Keeping the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 3) (13 page)

A finger strokes my cheek. It’s so soft, like a feather. When I open my eyes, I see a blurry figure above me. I can only make out black hair.

“Lily.” The voice is just as soft as the finger caressing my face. The voice and hair seem familiar, but I can’t quite place them. I feel like I
should
know who this person is, but the part of my brain that controls memories must be out of order.

I want to shut my eyes and drift back to sleep, but the face staring down at me looks so familiar that I can’t ignore it. Reaching up, I press my fingers to his lips. They’re so warm.

“Lily,” the voice says again. It’s male, and as I gaze up at him, his face slowly shifts into focus. I see blue eyes.

“Sebastian,” I say. It all comes back to me now. Hastus informing me of a way to heal Sebastian. How much pain I was in when I absorbed his disease. “You’re alive!”

He holds me in his arms. “I woke up and both you and Hastus were unconscious on the floor.”

I pull out of his grasp and look around. “Hastus. Where is he?” I look around some more. “Where am I?” I’m not in the room Sebastian was in. “How long have I been asleep?”

“A few hours. After I woke up, Hastus told the others what happened.” He hugs me close. “You healed me. You and Hastus. I can’t be more thankful.”

I bury my face in his chest, inhaling his scent. “I’d do anything for you.”

His mouth brushes against my temple. “I love you.” His lips sweep across mine. I want to pull him close and show him how important he is to me, but I still feel a little weak. Sharing a hot, intense, passionate kiss with him would probably put me in a coma for weeks.

“I love you, too,” I murmur against his lips.

“Hastus said you should be getting your strength back soon. He expected you to be out for a few days, but because you’re powerful, you’ve healed quickly.”

I lie down on the bed and motion for Sebastian to join me. Once he does, I snuggle up to his chest. “Was my dad mad when he found out?”

“Not really. He understood how important this was for you. He was very worried, though. Both of us were. Even though Hastus told us you’d make a full recovery, I still blamed myself.”

“How can you blame yourself? It wasn’t your fault you got sick.”

He frowns. “I just feel like I’m getting in your way. Sorry. This might not be a good time to talk about this.”

I place my hand on his chin and turn his head so his eyes meet mine. “You know you can talk to me about anything. Anytime, anywhere.”

He pulls free from my hold. “I just feel like I have no purpose. I can’t help you take down the king. You nearly died trying to save me. I don’t want to be insecure. I just wish I was able to protect you.”

“You do protect me. You protect all of us. You saved many lives as the Watcher.”

He nods slowly. “I know and I’m grateful for the job they’ve given me. I guess I’m looking for more.” He presses his lips together before saying, “I’ve done a lot of thinking as I was sitting here with you and I decided I’m going to come with you when you battle King Sorenten.”

“No way.”

“Lily—”

“You don’t always have to protect me. I can take care of myself.”

He grabs my hands. “I know you can. I always know you can. I just want to help you.”

“You will. Alaric told me we’re all going to attack the palace guards together. Some of the others here are forging new weapons.”

“I know. But I want to help you kill the king.” Sebastian tugs me closer to him. “Please, Lily.”

“I won’t let you die.”

“And I won’t let you.”

I cover my face. “I can’t believe this. You just woke up from a disease that almost killed you, and now we’re arguing.”

He wraps his arms around me. “I’m sorry. We don’t have to talk about this now. Let’s tell the others you’ve woken up.”

Before he has a chance to get up, I pull him back and kiss his cheek. “I know you mean well, Sebastian, but I can’t handle this right now.”

He nods. “It was selfish of me to bring it up and I’m sorry.” He takes my hand and we leave. In the main room, or common room, many of the other rebels are sprawled on the chairs and on the floor. There aren’t many young ones around, except for Renaya. She smiles to Sebastian and waves, giving me a thankful nod. I smile.

The others hug me, telling me how happy they are that I’m feeling better. I search for my dad, but don’t see him anywhere. Maybe he left the building.

