Alaina rested beside a small lake, her eyes taking in the diamond-like glitter of the sun's reflection. A gentle breeze tugged at her hair, and her fingers brushed through the soft blades of grass at her side. Nearby a patch of flowers bloomed, their soft fragrance carrying to her nose. Birds twittered in the distance, their singing blending beautifully with the sound of the rippling water.

It should have been a relaxing moment, but for Alaina, it was nothing short of slow torture. She swallowed hard, a knot drawing tighter in her stomach as she waited. The sound of footsteps closed in from somewhere behind her, and she shut her eyes for a brief moment. Mentally crossing her fingers, she climbed to her feet to greet the new arrival.

"Good morning, Yersa."

The older woman responded with a regal nod of her head before getting right to the point. "As you know, this is your final test before you are sent out on your first assignment. Now, I know that the last few weeks have been quite hard for you, but keep in mind that we only do this to be sure you are as prepared as we can make you. Everything you learn here is essential to the job you are going to be expected to do once you leave."

She drew in a deep breath, sliding her hands down the sides of her flowing skirt to smooth away the wrinkles caused by the breeze. "That said, shall we begin the final exam?"

Alaina nodded even though she would have much rather have run in the other direction. She had been nervous to start with, and the feeling just got bigger once her reviewer arrived. Yersa was one of the top teachers, and also one of the strictest. It was said that no student had ever managed to pass one of her tests on the first try, and Alaina believed it. After all, this was her third attempt.

"Your assignment was to create a feeling of perfect relaxation. Somewhere where all worries drift away and contentment can be found no matter what. Let's see how you did."

Alaina trailed after Yersa, watching as her eyes took in every detail of the small retreat. She stopped by the plot flowers. Bending down, she traced a finger over one of the petals. "These are daffodils."

Alaina pushed down the urge to take a step back when her teacher turned to look at her. "Um, yes," she stammered, "They're daffodils."

Yersa straightened with a slight huff. "Did it ever occur to you that some mortals are allergic to such flowers?"

"I know that. I would be sure to only use a kind they weren't allergic to."

"And what if there was another person nearby who was allergic to the new plant? Would you be willing to affect them just to accomplish your goal? Or what if the original person just didn't care for any type of flower? What would you do then?"

"I guess I would take the flowers out." Alaina felt almost dizzy from the speed with which Yersa tossed out her questions and expected answers. She had thought she was prepared for it this time, since she had gone through it twice before, but apparently the older woman had more than one new trick up her long, flowing sleeves.

"If you remove the flowers altogether, then you lose the perfumed air. Smell is an important part when it comes to creating the perfect place to relax."

Alaina hurried to find another solution. "Maybe I could use a tree that has a nice smell, like pine. A lot of people like pine."

"And a lot of people don't. You're changing the pieces around, but you're not solving the problem. You have to look deeper." Yersa stopped, her expression softening almost unnoticeably. "The trick is to scent the breeze itself. To be absolutely sure that no one, no matter how many people are around, could be unfavorably affected, you should create your own fragrance. It will become almost like a calling card, unique and personal."

Now that the rapid-fire questioning had stopped, Alaina found herself able to think again. It was unfortunate that her first thoughts had to be on how she should have known the answers to Yersa's question. After all, they had gone over it in class several times.

It wasn't that she didn't pay attention, because she always did. She just had a hard time remembering everything she had learned when she was under pressure. Every thought and lesson flew right out of her head, leaving her stuttering and stammering over things even the younger grades already knew.

She forced herself to take a deep breath. If she couldn't relax in a spot created specifically for that purpose, then there was simply no hope for her. She let her mind focus on the sound of the waves and the birds, listening as the music they made soothed her nerves and calmed her mind.

A moment passed. Suddenly frowning, Alaina opened her eyes and turned to the patiently waiting Yersa. "I have a question."

An interested look crossed her teacher's face and she rolled her hands in a gesture that Alaina took to mean she should continue.

"Well, you said that some mortals don't like flowers just because they don't like them. Can the same thing be true with this other stuff?" She motioned to the water and the grass. Before Yersa could say anything, she went on. "And maybe it's possible they wouldn't like the sounds, either. I mean, I think birds and waves are nice, but there could be people that don't like either of them. After all, I don't think water would be very relaxing for someone who had almost drowned once, or something like that.

