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

by Stone, Dee J.

  I glance over at the corner on the right side of the room where Merla and Candon are in each other’s arms. I pull my eyes away. “Where are they?” My voice is a monotone.

  “We don’t know. A few others have gone looking for them, but they couldn’t find them.”

  I jump to my feet. “I have to go.”

  “Lily—” He reaches for my hand, but I pull away.

  “I have to find them.”

  This time, he manages to grab my arm and stop me from leaving. “Lily, listen to me. You can’t go out there. If you get captured by the guards, it’s over. Your mission is done.”

  I shove his hand off me. “That’s all you care about? My boyfriend and his sister are missing and I’m going to do everything in my power to save them.”

  “Of course I care about that, but I care about you. Lily, I’m not worried about you getting captured because I want you to kill the king. I’m worried because you’re my daughter and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself.” I head for the door.

  “Lily—”

  I whirl around. “I’m going to save them.” I don’t care what happens to me—if I get captured or killed. I’m going to risk my life saving the love of my life and his sister. I continue toward the door.

  Alaric must have caught up to me because he grabs my hand again. “Just listen to me.”

  I stop walking, but don’t turn to face him.

  “I’m sending a few others along with you. I won’t let you go alone.”

  I’m about to say something, when the door opens and Renaya walks in. My heartbeat slows down as relief washes over me, but then a chill passes down my back. She’s alone.

  I rush over to her. “I’m so glad you’re okay, but where is he?”

  Her eyebrows knot. “Who?”

  “Sebastian. He went looking for you.”

  Her eyes widen. “He did? I haven’t seen him. I was hiding from the guards, which is why I’m late.”

  I sink down to the floor. Oh no. Sebastian went looking for Renaya, but they hadn’t met up. Where is he?

  Renaya’s face is white, but her eyes are hard. Both Merla and Candon are staring at us, their eyes wide as well. The expressions on their faces are utter terror.

  Panic overtakes the room as everyone talks at the same time. Oh, god. Sebastian is missing. An ice-cold wave crashes over me and I can’t breathe. My Sebastian might be in trouble.

  Alaric bends down to place his hand on my back. “Lily…”

  He says words, but I don’t hear them. A pain has entered my chest, a pain I have never felt before. It’s worse than the burn I felt when those shadows attacked me or when I took Sebastian’s disease away. I didn’t think anything could be worse, but this is. It’s as though I’m being torn open and someone is placing scorching coals on my organs. I cry out.

  “Lily—”

  I just keep crying as the pain intensifies. All the voices and sounds around me blur into an echo, and all I can focus on is this agonizing pain.

  A hand squeezes my shoulder, but I hardly feel it. “It’s Sebastian,” Hastus’s muffled voice says. “She’s feeling what he’s feeling.” Slowly, the pain begins to dissolve, thanks to his healing. For only a few seconds before it starts up again. “They have him at the palace and they’re torturing him to death.”

  “No!” I yell. I’m not going to let them hurt my Sebastian. I shout at the top of my lungs and focus all my energy on Sebastian, on protecting him. I chant over in my head, Don’t let him die. Don’t let him die.

  At once, the pain vanishes. I open my eyes and find all eyes on me. Did it work? Or is he dead? I feel in my heart that he’s alive. But how?

  Hastus helps me to my feet.

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “You used your magic to place a barrier around him. It’ll protect him, but not for long. We have a short amount of time before it will be destroyed and he will die.”

  I gape at him. “How could I place a barrier around him?”

  “Because of the love you have for one another,” Alaric tells me. “It’s strong and pure. And of course it’s because you’re the true princess.”

  Once again, I sink to the floor as a million thoughts race through my head. My poor Sebastian. Why did he leave without telling me? Why does he always insist on protecting me? He’s been captured.

  I’m on my feet. “I’m going to rescue him.”

  This time, both Alaric and Hastus grab my arms and yank me back. “This is on a whole different scale, Lily,” Alaric says.

  I try to pull free. “Let go of me.”

