if from a chain he'd worn. Realization dawned and her gaze quickly traveled to his abdomen and saw that there was no wound, no mark of a sword, no fatal scar.
"Aladdin?" She whispered and untied the piece of cloth that had gagged him from speaking. Placing it aside, she ran her hand down his cheek and gently down his reddened neck. The warmth, the glow of his cheeks, the soft rise and fall of his chest was enough to let the dam of emotions break and fall free. Tears were spilling from her eyes and her heart thumped and fluttered wildly in her chest as the layers of frigid ice of hollowed emotions cracked and broke. Her cheeks soon became sore from the wide smile on her face and even though the tears still spilled, she felt no reason to cover them. "Aladdin?" She whispered again as she cleared his bangs from his eyes.
He stirred.
He lifted his hand to his head and rubbed his forehead before opening his eyes. Squinting, he looked at Jasmine and then around the room. He rubbed his aching jaw and was greatly pleased to find the gag was no longer there. Jasmine was openly weeping and didn't let one inch of dread or fear creep into this moment. Joy was the only thing she could feel or want to feel. All the pain and sorrow drifted away and left her in bliss as she sat next to him as he awoke.
"Aladdin." She gasped through her tears. Before she could put his arms around him or kiss him tenderly as she longed to do since he was taken, he backed away from her. The distant gaze in his eyes, the wildness in them consumed him. His brown eyes were dulled and shadowed not just by lack of sleep and food, but by something else. He looked at Mozenrath with contempt and anger, but with a sort of recognition. A look he didn't give her.
Staring into her eyes and lifting a brow, he spoke in a low and absent voice. "Who are you?"
To Be Continued . . .
Please R/R!