“Maybe you’ll have that, too.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “Thank you for all your encouragement. I don’t know how I would handle this without you.”
I give him a passionate kiss. “I felt the same way when you got sick.”
He opens his mouth, then shuts it. He combs his fingers through his hair. He sighs and looks at me before crumpling the blanket in his hands.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
He shakes his head.
“Sebastian.”
“I don’t want to upset you, but it’s been bothering me and I’m going to explode.”
I take his hands. “You can tell me anything, you know that. I’m not some porcelain doll. I can handle it.”
“I know you can, but whatever I want to say is going to cause a rift between us.”
The last thing I want to do is argue with him, but if it’s bothering him so badly, I need to know what it is. I need to help him. “Tell me. Please.”
He keeps his gaze on the blanket. “I’m going to fight Sorenten with you.”
I groan. “Not again.”
His eyes flit to mine. “Why won’t you let me? Because I don’t have magic? Because I’ll get in your way? Because I’m…weak?”
“You’re not weak.”
He cups my face in his hands. “I love that you’re so powerful and brave. I know you can take care of yourself, but you have no idea what Sorenten is capable of.”
“I’m not scared of him.” Of course I am. I just can’t let myself be. When I’m going to go into battle, I won’t let him or anyone, or myself, psych me out.
Sebastian holds me close in his arms. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. When he tilts my head to kiss me, I can feel every emotion spinning inside him. His worry of my battling the king, his nerves to speak to his parents. The future he desperately wants for us as well as all the Ortarians. I tug him close and deepen the kiss, promising I’ll do everything in my power to give him that future.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I spend most of the next day training with Hastus. Just like yesterday, he’s rough with me, but I welcome it. I fight through my aching limbs, because my pain is nothing compared to all the pain the Ortarians go through every day. I see Casa’s face before my eyes and think about all the stories the rebels told me, all the horrible things they’ve been through. These thoughts and images help me ignore the burning in body and push myself to be the best warrior or savior or whatever I can be.
“You’re progressing nicely,” Hastus tells me as I down some of that sweet drink. I still can’t remember its name, no matter how many times I’ve asked Salia. But that doesn’t matter. This drink is pure heaven.
“Thanks. Do you think we’re ready to take Sorenten down?”
He leans back in his chair. “We still have a lot of training to do, but we need to move quickly before his guards find us.”
I nod, pushing the images of our fallen comrades out of my head. I don’t want to lose any more of us, but we can’t hide out here forever. Like Hastus said, the guards are eventually going to find us. Also the more time we waste, the more time Sorenten gets away with terrorizing the Ortarians.
He pats my arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll be ready for him. I promise you that.”
We train for a few more hours, before Hastus decides to call it a day. My body is exhausted, but at the same time, something inside me wants to go on. When I tell that to my trainer, he laughs. “Your magic comes so naturally to you. Soon, you’ll be the one teaching me.”
I playfully slap his arm. “Sure. And about my magic, I feel like it’s part of me. Like a best friend living inside me. So far we’ve been getting along great.”
He smiles. “Hold onto that. When your magic is part of you, you can do anything. And—”
“I need to be the best I can be when I’m going to take down the king.”
He watches me for a second or two. “Lily, I never asked you how you feel about all of this. I know you’re nervous, but what else?”
I shrug. “It doesn’t really matter how I feel. I just have to make this world a better place for all Ortarians. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. Everyone deserves to be treated equally.”
“If you feel that way, then you truly are the princess you’re meant to be.”
I shift from one foot to the other, trying to shake off how uncomfortable he’s making me feel. I guess the whole princess thing still takes some getting used to. “Thanks.”
“Okay, I kept you here long enough. Go get some fresh air.” By fresh air, he means to go the main room, since we can’t go outside. No one does, except for Renaya, Alaric, and some of the other spies. When I asked my dad if I could join them, he told me I need to focus on training. I think he’s worried what would happen to me if I leave this shelter. Not only because they need me to kill the king, but because he wants to protect me.
In the main room, everyone is going about their usual things, relaxing after a hard day of training. Some are talking, others are eating. Some smile to me as I pass them. Others bow their heads. I return the smiles, ignoring the pang in my stomach. How many of us are going to survive this? No, I can’t be thinking these negative thoughts. We’re all going to survive. We need to.
Sebastian is in our room when I enter. Technically, this is only his room, but I’ve kind of moved in. I stop short when I find his parents seated next to him at the table. Renaya is here, too.
“Oh, hi,” I say.
Sebastian gets up and takes my hand. He faces his parents. “Mother, Father, this is Lily, the love of my life.”
Both Candon and Merla stand up and bow. “Princess,” Merla says.
It’s strange to meet my boyfriend’s parents, but it’s even stranger to have them bowing before me. “Please, it’s just Lily. And you don’t need to bow. Uh…” I grab some of my hair. “It’s nice to meet you.” I never met any of my boyfriend’s parents before, since I hadn’t gotten far with them. Is this how Sebastian felt when he met my mom? No wonder he was so nervous. I want to sink through the floor.
Candon smiles, bowing his head. “It’s our pleasure.”