"I know that it's possible to make to make a new scent that's never been made before, so you could probably do the same with a sound. It would be just like writing a new song that's never been sung." She paused, taking time to put her thoughts in order. She wasn't exactly sure how to phrase her question, so she just tried her best to explain what she meant. "Is it possible to make a feeling like that? Something that has parts of a lot of nice things, but not enough of them to bother someone who didn't like them?"

Yersa eyed her thoughtfully. "What you're asking is if it's possible to produce the actual feeling of relaxation rather than making a place that would then create that feeling?"

"Yes." Alaina looked at her teacher expectantly, waiting for the answer. If anyone would know if it were possible, it would be Yersa. She hadn't risen to a Y class by being uninformed. She kept an eye on every newly developed technique and was always willing to pass the most effective ones onto the students she worked with.

She had expected a yes or no. She had expected an involved explanation for the reason behind the yes or no. But of all the things that Alaina was expecting her teacher to say, the words that came from her lips were nowhere on the list. Yersa smiled broadly, clapping her hands together. "Congratulations, Alaina! You just passed your final exam."

"What?" she asked, unable to believe that her sought after goal had just been handed to her based on a question. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. The test was never about creating things; it was about asking questions and coming up with new ideas. The first and most important thing that you will learn out there is that you can't plan how things will go. Something unexpected will pop up every time, and you have to know how to deal with it. You've always been very good at learning what we teach, but that's only half of your education. You have to be willing to take the next step into uncharted territory. Trying new things is vitally important, and the only way you'll ever become truly successful at your work. Do you understand?"
"I think so."

"Good. Now let's go see about letting everyone else know your good news."

"Um, before we do that, I was just wondering . . ."

"Yes?"

"Well, the thing I asked before, is it possible?"

Yersa laughed.

Alaina skipped happily down the long corridor to her room, adding an energetic twirl every couple of steps. She had finally passed! It had taken years of training and three tries, but she had finally passed the last test standing between her and all the excitement she had dreamed of for so long.

In just a few short minutes she would be getting her first assignment. It would be a little sad to leave behind this place she had called home, but the lure of the unknown kept her from getting too depressed. She would be spending time among mortals, learning new things and seeing new sights. And if she did get homesick, she could always just remind herself that it wouldn't be too long before she would be back home again. Granting three wishes seemed like a big deal, and it was. But that wasn't to say that it took very long.

She stopped, looking at the small card she had clutched in her left hand. It was right there for anyone to see: Alaina, Class A genie. She smiled again. It had certainly been worth all the work and lectures, although she hadn't thought so while she was going through them.

Remembering what she was supposed to be doing, she continued on her way. She only had a little bit of time to get her things together and report to the main office. The curiosity about her assignment was enough motivation to rush her through packing.

Since she wouldn't know what kind of clothes she would need until she actually arrived at her destination, all she had to gather were the few personal items she wasn't willing to leave behind. There was some of her favorite jewelry and the music box her friends had given her to keep it in. She then grabbed the image bowl she had made last semester. By just adding water, she would be able to see anyone she wanted to reflected on its surface.

The last things she gathered were also the most important ones. The first was a small bag made out of velvet like cloth and embroidered with different colored roses. It was the solution to her quest to find a way to personalize each of her jobs. She had gotten help from Veria, another one of her teachers, on its actual construction, but the idea had been all hers. It was an accomplishment of which she was very proud.

The second item was a mirror made of silver. It was about the size of her palm and the case was edged with etchings of roses and twisting vines. The mirror itself was slightly foggy, but since it wasn't used like others were, that was of no importance. What was important was what the mirror would be able to do once it was in hands of the right person.

With all her things placed carefully in a small tote bag, Alaina looked around her room for the final time. She was going to miss the vivid colors and flowing fabrics that filled it. She was going to miss knowing that her friends were right across the hall, and that she could simply find a teacher if she came across something she didn't understand. Once she left, she would truly be on her own for the first time in her life.

The feeling of a tear sliding down her cheek surprised her out of her thoughts. Wiping it away with the cuff of her shirt, Alaina sniffed. As hard as it would be to leave, it would only get worse the longer she stood there thinking about it. Squaring her shoulders in determination, she turned on her heel and walked out the door.