Salia gives me a wide smile and a hug as she sets some food down on the table for us. I thank her and dig in. I don’t know what I’m eating, but it’s delicious.

The conversation around the table revolves around my healing Sebastian, then shifts to a new law the king decreed.

“What new law?” I ask.

Renaya says, “I, along with some others, left a few hours ago to check what’s happening in the palace.” She swallows. “The king’s new law is: anyone who assists the rebels will be punished by death.”

“He punishes everything by death,” I mutter.

“Yes, but this new law punishes the family as well,” another rebel says.

I lift an eyebrow.

“If someone is suspected of aiding the rebels, he and his entire family will be executed.”

I leap to my feet, causing my chair to fall. “That’s nuts! How can he do such a thing?” I mentally role my eyes. Of course he can do such a thing. He’s a horrible person.

I fix my chair and sit down. A thought hits me. “The people hiding us. They’re putting themselves and their family at risk.”

“They have no family,” Renaya says.

“Alaric is speaking with them,” Hastus says.

“We can’t let them risk their lives,” I say. “Maybe we can find another cave or something?”

Hastus and Renaya shake their heads. She says, “They’re willing to help us.”

“Who are they, anyway?”

“Friends,” Hastus says.

That’s what my dad told me. But who are these “friends”? Why help us when they gain nothing? Unless they are getting something: freedom. They must believe in our cause.

“Are we going to meet them?” I ask. “Or would they rather remain anonymous? But they’ve met my dad. Do they know he’s the true king?”

Renaya and Hastus exchange a glance. They’re hiding something. “What is it?” I ask.

Renaya shakes her head.

Sebastian places his arm on her shoulder. “Did something happen?”

Renaya shakes her head again.

“It’s up to them if they want to meet the others,” Hastus says. “They believe Alaric is the true king and they believe in us. That’s why they’re willing to help us.”

“But who are they? How do they know Alaric?”

Hastus sits back. “I think they went to school together.”

“Alaric went to public school?” Or whatever the equivalent to public school is here.

Hastus nods. “Alaric believed in being equal with his people. He didn’t feel like he was above them, unlike Sorenten. So, yes, he mingled with the commoners.”

I smile at how generous my father is. There’s so much about him that I don’t know, that I’ll probably never know. But one thing is for sure—he’ll be a hell of a better ruler than his brother.

“So what’s been happening here?” I ask.

Hastus says, “Things have been carrying on as well as before. We train, we prepare ourselves for war.”

“And when will that be?” I ask.

“When you’re ready, though I suspect we’ll need to move quickly, since Sorenten is determined to find the rebels.”

That causes my heart to pound and hot liquid to rush to my head. All along, I’ve been thinking of myself and my battle with the king. But what if the guards catch the others? What if they kill them? Even if I manage to kill Sorenten, all my fellow rebels could die.

As I look around them, I can’t help but feel part of them. I may be human and from Earth, but everyone sitting here has become my family. “I just want all of you to know how much I appreciate everything you do,” I tell them. “Every day, you risk your lives helping us put an end to Sorenten’s rule. I want to tell you how grateful I am.”

A few smile, others bow their heads. Sebastian takes my hand, brings it to his lips, and kisses it gently.

I raise my cup of that sweet drink. “To defeating Sorenten.”

They all lift their cups and chant, “To defeating Sorenten.”

I continue, “We’ll crush him like a bug and Ortarus will once again be a wonderful place to live in. You won’t live in fear, you won’t be constantly looking over your shoulder. I promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that bastard is killed.”

I can’t believe those words are actually coming from my mouth. I feel like I’m constantly changing, growing. I’ve been determined to kill him before, but now it’s like I’m ten times more determined.

The others raise their glasses some more and say, “To Princess Lily.”

I smile and am about to say something, when someone clears his throat from behind us. I turn around and find Alaric standing there with a man and a woman. They seem to be his age. The man’s eyes are hard yet soft at the same time. The woman looks very familiar. Her hair is dark and eyes are deep blue. I can’t place where I’ve seen her.