Merla steps forward and hugs me. “Sebastian tells us it was you who convinced him to talk to us.”
I laugh lamely. “Well, you can thank Alaric, really.” Why did I say that? “Um, so I guess I’ll leave?”
“Of course not,” Merla says. “We’d love to get to know you.”
I glance at Sebastian and Renaya. They seem to be in a good mood, although it’s hard to tell with Renaya since she’s still got that cold, distant look in her eyes.
They lead me to the table and we sit down. Sebastian is still holding my hand, and he has a loving smile on his face when our eyes meet. I tuck some hair behind my ear and shift in my seat. I shouldn’t be so nervous, but I am. I mean, it’s not like I feel like I need to be perfect in front of his parents. Sebastian doesn’t care about that kind of thing and they don’t seem to be the type, either.
Merla gives me a warm smile. “You come from Earth.” It’s not a question. Her eyes are dazed with fascination.
“Yeah. I mean, yes. Yes, I do.” I press my lips together. Sebastian squeezes my hand, and I swear I can see a small smile on Renaya’s face. Am I making a fool of myself? Why do I even care about such a thing when we’re in the middle of a rebellion?
“Fascinating,” Candon says.
“I guess…”
Merla takes my free hand. “We would like to thank you for the task you have taken upon yourself. Killing King Sorenten.”
“Thanks. I’d do anything to help all of you.”
She smiles. Candon nods.
“I’m sorry for everything Sorenten put you through,” I say. “But don’t worry, you have my word that he won’t be ruling for much longer. Ortarus will be a safe, wonderful place again.”
Sebastian’s hold on my hand tightens. I don’t think we concluded anything last night, about him wanting to help me. Hon
estly, I want to pretend like it doesn’t exist.
“I also want to thank you for risking your lives to protect us,” I tell them. “We’re in your debt.”
Candon shakes his head. “There is no need to thank us. It’s about time someone stands up to that ruthless ruling pig.” He clenches his fist.
Merla places her hand on his arm. “Candon, we need to relax.” She turns to me. “It’s us who should be thanking you. Sebastian told us how you cared for him when he was a genie on Earth. And that you watched over him when he grew sick after the attack on your compound.”
I smile at Sebastian. “I love him.”
Sebastian is about to say something, when there’s loud banging from above us. “Open up,” a booming, male voice says.
Candon and Merla leap to their feet. “Palace guards.” They zoom out of the room. Sebastian, Renaya, and I quickly follow. Their parents rush up the stairs, through the hidden door that leads to the secret basement, and up the stairs, probably to the house.
We all stare at one another. Alaric, who’s standing on the side, face is sheet white.
“Open up!” the guards call. “By the order of King Sorenten, you are to open the door this instant.”
I hear the sound of the outside door being opened. “Yes?” Candon says. His voice is muffled but clear enough to understand.
“We must search your house,” another guard says. I use my magic to peer through the ceiling. Three guards are standing in the house, one beefier than the next.
The guards march around the house, throwing doors open, looking under the beds and the closets. I turn to lead the others to an escape route—the ceiling I climbed in from that leads to the backyard. But I stop when I see many more guards around the house. They must have called the others. There’s no escaping now.
Alaric, Hastus, and Renaya pass weapons out to all the rebels. We hide behind the furniture, Sebastian and I ducking behind a couch.
“What are you searching for?” There’s a tremor in Merla’s voice.
“Rebels,” one of the guards grunts.
“There are no rebels here,” Candon says calmly.
The guards don’t respond as they keep poking through the place. The others can’t see what’s going on, only can hear. More guards have gathered around the house now and there must be more than thirty. Running out to attack will only be suicide. Our best option is to defend. I want to reassure everyone that everything is going to be okay, but how can I?
One of the guards is right above us when he stomps his foot on the floor. His eyes widen as he pulls a rug aside to reveal a few tiles on the floor that are a little uneven than the rest. This must be the door that leads to the basement.
My heart gallops in my chest. Oh, god. They’ve found us.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The largest guard grabs Candon. “What is this?” he demands, pointing to the floor.
Candon winces. “Nothing.”
The guard snarls. “You’re hiding rebels.” He twists Candon’s arm behind his back. Sebastian’s hands clench at his sides.
“No—no!” Candon sputters.
A sound comes from above. The guards from outside are trying to find their way in. It won’t be long before they find the second secret entrance. It’s over.
“Open it!” the guard yells to Candon.
“There’s nothing there,” Merla says. “Please, let my husband go.”
The guard grunts, then hurls Candon into Merla, sending them flying to the wall. I wish I could slip through the ceiling and punch each and every guard here. If they so much as touch Sebastian’s parents one more time, I swear I’ll—
The largest guard waves his hand over the hidden door, using his magic to open it. My palm lifts and I focus my energy on keeping the door sealed. I can feel his magic pulling at mine, but it’s not as strong as mine. Soon, mine is overpowering his.
“Lily,” Sebastian gasps.
The guard backs away. “There is nothing there.” His head whips around. “Check outside,” he calls to the other guards. “I know they’re hiding here somewhere.”