The nearer she drew to the office, however, the louder the doubts in her head got. Now that she was so close to being on her own, she was no longer sure she was ready. After all, she had only just passed her final exam and it had taken three tries! Was that really the kind of genie they wanted to saddle some poor mortal with?

What if she screwed up? What if she made a mistake so big that it jeopardized everything that she held dear? She stopped dead in her tracks as she imagined being sent back in disgrace. The thought of having to face everyone with them all knowing that she had failed was the most awful thing she could imagine.

"No!" she cried out loud, earning a confused look from another student who was passing by. Giving the girl an embarrassed smile, Alaina started walking again. She wasn't going to make a mistake. She wasn't going to fail. She would accept her assignment and then she would fulfill her duties to the best of her abilities. She was ready, or her teachers wouldn't have passed her. Whose opinion was she going to trust? Her own, which was admittedly fueled by fear and a lack of confidence? Or her teachers', who had generations of experience to go on?

By the time she pushed open the office door, the smile was back on Alaina's face. If her hands shook just a little as she filled out the last bits of paperwork, no one mentioned it.

Before she knew it, she was sitting in a comfortable chair that was placed in the middle of an otherwise empty room. Hetta, the main assignment manager, had explained that it was to minimize distractions while she read. She had then handed Alaina a folder and returned to her desk in the next room.

Flipping the file open, the first thing Alaina saw was a photo of a boy. Knowing that he was probably her project, she took the time to carefully study his features. He had brown hair that looked like it was styled in the messy-on-purpose way that mortals seemed to favor lately. His brown eyes looked serious as they stared back at her, making her think that he probably didn't spend much time laughing.

Turning it over, she moved to the next page. It was filled with small but important facts. The boy's name was Sebastian Mueller, and he was a teenager. He lived with his mother and father, and didn't have any brothers or sisters, and the spot reserved on the form for best friend was also blank. As she continued down the sheet, she noticed a theme about the information.

Sebastian was a straight A student and heavily involved in group activities. Although he didn't play any sports, he did work on the school paper and he held a spot on the student council. Other people saw him as kind and informed, and someone who was always willing to lend a hand wherever he could.

They also didn't have a clue about the real him.

The reason he was being sent a genie was listed as repressed personality. The Sebastian that everyone liked was just a front for the Sebastian that nobody knew. She was going to have to help him learn to express himself, to be more open with the people in his life. Whatever reason he had for hiding behind a false front, it probably wasn't a healthy one. She would have to deal with that first and then ease him into changing a little at a time.

Alaina closed the folder and looked at its plain cover without really seeing it. She found herself wondering how exactly she should approach this case. From what she had just read, it wasn't the simplest one they could have thrown her way. A person who had spent most of his life working hard at being someone else was not just going to change overnight. The wishes would be a big help, but they were only a small part of the process. They were the cheese at the end, not the maze itself.

Few mortals knew the true purposes of genies. They had their fairy tales, of course, but they were grossly inaccurate pieces of fiction that had long since strayed from the actual facts. Who ever heard of a person living inside a lamp, of all things? It would be hideously uncomfortable and absolutely boring. And what was the deal with the whole slave situation? Any mystical being worth their salt should know how to easily break a binding spell. For goodness sake, it was one of the lessons covered her very first week at school!

No, genies did not reside in lamps or live to serve in such an extremely literal way. They led lives that were considerably more normal than mortals might expect. They had families and children, and those children went to school, just like other kids.

About the only thing mortal legends got right was the three wishes, and even then, they only had half the story. It was true that a person chosen to receive the help of a genie got three wishes. But they didn't actually get to pick what the wishes were. That was for their genie to decide and then convince them that it was the best thing they could ask for. Just imagining what some mortals would request if they could have whatever they wanted made Alaina shudder. They did enough damage to themselves and others without needing magical help to make it worse.

That was why clients, as they were sometimes called, were chosen so carefully. It was important to find people who wanted to change their lives, even if it was so deep down that even they didn't know it. And they had to be trustworthy. It would be extremely difficult to help someone if they were bent on sharing the secret with the world.

No, all clients were special in one way or another, and that meant that Sebastian was, too. Alaina pulled his picture out and looked at him again. She tried to imagine what his reaction would be like, but couldn't. His expression was very hard to read, a trick he had probably cultivated early on in life. It could easily go anywhere from open-minded acceptance to absolute denial. She would just have to wait and see.