Sebastian, who has been holding my hand all this time, drops it and shoots to his feet. His face twists in disgust as he stares at the couple before us.

As I watch his expression grow more horrified and angrier by the second, it dawns on me why this woman looks so familiar.

She’s Sebastian’s mom.

Still wearing that expression of disgust, Sebastian stomps over to the man and woman.

“What are they doing here?” he demands Alaric.

He keeps quiet.

Sebastian says, “Why have you brought them here?” The tone in his voice is nothing but pure rage. I want to take his hand and tell him to calm down, but I don’t think that would do any good. He needs to let his anger out.

The man, who I assume is Sebastian’s dad, steps forward. “Sebastian.”

“Don’t you dare come near me!”

His dad backs up, his eyes wide as if he’s never been yelled at like that before. He’s a tall man with a broad frame. He’s wearing light brown pants and a matching shirt. It seems to be made of a more expensive material than what the others here are wearing. Maybe linen. While Sebastian inherited his father’s physique, he got everything else from his mother. She’s wearing a yellow dress, which also seems to be made of linen. Sebastian’s features are an exact replica of hers. She and Renaya can look like sisters.

“Sebastian.” This time it’s his mom who talks, reaching for him. Like with his dad, Sebastian pulls away.

He turns to Alaric. “What are they doing here?”

Alaric looks from Sebastian’s mom to his dad. He then faces Sebastian. “Candon and Merla are helping us.”

Sebastian’s jaw drops. “Excuse me? Why would the people who threw my sister and me away as if we were nothing but garbage help us?”

Candon and Merla wince. “Sebastian—” Merla starts.

“No,” he snaps. “I don’t want to see either of you.” He faces Alaric. “You’re making a mistake trusting them.” He whips around and marches to his room.

Sebastian’s parents exchange a glance and the entire room fills with an awkward silence. Renaya keeps her gaze anywhere but on her parents. She’s not one to show emotion, but I can see the anger and tension in her eyes. Clearly, she’s not okay with her parents being here. I can’t say I am, either. These are the people who put Sebastian and Renaya through hell. They
forced
them to serve the royal family. If I hadn’t found his lamp that day in the dumpster, I wouldn’t have absolved Sebastian of his crime. Renaya would still be going through horrific things at the palace.

A voice in my head reminds me that if not for their parents sending them off, Sebastian and I would have never met. There would have been no one to free the Ortarians from Sorenten’s cruelty.

I run after Sebastian. The door to his room is closed, and I knock. There’s no response. I try the knob and find it unlocked. I don’t care if he wants to be left alone. I need to talk to him.

He’s slumped on the floor, his back resting against the wall. His eyes are shut, his hands balled into fists at his side.

“Sebastian?” I lower myself next to him. “Are you okay?”

With his eyes still closed, he reaches for my hand. I slip it inside. “I’m sorry for getting so angry, Lily.”

“No, don’t apologize. What your parents did to you is unforgivable. You have the right to feel the way you do. I’m not exactly thrilled to see them, either.”

He nods, then slowly opens his eyes. “I can’t stand to look at them.” He rakes his hand through his hair. “Why are they helping us? It doesn’t make sense. They used Renaya and me to play nice with the king. How could we trust them?”

“I don’t know, but Alaric knows what he’s doing.”

He doesn’t say anything as his eyes move toward the ceiling. “This basement, this house.” He shakes his head. “Before Renaya and I were taken to work at the palace, we lived in a tiny shack. I remember how droplets of water would fall in through the ceiling when it rained.” He laughs sarcastically. “This place must have been given to them as a gift.” The bitter tone in his voice is heavy.

I squeeze his hand. He bangs the back of his head against the wall. “I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that I would come across my parents. I guess I figured they were too busy playing nice with the king. I never expected this. I’m not ready to face them. I don’t
want
to face them.”

