Jean Genie
Copyright© 2026 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 31: Desire and Consequence
Morning breaks over the fort with a thin veil of mist rising from the river. Soldiers march across the yard in tight formation, muskets gleaming. The air smells of damp earth and wood-smoke. Sophie stands at the window of her chamber, watching the drills with a cool, appraising gaze. She touches the bracelet.
Her wish from the night before still hums through the gold like a pulse. ‘Make Lieutenant Armand Duplessis adore me completely.’ The magic has already begun its work.
Sophie sees Armand in the yard below, moving with unusual haste. He breaks through the soldier’s formation, ignoring the senior Lieutenant’s barked order to keep clear, and strides directly toward the de la Roque house. His uniform is half‑buttoned. His hair is uncombed. His eyes burn with a feverish intensity.
Sophie’s lips curve. She approaches the front door slowly, letting anticipation sharpen her steps. Armand bursts through the door before she reaches it.
“Sophie!” His voice cracks with emotion. “I ... I had to see you.”
She pauses where she stands, savouring the moment. “Lieutenant. You’re interrupting your drills.”
“I don’t care,” he says, breathless. “I couldn’t wait. I woke thinking of you. I dreamed of you. I...”
He reaches for her hand with trembling fingers. Sophie’s eyes widen in surprise, then narrow with satisfaction.
The senior lieutenant appears behind him, furious. “Lieutenant Duplessis! Come with me at once!”
Armand doesn’t even turn. “Not until I speak with her.”
The soldiers in the yard stare. A few snicker while others whisper. Captain de la Roque sees the commotion in the drill yard. He steps out of his office, expression darkening as he takes in the scene. He marches over to his house.
“Armand,” he says sharply. “Explain yourself.”
Armand straightens, but his gaze never leaves Sophie. “Sir, I ... I cannot think of anything but her.”
Sophie’s father looks at her, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Sophie lifts her chin, feigning innocence. “I didn’t ask him to come.”
Armand steps closer, voice trembling. “I would cross oceans for you. I would abandon my post. I would...”
“Enough,” Captain de la Roque snaps.
But Armand doesn’t stop. He drops to one knee in full view of the soldiers in the yard. In front of the entire garrison.
“Sophie de la Roque,” he says, voice breaking, “I adore you. I worship you. I...”
Sophie’s breath catches. Not in delight but in alarm. This isn’t the admiration she desired. This is obsession. This is devotion twisted into something unstable, consuming, and dangerous. Sophie flees into her room.
Sophie summons me from the bracelet and I hover before her like a mist. I sense the bracelet’s literal obedience to her wish ripple through Armand’s words.
Sophie whispers under her breath, “Jeannia ... what have you done?”
I answer softly, not clarifying that the bracelet has acted without my aid. “This is what you wished.”
Her eyes widen in realisation of her mistake. Armand bursts into her room, uninvited, and reaches for her hand again, desperate, trembling.
“Please. Speak to me. Look at me. Tell me you feel something ... anything...”
Captain de la Roque seizes Armand by the shoulder. “Lieutenant, you are out of line.”
Armand jerks free. “I will not be kept from her!”
At Captain Étienne’s orders, a sergeant and two soldiers move in and restrain Armand. He struggles, shouting Sophie’s name, pleading, swearing devotion with a fervour that chills even the watching men.
Sophie steps back, pulse racing. The bracelet warms against her skin. She realizes ... too late ... that she has unleashed something she cannot control. Her father’s glare cuts through the chaos.
“Get the Lieutenant out of here. Now!” snaps Sophie’s father.
The men leave and Sophie closes the door behind the, breathing hard.
Her voice trembles. “I didn’t want that.”
“You wished for him to adore you completely,” I say gently. “And he does.”
She presses her hands to her temples. “Not like this. Not like...”
Her voice breaks. Outside, Armand’s shouts echo through the yard as soldiers drag him away. Sophie sinks into a chair, trembling with a mixture of fear and fury.
“This is your fault,” she whispers.
I meet her gaze. “No. This was your wish.”
She looks at the bracelet as though it is dangerous. For the first time, Sophie de la Roque is aware that power without precision is peril. But she is addicted to the power of the bracelet. She resolves to be more careful in future. The bracelet glows faintly. Waiting for her next mistake.
As for Armand, he soon overcomes his obsession since such magic can only influence a person for a limited time. In due course he apologies to Captain Étienne and the matter is forgiven, although not forgotten.
Montréal August 1672
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