  “What’s your plan? To barge into the palace and rescue Sebastian?” Alaric says. “Renaya recently learned that there are thousands of guards protecting Sorenten now. Thousands.”

  I ignore him and yank my arms, but my dad and Hastus won’t loosen their grip. I know what they’re saying is true. As powerful as I think I am, I’m only one person. They’d fry me on the spot.

  “Let go of me or I’ll use force,” I warn.

  They sigh and drop their hands. I’m about to head for the door, but stop. It’d be suicide for me to do this on my own. As much as I want to save Sebastian, I’m not crazy.

  Renaya steps forward. “Lily, we can all do this. Together.”

  Alaric nods. “This is what we’ve been training for. To take on the guards and Sorenten.” He motions toward everyone. “We’re all ready.”

  Every single person in the room nods, including Sebastian’s parents. I can’t help but feel relieved. I don’t have to do this alone. We’re in this together.

  “What’s the plan?” I ask.

  Alaric says, “We take on the guards with our weapons while you take on Sorenten.”

  “No, I’m going to rescue Sebastian.”

  Alaric shakes his head. “Merla and Candon will rescue Sebastian,” he says. Merla and Candon nod from their corner. Their faces are still filled with terror, but they’ve got determination and confidence mixed in, too.

  “Hell no.”

  “Lily—”

  “Do you honestly think I’m going to battle the king knowing my boyfriend is seconds away from being tortured to death? No. I’m going to save Sebastian and then kill Sorenten.”

  Alaric steps close to me and places his hand on my arm. “I know how much you want to rescue Sebastian, but we need to catch Sorenten off guard. If he’s aware that the palace is being attacked, he’ll be ready for you.”

  “I don’t care. He doesn’t scare me.”

  “Candon and Merla have strong magic—” Hastus starts.

  “I know. And I trust them to get Sebastian out safely, I just…” I yank at my hair. “I just feel like this is something I should do.”

  Merla walks over to me and takes me in her arms. “Thank you for loving my son and wanting to protect him.” She looks into my eyes. “But your father is right. We need to think of a strategy. Candon and I will rescue Sebastian while you keep the king busy and everyone else keeps the guards busy.”

  I want to argue, but as I look at everyone’s faces, I know she’s right. We’re only a few people. There are thousands of guards. If we want to do this right, we need a strategy.

  “How are we going to take down the guards when we’re so few?” I ask.

  All the rebels stand straight. “We’ll fight until death,” they say. “We’ll fight for our freedom.”

  Tears fill my eyes. They’re ready and willing to fight for what they believe in, no matter how risky it is. I need to be on board, to think like that. If my task is to take down the king, then I need to follow through.

  I nod to Alaric. “Okay, I’ll battle Sorenten.” My throat gets dry. Saying it these past few days was just that—words. Now that I’m actually going to do this, I want to hide in my bed and never wake up.

  Will I survive? Will the rebels? Will I see Sebastian again? Will I see Ortarus transform into the wonderful place it d
eserves to be?

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  After taking a few minutes to come up with a plan, we’re ready to attack the palace. Alaric and Hastus would like some more time to strategize, but the more time we waste, the closer Sebastian is to being tortured to death.

  As we discussed everything, my head was a jumbled mess. As much as I tried to focus on what I need to do, I just couldn’t. All I could think about was my sweet, wonderful boyfriend locked up, tied up, getting the crap beat out of him. All because of me. Because I’m the daughter of the true king. Had he, as a genie, met an ordinary girl back on Earth, she would have absolved him of his crime and they would live happily ever after. But no. Because I’m the princess, Sebastian needed to bring me to Ortarus to battle the evil king. He wouldn’t have been poisoned and nearly died. He wouldn’t have been captured. Why couldn’t I be that ordinary girl? I was okay with my simple, boring life. I never asked for this. I don’t need this.

  Someone places his hand on my shoulder. Alaric. He gives me a reassuring nod. We’re standing in the main room of the shack, and all the rebels are around me. I can practically feel their determination seep into me. It should give me confidence and hope, but all I feel is despair. How many of us will be lost today? How would I be able to bear their deaths?

