Prologue: New Orleans, 1876
Victoria ran through the burning house knowing
her only way out
was through an upstairs window. The first
place Marlock would
look would be the front door. She dashed through
the sitting
rooms only stopping to glance at a portrait
of her mother, which
had so far miraculously been spared by the
licking flames. Victoria
briefly thought of grabbing the portrait,
but rejected the idea,
knowing it would take too long. She cast one
last loving look at
her mother’s face, a face she would never
see again. She tore up
the stairs, her black ringlets whipping behind
her, all the while
cursing her seamstress for making such big
petticoats that were
slowing her down horribly. Victoria spared
one last look back at
the parlor and was terrified to see Marlock
bearing down her.
"Give it to me!" Marlock thundered, reaching
out to grab Victoria's
dress," Give it to me now and I'll spare your
life!"
Victoria held the gold medallion closer to
her chest and kicked
backward with all her might. She heard a cracking
as the stairs
gave way beneath Marlock. Victoria held her
breath as she
watched him collapse underneath the pile of
rubbish. She knew it
wouldn't hold him, he was far to powerful.
She rushed up the
stairs and into her bedroom. Victoria gasped
for air as her lungs
filled with smoke. She locked her door and
ran for the balcony, her
last chance. She looked down and tried her
hardest to keep from
crying, the gardens were alive with flames,
it was truly a pit of fire,
Victoria thought sadly.
"Vickie, Vickie." Came an urgent voice from
inside the room.
Victoria peered into her bedroom, but was
unable too see
anything through the thick smoke.
"Talia, Talia is that you?" She cried out as
a figure slowly made its
way to the terrace.
"You know if you wanted a bonfire I could have
taken you to the
beach," Talia replied, joking half-heartedly.
She sighed and
quickly became serious. "Just give him the
medallion. Marlock is
true to his word, he'll let you go."
"No never!" Victoria yelled vehemently." He
has the chain, and if
he gets the Eye of Dirnessa he will...you
know what he'll do, Talia.
How can you say that?"
"Because if you don't, he will kill you and
take the medallion,
anyway. And I can't stop him, he's too strong.
Please Vicki, please.
Save yourself," Talia begged softly.
"Wait, wait a minute..." Victoria said, a triumphant
smile forming on
her ash-stained face," I still have one wish
left. Talia I still have
one wish left! We can beat him!"
"I can't kill him, I can't even banish him
or make it so he will never
harm again, the chain protects him," Talia
reminded.
"You’re a genie...you’re supposed to be the
most powerful being
on earth!" Victoria screamed, clutching the
medallion tightly.
"I can't overcome or undo magic like his...I'm
sorry, I can't," Talia
said sadly. She dropped down by her friend,
her only friend in
over a thousand years. Victoria sobbed like
a child in her arms,
and Talia cradled her gently, knowing in a
few minutes Marlock
would come tearing through the door. "Vikkie,
you can wish to be
somewhere else, you still have a wish left,"
Talia yelled excitedly,
drawing her up. "Wish to be in California,
or...or Boston. Please
Vikkie wish!" Victoria opened her mouth and
screamed as
Marlock—the grotesque true form of Marlock—came
screaming
though the door. Victoria gasped in amazement
as even the
smoke cleared a path for him, a path leading
straight to the
balcony. What was left of his human form slid
off of him like a
snake shedding skin. His red eyes and bubbly
green skin were so
sickening to look at Victoria had to look
away. Marlock
approached menacingly. He knew he couldn't
hurt Talia, but he
could and would easily tear Vikkie to shreds.
Talia took deep
breath and hit him with a bolt of lightening.
She knew it wouldn’t
hurt him, but maybe it would buy Vikkie enough
time to make her
move. Marlock howled in fury as he was propelled
back out of the
room. "Wish, Vikkie, WISH!" Talia screamed.
She could feel
Marlock gathering his energy and in a matter
of seconds she
would be whipped away with the wind. The Eye
of Dirnessa
glowed in Victoria's hand and seemed to give
her the energy to
speak.
"I wish...I wish," Victoria took one last look
at her best friend’s face
and let the medallion fall to her lap." I
wish that you and the Eye of
Dirnessa would go to California and be safe
for all eternity!"
Talia's eyes widened with horror but before
she could speak,
Victoria's wish was granted, and she was gone,
taking the Eye
with her.
"Noooooo, no, no...no...where is it?!" Marlock
screamed digging at
the balcony floor with his claws. Victoria
arose to her feet,
unnoticed by the monstrous beast. With tiny-child
like steps she
climbed to the balcony edge, and turned to
look at what she had
once thought to be her trusted friend.
"You'll never get it...never," She vowed softly.
The beast raised it's
head and advanced towards her, but before
he could reach her,
she took one step back and jumped into the
pit of flames, into her
death.