I keep quiet, giving him a chance to let all his emotions out. His hand that’s not holding mine fists. “Renaya knew about this,” he says. “You saw how she and Hastus looked at one another when we asked about the people protecting us. Why doesn’t she feel the way I do? Lily, am I wrong to feel this way?”

I stroke his cheek. “You can feel however you want to. There’s no right or wrong answer here. As for Renaya, I think I sensed some anger in her eyes.”

He says, “She was very young when we were taken to the palace. Maybe she doesn’t remember our parents as well as I do.” He shuts his eyes. “I remember the way she cried for our parents when the palace guards plucked us out of our home. Sometimes when I sleep, I can still hear her shouts.”

I rest my head on his chest. “Oh, Sebastian. I know telling you how sorry I am doesn’t help—”

“No.” His lips brush across my cheek. “It helps a lot. Thank you for caring so much about me and Renaya. About Ortarus.”

“Like I said earlier, you’ve all become my family. I feel such a connection to this place and the people in it.”

There’s a knock on the door. Both Sebastian and I look at it, waiting for the person to come on. He or she doesn’t.

“Who is it?” Sebastian asks. His presses his lips together and narrows his eyes, as though he’s expecting his parents to be behind the door.

“Renaya.”

“Come in,” Sebastian says.

The door opens and Renaya peeks her head in. “Am I interrupting something?”

Sebastian shakes his head and motions for her to enter. She nods to me before sitting in the chair near the bed. She has that same hard, cold look in her eyes.

“Are they still out there?” Sebastian asks, his tone clipped.

“Yes.”

“What do they want?” he nearly growls.

She shrugs. “To help us.”

“I don’t trust them!”

She doesn’t say anything.

“Do you?” he asks.

She shrugs again.

“How can you even look at them after what they’ve done?” His tone grows softer. “Renaya, they destroyed our lives.”

“You think I don’t know that? Those people…” She thrusts her finger toward the door. “Are allies helping us. Nothing more.” Her eyes darken. “I don’t have parents.”

Sebastian stands up and places his arm on her shoulder. She pushes it off. He sinks down on his bed. I remain on the floor, not sure I should get involved. It seems like a personal matter.

“Do you guys want me to leave so you can discuss things?” I ask.

They shake their heads. “There’s nothing to discuss,” Renaya says.

“How can you trust them, Renaya?” Sebastian asks. “They’re loyal to King Sorenten.”

“Alaric trusts them,” she says.

“Then he’s a fool.”

I join Sebastian on the bed and take his hand. “I know this might sound crazy, but what if they changed?”

He snorts.

“I’m serious. Your parents did terrible things, but maybe you should give them a chance to explain. It’s not my place to get involved or tell you what to do, but you have so many questions and so many emotions running through you. I just think it might be a good idea to talk to them. Maybe you can see for yourself what their agenda is. If they really aren’t trustworthy, we need to know.”

He’s quiet, keeping his gaze on the bedspread.

Renaya crosses her arms over her chest. “Lily’s right. I don’t understand why Alaric trusts them. If they’re up to something, we need to be careful. We need to protect everyone here.”

“How does Alaric know them, anyway?” I ask. “Are they the ones he went to school with?”

Renaya nods. “When we fled, Alaric took us to Candon and Merla’s house to hide us. Apparently, he thought we could trust them.”

“You escaped with Alaric?”

“Yes. I wanted to find the two of you, but three guards were after me and I had to get away. I couldn’t fight them on my own. I didn’t have weapons. It would have been suicide. I’m sorry. I hoped to come back for you, but I met Alaric and the others and he told me you were gone. I returned to the compound anyway, but he was right. You had left. Can you forgive me for abandoning you?”

I take her hand. “Of course. I’m glad you saved yourself. Three versus one, and with no magic? I can’t bear to think what would have happened to you had you tried to save us.”

