“Hey Embs. I swear there are like five other board games here. Like one of these I’m pretty sure is Candy Land but it’s called Cumdump Land. It’s literally written in sharpie over the name. This is sad.” Chelsea called from 

“Uh huh.” Ember said from where she sat across the room. It had been four days since the game had ended and everyone agreed to stay away from the house. Everyone except Ember and Chelsea that was. They just couldn’t shake the feeling that there were more secrets to be found. And they had been right.

They had combed through every box of normal stuff first, just to be sure there weren’t any buried secrets. Other than lots of vhs tapes and old photos and sexy letters, there wasn’t anything too interesting. Today Ember finally took a crack at that large black chest and she was amazed to find what was inside.

At first it seemed like it was just a bunch of knicknacks, but after digging through it a bit she found an old leather bound book. It was nearly as big as her chest and heavy too. Pages were sticking out of every end as if they had been shoved in there and the whole thing seemed as if it was barely being held together by a single leather strap and buckle.

Not being able to resist taking a peek, Ember undid the strap and opened it up. As soon as she did, a letter fell out, addressed to her on the envelope. She picked it up and was still busy reading it.

Ember,

I know we didn’t see each other much growing up. You mother and I had very different opinions on things. When I was younger, much younger, I was a lot like you. I’m sure you’ll find my photos, if you do, you could donate them somewhere. I doubt you want to look at your own grandmother’s sexual escapades. I hope you read this before stumbling onto any of the treasures I’ve collected over the years. If you don’t, well, I’m sure you have a lot of questions.

When I was younger, I fell in love with a woman. I’ve forgotten her name over time but she introduced me to a whole other world. One full of magic and enchantment. Yes, magic is very real. But what she never told me was the cost. All magic, good or bad, comes with a cost, typically small and minor, some counterbalanced spellwork. But strong magic can take away love forever.

I lost her Ember, we were young and foolish and we tempted fate. She had her mind erased, and forgot all about me. Of course I found love again, many times over the decades, even with your grandfather for a bit. Your mother never did forgive me for letting him go. That led to our inevitable rift. That and your mother’s refusal to accept magic.

I hope you do accept it. Magic can be a wonderful thing if you understand it. But there are some rules you must follow.

• All magic should be tied to an object, you can tie as many spells as desired to it, but once you do, they can never be removed. This helps prevent the need for continuous casting over time and saves the cost minimizing it.
• Magic should never be used as a shortcut. The cost of it can be devastating and it should only be used for life changing reasons.

• Magic is good or bad. Not based on how you use it. If you use good magic, eventually you will build up a need to expend bad magic to balance yourself out. The bigger the buildup, the more dangerous it can be.

• The more powerful you become, the more dangerous life becomes for you. Magic will always attract magic, and there are people out there who are not as pure as I was.

• Trust your heart.

In this book I’ve chronicled every spell, every item in this chest and attic, all my magical abilities and experiences. Please my darling, do not hide from this gift. This is my blessing to you. Embrace yourself now and forever. Never let anyone tell you who you are or who to be. Love like the world is ending. Live like there is no tomorrow. And above all else.

Be Magic.

-Selene Astaire

Ember wiped a tear from her eye and held the letter to her chest. She suddenly wished she had spent more time with her grandmother in the home before she had passed. There was so much she wanted to ask her.

“Hey Embs. Did you hear me? I found this weird lamp. It’s like a genie lamp. Oh!” Chelsea gripped it by the handle, setting it in her hand. She began to rub the side. “Look. Embs I’m like Aladdin. Maybe I’ll get a wish.”

“Chelsea what did I say about-”

Both girls stopped and looked to the tip of the lamp where a deep pink smoke was coming out from. It billowed in the air, almost fairytale like puffing up and snaking down between them. It pooled on the floor and started stretching upward slowly shaping out like a person.

“CHELSEA DON’T SAY A FUCKING WORD!” Ember screamed at the top of her lungs and began flipping through the book on the floor in front of her. She scanned every page, spells, memories, stories, even a whole four pages on the creation of Jumbani, she made a note to read over that later. Finally towards the middle she found it, the image of the lamp drawn on the page, drawn poorly she would add, but drawn.

The Lamp of the Genie Tentra

Found in a random pawn shop in Oklahoma of all places, the lamp holds the Genie Tentra inside. She holds a temper, a mean one, especially towards me. Do not use without careful understanding. While not typically a cruel breed, Tentra will make a point to distort your wish for her own amusement. 

Note: Genie wishes come in groups of three. After which time, the lamp will randomly teleport to a new location somewhere in the world to prevent the manipulation of wishes. 

Note: I have overridden the rule above. Tentra was not pleased.

Note: Tentra and I may or may not have had a lingering on and off thing.

Ember looked up just in time to see the smoke start to part, a person standing in the middle of it between her and Chelsea. Her heads up display was running at a million miles per hour. She had to deal with a genie now, not just a genie, but one of her grandmother’s exes. Who was also a genie scorned. Ember looked at Chelsea drawing a zipper over her mouth, she could see Chelsea already getting excited. The last thing she needed was another set of crazy outcomes that resulted in who knows what happening. All she wanted was a bit of peace and quiet and now she had this to deal with.

How could this day get any worse.