Karmic payback - Part 7

Part 7

A few hours later, Grace, Max and Martha returned from town. They had found all the necessary ingredients. Grace unlocked the door to her room. "Come in, all. I'll summon Alex and then I will make the medicine." While Martha and Max entered the room, Grace placed the shopping bag on the table. Then she grabbed the lamp and rubbed it.

"Grace, no!" Martha yelled as she felt the magic from the lamp reach for Grace. But it was too late. The magic already tried to suck Grace into the lamp.
With all her magic power, Grace tried to resist the force assaulting her. It was strong, nearly as strong as her own powers. Sweat beads appeared on her head. With great effort, she managed to bring the sucking to a halt. But Grace was still trapped in the vortex. She knew she had to muster all her strength to break free, and if she failed, she would be sucked inside the lamp and most likely turned into another genie slave. Slowly, inch by an inch, Grace widened the magic grasp on her. A little more, only a little more. She was nearly free. But Grace also felt her own powers reaching their limits. She knew she couldn't hold on for much longer. With on last, desperate effort, she mustered all strength she had left and pushed against the magic of the lamp. Her world turned black. Grace just felt the floor before she lost consciousness. With her last strength, she had broken free from the magic vortex.


Max rushed to help his girlfriend. He cradled her head in his leap. Slowly, Grace regained her senses. "Where am I? Am I a genie now?" Grace asked.

"No, you're not. Everything is fine. You just fainted." Max calmed his girlfriend.

"I... remember. That was very close. The magic of that lamp was so strong... it nearly consumed me." Grace whispered.

"You better lay down." Max and Martha helped her up and placed her on the bed.

"Where's Alex? What happened to her lamp? I don't understand..." Grace wondered.

Meanwhile, Martha had taken the lamp to examine it. "I don't think this is Alex's lamp. It has a different magic signature. It was made by genie magic."

"If that's not Alex's lamp, where is her lamp now?" Max asked.

Martha examined the lamp closer. "I think this is Gregorios' signature. I think I know who took Alex's lamp. Max, will you come along with me?"

"I'll come, too!" Grace protested.

"No. You need rest. I will stay here with you, Grace!" Max exclaimed. "Sorry, Martha, I won't come along."

"Max, I have to face Svetlana and her genie Gregorios. I need a human to ask for wishes, or I can't use all of my powers. Please come along." Martha urged Max.

"She's right. Go with Martha. I'll be fine, Max. Alex needs your help now." Grace settled the argument.

"Ok, we'll be back with Alex soon." Max followed Martha out of the room.


Meanwhile, Svetlana was sitting in her room. She had summoned Alex. "Again, Alex, will you grant me any wish I ask for?"

"Certainly not. I'm just forced to grant you, my current mistress, one single wish!" Alex protested.

"But I commanded Gregorios to enslave you in such a way that you have to grant me an unlimited number of wishes." Svetlana protested.

"You didn't wish for this. I will grant my current master only one single wish. And that's it."

"That's not what I meant... wait a second... You said your current master? Who is your current master?"

"My master is the person who summoned me, Mistress!" Alex was forced to reply.

"And the next person, whoever it is, that summons you will be your next master or mistress? You will grant him or her a wish right?" Svetlana asked.

"That's right, mistress! The next person to summon me will get a single wish." Alex replied. "That is my rule."

"Excellent! Let's put this to the test. Genie, I wish for a pair of diamond earrings that are in the window at the jewelry store at the Bahnhofstraße." Svetlana commanded.

Alex rolled her eyes. "Your wish is my command." She blinked and a pair of earrings appeared.

"Very well." Svetlana said. "Now back to your lamp." Alex returned to her lamp. Svetlana placed the lamp on her vanity set, next to the earrings. She waited for a moment, then she rubbed the lamp a second time.

Alex appeared again: "I'm Alex, the genie of the lamp. I will grant you one wish and one wish only."