She doesn’t say anything. Sebastian wraps his arm around her shoulder. “Lily’s right. Don’t feel guilty about that. We’re all here and well.” He twists his nose. “Everything would be fine if those two hadn’t dropped by.” He turns to me. “I’m sorry for my anger, Lily. I don’t think I can ever look at those people without all these negative emotions filling me. You’re right that we need to see what they’re truly after, but I think I need to calm down first.”

I nod. “I’m going to see what’s going on out there.” I bend forward and kiss him. “See you soon.”

The truth is, I want to give Sebastian and Renaya some privacy to talk. As I step into the common room, I find that things are how they were when I left. There is no tension in the air and Sebastian’s parents don’t seem to be here. Alaric is sitting at a table, drinking as he talks to Hastus. When he sees me, he waves me over.

“How is he doing?” he asks, motioning for me to take a seat.

I sit down. “He’s very upset.”

“That’s understandable. I didn’t mean to hurt or upset him, but he doesn’t understand how much they want to help.”

“But why do they, though? What do they gain? Sebastian told me they’re on the king’s side.”

Alaric shakes his head. “They have a lot they need to discuss with Sebastian and Renaya, and they feel terrible for what they’ve done.”

Even though I told Sebastian that they might have changed, we still need to be careful. These two people might be playing my dad. He might be too blind to see the truth. Someone needs to look out for him. For all of us.

“I don’t want to doubt you, but why do you think they can be trusted? What if they’re telling the king where we are?”

“They wouldn’t do that. Candon was my good friend when we were children. He forgot I existed, since the memory of who I was had been erased from every Ortarian’s mind when Sorenten took the throne. Candon and Merla remembered me once I showed them my glowing crown. I know what you’re thinking, that I’m letting friendship cloud my judgment.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that after everything that happened, we need to be careful who we trust.”

“You’re right, we do. Candon and Merla are the most trustworthy Ortarians I know.”

I’m quiet, not sure if I should utter my next words. “It’s hard to believe that. I mean, they gave their kids away, just like that.”

“And it tore them apart.” He sighs. “They thought they could provide their children with a better life. Sorenten promised the poor he would give the children a good life, something Candon and Merla couldn’t do. When they learned the truth, it was too late. They couldn’t get their kids back.”

“But everyone knew he was a ruthless ruler. Why didn’t they suspect that would happen?”

Alaric shakes his head. “This was shortly after he rose to power. They didn’t know of his evil ways yet.” He rubs my arm. “It tore away at them. Every second. Merla cried herself to sleep for years and Candon hardly slept at all.”

I had no idea. Hearing all of this makes me feel for them. I can’t imagine what it was like.

“And their magic?”

“They have a nice amount of magic, though it’s limited. It’s enough to keep us safe here.”

“Why would Sorenten promise them magic?”

“To keep them in check, to have a hold over them. They thought Sorenten was giving them the magic so they could learn to use it and eventually get their children back. You have to understand, the lower class wouldn’t have been able to handle so much magic without proper training. Candon and Merla thought giving Sebastian and Renaya away was only temporary, a few years. Those few years were very vital, because it could mean the difference between life and death. Some of the poor were so sick.”

“Didn’t they wonder why Sorenten couldn’t help them? Why didn’t he make all the social classes into one class and everyone would be equal?”

He frowns. “He fed them lies, that they needed to fix themselves on their own, that he couldn’t help them. He told them the Ortarian magic was weak, because his parents were murdered and they needed to slowly rebuild. It was all BS, not a word of truth.”

“Couldn’t Sebastian’s parents learn magic and take care of their kids?”

“No. He told them they couldn’t. He basically fed them more and more lies. The poor things clung to his every word.”

What a messed up bastard. I can’t believe such a person like that exists. “So Sorenten is constantly checking up on them?” I ask.

“In the beginning he monitored them, but once he was sure he had their loyalty, he let them have some freedom. We can use that to our advantage now.”

“Won’t he suspect them because their kids are rebels?”

“He doesn’t know who their kids are. They lost their relationship when they gave Sebastian and Renaya up. He doesn’t care about details like that—it’s too much work for him. These are mistakes we can use to our advantage.”