  “Lily,” my dad says, his voice soft. “I know this is hard, but we need to do this. We’ve been training for this day.”

  A lump the size of a bowling ball clogs my throat. I try to swallow it, but all I manage is to cause my throat to burn. Tears threaten to pour down my cheeks, but I hold them in. As much as I want to curl into a ball and cry, I can’t be weak.

  Renaya and her parents step closer to me and squeeze my arm. “I’m just so sorry for everything,” I say, my voice above a whisper. “I feel responsible for all of this.”

  Merla shakes her head. “This isn’t your fault.”

  “It’s mine,” Renaya says. “I didn’t return home on time, so he went searching for me.”

  Candon says, “There’s no one to blame for what happened, other than King Sorenten. He’s responsible for this.” He turns to me. “Not you. Or you,” he says to Renaya.

  She nods, but I still blame myself. Maybe that’s stupid. I don’t know. What I do know is had I not been the princess, Sebastian would be living on Earth right now. Hell, we’d both be living blissfully on Earth. I don’t blame my dad for coming to Earth and meeting my mom and having me. He fell in love. I guess I just wish things turned out differently.

  Merla pulls me into her arms, hugging me tight. “We’ll free him. You have my word.”

  “And mine,” Candon says. “We just got our son back and we’re not going to lose him again.”

  Their words cause the tears to break free and spill down my cheeks. I’m being selfish only thinking about how much Sebastian means to me. He’s their son and they hadn’t seen him in years. I can’t imagine the pain they’re in.

  I clasp both Candon and Merla’s hands and reach for Renaya, who places her hand on mine. “This will all be over soon,” I tell them. “Soon, Sebastian will be with us again.”

  Tears flash in Merla’s eyes. Candon looks like he’s trying to keep a brave face, but it’s obvious he’s going to collapse into tears any second. Renaya has her usual hard expression, but her eyes are filled with grief.

  I shut my eyes, pushing any negative thought out of my head. We’re going to free Sebastian and we’re going to take down that bastard of a king.

  Alaric gives me an awkward hug and kisses my forehead. “You’re very brave, Lily.” He faces the others. “All of you. I want to thank everyone for the sacrifice you will make today. I know it’s not easy, but I know we will live freely again.”

  Everyone claps. A few people cheer. I notice many seem nervous. A few are even trembling, but they’re ignoring their fears. I smile to each one, letting them know how much I appreciate everything they’re going to do today.

  Alaric turns to me. “Are you ready?”

  The bowling ball is still lodged in my throat. I’m far from ready, but I need to be. I can’t think of myself. I need to focus on Sebastian and the Ortarians. This is it. My chance to change their lives.

  “I’m…” I shut my eyes once again and regulate my breathing. My heart is hammering against my ribcage and I swear my legs are barely able to support me. But I shove all that aside and open my eyes. “I’m—I’m ready.”

  Alaric motions around. “Are we all ready?”

  Everyone raises their weapons toward the ceiling. “Ready!”

  I lift my hand for attention. “I know I’ve said this before, but I want to thank you all for what you’re doing. Seriously, I feel like I want to hug each one of you tight and just let you know how much each and every one of you means to me.” I pause as I scan around. “I don’t know what’s going to happen today, but I do know one thing: That bastard of a king is going down. Ortarus will once again be a wonderful place to live in. No longer will Ortarians live in fear or in pain.”

  Everyone cheers.

  I swallow, hoping I’m not giving everyone false hope. The truth is I have no clue if we’ll be successful in our task. For all I know, we’ll all die and Sorenten will turn into an even more evil king.

  No. I need to be positive. I need to keep telling myself that we’re going to do this and we’re going to triumph.

  ***

  Sneaking out of our hiding spot when there are countless guards around isn’t easy. But luckily we have the night and the tall grass as cover. I don’t know what time it is, but I assume somewhere around two or three in the morning.

