An Ill-Fated Decision Due to Greed

Amina awakens after her drunken wedding night and panics when Raksh’s tusked, inhuman form appears and the door melts to cinders. Spotting their signed marriage contract, she despairs over committing fornication with a “demon” and fears damnation.

Raksh sobers, shifts to a more human guise, and insists the contract does not claim her soul. He claims ancient origins, denies being a djinn, and admits he pursued marriage to bind a contract. Amina argues the union is invalid and vows to undo it, but Raksh pleads to leave the island and remain with her.

To win her over, Raksh displays conjured gold and, more persuasively, describes Amina’s hidden ambitions: caring for her family, sailing farther east, and earning renown as an explorer. He explains his kind feed on human desire, not souls, and promises to act as living good fortune—fair winds, full nets, and misfortune bypassing her foes—so long as their bond holds.

Amina challenges his intentions toward her crew; Raksh claims no wish to harm them and says her desires alone suffice. Torn between piety, fear, and longing for a safer, greater legacy, Amina imagines fulfilling her promises to family and realizing grand voyages.

Yielding to temptation and the prospect of protection and success, Amina agrees to test Raksh’s offer: one journey to prove his worth. The chapter ends with her cautious acceptance of a perilous bargain.