"Welcome back. You did well with the earrings. I guess these are the very earrings from the window?" Svetlana asked. Alex nodded. "And I guess you basically stole them from the window, probably with proof leading back to me?"

Alex face turned really sour. "That's how I planned for it."

"Hear my wish, then." Svetlana said. "I wish that I would own these earrings legally. No evidence shall point to any crime."

Alex smirked. "Your wish is my command." She blinked and the photo of an older man appeared next to the earrings. "The earrings are now a gift from your sugar daddy. He's a married industrialist and you are his mistress. Have fun with him."

Svetlana looked at the photo. She hadn't exactly planned for this but she would find a way to work things out. With the help of two genies at her side, she would find a way to first inherit the fortune of this man and then make him disappear. "Don't worry, I will make things work. Now, back to your lamp."

Just after Alex had returned to her lamp, Svetlana heard her door open. Martha and a young boy stepped in.

"Give us Alex back!" the boy commanded.

"I don't know what you are talking about, young man! Get out of my room or I'll call security!"

"Her lamp is on your vanity. You stole the lamp from my friend's room. Give her back at once or face the wrath of Martha!" Max repeated his threat.

"Then you have to vanquish my genie first." Svetlana produced Gregorios' bottle and uncorked it.

"What do you want now?" Gregorios asked, angrily.

"Martha is here. Now you get your chance for revenge." Svetlana commanded.

"With pleasure." Gregorios moved towards Martha.

"Quick, Max. Allow me to use my full power." Martha passed her lamp to Max.

"Alright, Martha. Use your powers to defeat him!" Max said.

Martha pushed forward and unleashed her powers on Gregorios. So did Gregorios and both waves of magic collided. Martha was surprised how strong Gregorios had become. She was turned into a genie only a few months before she turned Gregorios into one. Originally, she was stronger than Gregorios. But over the last two years, Gregorios had gained considerably on strength. This would be a hard fight.
After a few seconds, the first encounter came to an halt. "I know you hate me for turning you into a genie. But why did you turn against Alex? What did you do to her?" Martha asked while she took a deep breath.

Gregorios was gasping for air too. "Svetlana wished Alex into an enslaved genie," he answered laconically. "Don't think I wanted to do it. I don't like being an enslaved genie."

"Welcome to the club." Martha mocked him. "If you didn't force me to destroy the lives of Bernard and Sylvia, I might feel sorry for you. Being an enslaved genie is your just punishment."

"I had already won. If it hadn't been that stupid blackmailing letter, I would have never used my last wish the way I did." Gregorios cursed.

"What letter?" Martha asked.

"Someone wrote in that letter that he knew what I did to Bernard and Sylvia. He threatened to make this information public. That's why I wish for unlimited power. But you turned me into a genie. You ruined everything, Martha. You and that accursed letter. NOW DIE!!!!" Gregorios attacked Martha again.

Martha was a bit surprised by the force of his attack and stepped back two steps. Then, she managed to hold on. Still, Gregorios unleashed one magical attack after another on her. But Martha soon realized that his attacks were drive only by rage and were poorly placed. She parried another attack, then she struck. Two well-placed attacks pushed Gregorios on to the defensive. Gregorios tried to fight back, but in vain. Martha placed one well-aimed hit after the other. Gregorios was pushed back further and further, while his power weakened. Eventually, he had enough and fled back into his bottle.
Martha was exhausted. She took a few deep breaths. Then she turned towards Svetlana. "You've lost now, hand over Alex. Or I will make you wish you had never been born!"

"Okay. Here's her lamp!" Svetlana handed Alex's lamp over.

"We'll meet again, Svetlana!" Martha and Max left a defeated Svetlana behind. Her room was completely wrecked by the magic fight. This time, Svetlana had clearly lost.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Part 1: [link]
Part 2: [link]
Part 3: [link]
Part 4: [link]
Part 5: [link]
Part 6: [link]

Part 8: [link]

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Alex, Grace and Max are OCs by