  The palace is a good distance from the shack, but no one seems to mind as we weave through the grass. Sebastian’s loving face doesn’t leave my head, and that pumps me up. It pushes my fears aside. If he were with me now, he’d take my hand, bring it to his lips, and tell me I can do this. That he believes in me. He’d tell me how brave I am, how I inspire him.

  Sebastian, I say in my head. I haven’t been able to reach him telepathically, and I don’t know if he can hear this. Even so, I tell him to hang on just a little bit longer. That we’re on our way.

  A warm feeling enters my heart, and I’m pretty sure it’s from him, letting me know that he got my messages and he’ll try to be strong and hold on as much as he can.

  “I love you,” I whisper.

  We trudge on for a few more minutes before Alaric gestures for everyone to stop. A group of five soldiers is standing outside a cave. We sink into the grass so they can’t see us.

  “We can’t get by undetected,” Alaric whispers.

  “Let’s attack,” Renaya says, lifting her sword.

  Alaric gently lowers it. “We can’t. Remember, Lily needs to get into the palace before we can attack. Sorenten needs to be caught off guard.”

  She presses her lips together.

  I rest my hand on her arm. “I can’t stand the sight of them, either, and I want every single one of them to pay for what happened to Sebastian. But Alaric is right. If we ambush them, it’ll screw up our strategy.”

  She reluctantly nods.

  Alaric says, “Since we can’t go on, Lily you’ll have to get to the palace without us.”

  “Okay.” We planned it so I would enter the palace while the others remain hidden, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. I’ll have to make the long trip on my own. “Are you sure you guys are going to be okay here?”

  “Don’t worry about us,” Hastus says. “You just do what you need to do.”

  I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans. My heart is pounding so hard I feel it in my fingertips. Once I leave the group, I’ll be on my own. I’ll be one step closer to killing the king. God, am I ready for this? I don’t think any amount of training could have prepared me for this. But I can’t think this way. The Ortarians and Sebastian are counting on me.

  Merla wraps her arm around my shoulder. “Good luck, Lily.” She kisses my cheek.

  “Kick ass everyone,” I say.r />
  They give me confused faces.

  Despite what a mess I am, I laugh. “Beat the living hell out of those guards.”

  They nod and silently cheer.

  Alaric takes me in his arms. He doesn’t say a word as his head rests against my shoulder, but I can feel exactly what’s going on in his brain and in his heart. He’s worried about me, but he knows he needs to let me do this.

  When we draw back from one another, his eyes are glassy. He opens his mouth, but no words come out.

  “It’s okay, Dad,” I tell him. “You don’t have to worry so much. I’ll be fine.”

  He kisses my forehead. “I know you will be. You’re the strongest, bravest person in all Ortarus.”

  “I doubt that’s true.” I wave my hand toward everyone. “Just look at all of us.”

  Alaric’s smile is strained. “Like you said, kick ass, Lily.”

  My hands are shaking so badly I bet they can feel it back on Earth. I force a smile onto my face. “I will.”

  Chapter Thirty

  I look back. My fellow rebels are so far from me that they look like small ants. I’ve been walking for only a few minutes, but it feels like hours. Before I left them, Merla and Candon hugged me one last time, promising to get Sebastian back. Alaric held me for a little while, muttering things under his breath. His nerves aren’t helping me. They’re making me feel more anxious than I already am. I know it’s normal for me to be this nervous, but I can’t let my nerves get in the way of what I need to do.

  There are many more guards around, since I’m closer to the palace. I’m crawling in the grass, making sure to keep myself hidden. The plan is that I’m going to turn myself invisible and enter the palace. Then I’ll find Sorenten’s bedroom—where he’ll hopefully be sleeping, since it’s late at night—hide and kill him once the others raid the palace. Hastus put a tracking spell on me so the rest of the rebels will know when I’ve entered the palace and when it’s safe for them to attack.

  I would make myself invisible now, but I need to conserve my energy. If I’m detected in the palace, I’m as good as dead.