He must sense the thoughts running around in my head because he says, “Lily, I would never wish to harm you. Please, you have my word.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that—”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You should be suspicious and careful. I don’t know how I can convince you that I don’t want to hurt you or Sebastian, but I’m hoping you can see the truth in my eyes.”
As I gaze at them, they do look sincere. There’s no gleam in them or a wicked smile on his face. He genuinely seems to care. Do I take that chance? I’ve got to. It’s the only way to heal Sebastian.
I take a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “How long is it going to take?”
“A few minutes.”
“Is it going to be painful?”
He’s quiet for a second or two. “Very.”
“Have you done it before?”
“Not with such an extreme disease, but yes, I have. My mother grew ill many years ago, when I was a boy. My father absorbed the disease and I healed him.”
“And it worked?”
He nods. “She was healthier than she had been all her life.”
Hope bubbles inside me at the thought that my Sebastian will be as good as new. That I’d see his loving smile and feel his warm lips press against mine. That he’d hold me in his arms and tell me everything is going to be okay. That I’ll succeed in my mission and provide the Ortarians with a good life.
“Lily?” Hastus says. “Are you okay? I’ve been calling your name.”
I nod. “Just thinking. I’m…I’m ready.”
He gets to his feet. “We’ll need to close the door. We can’t afford anyone else coming in here. You can’t be interrupted.”
“Because I’ll die?” I blurt.
He gives me a sad smile. “Like I said, it’s very risky, but I have the confidence that you’ll be able to handle it.”
His words aren’t giving me much confidence, but I’ll do anything to save my genie. “And we can’t tell anyone about this.”
“Your father would talk you out of it, I’m sure.”
He definitely would. He wouldn’t want his only daughter risking her life. He told me he’ll try to find more solutions, but what if he can’t? Sebastian is only going to get worse. I have to do this.
I shut my eyes and regulate my breathing. “Let’s do this.”
Hastus locks the door and the two of us crouch near Sebastian’s bed. Hastus instructs me to take Sebastian’s hand while he clutches my other one.
“Think about how much you love him,” he tells me. “Think about how much he means to you. How you wish to take his illness upon yourself and rid him of any foreign entity invading his body.”
I close my eyes and focus on that. I think about the day I dug the lamp out of the dumpster, how rude he was when I gave it a rub. How he lowered his guard as the two of us got to know each other. When he kissed me during my prom. How we fought to be together, even though we knew he was going to leave me. When I absolved him of his crime. And when he returned. How we grew closer to one another and the love between us strengthened.
A tingly feeling enters my body—through my hand that’s clasping Sebastian’s, down my arm and into my chest. It spreads to every part of me. The feeling is warm and comforting, not painful at all.
But as the seconds tick by, my body grows warmer, as though I’m water simmering in a kettle. Soon, I feel like I’m engulfed in flames. Every part of me is scorching, like I’m being burned alive. My eyes fly open and I want to grab all my limbs as if that will somehow ease the pain. But Hastus told me not to break contact with him or Sebastian.
I cry out, trying to ignore the pain tearing me from the inside out.
Hastus’s hand tightens on mine. “You can do this, Lily. Just a little bit longer.”
“It burns!”
“Focus on how much you love Sebastian. Picture good, happy memories with him. Think about how you’ll feel when he’s awake and well. Focus on those things and not the pain.”
I try to do as he suggests, but it’s just so hard. All I can think about is how much pain I’m in, that all I want to do is crawl into the fetal position and cry until all of this is over.
“Push through, Lily.”
If not for Hastus’s words, I would completely lose it.
The pain lasts for a while. It seems like years but I know it’s only a few minutes. Just when it reaches its strongest peak, I feel it starting to lessen. That must be due to Hastus’s healing. Whatever is inside me is slowly dissipating. The pain is still there and I close my eyes tight to fight through it. Soon, all I feel is that same tingly feeling as before. It’s at my fingertips for a little while before it’s gone.
I fall to the floor, dropping Sebastian’s hand. Hastus, who has a strong grip on my other hand, crashes down with me. We’re both panting. I want to sit up, to look at Sebastian, but I’m too weak to move. I can’t even turn my head to check if Hastus is okay. What if healing me killed him?
My breathing is labored as my chest rises and falls rapidly. I’m staring at the ceiling, ignoring my eyes that are begging to be shut. As much as my body cries for rest, I won’t give in. When Sebastian wakes up, I want to be the first person he sees.
I try to move my fingers, but I don’t think I manage to. My head droops toward my chest and my eyes feel heavy.
Eventually, I give in and let sleep overtake my body.
Chapter Twenty-One
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, anywh
ere.”
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.
Chapter Twenty-Two
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 an
d 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.”
Keeping the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 3) Page 12