I keep my hand up, making sure not to lower my guard. I’m not going to let them find us.
The guard trying to get in from outside pushes at the second door. I raise my other hand and do the same, shutting my eyes so I don’t lose focus. I chant in my head: Please don’t let them find us. Please.
Just like the other guard, I feel his magic for a bit before he, too, slowly recedes. “Nothing here,” he calls. “Just dirt and trash.”
It’s working. I can’t believe it’s working. I can hear my fellow rebels sigh in relief. Sebastian gently and hesitantly rests his hand on my back, as though he doesn’t want me to lose focus.
The guards who are outside surround the building a few more times, poking and prodding the walls. I keep my hold on the two doors. The guards inside the house finish up their inspection before reluctantly leaving. They don’t give Merla and Candon, who are still sprawled on the floor, a second glance.
Sebastian makes a move like he wants to spring up the stairs to check on them, but I grab his arm. “Not yet,” I whisper. “They can be hiding, waiting for us to show ourselves.”
“But my parents are hurt. Why didn’t they use their magic to fight off the guards?”
I place my hand on his chest. “That would have only made them look guilty.”
He doesn’t say anything as he watches his dad get to his feet before helping Merla up. They dust off their clothes and look away. I hope they don’t come down here. It’s not safe yet.
“Act normal,” Candon says to his wife. She nods and heads to the kitchen to prepare dinner while he fixes up the mess the guards made.
My eyes search the house for guards. I know there are some still here, waiting for us to screw up. That’s not going to happen. I’ll make sure of it.
“No one move,” I tell everyone.
We remain crouched in our hidden places for what feels like hours but are only minutes. Just when I’m about to give up on the guards still being here, I see something leap out of what looks like a framed photograph of Merla and Candon at their wedding. The guard now stands in the center of the living room. He shrunk himself.
Glancing around some more, he snatches a necklace from the jewelry box and stuffs it in his pocket before leaving the house. Candon, who’s in the next room, doesn’t notice. Both he and Merla go on with whatever they’re doing.
We definitely can’t leave now.
I’m not going to sit here for hours, though. There has to be a way to know if there are more guards around. Shutting my eyes, I massage my temples as I channel my energy into creating some sort of location spell. I talk to my magic, asking it to help me out here. Something burns inside me. Not a burn that causes pain, more like a burn that’s lighting me up.
When I open my eyes, everything is a shade of light blue. My fellow rebels are outlined in black. This must be my location spell. It worked! Excitement fills me, but I push that aside. I need to focus.
I search the house, slowly, one room at a time. I need to be thorough. I won’t let anything happen to Sebastian’s parents. Or to us.
After examining the place for a few good minutes, I realize the only two people inside the house are Candon and Merla.
I hold up my hand. “It’s safe now.”
I blink and my eyesight is back to normal. Once I get to my feet, Sebastian pulls me into his arms. “You’re amazing.”
Everyone else gathers around us, their eyes wide with gratitude and relief. Alaric has a proud smile on his face.
I don’t care if we’re in public. I grab Sebastian by his shirt collar and press my lips to his. I can practically hear everyone taken aback by that, but a second later, they’re clapping. This feels like we’re on stage and performing the last act of the play, where the hero and heroine share a passionate kiss.
Alaric says, “I’ll go up and tell Candon and Merla it’s safe now.”
“Ple
ase thank them for protecting us,” I say. “Tell them they’re wonderful people.”
He nods. “Will do.”
I smile and interlock my fingers through Sebastian’s. “Your parents are awesome,” I say. “They could have easily given us up in a heartbeat.”
“Had they not found the door, I’m sure they would have tortured them.”
“Oh, god.”
He pulls me to his chest, resting his chin on my head. “It’s okay. Hopefully they won’t come back.”
We, along with the others, return the weapons to their usual hiding place. Inside a room that appears to be a closet.
When we’re done, Candon and Merla are back with us. We all thank them for watching over us, and they blush from all the praise. I promise them I’ll get their necklace back when we raid the palace, and they thank me.
Salia and a few other women offer to help Merla with dinner. Alaric claims this calls for a celebration. We wash up and ready ourselves just as the women bring the food in from upstairs. We gather around the table and start to eat. We don’t stop talking about how relieved we are. Even though we know this is just one hurdle we’ve overcome, it’s still nice to celebrate. One point for us, zero for Sorenten. The feeling is incredible.
I reach for my sweet drink and bring it to my lips. But just as I’m about to take a sip, it’s thrown to the floor. I look up to the person who knocked it out of my hand—Hastus. His eyes are wide, almost demonic-like.
“What are you doing?!” I cry.
His gaze flits to the cup, which is rolling around on the floor, the liquid spilling out of it.
“Poison,” he whispers.
Chapter Twenty-Six
My heart skips a beat. Poison? Someone’s trying to poison me?
Sebastian’s on his feet. “What do you mean poison?”
Hastus points to the liquid. I hadn’t noticed it before, but it’s green. It’s creating a hole in the ground, as if it’s made of acid.
Keeping the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 3) Page 14