{Sorry for the delay. Dumb day job. Here’s the conclusion of The Ring (read part 1 here). Many thanks to the lovely Tumperkin. Sharpe, you’re next!}

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He stared at me expectantly so I scrambled under the bedcovers and removed my PJs, throwing them onto the floor. Then I patted the sheet next to me, inviting him in.

I’m not sure what I expected, but certainly some degree of skill. I mean, he was a djinn, a magical being. Surely it was a given that he’d be good at this?

What I got was a total amateur. He’d obviously never done this before, at least not with a mortal. But he was wildly enthusiastic and an extremely quick learner, perhaps because he could read my mind. It was impossible not to swept away by his unbridled lust. I’ve never felt so wanted in all my life. He seemed to love every imperfect inch of me. And my, he shagged like a dream. It was a lovely, long, relentless screw, and it did indeed end in an incredible orgasm. Best. Shag. Ever. My wish fulfilled.

Afterwards, we lay staring at one another.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Altor. You?”

“Clare.”

He smiled at me sadly. “You’ll have to make your second wish soon, Clare. It’s two hours till sunrise.”

“And after that you get sucked back into the ring?”

“Yes. Although with a good memory this time. Thank you.”

I took a deep breath. “What would happen if I wished for your freedom?”

Altor went completely still. He stared at me with his big soulful eyes. “I would not go back into the ring. I would become mortal, like you.”

“Do you want me to wish for that?” I asked gently.

He was silent but his whole body was taut and his eyes were pleading. I thought I heard, very faintly inside my head, the words It is my dearest wish. But he said nothing.

“I’m guessing that the spell that binds you to the ring doesn’t let you answer my question. Am I right?”

Altor didn’t move but the tension left him and although his lips remained still, his eyes seemed to soften. It was enough. I was convinced.

“I wish that Altor be freed from the enchantment of the ring,” I announced.

Well, believe or not, very little happened. There were no blinding lights, no clouds of smoke, no celestial music. Just a subtle shift in Altor’s beautiful eyes, like the melting away of an invisible film. And it was as though I could see right into the warm depths of his brand new, profoundly human soul.

He kissed me hard, and started laughing hysterically into my mouth. He jumped out of bed and danced around, yelling and whooping. Then he jumped back in and babbled, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He was practically incoherent with joy.

Ages later, when he had finally calmed down, he picked up the ring and stared at it in silence. I stared at it too and now I could see that it was an ugly thing. A prison.

“Is it still magic?” I asked.

He shook his head. “It never was. It was just a vessel.”

“Give me it back to me then. I have to return it to Charlie.”

“You don’t want to marry him?”

I decided not to ask him how he knew about Charlie yet.

“I never wanted to marry Charlie,” I said.

“Good,” he replied, then blushed. There was an awkward silence. We stared at one another.

“Do you have any wishes?” I asked softly.

“Yes,” he said. “Two actually. And they’re exactly the same as yours. Now that I’m free, the second one has been granted. As for the first….?”

I reached for him, smiling.

“Your wish is my command,” I whispered.

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