The Forbidden Wish Quotes
"He is just a common human boy. He cannot hear the cry of a jinni, a lamp spirit, a granter of wishes."
"This place is haunted by ghosts, and I am one of them."
"It was one of the better wishes I’ve granted."
"The greatest treasure in all the world, as comfortless as light to the blind."
"I am the Slave of the Lamp, the mighty Jinni of Ambadya. I hold the power to grant your desires thrice."
"Every wish has a price, seldom do you—or I—know what that price is, until it has already been paid."
"Four thousand years may be quite a long life, but I’m not ready to be done living just yet."
"Everything in me screams, Turn around! Run away! But I force myself to keep moving."
"Cruelty, I understand. But kindness frightens me, for my defenses are weak against it."
"The scent of him overwhelms me: fresh figs from this morning, goats’ milk soap he last washed his cloak with, smoke from the ruins of Neruby, wind, and sea salt."
"So did I, but it seems we must both leave disappointed."
"The same thing we all want. He just won’t admit it."
"Even a thief may have honor, and even a jinni may have a heart."
"Thou hast become a friend like unto a sister to me. I favor not only thy counsel, but thy company. May I ask thee anything?"
"I have had many masters, but none like you, O Queen. I am honored to be thy friend, and surely I will answer whatever thou ask of me."
"What dost thou fear? Name it, and I shall slay it for thee."
"What use is time against the might of Ambadya?"
"We have today and yesterday, and we will seize tomorrow. We will have all the time in the world if we are clever enough to take it."
"Even the Forbidden Wish may be spoken, and there is naught he may do to stop it."
"Thou once told me that none but the Shaitan might free thee from thy lamp, but I know it is not so. For I could wish thee free, and there is naught he could do to stop it."
"Every wish has its price, and the price of the Forbidden Wish is thy life."
"If thou shouldst suffer for love of me, I would never forgive myself."
"I’m not saying it one more bleeding time, jinni!"
"Sometimes, you can’t choose what happens to you, but you can choose who you become because of it."
"Being underestimated isn’t flattering—but it’s an advantage."
"Dreams won’t protect the city from jinn. Dreams won’t feed my people."
"I’ve been underestimated all my life and have found it a cloak as useful as invisibility."
"You’d be in the desert, a pile of bleached bones, that’s where."
"It wouldn’t work. The fire isn’t real. It’s just a part of me—shape-shifting magic. It won’t set anything ablaze."
"It is restraint versus passion. It is desire versus purity. It is push versus pull."
"We are mirrors of one another, do you see? But always we come back, wrist to wrist."
"The woman leads, and the man resists. The woman invites, and the man follows."
"Everything I’ve heard describes the jinn world as dark and wretched."
"You are stone, and she is water. You are the earth, and she is the sky."
"Your part is easy—let Caspida lead. Mirror her movements, and you will fall into synthesis."
"It is one of the few dances shared by a man and a woman."
"You’re handsome and powerful. You’re what every little princess dreams of."
"And what do little serving girls dream of?" he whispers.
"Wish for it, thief, and I could make her beg for your love."
"You’ve had a hundred opportunities to trick me and betray me, but you don’t."
"I’m not for you. We are so different. Our lives are a thousand and one worlds apart."
"Loving someone is never wrong. And like you said, it’s not a choice. It just happens, and we’re all helpless in its power."
"Shake hands with a jinni, and you shake hands with death."
"I never wanted it to come to this. I’m sorry."
"I’ve been making myself miserable my whole life."
"I convinced myself long ago that if I could get revenge on Sulifer, I could finally move on."
"All the world is in your shadow, Zahra. I cannot help but see you when I close my eyes."
"You’re not pathetic. And you’re right. I don’t know what it’s like. But I do know that you can bear it."
"Well." He lifts the jug to his lips, his eyes wide and unfocused. "I guess I win after all."
"When your third wish is granted, you will cease to be my master. You may possess the lamp, but you cannot call me. I will return to it and await the next Lampholder."
"Stop it," I snap. "I always knew it would end like this. It always does. There’s no point in fighting it, Aladdin. It is simply the way of things."
"Like all wishes, the Forbidden Wish comes at a price. My freedom must be bought with a death, a life paid in sacrifice. And I will not let you make that sacrifice, not for me."
"Love is a path lined with roses," I say bitterly. "But it leads to a cliff’s edge, and all who follow it tumble to their doom."
"Faith in ourselves. Faith in the ones we love. Faith in tomorrow."
"What would it take to make you believe, Zahra?"
"I have lived too long to believe in happiness."
"You’ve been in that lamp too long. It’s curdled your heart. I think you do believe. I think you just don’t want to get hurt. You’re afraid."
"You loved before, and she was taken from you. Ever since, you’ve been afraid to love again. You insist you’re a monster because you’re afraid of being human."
"What do you want me to do? Swear on my mother’s soul? Cut my hand open and sign my name in blood?"
"The difference is that this is my choice, Aladdin."
"Truly you will be the queen this city needs. But I can’t marry you."
"The truth is, I am in love, but not with you."
"You’re beautiful and wild and kind, and I can’t stop thinking about you."
"Far be it from me to stand in the way of such love."
"I’m tired of living for the dead. I want to live for you."
"I knew who you were the moment I saw this in the baths."
"You’ll be wishing for death before I’m done with you."
"May you carry the weight of this betrayal to your grave."
"I did not kill the king! Caspida, please believe me!"
"I knew I should not have taken his deal. I knew he couldn’t be trusted."
"I give you every chance in the world to make something of yourself, and you bring me failure!"
"I am the jinni of the lamp, the daughter of Ambadya, the monster in your midst."
"I have nothing but respect and admiration for you."
"If you’re not free to love, you’re not free at all."
"Love or freedom? A month ago I would have laughed to think I would feel such agony at the choice."
"I think of all the places I could go, the things I could do, with no one to command me."
"Every glance, every touch, every whisper between us has been a pebble added to the scales, tipping me toward a new direction."
"You can’t choose what happens to you, but you can choose who you become because of it."
"I fell outside time. I saw the gods weaving the universe."
"You’re beautiful. I mean, you were beautiful before, of course, but knowing that this is the real you... I didn’t think I could love you more, but I do."
"We should return to the city. Caspida needs our help."
"No, it’s all right. I’m here, I’m alive. I’m free."
"What do we do now? We mourn what has been lost. And tomorrow, we rise."
"I’m still Zahra, just with a new face. It’s a... jinn thing."
"Stop thinking like a princess and be a queen."
"You’ve ruled before. So tell me, does it get easier? No, but you get stronger."
"So this is what it feels like to have all your wishes come true."